Oct. 19: GRAMMY®-nominated Pianist Simone Dinnerstein is Soloist with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Conducted by Rory Macdonald
GRAMMY®-nominated Pianist Simone Dinnerstein is Soloist with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Conducted by Rory Macdonald
Photo by Lisa Marie Mazzucco available in high resolution at: https://www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/simone-dinnerstein
GRAMMY®-nominated Pianist Simone Dinnerstein
is Soloist with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic
Performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467
Conducted by Rory Macdonald
Saturday, October 19 at 7:30pm & Sunday, October 20 at 2:30pm
ENT Center for the Arts | 5225 N Nevada Ave | Colorado Springs, CO
Tickets and More Information:
www.csphilharmonic.org/event/mozart-beethoven
“lean, knowing, and unpretentious elegance” – The New Yorker
Simone Dinnerstein: www.simonedinnerstein.com
Colorado Springs, CO – GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Simone Dinnerstein, who is described by The Washington Post as “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity,” will be the featured soloist with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic conducted by Rory Macdonald, in two performances on Saturday, October 19 at 7:30pm and on Sunday, October 20 at 2:30pm. Dinnerstein, an American pianist who is heralded for her distinctive musical voice and commitment to sharing classical music with everyone, will perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467. The program also includes Lachrimae antiquae by John Dowland, Within Her Arms by Anna Clyne, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2.
The Washington Post has called Simone Dinnerstein “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity.” She first came to wider public attention in 2007 through her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, reflecting an aesthetic that was both deeply rooted in the score and profoundly idiosyncratic. She is, wrote The New York Times, “a unique voice in the forest of Bach interpretation.” As a musician who embraces collaboration and inclusiveness with her artistry and performances, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467 holds particular significance for Dinnerstein. Not only is the piece included on her 2017 album, Mozart in Havana, but the concerto served as a point of artistic connection between Dinnerstein and the Havana Lyceum Orchestra, with which she performed the piece while visiting Cuba in 2015, at the invitation of her teacher and esteemed pianist, Solomon Mikowsky. Gramophone describes Dinnerstein’s performance of the C Major K 467 concerto as having “heartfelt directness, purity of line.”
Of the personal significance behind Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major and her priceless memories performing the work, Dinnerstein says:
“This Mozart concerto has been one of my favorites since I was a child. I’ve had many memorable experiences performing it, from the thrilling experience of performing it in Vienna, where Mozart lived, to recording it in Havana with the extraordinary Havana Lyceum Orchestra and subsequently touring it with them in the United States. The writing is reminiscent of Mozart’s operatic output, and it is a complete joy to sing on the piano.”
More about Simone Dinnerstein: Simone Dinnerstein has played with orchestras ranging from the New York Philharmonic and Montreal Symphony Orchestra to the London Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale Rai. She has performed in venues from Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center to the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Konzerthaus, Seoul Arts Center and Sydney Opera House. She has made thirteen albums, all of which topped the Billboard charts. During the pandemic she recorded three albums which form a trilogy: A Character of Quiet, An American Mosaic, and Undersong. An American Mosaic was nominated for a Grammy.
In recent years, Dinnerstein has created projects that express her broad musical interests. She gave the world premiere of The Eye Is the First Circle at Montclair State University, the first multi-media production she conceived, created, and directed, which uses as source materials her father Simon Dinnerstein’s painting The Fulbright Triptych and Charles Ives’s Piano Sonata No. 2. She premiered Richard Danielpour’s An American Mosaic, a tribute to those affected by the pandemic, in a performance on multiple pianos throughout Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. Following her recording Mozart in Havana, she brought the Havana Lyceum Orchestra from Cuba to the U.S. for the first time, performing eleven concerts. Philip Glass composed his Piano Concerto No. 3 for her, co-commissioned by twelve orchestras. Working with Renée Fleming and the Emerson String Quartet, she premiered André Previn and Tom Stoppard’s Penelope at the Tanglewood, Ravinia and Aspen music festivals, and performed it at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and presented by LA Opera. Dinnerstein has also created her own ensemble, Baroklyn, which she directs. The Washington Post comments, “it is Dinnerstein’s unreserved identification with every note she plays that makes her performance so spellbinding.” In a world where music is everywhere, she hopes that it can still be transformative.
For more information, please visit www.simonedinnerstein.com.
About Colorado Springs Philharmonic: The Colorado Springs Philharmonic is an independent symphony orchestra whose mission is to offer brilliant musical performances and in-person experiences that draw families, friends, and loved ones together. We honor the rich traditions upon which our art was founded and work tirelessly to see it continues to hold a prominent place in the future of the community. We have great reverence for what we do, and great esteem for all who love and support it—most especially the everyday enthusiast who enjoys music for its own sake.
For Calendar Editors:
Description: GRAMMY®-nominated Pianist Simone Dinnerstein, an artist of “lean, knowing, and unpretentious elegance” (The New Yorker), is presented in concert with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic led by Rory Macdonald. Dinnerstein will be the featured soloist in a performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467 – a vibrant orchestral work Dinnerstein brought to wider attention through performance, touring, and recording it alongside the Havana Lyceum Orchestra. The concert will also include Lachrimae antiquae by John Dowland, Within Her Arms by Anna Clyne, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2.
Concert details:
Who: GRAMMY®-nominated Pianist Simone Dinnerstein
Presented by Colorado Springs Philharmonic
Conducted by Rory Macdonald
What: Music by W. A. Mozart, John Dowland, Anna Clyne, and Ludwig van Beethoven
When: Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 7:30pm
Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 2:30pm
Where: ENT Center for the Arts, 5225 N Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Tickets and information: https://www.csphilharmonic.org/event/mozart-beethoven
Oct. 24: Simone Dinnerstein and Awadagin Pratt Presented by Miller Theatre at Columbia University – Performing Works for Solo Piano, Two Pianos, and Piano for Four Hands
Simone Dinnerstein and Awadagin Pratt Presented by Miller Theatre at Columbia University – Performing Works for Solo Piano, Two Pianos, and Piano for Four Hands
L-R Photo of Simone Dinnerstein by Lisa Marie Mazzucco; Photo of Awadagin Pratt by Rob Davidson
Pianists Simone Dinnerstein and Awadagin Pratt
Presented by Miller Theatre at Columbia University
Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 7:30pm
Miller Theatre at Columbia University
2960 Broadway (at 116th Street) | New York, NY
Tickets and Information
“an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity”
– The Washington Post
Simone Dinnerstein: www.simonedinnerstein.com
New York, NY – On Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 7:30pm, GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Simone Dinnerstein, who is described by The New Yorker as an artist of “lean, knowing, and unpretentious elegance,” and GRAMMY®-winning pianist Awadagin Pratt, whose performances are described by the Washington Post as “forceful, imaginative, and precisely tinted,” will be presented in concert by Miller Theatre at Columbia University (2960 Broadway, at 116th Street).
American pianist Simone Dinnerstein has a distinctive musical voice and remains steadfast in her commitment to sharing classical music with everyone. Dinnerstein first came to wider public attention in 2007 through her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, reflecting an aesthetic that was both deeply rooted in the score and profoundly idiosyncratic. She is, wrote The New York Times, “a unique voice in the forest of Bach interpretation.” Dinnerstein has performed with orchestras ranging from the New York Philharmonic and Montreal Symphony Orchestra to the London Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale Rai. Her performances have been presented in venues from Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, to the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Konzerthaus, Seoul Arts Center and Sydney Opera House. Thus far in her career Dinnerstein has made thirteen albums, all of which topped the Billboard charts.
Beyond their mutual passion for and prestige with the piano, Dinnerstein and Pratt share a long time friendship and appreciation for collaborative performance. The two musicians have performed together many times over their respective careers, cultivating a deep respect and admiration for one another’s artistry. For this concert, Dinnerstein and Pratt will collaborate on a program that includes several selections for piano: two pianos, piano with four hands, and solo selections for piano, including: Castillo Interior by Pēteris Vasks, performed by Pratt; Philip Glass’s Etude No. 6, performed by Dinnerstein; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448 performed by Dinnerstein and Pratt; and Ludwig van Beethoven’s stately Symphony No. 6 in F, Op. 68 “Pastoral” –– as arranged by Selmar Bagge –– performed by Dinnerstein and Pratt together at a single piano.
Of performing this program with Awadagin Pratt, Dinnerstein says:
“There is an intimacy to the two-piano repertoire that makes a concert hall feel like a living room. This repertoire was meant to be played at home. Historically, symphonies were arranged for two-piano as a way of becoming familiar to music lovers long before the days of recording, and when live orchestral performances were few and far between. Orchestral transcriptions require so much imagination, and also reveal elements of the counterpoint that may be different than what one’s impressions are from hearing the fully orchestrated version. I’m anticipating that this concert will have a friendly and more informal feel to it as a result of this quality in the music itself.”
More about Simone Dinnerstein: In recent years, Dinnerstein has created projects that express her broad musical interests. She gave the world premiere of The Eye Is the First Circle at Montclair State University, the first multi-media production she conceived, created, and directed, which uses as source materials her father Simon Dinnerstein’s painting The Fulbright Triptych and Charles Ives’s Piano Sonata No. 2. She premiered Richard Danielpour’s An American Mosaic, a tribute to those affected by the pandemic, in a performance on multiple pianos throughout Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. Following her recording Mozart in Havana, she brought the Havana Lyceum Orchestra from Cuba to the U.S. for the first time, performing eleven concerts. Philip Glass composed his Piano Concerto No. 3 for her, co-commissioned by twelve orchestras. Working with Renée Fleming and the Emerson String Quartet, she premiered André Previn and Tom Stoppard’s Penelope at the Tanglewood, Ravinia and Aspen music festivals, and performed it at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and presented by LA Opera. Dinnerstein has also created her own ensemble, Baroklyn, which she directs. The Washington Post comments, “it is Dinnerstein’s unreserved identification with every note she plays that makes her performance so spellbinding.” In a world where music is everywhere, she hopes that it can still be transformative.
For more information, please visit www.simonedinnerstein.com.
About Awadigan Pratt: Among his generation of concert artists, pianist Awadagin Pratt is acclaimed for his musical insight and intensely involving performances in recital and with symphony orchestras.
Born in Pittsburgh, Awadagin Pratt began studying piano at the age of six. Three years later, having moved to Normal, Illinois with his family, he also began studying violin. At the age of 16 he entered the University of Illinois where he studied piano, violin, and conducting. He subsequently enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of Music where he became the first student in the school’s history to receive diplomas in three performance areas – piano, violin and conducting. In recognition of this achievement and for his work in the field of classical music, Mr. Pratt received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Johns Hopkins as well as an honorary doctorate from Illinois Wesleyan University after delivering the commencement address in 2012.
For more information, please visit: www.awadagin.com
About Miller Theatre: Miller Theatre at Columbia University is the leading presenter of new music in New York City and a vital force for innovative programming. In partnership with Columbia University School of the Arts, Miller is dedicated to producing and presenting unique events, with a focus on contemporary and early music, jazz, opera, and multimedia performances. Founded in 1988, Miller Theatre has helped launch the careers of myriad composers and ensembles over the years, serving as an incubator for emerging artists and a champion of those not yet well known in the United States. A four-time recipient of the ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming, Miller Theatre continues to meet the high expectations set forth by its founders—to present innovative programs, support the development of new work, and connect creative artists with adventurous audiences.
For Calendar Editors:
Description: GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Simone Dinnerstein, described by The Washington Post as “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity,” and GRAMMY®-winning pianist Awadagin Pratt, are presented in concert by Miller Theatre at Columbia University. Dinnerstein and Pratt will perform a program featuring music written for two pianos, piano with four hands, as well as solo selections. The concert will include music by Pēteris Vasks, Philip Glass, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven/Selmar Bagge.
Concert details:
Who: Pianists Simone Dinnerstein and Awadagin Pratt
Presented by Miller Theatre at Columbia University
What: Music by Pēteris Vasks, Philip Glass, Ludwig van Beethoven (Arranged by Selmar Bagge) and W.A. Mozart
When: Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 7:30pm
Where: Miller Theatre at Columbia University 2960 Broadway (at 116th Street), New York, NY 10027
Tickets and information: www.millertheatre.com/events/simone-dinnerstein-and-awadagin-pratt
Oct. 18-19: Emerald City Music Season 09 Opening Weekend: American Sketches featuring Kristin Lee and Pianist Jun Cho
Emerald City Music Season 09 Opening Weekend: American Sketches featuring Kristin Lee and Pianist Jun Cho
High resolution photo available here.
Emerald City Music Season 09 Opening Weekend:
American Sketches featuring Kristin Lee and Pianist Jun Cho
Friday, October 18, 2024 at 8pm
415 Westlake | 415 Westlake Avenue N | Seattle, WA
Tickets: https://bit.ly/EmeraldOct2024Seattle
Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 7:30pm
The Minnaert Center for the Arts | 2011 Mottman Rd SW | Olympia, WA
Tickets: https://bit.ly/EmeraldOct2024Olympia
American Sketches Album Release Date: November 15, 2024 (First Hand Records)
Downloads and CDs available to press on request
Seattle & Olympia, WA – Emerald City Music (ECM), led by founding Artistic Director Kristin Lee, opens its Season 09 on a theme of Global Resonance with two performances celebrating Lee’s debut solo album, American Sketches, out on November 15 on First Hand Records. The performances, with pianist Jun Cho, take place on Friday, October 18, 2024 at 8pm in Seattle at 415 Westlake (415 Westlake Avenue N) and Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 7:30pm in Olympia at The Minnaert Center for the Arts (2011 Mottman Rd SW). During the concert at 415 Westlake, audiences can enjoy ECM’s flagship “date-night experience,” which combines vibrant classical performance with an open bar, and a “wander-around” concert setting with no stage dividing the audience from the musicians.
American Sketches captures the pride that Kristin Lee has for the U.S. as a foreign-born citizen, through tunes that embody a recognizable and spirited sound. “It’s been quite a journey in bringing this album to life, especially since this is my very first curated album. Through recording and creating American Sketches, I’ve gained a voice and better understanding of myself,” she says. “With the courage to share this album with the world, I’ve gained boldness and trust within myself. I’m embracing the changes that this process has bestowed upon me and eagerly anticipating how I will continue to evolve, bringing changes to my musical life.”
Lee and Cho will perform a program highlighting a wide array of stylistically diverse works from the album including Four Southland Sketches by H.T. Burleigh (1916); non-poem 4 (2017) by Jonathan Ragonese; and Romance by Amy Beach (1893); as well as But Not For Me by George Gershwin (1930), Lament by J.J. Johnson (1954), Entertainer by Scott Joplin (1902) arranged by pianist Jeremy Ajani Jordan, who recorded much of the album with Lee. In addition, Lee and Cho will also perform Sonata No. 2, Poeme Mystique by Ernest Bloch (1924) and Fantasy on Themes from Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin (1935).
“My inspiration for my new album American Sketches lies in the celebration of differences,” says Lee. “It is the differences of people, environment, and encounters that ignite our curiosity, fuel our motivation, and inspire our creativity. By accepting and appreciating these differences, we pave the way for changes to our society. While adopting change is difficult for many people, it is a critical component in our ever-evolving world, particularly within the musical communities. The history of American music is a great example of this notion. From the Indigenous sounds of the Native Americans to the influences of Western Europe and Africa, the American sound merged and evolved into what we know as Ragtime, Appalachian Folk, Jazz, and so much more. The variety of musical styles represents the diverse culture of America, showcasing the beauty of individual expression and the celebration of American history.”
Emerald City Music (ECM) is the Pacific Northwest home for eclectic, intimate, and vibrant classical chamber music experiences. Deemed “a welcoming and more inclusive environment for intimate music-making” (The Seattle Times), ECM hosts world-renowned musicians in unique concert experiences. Founded in 2015, Emerald City Music produces and tours seven productions annually, with each tour visiting venues including Seattle’s South Lake Union (415 Westlake, a chic contemporary venue with an open bar), Olympia’s Minnaert Center (a 495 seat modern concert hall), a once annual concert at the Bellingham Music Festival, and an annual concert in New York City.
About Jun Cho
Pianist Jun Cho is a multifaceted artist known for his versatility as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. His performances have captivated audiences in major venues across the United States, South Korea, and Europe. A passionate collaborator, Jun frequently shares the stage with esteemed musicians such as Itzhak Perlman, Philippe Quint, Stefan Jackiw, Ray Chen, Clive Greensmith, and Randall Goosby, among others. As a featured pianist with the Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet, a winner of the Latin GRAMMY® Award, Jun brings the rich tradition of tango to life in renowned New York City venues such as The Iridium, Joe’s Pub, and Barbès.
In the past, he served as a faculty member at the Heifetz Institute and taught at the Michael P. Hammond Preparatory Division at Rice University. Currently, he is an artist-faculty member at the Perlman Music Program and serves as the studio pianist for violinist Itzhak Perlman at the Juilliard School. Additionally, Jun assists Juilliard piano faculty member Julian Martin, demonstrating his commitment to fostering the next generation of musicians. His students and mentees have achieved notable success, from winning regional competitions to securing places in prestigious music programs and embarking on international careers.
About the Artists: www.emeraldcitymusic.org/season-artists
About Kristin Lee, ECM Artistic Director: www.emeraldcitymusic.org/team/kristin-lee
About ECM: www.emeraldcitymusic.org/about
Follow ECM on Social Media:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/emeraldcitymusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/emeraldcitymusic
October 18: ECM New Series Releases Anja Lechner's New Album featuring Bach, Abel, Hume - First Single Out Now
ECM New Series Releases Anja Lechner's New Album featuring Bach, Abel, Hume
ECM New Series Releases
Anja Lechner
Bach, Abel, Hume
Anja Lechner, violoncello
First Single Hume’s A Question Out Now
Listen: https://ecm.lnk.to/BachAbelHume
Release Date: October 18, 2024
ECM New Series 2806
CD: 0289 4875881 4
Press downloads and CDs available upon request
For her first solo-violoncello album on ECM’s New Series, Anja Lechner devotes herself to a particularly unique convergence of three composers from vastly different contexts: JS Bach, Carl Friedrich Abel and Tobias Hume. In the past, her extensive discography has captured the cellist as part of the renowned Rosamunde Quartett, as well as alongside seminal artists from both trans-idiomatic sound worlds and the realm of classical music, gracing her with rare musical farsightedness. With her distinct perspective on works composed for both violoncello and viola da gamba, Lechner – “one of the most gifted cellists in the world” (Strings magazine) – sheds a fresh light on music written within a span of two centuries.
Framing the first two solo suites from the famous group of six Bach wrote for the violoncello are Abel and Hume compositions, originally conceived for viola da gamba, which are given new colour and breadth through Lechner’s interpretation on cello – in parts newly arranged by herself. Connecting all three composers is a certain improvisatory notion within the fabric of their work, second-nature for composers and musicians between the 16th–18th centuries, when these three lived.
Opening the programme are works by Hume, preserved in the very first print edition, namely the collection “The First Part Of Ayres” from 1605. The Scottish composer (and former soldier)’s pieces can be understood as depictions of moods or frames of minds, each of the 116 dances and miniatures in the collection (mostly notated in tablature) corresponding to slightly different temperaments. “A Question”, “An Answer”, “Harke Harke” – a narrative is broached, to be concluded with the final piece on the album, Hume’s tuneful “Touch Me Lightly”. The composer’s lyrical qualities are emphasized in Anja Lechner’s thoughtful interpretation, bringing new, subtle characteristics to the fore.
Of the 150 years later composer Carl Friedrich Abel, Anja Lechner addresses the Arpeggio and Adagio, each in d minor. Lechner endows the already intense scores with her own expressivity in these fluid performances. It’s a fitting preamble to Bach’s violoncello suites Nos. 1&2 in G major and d minor, where the cellist channels the full range of her deep experience in the genre and delivers powerful readings of this core repertory.
Reviewing a solo recital from 2022, where Lechner likewise performed one of Bach’s violoncello suites, among other works, the German daily paper Süddeutsche Zeitung praised cellist’s unique “delivery, which always underlines her precise articulation in a most musical fashion”, noting how her performances are marked by a “sense of longing anchored in deep and serious elegance”. The same dedicated and impassioned sense of abandon can be heard and felt here. And at the end, as Kristina Maidt-Zinke notes in the album-accompanying liner notes, “one marvels at the lightness and inner logic with which three worlds have ever so gently touched one another”.
The album, recorded at the Himmelfahrtskirche in Munich, was produced by Manfred Eicher.
*
“One of the most gifted cellists in the world, often bridging the gap between contemporary and traditional, east and west, and arranged and improvisational music” – Greg Cahill, Strings, USA
Starting from her deep roots in classic music, Anja Lechner’s musical path has led her to explore a wide range of trans-idiomatic expressions and improvisational traditions, with a discography that embraces a multitude of collaborators from various countries and cultures.
The violoncellist’s projects for ECM include a long-running artistic collaboration with Argentine bandoneonist-composer Dino Saluzzi (El Encuentro, Navidad de los Andes, Ojos negros and, with the Rosamunde Quartet, Kultrum); music by composer-philosopher G.I. Gurdjieff (Chants, Hymns and Dances), a recording made in partnership Greek pianist Vassilis Tsabropoulos which topped the US classical charts and several recordings with the Tarkovsky Quartet. She recorded two albums with the quartet’s pianist François Couturier (Moderato Cantabile, Lontano) as well as the highly acclaimed 2018 duo recording of Schubert works in duo with guitarist Pablo Marquez (Die Nacht) and more. Lechner was the cellist of the Munich-based Rosamunde Quartet, whose acclaimed ECM New Series recordings include music by Mansurian, Schoeck, Larcher, Webern, Shostakovich, Burian, Haydn, and Yoffe.
Jupiter Quartet Perform the World Premiere of Singing Land with the University of Illinois Chamber Singers – Music by Su Lian Tan & Text by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Jupiter Quartet Performs the World Premiere of Singing Land with the University of Illinois Chamber Singers
L-R Robin Wall Kimmerer, Photo by Dale Kakkak; Jupiter Quartet, Photo by Todd Rosenberg; Su Lian Tan, Photo courtesy of artist
The Jupiter String Quartet
and the University of Illinois Chamber Singers
Perform the World Premiere of Singing Land
Music by Su Lian Tan & Text by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Commissioned by the Jupiter String Quartet
Presented by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 3:00pm
University of Illinois | Krannert Center | Foellinger Great Hall
500 S Goodwin Ave. | Urbana, IL
Tickets and Information
“an ensemble of eloquent intensity, has matured into one of the mainstays of the American chamber-music scene.” – The New Yorker
Urbana, IL – The Jupiter String Quartet –– internationally acclaimed winners of the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition who are known for their “compelling” performances (BBC Music Magazine) –– will open their season at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts with the world premiere of Singing Land, performed with the University of Illinois Chamber Singers, on Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 3:00pm in Foellinger Great Hall (500 S. Goodwin Ave). Singing Land, a collaboration with Potawatomi botanist/writer Robin Wall Kimmerer and composer Su Lian Tan, is the latest in a series of Jupiter Quartet-commissioned works celebrating the environment. The program will also feature Michi Wiancko’s To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores –– a work written in 2020 specifically for the Jupiter Quartet, which was commissioned by Bay Chamber Concerts in partnership with the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign –– as well as a series of works for chamber choir alone and in collaboration with the quartet. Ms. Kimmerer, author of the profound and popular Braiding Sweetgrass, as well as other works, will also be featured throughout the program. Interactive events will follow in the Krannert Center Stage 5 lobby.
Su Lian Tan and Robin Wall Kimmerer describe Singing Land as, “a new garden of sound, recalling ancient and modern voices and the mysticism of string instruments, voices of bullfrogs, and hawks who cry warnings. The circle of life continues and we create a world that is both spiritual and material. Text becomes music, music weaves the lushness of greenery and the breath exchanging on our planet, perhaps with the required urgency. Are we now in the aubade or the twilight? We can love the earth back to wholeness.”
Of this unique collaborative program, Jupiter Quartet says:
”We are honored to share the stage with two powerfully artistic women, author Robin Wall Kimmerer and composer Su Lian Tan. It will be a joy to explore their work together, and to collaborate with students, faculty, and community members at our home base of the University of Illinois.”
[Based in Urbana, IL and giving concerts all over the country, the Jupiter String Quartet is a particularly intimate group, consisting of violinists Nelson Lee and Meg Freivogel, violist Liz Freivogel (Meg’s older sister), and cellist Daniel McDonough (Meg’s husband, Liz’s brother-in-law). Brought together by ties both familial and musical, the Jupiter Quartet has been performing together since 2001. Exuding an energy that is at once friendly, knowledgeable, and adventurous, the Quartet celebrates every opportunity to bring their close-knit and lively style to audiences. Their connections to each other and the length of time they’ve shared the stage always shine through in their intuitive performances. The Quartet has performed in some of the world’s finest halls, including New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes, Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center and Library of Congress, Austria’s Esterhazy Palace, Seoul’s Sejong Chamber Hall, and more.
In addition to performances worldwide, the Jupiter has been in residence at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign since 2012, where they maintain private studios and direct the chamber music program. This season, they perform four concerts at the Krannert Center including this season opener on October 20; a concert on November 12, 2024; a program of sextets with two of their Ying Quartet colleagues, violist Phillip Ying and cellist David Ying on February 4, 2025; and a concert of octets including the Mendelssohn Octet with the Aris Quartet on March 13, 2025.
A dedicated flutist, composer, and teacher, Su Lian Tan is a professor of music at Middlebury College who has received accolades and awards from ASCAP, the Academy of Arts and Letters of Québec, the Toulmin and Naumburg Foundations, and the Yaddo and MacDowell arts colonies. Her “wonderfully dramatic music” (Gramophone) is inspired by tonalities, timbres, and themes of her Malaysian Chinese heritage. Previous commissioning collaborators include the Grammy-winning Takács String Quartet, Da Capo Chamber Players, Vermont Symphony, and author Jamaica Kincaid. The Jupiter Quartet introduced Krannert Center audiences to the music of Su Lian Tan last season (November 2023) in their program “Folk Encounters.”
A mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Robin Wall Kimmerer is the author of the award-winning books Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants and Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. The 2022 MacArthur Fellow lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of environmental biology and the founder/director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.
For Calendar Editors:
Description: The Jupiter Quartet, the Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, which The New Yorker describes as “an ensemble of eloquent intensity,” gives the world premiere of Singing Land, a collaboration with Potawatomi botanist/writer Robin Wall Kimmerer and Malaysian-Chinese composer Su Lian Tan, with the University of Illinois Chamber Singers. Singing Land is the latest in a series of Jupiter Quartet-commissioned works celebrating the environment.
Concert details:
Who: Jupiter String Quartet with the University of Illinois Chamber Singers
What: Singing Land – music by Su Lian Tan and text by Robin Wall Kimmerer
When: Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 3:00pm
Where: University of Illinois; Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; Foellinger Great Hall; 500 S Goodwin Ave.; Urbana, IL
Tickets and information: www.krannertcenter.com/events/jupiter-string-quartet-ui-chamber-singers-and-special-guests-robin-wall-kimmerer-and-su-lian
Oct. 25: Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Pianist Kathryn Stott to Release New Album Merci on Sony Classical – A Deeply Personal Expression Of Gratitude
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Pianist Kathryn Stott to Release New Album Merci on Sony Classical
Album Artwork (Download)
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Pianist Kathryn Stott
to Release New Album Merci on Sony Classical
Gabriel Fauré’s Sicilienne, Op. 78
Out Today - Listen Here
Album Release Date: October 25, 2024
Pre-Order Here
A Deeply Personal Expression Of Gratitude; A Celebration Of The Relationships That Keep Music Alive
Album Highlights Include Gabriel Fauré’s Compositions For Strings and Piano, Alongside Works By Composers In His Musical Firmament: Nadia Boulanger, Camille Saint-Saëns, Lili Boulanger, and Pauline Viardot
Yo-Yo Ma and longtime collaborator Kathryn Stott announce their newest album, Merci (Sony Classical), set for release on October 25, 2024 and available for preorder now. Accompanying today’s news is the first track release from the new recording, Gabriel Fauré’s Sicilienne Op. 78 – listen here.
Merci is a deeply personal expression of gratitude, a celebration of the powerful relationships that keep music alive. This effervescent recording is rooted in the compositions of Gabriel Fauré, whom Stott calls her “musical soulmate,” and follows the arcs of his inspiration and influence, from the creations of his teacher Camille Saint-Saëns and his friend and supporter Pauline Viardot to works by his student Nadia Boulanger and her sister, Lili. Merci is testament to the gift of friendship, to the connections among performers, between students and teachers, and across generations that make music magic.
Ma and Stott—both of whom have connections to Fauré through their respective teachers Luise Vosgerchian and Nadia Boulanger—reveal the extent of Fauré’s influence and inspiration through a recording that juxtaposes Fauré’s works for strings and piano with compositions by members of his musical family. Beginning with his Berceuse, Op. 16, Fauré’s works alternate with those of his student (Nadia Boulanger), teacher (Camille Saint-Saëns), and friends and contemporaries (Lili Boulanger, Pauline Viardot), in a tribute to the belief that, in Ma’s words, “we musicians stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and that we can only hope that ours will sustain those who come after.”
“The inspiration for this project stretches back to my very early years as a child at the Menuhin School, where teachers often visited from Paris,” Stott writes in the recording’s liner notes. “One of those was Nadia Boulanger. Nadia had been a student of Gabriel Fauré, and when I was 10, I had the great privilege to play Fauré’s fourth Barcarolle for her; from that moment, Fauré’s music never left my side. At the age of 10, I had found my musical soulmate.”
Gabriel Fauré lies at the heart of a musical family tree so thoroughly ingrained in the history of western music that it extends, through direct teacher-mentor lineage, as far back as Johann Sebastian Bach. The forward-looking reach of Fauré’s influence is no less impressive: artists who can trace a direct connection to Fauré through teachers or mentors include Quincy Jones, Aaron Copland, Philip Glass, and Leonard Bernstein.
Surrounding the album release, Ma and Stott will perform a recital tour in Europe, including stops in Reykjavík (October 26), London (November 2), Stockholm (November 3), Berlin (November 5), Munich (November 7), and Paris (November 9). Programmed works include compositions by Fauré and Nadia Boulanger, alongside Antonin Dvořák, Sérgio Assad, Dmitri Shostakovich, Arvo Pärt, and César Franck.
Ma and Stott’s recording partnership began in 1985, and includes Soul of the Tango and Obrigado Brazil, each of which garnered a GRAMMY® Award for “Best Classical Crossover Album.” In recent years, they have collaborated on the 2020 release Songs of Comfort and Hope—inspired by the recorded-at-home musical offerings that Ma began sharing under the hashtag #SongsofComfort in the first days of the COVID-19 lockdown in the United States—and the critically-acclaimed 2015 release Songs from the Arc of Life. Of the former, Gramophone wrote, “Ma and his frequent duo partner Kathryn Stott have managed to corral a collection of wide-ranging miniatures into something that feels closer to a recital than a compilation.”
Yo-Yo Ma, Kathryn Stott
Merci
Release Date: October 25, 2024
Tracklist:
Berceuse, Op. 16 - Gabriel Fauré
Nocturne - Lili Boulanger
Andante, Op. 75 - Gabriel Fauré
Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix from Samson et Dalila - Camille Saint-Saëns
Cantique - Nadia Boulanger
Papillon, Op. 77 - Gabriel Fauré
Hai Luli! - Pauline Viardot
Sicilienne, Op. 78 - Gabriel Fauré
D’un soir triste - Lili Boulanger
Morceau de lecture - Gabriel Fauré
La mer - Nadia Boulanger
Romance, Op. 69 - Gabriel Fauré
Aimez-moi from Six Chansons du XVI Siècle - Pauline Viardot
Élégie, Op. 24 - Gabriel Fauré
Sérénade, Op. 98 - Gabriel Fauré
Romance, Op. 36 - Camille Saint-Saëns
Romance, Op. 28 - Gabriel Fauré
Sony Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, Milan Records, XXIM Records and Masterworks Broadway imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.sonymusicmasterworks.com.
CONNECT WITH THE ARTISTS
YO-YO MA
WEBSITE: www.yo-yoma.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/YoYoMa
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/yoyoma
TWITTER: twitter.com/yoyo_ma
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YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/user/YoYoMaVEVO
KATHRYN STOTT
WEBSITE: www.kathrynstott.com
TWITTER: twitter.com/kathystott
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/stott.kathryn
Dec. 6: Sony Classical to Release Monumental Michael Tilson Thomas Box Set – The Complete CBS, RCA, and Sony Classical Recordings
Sony Classical to Release Monumental Michael Tilson Thomas Box Set
Sony Classical to Release
Monumental Michael Tilson Thomas Box Set
The Complete CBS, RCA, and Sony Classical Recordings
Sony Classical Celebrates the 80th Birthday of Conductor and Pianist Michael Tilson Thomas with his Complete Recordings in an 80-CD Edition Created in Collaboration with the Artist
Album Release Date: December 6, 2024
Reviewer Rate Upon Request
Pre-Order Available Now
He was Leonard Bernstein’s most famous protégé, and it’s convenient to draw parallels between two prodigiously gifted pianists, composers and charismatic explicators who became the leading American conductor of their respective generations. Like his mentor from the East Coast, Michael Tilson Thomas, born and bred on the West Coast, has been an eloquent champion of Mahler, Gershwin, Ives and Copland; he is also equally at home in the standard European repertoire, Broadway musicals and jazz; and he is a passionate, eloquent teacher – in the 1970s he took over Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts. MTT – as he is affectionately known almost everywhere by now – has become one of the world’s best-loved musical figures and most successful recording artists, with a dozen GRAMMYs to his credit. Sony Classical’s 80-CD box set now, for the first time, collects the entire discography he amassed for RCA, CBS and Sony Classical between 1973 and 2005. The set will be released on December 6, 2024.
Born into an artistic family in Los Angeles in 1944 – his paternal grandparents Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky were founding members of the Yiddish Theatre in America – by the age of 19 he was already conducting premières of works by Boulez, Copland, Stockhausen and Stravinsky. He assisted Boulez at the Ojai Festival in California, in 1969 was appointed assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony under William Steinberg, was music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic from 1971 to 1979 and principal guest conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1981 to 1985. He founded and directed the Miami-based New World Symphony, which gave its first concert in 1988, and that year, he became principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. In 1995, he assumed the career-defining post of music director of the San Francisco Symphony, turning an already top-class ensemble into America’s most boldly adventurous orchestra. “If Leonard Bernstein was 20th-century American music’s greatest missionary,” wrote Gramophone, “then Michael Tilson Thomas is its 21st-century acolyte.”
Right from the start, MTT’s recordings for CBS showed off his dedication to the music of his homeland. 1974 brought Stanley Silverman’s “multi-media pop-opera extravaganza” Elephant Steps: A Fearful Radio Show – New York Times: “[It] earned rave reviews, and so did its actor-conductor. Michael Tilson Thomas found himself a hero in East Coast contemporary music circles” – and John McLaughlin’s Apocalypse with the Mahavishnu and London Symphony Orchestras, whose producer George Martin, of Beatles fame, regarded it as “one of the best records I have ever made”. Along with recordings of Orff’s Carmina burana (“A terrifically exciting performance … aided by playing of characteristic brilliance and transparency from the Cleveland Orchestra” – ClassicsToday; Grammy winner for “Best Choral Performance” and nominee for “Album of the Year”); and, with the LSO and Ambrosian Singers, seldom performed late choral music by Beethoven (“On all counts very well worth adding to your collection” – Gramophone), the 1970s also saw his pioneering recordings of the complete works of Carl Ruggles, with the Buffalo Philharmonic (“For collectors of 20th-century American music … a landmark from the moment that CBS Masterworks released it in 1980” – New York Times).
Talking about George Gershwin in an interview, MTT disclosed that he “has occupied a vitally important place in my life. From my childhood, his music, interpretations, wise-cracks and wise-words were transmitted to me by my father…a piano student of Gershwin and by my uncle Harry who played and wrote music with him in his early years.” In 1976, Thomas stood the musical world on its head by recording Rhapsody in Blue with the composer as soloist (via a 1924 piano roll) matched to his conducting of the Columbia Jazz Band: “Nobody who is concerned with Gershwin’s music will be able to do without this record” (Gramophone). Dating from the same time is an album of Broadway overtures: “Thomas and the Buffalo Philharmonic have put together a group of stunning performances that are almost perfectly recorded and fill a real gap in the catalogue” (Gramophone).
In the 1980s with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, there was a live concert of Gershwin songs with Sarah Vaughan (“Sparkle and joyous spontaneity” – MusicWeb International) and an album of works with piano with MTT conducting from the keyboard; and in New York, he recorded two Gershwin musicals, Of Thee I Sing and Let ‘em Eat Cake: “Michael Tilson Thomas drives both scores along with total conviction … Aiding and abetting him is a splendid chorus … and three leads who are steeped in the performing tradition of the musical theatre” (Gramophone). And in 1997 a Gramophone reviewer proclaimed: “Michael Tilson Thomas and George Gershwin go together like bread and cheese … In the mini-avalanche of Gershwin centenary recordings this [San Francisco Symphony] set stands out … [with] an exquisitely poised understanding of the jazz influences on the opera [Porgy and Bess] … Tilson Thomas himself attacks the Second Rhapsody with glittering, humorous style … A piece as familiar as An American in Paris sounds freshly exciting.”
Similarly with Charles Ives: “If anyone has a hot-line to the cortex of Ives’s imagination, it’s Michael Tilson Thomas” (Gramophone Classical Music Guide). In the 1980s and 90s, he made acclaimed CBS recordings of Ives’s symphonies with the Chicago Symphony and Concertgebouw orchestras. With the San Francisco Symphony for RCA in 1999, he created “Charles Ives: An American Journey”, which the BBC’s reviewer called “a totally satisfying overview of Ives’s genius on one 65-minute CD. Songs, symphonies, psalms and tone poems … imaginatively sequenced as an organic whole.”
And Aaron Copland: MTT was still in his teens when he met him and began performing and premiering his music. He has said: “I have a very clear idea of him and his personality and his musical desires.” Of the numerous, diverse Copland recordings in this set, the most recent, and perhaps most indispensable, are two RCA albums with the San Francisco Symphony. “Copland the Modernist”, released in 1996, includes the Piano Concerto (with Garrick Ohlsson), Orchestral Variations, Short Symphony and Symphonic Ode: “A young man’s America, alternately monolithic and toughly contrapuntal … The performance knows just how good it is. Deep-set, blockbusting recording. A winner” (Gramophone). “Copland the Populist” (2000) features the composer’s “Big Three”: Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid and Rodeo “in performances of tremendous power and panache … Boasting some handsomely opulent, exhilaratingly expansive sonics, this is one corker of a release” (Gramophone).
Just a few further samplings of the countless riches in this set. Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, recorded with the San Francisco Symphony “easily withstands comparison to any of the great versions of the past … and it sounds better than any of them” (ClassicsToday). Debussy’s complete incidental music for Le Martyre de Saint-Sébastien with the London Symphony Orchestra for Sony in 1997 “is as near an ideal performance as could be imagined” (Penguin Guide). Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with Joshua Bell and the Berlin Philharmonic for Sony in 2005: “No matter how many other recordings you possess or may have heard [this one] is a must” (ClassicsToday). Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 with the London Symphony Orchestra for RCA in 1997 is “among the very finest to have come along in years” (ClassicsToday). Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet (excerpts) with the San Francisco Symphony for RCA in 1995 is “stunningly good … For many listeners this hugely enjoyable disc will be the one Romeo & Juliet to have and hold” (ClassicsToday). Stravinsky’s Firebird, Rite of Spring and Perséphone with the San Francisco Symphony for RCA in 1996–98): “Tilson Thomas has long established his credentials as an excellent Stravinsky conductor … Now with his own orchestra (which plays fabulously throughout), he undertakes the ever-popular Firebird and Rite of Spring ballets, and brings them off stunningly” (ClassicsToday).
Finally, two further adventurous albums with the New World Symphony for RCA. New World Jazz (1997), including works by Adams, Antheil, Bernstein, Gershwin, Stravinsky, Milhaud and Hindemith, is “imaginatively programmed and impeccably realized by all involved” (Gramophone). And with music by contemporary American composer Steven Mackey, “Tuck and Roll” (2001) is “free-wheeling, genre-defying fun … [with] sensational playing … Michael Tilson Thomas is in his element in this sort of repertoire as many of his conducting peers are not – and it is good to see him following Leonard Bernstein’s lead in taking up composers younger than himself. I cannot imagine this music better performed or recorded” (Gramophone).
SET CONTENTS
Disc 1:
McLaughlin: Apocalypse | Mahavishnu Orchestra with The London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 2:
Stanley Silverman: Elephant Steps: A Fearful Radio Show
Disc 3:
Orff: Carmina Burana | The Cleveland Orchestra
Disc 4:
Beethoven: König Stephan, Op. 117 | London Symphony Orchestra
Beethoven: Elegischer Gesang, Op. 118 | London Symphony Orchestra
Beethoven: Opferlied, Op. 121b | London Symphony Orchestra
Beethoven: Bundeslied, Op. 122 "In allen guten Stunden" | London Symphony Orchestra
Beethoven: Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt, Op. 112 | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 5:
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue | Columbia Jazz Band
Gershwin: An American in Paris | New York Philharmonic
Disc 6:
Dvořák: The American Flag, Op. 102 | Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Dvořák: Suite in A Major, Op. 98a, B. 190 "American" | Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Disc 7:
Gershwin, arr. Don Rose: Oh, Kay!: Overture | Buffalo Philharmonic
Gershwin, arr. Don Rose: Funny Face: Overture | Buffalo Philharmonic
Gershwin, arr. Don Rose: Girl Crazy: Overture | Buffalo Philharmonic
Gershwin, arr. Don Rose: Strike Up the Band: Overture | Buffalo Philharmonic
Gershwin, arr. Don Rose: Of Thee I Sing: Overture | Buffalo Philharmonic
Gershwin, arr. Don Rose: Let 'Em Eat Cake: Overture | Buffalo Philharmonic
Disc 8:
Ruggles: Toys
Ruggles: Vôx Clamans in Deserto (For Chamber Orchestra and Mezzo Soprano) | Speculum Musicae
Ruggles: Men | Buffalo Philharmonic
Ruggles: Angels (Original Trumpet Version) | Brass Ensemble
Ruggles: Men and Mountains | Buffalo Philharmonic
Ruggles: Angels (Trumpet/Trombone Version) | Buffalo Philharmonic
Ruggles: Sun-Treader
Disc 9:
Ruggles: Portals (For String Orchestra) | Buffalo Philharmonic
Ruggles: Evocations (Original Piano Version) | John Kirkpatrick, piano
Ruggles: Evocations | Buffalo Philharmonic
Ruggles: Organum | Buffalo Philharmonic
Ruggles: Exaltation (For Brass, Chorus And Organ)
Disc 10:
Tchaikovsky: Suite No. 3 in G Major, Op. 55 | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Disc 11:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 "Pastoral" | English Chamber Orchestra
Disc 12:
Respighi: Feste Romane | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Respighi: Fountains of Rome | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Disc 13:
Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony in B minor, Op. 58 | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 14:
Tchaikovsky: Suite No. 2 in C Major for Orchestra, Op. 53 | The Philharmonia Orchestra
Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Suite No. 4, Op. 61, "Mozartiana" | The Philharmonia Orchestra
Disc 15:
Stravinsky: Petroushka (Revised 1947 Version) | The Philharmonia Orchestra
Stravinsky: Scherzo à la russe | The Philharmonia Orchestra
Stravinsky: Petrouchka (1947 version) | Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa | Michael Tilson Thomas, piano
Disc 16:
Gershwin: Medley: Porgy and Bess | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gershwin, arr. Paich, MTT: But Not for Me / Love Is Here to Stay / Embraceable You / Someone to Watch Over Me | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gershwin: Sweet and Low-Down (From "Tip-Toes") | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gershwin: Fascinating Rhythm (From "Lady, Be Good")
Gershwin: Do It Again (From "The French Doll") | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gershwin: My Man's Gone Now (From "Porgy and Bess") | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gershwin: The Man I Love (From "Strike Up the Band") | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gershwin: Nice Work If You Can Get It / They Can't Take That Away from Me / 'S Wonderful / Swanee / Strike Up the Band | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gershwin: Encore: I've Got a Crush on You - A Foggy Day
Disc 17:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat Major, Op. 60 | English Chamber Orchestra
Beethoven: Ah! Perfido, Op. 65 | English Chamber Orchestra | Eva Marton, soprano
Disc 18:
Ives: Symphony No. 2 | Concertgebouw Orchestra
Disc 19:
Prokofiev: Suite from Lieutenant Kijé, Op. 60 | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Prokofiev: Suite from "The Love for Three Oranges", Op. 33a | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Prokofiev: Overture in B-flat Major, Op. 42 "American Overture" | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Disc 20:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 | English Chamber Orchestra
Beethoven: Egmont Overture, Op. 84 | English Chamber Orchestra
Disc 21:
Debussy: La mer, L. 109 | The Philharmonia Orchestra
Debussy: Nocturnes, L. 91 | The Philharmonia Orchestra
Disc 22:
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 | The Philharmonia Orchestra | Cho-Liang Lin, violin
Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61 | The Philharmonia Orchestra | Cho-Liang Lin, violin
Disc 23:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 | English Chamber Orchestra
Disc 24:
Ives: Symphony No. 3, "The Camp Meeting" | Concertgebouw Orchestra
Ives: Orchestral Set No. 2 | Concertgebouw Orchestra
Disc 25:
Bernstein: West Side Story (Excerpts)| Los Angeles Philharmonic | Peter Hofmann, tenor
Bernstein: On the Town (Excerpts) | Los Angeles Philharmonic | Peter Hofmann, tenor
Bernstein: Mass (Excerpts) | Los Angeles Philharmonic | Peter Hofmann, tenor
Disc 26:
Gershwin, arr. Grofé: Rhapsody in Blue | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gershwin: 3 Preludes for Piano | Michael Tilson Thomas, piano
Gershwin: Short Story | Michael Tilson Thomas, piano
Gershwin: Melody No. 40 "Violin Piece" | Michael Tilson Thomas, piano
Gershwin: Second Rhapsody | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Gershwin: Melody No. 79 "For Lily Pons" | Michael Tilson Thomas, piano
Gershwin: Melody No. 17 "Sleepless Night" | Michael Tilson Thomas, piano
Gershwin: Promenade: Walking the Dog | Los Angeles Philharmonic
Disc 27:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 36 | English Chamber Orchestra
Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 | English Chamber Orchestra
Disc 28:
Brahms, orch. Schoenberg: Piano Quartet in G Minor, Op. 25 | Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Bach, orch. Schoenberg: Chorale Prelude "Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele", BWV 654 | Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Bach, orch. Schoenberg: Chorale Prelude "Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist", BWV 631 | Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Disc 29:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 | English Chamber Orchestra
Disc 30:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 | English Chamber Orchestra
Disc 31:
Copland: Old American Songs | Utah Symphony Orchestra | Don Becker, baritone
Copland: Canticle of Freedom | Utah Symphony Orchestra
Copland: Four Motets | Utah Symphony Orchestra
Disc 32:
Gershwin, arr. See LC: Of Thee I Sing | Studio Cast of Of Thee I Sing (1987)
Disc 33:
George Gershwin: Let 'Em Eat Cake | Studio Cast of Let 'Em Eat Cake (1987
Disc 34:
Ives: A Symphony - New England Holidays | Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Ives: The Unanswered Question (Revised Version) | Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Ives: Central Park in the Dark | Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Ives: The Unanswered Question (Original Version) | Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Disc 35:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica" | Orchestra of St. Luke's
Beethoven: Twelve Contredanses for Orchestra, WoO 14 | Orchestra of St. Luke's
Disc 36:
Mahler: Symphony No. 3 in D minor | London Symphony Orchestra | Janet Baker, mezzo-soprano
Disc 37:
Mahler: Rückert Lieder
Disc 38:
Weill: Die sieben Todsünden | London Symphony Orchestra
Weill: Kleine Dreigroschenmusik | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 39:
Ravel: Ma Mere L'Oye | London Symphony Orchestra
Ravel: Fanfare for ballet L'Eventail de Jeanne | London Symphony Orchestra
Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole | London Symphony Orchestra
Ravel: Piece En Forme De Habanera | London Symphony Orchestra
Ravel: Boléro | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 40:
Strauss, R.: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 | London Symphony Orchestra
Strauss, R.: Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche, Op. 28 | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 41:
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-Flat Major, Op. 10 | London Symphony Orchestra | Vladimir Feltsman, piano
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 16 (1923 Version) | London Symphony Orchestra | Vladimir Feltsman, piano
Prokofiev: 10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75: No. 10, Romeo and Juliet Before Parting | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 42:
McLaughlin: The Mediterranean Concerto | London Symphony Orchestra | John McLaughlin, guitar
McLaughlin: 5 Duos for Guitar & Piano | John McLaughlin, guitar; Katia Labeque, piano
Disc 43-44:
Puccini: Tosca | Hungarian State Orchestra
Disc 45:
Brahms: Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11 | London Symphony Orchestra
Brahms: Tragic Overture, Op. 81 | London Symphony Orchestra
Brahms: Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80 | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 46:
Ives: Symphony No. 1 in D Minor | Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Webster: In the Sweet By and By | Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Sweney: Beulah Land | Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Zeuner: Ye Christian Heralds | Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Marsh: Jesus, Lover of My Soul | Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Ives: Nearer, My God, to Thee| Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Ives: Symphony No. 4 | Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Disc 47:
Strauss, R.: Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 | London Symphony Orchestra
Strauss, R.: Don Juan, Op. 20 | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 48:
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, Op. 20 | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 49-50:
Adam: Giselle | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 51:
Brahms: Serenade No. 2 in A Major, Op. 16 for Small Orchestra | London Symphony Orchestra
Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn, Op. 56a (St. Antoni) | London Symphony Orchestra
Brahms: Three Hungarian Dances | London Symphony Orchestra
Brahms, orch. Dvorák: Five Hungarian Dances | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 52:
Janácek: Glagolitic Mass/Slavonic Mass/Festliche Messe | London Symphony Orchestra
Janácek: Sinfonietta | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 53:
Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, L. 86 | London Symphony Orchestra
Debussy: La boîte à joujoux, L. 128 | London Symphony Orchestra
Debussy: Jeux, L. 126 | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 54:
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, Op. 100 | London Symphony Orchestra
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 "Classical Symphony" | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 55:
Debussy: Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 56:
Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2 | London Symphony Orchestra | Kyoko Takezawa, violin
Bartók: Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra | London Symphony Orchestra | Kyoko Takezawa, violin
Bartók: Rhapsody No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra | London Symphony Orchestra | Kyoko Takezawa, violin
Disc 57:
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 | London Symphony Orchestra | Alicia De Larrocha, piano
Mozart: Concerto for Flute and Harp, K. 299 | London Symphony Orchestra | James Galway, flute
Disc 58:
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 | London Symphony Orchestra | Barry Douglas, piano
Saint-Saens: The Carnival of the Animals, R. 125 | Steven Isserlis, cello
Saint-Saens: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33 | London Symphony Orchestra | Steven Isserlis, cello
Copland: Clarinet Concerto | London Symphony Orchestra | Richard Stoltzman, clarinet
Jenkins: Goodbye "In Memory of Benny" | London Symphony Orchestra | Richard Stoltzman, clarinet
Disc 59:
Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms | London Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Symphony in C Major | London Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Symphony in 3 Movement s| London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 60:
Strauss, R.: Sechs Lieder Op. 68 | London Symphony Orchestra | Edita Gruberova, soprano
Strauss, R.: Zueignung Op. 10, No. 1 | London Symphony Orchestra | Karita Mattila, soprano
Strauss, R.: Muttertändelei Op. 43, No. 2 | London Symphony Orchestra | Karita Mattila, soprano
Strauss, R.: Meinem Kinde Op. 37, No. 3 | London Symphony Orchestra | Karita Mattila, soprano
Strauss, R.: Die heiligen drei Könige aus Morgenland Op. 56, No. 6 | London Symphony Orchestra | Karita Mattila, soprano
Strauss, R.: Frühlingsfeier Op. 56, No. 5 | London Symphony Orchestra | Karita Mattila, soprano
Strauss, R.: Vier letzte Lieder | London Symphony Orchestra | Lucia Popp, soprano
Disc 61:
Prokofiev: Romeo et Juliette, Op. 64 (Excerpts) | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Disc 62:
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras Nos. 4, 5, 7 & 9 | New World Symphony
Disc 63:
Copland: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Copland: Orchestral Variations | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Copland: Short Symphony (Symphony No. 2) | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Copland: Symphonic Ode | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Disc 64:
Stravinsky: The Star-Spangled Banner | London Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Circus Polka | London Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Ode | London Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Scherzo à la russe | London Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Scènes de ballet | London Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Concertino for 12 Instruments | Columbia Chamber & Jazz Ensemble
Stravinsky: Agon | London Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Greeting Prelude| London Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Canon | London Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Variations: Aldous Huxley in Memoriam | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 65:
Mahler: Das klagende Lied | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Disc 66:
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 | London Symphony Orchestra
Berlioz: Lélio ou Le Retour à la vie | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Disc 67:
Gershwin: Catfish Row Suite with Scenes from Porgy and Bess | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Gershwin: Second Rhapsody for Orchestra with Piano | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Disc 68:
Gershwin: An American in Paris | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Gershwin: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Disc 69:
Adams: Lollapalooza | New World Symphony
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue | New World Symphony
Bernstein: Prelude, Fugue and Riffs | New World Symphony
Milhaud: La Creation du Monde | New World Symphony
Stravinsky: Ebony Concerto | New World Symphony
Hindemith: Ragtime | New World Symphony
Antheil: A Jazz Symphony | New World Symphony
Raksin: The Bad and the Beautiful | New World Symphony
Disc 70-71:
Mahler: Symphony No. 7 | London Symphony Orchestra
Disc 72:
Stravinsky: L'oiseau de feu | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Disc 73:
Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Disc 74:
Stravinsky: Perséphone | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Disc 75:
Copland: Billy the Kid | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Copland: Appalachian Spring | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Copland: Rodeo | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Disc 76:
Mackey: Tuck and Roll | New World Symphony | Steven Mackey, e-guitar
Mackey: Lost and Found | New World Symphony
Mackey: Eating Greens | New World Symphony | Steven Mackey, e-guitar
Disc 77:
Ives: From the Steeples and the Mountains | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: The Things Our Fathers Loved | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: The Pond | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: 114 Songs: No. 102, Memories | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: Charlie Rutlage | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: The Circus Band | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: Orchestral Set No. 1 - 3 Places in New England | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: In Flanders Fields | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: They are There! | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: Tom Sails Away | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: Symphony No. 4: III. Fugue | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: Psalm 100 | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: Serenity | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: General William Booth Enters into Heaven | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Ives: The Unanswered Question | San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
Disc 78:
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, TH 59 | Berliner Philharmoniker | Joshua Bell, violin
Tchaikovsky, arr. Glazunov: Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42, TH 116: I. Méditation | Berliner Philharmoniker | Joshua Bell, violin
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, Op. 20a, TH 219: Russian Dance | Berliner Philharmoniker | Joshua Bell, violin
Disc 79:
Tchaikovsky: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23 | London Symphony Orchestra | Kazune Shimizu, piano
Disc 80:
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 | London Symphony Orchestra | Kazune Shimizu, piano
Liszt: Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra S. 124, R. 458 | London Symphony Orchestra | Kazune Shimizu, piano
Oct. 18 - Robert Sirota's 212: Symphony No. 1 Presented by Manhattan School of Music Performed by the MSM Symphony Orchestra and Conducted by George Manahan
Robert Sirota's 212: Symphony No. 1 Presented by Manhattan School of Music
Photo by Ryuhei Shindo available in high resolution at: www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/robert-sirota
Robert Sirota: 212: Symphony No. 1
Presented by Manhattan School of Music
Performed by the MSM Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by George Manahan
Friday, October 18, 2024 at 7:30pm
Neidorff-Karpati Hall | 130 Claremont Avenue | New York, NY
More Information
“[Sirota’s] compositional voice has a distinctive tartness and rhythmic bite.”
– The New York Times
New York, NY – On Friday, October 18, 2024 at 7:30pm, in Neidorff-Karpati Hall (130 Claremont Avenue), Manhattan School of Music (MSM) will present a performance of 212: Symphony No. 1 by composer Robert Sirota, featuring the Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra conducted by MSM Director of Orchestral Activities George Manahan. The concert will also include Symphony No. 2 (Sinfonía India) by Carlos Chávez and Piano Concerto For The Left Hand In D Major by Maurice Ravel. This performance will mark the first return of Sirota’s 212: Symphony No. 1 to MSM’s concert programming since its highly praised debut, which The New York Times described as an “assured, colorful performance,” calling Sirota an “energetic” composer.
Over five decades, composer Robert Sirota, a past president of MSM, has developed a distinctive voice, clearly discernible in all of his work – whether symphonic, choral, stage, or chamber music. Writing in the Portland Press Herald, Allan Kozinn asserts: “Sirota’s musical language is personal and undogmatic, in the sense that instead of aligning himself with any of the competing contemporary styles, he follows his own internal musical compass.” Sirota's impressive catalog of composed work evokes a wide range of emotion that touches on several aspects of the human experience, as well as locations and settings that hold personal significance to Sirota and his life experiences.
Manhattan School of Music presented the world premiere of the 212: Symphony No. 1 in 2008, then performed by the Manhattan School of Music Symphony under the direction of conductor Kenneth Kiesler.
In 2007, when beginning his work on what would become the 212: Symphony No. 1, Sirota came to the realization that writing music inspired by the borough of Manhattan required an extended, multi-movement work as the chosen musical form. He states in his program note that “nothing less” would suffice, going on to say, “In framing the four movements of this 25-minute work, I have tried to portray Manhattan as I have experienced it: a place of incomparable majesty, vitality, tragedy, and hope.” The highly emotive work is dedicated to the memory of Sirota’s father, Harry Sirota, whom Robert regards as “a truly great New Yorker.”
Reflecting on 212: Symphony No. 1 and what it means to him in the present, Sirota says:
“This piece holds a special place in my heart. Returning to Manhattan School of Music is a true homecoming for me, and I am honored that Maestro Goerge Manahan will be conducting. We are planning to release this performance of ‘212’ by the MSM Symphony as a commercial recording.”
More about Robert Sirota: Robert Sirota’s works have been performed by orchestras across the US and Europe; ensembles such as Alarm Will Sound, Sequitur, yMusic, Chameleon Arts, and Dinosaur Annex; Concerts on the Slope; the Chiara, American, Ethel, Elmyr, Blair and Telegraph String Quartets; the Peabody, Concord, and Webster Trios; and at festivals including Tanglewood, Aspen, Yellow Barn, and Cooperstown; Bowdoin Gamper and Bowdoin International Music Festival; and Mizzou International Composers Festival. Recent commissions include Jeffrey Kahane and the Sarasota Music Festival, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Palladium Musicum, American Guild of Organists, the American String Quartet, Alarm Will Sound, the Naumburg Foundation, and yMusic, Thomas Pellaton, Carol Wincenc, Linda Chesis, Trinity Episcopal Church (Indianapolis), and Sierra Chamber Society, as well as arrangements for Paul Simon.
Since 2021, Sirota has presented Muzzy Ridge Concerts, an annual series featuring performances by world-class musicians, in his home studio in Searsmont, Maine. Robert Sirota has received grants from the Guggenheim and Watson Foundations, NEA, Meet the Composer, and the American Music Center. His music is recorded on Legacy Recordings, National Sawdust Tracks, and the Capstone, Albany, New Voice, Gasparo and Crystal labels, and is published by Muzzy Ridge Music, Schott, Music Associates of New York, MorningStar, Theodore Presser, and To the Fore. For complete information, visit www.robertsirota.com.
About Manhattan School of Music: Founded as a community music school by Janet Daniels Schenck in 1918, today Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is recognized for its more than 1,000 superbly talented undergraduate and graduate students who come from more than 50 countries and nearly all 50 states; its innovative curricula and world-renowned artist-teacher faculty that includes musicians from the New York Philharmonic, the Met Orchestra, and the top ranks of the jazz and Broadway worlds; and a distinguished community of accomplished, award-winning alumni working at the highest levels of the musical, educational, cultural, and professional worlds.
The School is dedicated to the personal, artistic, and intellectual development of aspiring musicians, from its Precollege students through those pursuing doctoral studies. Offering classical, jazz, and musical theatre training, MSM grants a range of undergraduate and graduate degrees. True to MSM’s origins as a music school for children, the Precollege Division is a professionally oriented Saturday music program dedicated to the musical and personal growth of talented young musicians ages 5 to 18. The School also serves some 2,000 New York City schoolchildren through its Arts-in-Education Program, and another 2,000 students through its critically acclaimed Distance Learning Program.
For Calendar Editors:
Description: On Friday, October 18, 2024, Manhattan School of Music will present a performance of Robert Sirota’s 212: Symphony No. 1 performed by the Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra and conducted by George Manahan. The Portland Press Herald describes Sirota’s works, which encompass an array of emotions and experiences, as “personal and undogmatic,” with The New York Times describing 212: Symphony No. 1 as music that’s “artfully done.” The concert program will also include performances of Symphony No. 2 (Sinfonía India) by Carlos Chávez and Piano Concerto For The Left Hand In D Major by Maurice Ravel.
Concert details:
What: Robert Sirota: 212: Symphony No. 1
Who: Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra
Presented by Manhattan School of Music
When: Friday, October 18, 2024 at 7:30pm
Where: Neidorff-Karpati Hall, 130 Claremont Avenue, New York, NY 10027
Tickets and Information: www.msmnyc.edu/performances/msm-symphony-orchestra-10-18-2024/
Sept 27: Sono Luminus Releases Limited Edition CD of Alex Sopp’s The Hem & The Haw
Sono Luminus Releases Limited Edition CD of Alex Sopp’s The Hem & The Haw
Sono Luminus Releases Limited Edition CD of
Alex Sopp’s The Hem & The Haw
Limited Edition CD Release Date: September 27, 2024
Watch the Original Video for The Hem & The Haw
“Alex Sopp has made an extraordinarily musical, beautifully produced debut album. Alex and I worked together with her sextet yMusic. She is a gifted flautist and her gifts extend to her vocal and songwriting abilities. This is a great beginning.” – Paul Simon
“I’m always looking for music that sets itself apart; music that, although influences may be heard here and there, feels like an original stylistic statement. Alex Sopp’s first album is such a record to me; unique, confident and quite often transcendent- not an easy achievement.” – Bruce Hornsby
www.sonoluminus.com | www.alexsopp.com
CDs and Downloads Available to Press on Request
On September 27, 2024, Sono Luminus will release a limited edition CD featuring flutist, composer, vocalist, and visual artist Alex Sopp’s album The Hem & The Haw, released digitally by New Amsterdam Records in April. Sopp has been praised by The New York Times as “exquisite” and “beautifully nuanced,” and is a founding member of yMusic, The Knights, NOW Ensemble, and the Berlin-based Between Worlds Ensemble.
The Hem & The Haw is a collection of 10 songs written by Sopp in 2020 during the pandemic. She explains, “This album came to me in a fit of stillness. I had been moving so much and for so long that I forgot that my favorite thing to do is to just sit. Sitting in stillness involves watching, waiting, listening, and observing. . . I have been writing many secret songs for a long time now, always teasing at my inner world without fully letting it see the light of day. Over the years the desire to make my own music has grown alongside the desire to make my own artwork. Like most of the world, the events of 2020 left me with a fresh batch of Time and that is when I wrote this particular group of songs.”
Sopp’s songs on The Hem & The Haw find depth in their playfulness. The vocal work and lyrical expression are beautifully decorated by a wide palette of acoustic and electronic timbres. Ah Said Rosita greets the listener with an evolving vocal wall of sound that grows in intensity with each repetition. The strong sense of grounding in North Pole in Summer melts into an open sonic landscape, where instruments bloom from the central chord progression like a Glassian labyrinth playing out in double time. Like a Vine grows out of a central pulse while myriad synthesizers follow the lyrics down winding and unpredictable paths.
Featuring Sopp’s original music and her performances, and accompanied by her original videos and cover art, the album showcases Sopp’s holistic view of artistic expression. She says, “I think human beings are infinitely full of unrealized worlds of creativity. It’s my biggest motivation to live by this belief and to constantly tap into the always flowing river of creativity that courses from me – be it through flute playing, songwriting, or visual art.”
Sono Luminus CEO Colin Rae says, “In January 2024 I was sent Alex’s album by a friend who was asking for label recommendations for it. Upon listening, I recognized that this was a very, very special genre-bending album. I sent along my recommendations whilst thinking to myself, ‘I would love to release this on Sono Luminus.’ But I didn’t speak up. Months passed and I saw that New Amsterdam had released the album digitally and with no physical product. I saw this as a sign and I contacted Alex. Now here we are!”
This is Sopp’s first non-classical album featuring her own songs. Of the musical path that led her to this point, she says:
“I’ve been so fortunate to have such a rich musical life. I started singing as a child in the Virgin Islands, and then for a while I transferred my singing voice solely to the flute – the kind of fierce focus one has to have while studying in a conservatory environment at Juilliard. My flute playing took me to play for several years as a guest with the New York Philharmonic, and much to my great luck I grew into my beautiful chamber music family The Knights. Living in New York in the mid-2000s, the music scene was full of curiosity and dialogue between classical musicians and rock bands and singer songwriters. It was during this time the yMusic formed. I started using my voice again with yMusic, when I found myself collaborating with artists such as Sufjan Stevens, Ben Folds, and Paul Simon. I provided backup vocals on several albums and found myself singing more and more in live contexts, performing major roles in theatrical productions requiring musical chameleonhood by composers like Gabriel Kahane and Chris Thile. My confidence grew!
I have learned that I thrive off of being a creative shapeshifter. I’ve been writing songs and making my own music for a while now, but it’s relatively new for me to be putting it out there into the world. The time I had to sit still during 2020 really empowered me to take some of my demos to the next level and I was able to realize my vision and see it through.
It’s the most incredibly fulfilling thing to paint with sounds. I am hooked on song-writing and storytelling. I can’t wait to share more.”
Alex Sopp has played principal flute in the New York Philharmonic and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at venues such as Suntory Hall, the Ojai Festival, and the Lucerne Festival. As a soloist, she has played works written for her by Judd Greenstein, Gabriel Kahane, Nico Muhly, Chris Thile, and Allison Loggins-Hull. She has toured the world with yMusic, including in support of their album with Paul Simon. Her unique visual artwork, ranging from meticulously detailed pen drawings to evocative paintings has been used by musicians such as Joshua Bell and cutting edge organizations like Castle of Our Skins to bring their projects to life. www.alexsopp.com
Track List
Alex Sopp: The Hem & The Haw
Special Edition CD Release Date: September 27, 2024
Sono Luminus
1. The Hem & The Haw
2. North Pole in Summer
3. Like A Vine
4. Ah Said Rosita
5. Rodin’s Hands
6. Bougainvillea
7. Door
8. Roses
9. Mourning Dove
10. Loon
Voice, flute, whistles, synths, piano, drum programming: Alex Sopp
Piano, op-1, mellotron, prophet x, percussion, rhodes, floor tom, drum programming: Thomas Bartlett
Vocals: Sam Amidon
Violin: Austin Wulliman
Viola: Nadia Sirota
Flugelhorns: CJ Camerieri
Trombones: Dave Nelson (*additional trombone arrangement for “Door” by Dave Nelson and Thomas Bartlett)
Clarinets: Hideaki Aomori
Horns: Michael P. Atkinson
Bass: Shawn Conley
Electric bass: Shawn Conley
Drums: Michael Caterisano
Percussion: Jason Trueting
All songs written by Alex Sopp
Produced by Thomas Bartlett and Alex Sopp
Mixing by James Yost
Mastered by Fritz Myers at Platitude Music, NYC
Released digitally by New Amsterdam Records on April 19, 2024
Photo by Shervin Lainez
Nov. 15: Violinist Kristin Lee to Release Debut Solo Album American Sketches on First Hand Records – Performing Music from the Album in Four Concerts Across the U.S.
Violinist Kristin Lee to Release Debut Solo Album American Sketches on First Hand Records
Violinist Kristin Lee’s Debut Solo Album
American Sketches to be Released on First Hand Records
Worldwide Release: November 15, 2024
Pre-Order Available Now
Watch the Album Trailer
Featuring the Music of Amy Beach, Henry 'Harry' Thacker Burleigh, James Louis ‘J.J.’ Johnson, Scott Joplin, Thelonious Monk, John Novacek,
Kevin Puts, and Jonathan Ragonese
American Sketches Release Performances
Presented by Emerald City Music
October 18-19 2024 | Seattle & Olympia, WA
Presented by Linton Chamber Music Series
February 16, 2025 | Cincinnati, OH
Presented by The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
March 20, 2025 | New York, NY
Downloads and CDs available to press on request
“[Kristin Lee] delivered a powerfully constructed and played programme, one of the most satisfying recitals that I’ve heard in years.” – The Strad
www.ViolinistKristinLee.com | www.FirstHandRecords.com
Violinist Kristin Lee announces her highly anticipated debut solo album, American Sketches, which will be released on Friday, November 15, 2024 on First Hand Records. A milestone for the internationally acclaimed soloist, educator, chamber musician, and artistic director, American Sketches is Lee’s debut full-length recording. Pianists Jeremy Ajani Jordan and Jun Cho join Lee on the album, with Jordan also contributing arrangements of selected works. American Sketches reflects the distinct and recognizable sound of American music and its rich history, encompassing both Lee’s journey as an American, as well as the journeys of the composers she has selected.
A violinist of remarkable versatility and impeccable technique, Lee has been praised in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which reports: “Her technique is flawless, and she has a sense of melodic shaping that reflects an artistic maturity.” The Strad writes, “She seems entirely comfortable with stylistic diversity, which is one criterion that separates the run-of-the-mill instrumentalists from true artists.”
American Sketches includes: Four Rags (1999) by John Novacek, Girl Crazy: But Not For Me (1930) (Arr. Jeremy Ajani Jordan, B. 1989) by George Gershwin, Lament (1954) (Arr. J.A. Jordan) by James Louis ‘J.J.’ Johnson, The Entertainer (1902) (Arr. J.A. Jordan) by Scott Joplin; Romance, Op. 23 (1893) by Amy Beach; Southland Sketches (1916) by Henry 'Harry' Thacker Burleigh non-poem 4 (2017) (Arr. for Violin and Piano, 2018) by Jonathan Ragonese Four Airs: IV. Air (Previously Called Aria) (2000) by Kevin Puts; Monk's Mood (1943-44) by Thelonious Monk.
In celebration of the release of American Sketches, Lee will be performing works from the album as part of four concerts during the 2024-2025 season, each in a city that she is strongly connected to. On October 18-19, 2024, she will perform music from the album with pianist Jun Cho as part of the opening weekend concerts for Season 09 of Emerald City Music, of which she is the founding Artistic Director, in Seattle and Olympia, WA. On February 16, 2025, she will join forces with pianist Michael Stephen Brown for a concert presented by Linton Chamber Music Series in Cincinnati, OH, where Lee is on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Then on March 20, 2025, Lee, again joined by Brown, will be presented by The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York, NY, where Lee has been a longtime member.
American Sketches has a personal resonance for Lee. A native of Seoul, Korea, she emigrated to the U.S. at the age of seven. During her childhood, playing the violin was a refuge from bullying and racism for Kristin – she moved to the U.S. not speaking any English, and felt the violin became her voice. As a foreign-born citizen of the U.S., Lee was compelled to select this repertoire to express her pride in the country she now calls her own, and has recorded works by American composers that have a distinct and recognizable sound of American music and its rich history.
Of what American Sketches means to her, Kristin Lee says:
“My inspiration for American Sketches lies in the celebration of differences. It is the differences of people, environment, and encounters that ignite our curiosity, fuel our motivation, and inspire our creativity. By accepting and appreciating these differences, we pave the way for changes to our society. Whilst adopting change is difficult for many people, it is a critical component in our ever-evolving world, particularly within the musical communities. The history of American music is a great example of this notion. From the Indigenous sounds of the Native Americans to the influences of Western Europe and Africa, the American sound merged and evolved into what we know as Ragtime, Appalachian Folk, Jazz, and so much more. The variety of musical styles represents the diverse culture of America, showcasing the beauty of individual expression and the celebration of American history.”
Kristin Lee on the Music on American Sketches:
Henry ‘Harry’ Thacker Burleigh introduced the complex but soulful tunes of American Spirituals to the classical realm, and inspired composers like Antonín Dvořák as he was exploring the Americas. In his Southland Sketches, Burleigh embodies a similar approach by applying his own beautiful tunes in the violin with simple but gorgeous harmonies in the piano accompaniment.
American music would not be represented without the innovation of the giants like Scott Joplin, George Gershwin, J.J. Johnson, and Thelonious Monk. Each of these luminaries left a mark on the musical landscape, revolutionizing their respective sounds: Joplin pioneering ragtime, Gershwin applying jazz idioms to classical compositions, Johnson embracing bebop with the trombone, and Monk fearlessly challenging and redefining the jazz traditions.
Four Rags by John Novacek pays homage to Scott Joplin’s iconic style, and non-poem 4 by Jonathan Ragonese represents the jazz idiom through written compositions and improvised sections. These two pieces stand out for their technical intricacy, yet they also offer a vibrant and impassioned musical journey. I have to make note of the fact that Jeremy [Ajani Jordan] improvised through the recording sessions for the arrangements to Gershwin, Joplin, Johnson, and Monk. For those of you who are curious about sheet music for these works, I wish you the very best of luck since it lives in Jeremy’s genius mind!
I also owe it to Jeremy for giving me the courage to record Monk’s Mood. He introduced me to Monk’s music, and although I was instantly drawn to his sound, I was uncertain if I could truly capture Monk’s style on the violin. In this work, my goal was to emulate the vulnerable yet poignant long tones of John Coltrane’s saxophone performance alongside Monk from the iconic 1957 Live from Carnegie Hall recording. Thankfully, the outcome has exceeded my expectations, making this perhaps my favorite track on the album.
The lyrical works on the album are represented by Air by Kevin Puts and Romance, Op. 23 by Amy Beach. I’ve woven these works within the tracks to encapsulate the ultimate essence of music – the emotional connection. Whilst we embrace the diverse sounds and the evolutionary changes, I truly believe that connecting with people on an emotional level remains a constant throughout music history.
About Kristin Lee:
As a soloist, Kristin Lee has appeared with leading orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, Hawai’i Symphony, Tacoma Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Nordic Chamber Orchestra of Sweden, Ural Philharmonic of Russia, Korean Broadcasting Symphony, Guiyang Symphony Orchestra of China, Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Dominican Republic, Singapore National Youth Orchestra, and many others.
She has performed on the world’s finest concert stages, including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, the Kennedy Center, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Steinway Hall’s Salon de Virtuosi, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Ravinia Festival, Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live, (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York, the Louvre Museum in Paris, Washington, D.C.’s Phillips Collection, and Korea’s Kumho Art Gallery.
An accomplished chamber musician, Kristin Lee became a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center after winning The Bowers Program audition and completing the program's three-year residency. Kristin performs at Lincoln Center in New York and on tour with CMS throughout each season. For seven years, she was a principal artist of Camerata Pacifica in Santa Barbara, sitting as The Bernard Gondos Chair. Lee has also appeared in chamber music programs at Music@Menlo, La Jolla Festival, Medellín Festicámara of Colombia, Moab Music Festival, the Sarasota Music Festival, Chamber Music Sedona, Music in the Vineyards, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern of Germany, the Hong Kong Chamber Music Festival and the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, among many others.
In addition to her prolific performance career, Lee is also a devoted educator. She is on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as an Assistant Professor of Violin. She has also been in residence with the Singapore National Youth Orchestra, the El Sistema Chamber Music Festival of Venezuela, and is a summer faculty member at Music@Menlo’s Chamber Music Institute.
Lee is the founding artistic director of Emerald City Music (ECM), a chamber music series that presents authentically unique concert experiences and bridges the divide between the highest caliber classical music and the many diverse communities of the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Since 2015, she has crafted unconventional and captivating programs that have led to Emerald City Music’s renown for its eclectic, intimate, and vibrant classical chamber music experiences. The series was recently deemed "the beacon for the casual-classical movement" (CityArts).
An advocate for living composers, Kristin Lee has collaborated with many of today’s prominent composers, including Vivian Fung, Andy Akiho, Patrick Castillo, Jakub Ciupiński, Shobana Raghavan, Steve Coleman, Jeremy Jordan, and more. She made the world premiere recording of Vivian Fung’s Violin Concerto, written for her, which won a Juno Award and is available on Naxos.
Kristin Lee’s honors include an Avery Fisher Career Grant, top prizes in the Walter W. Naumburg Competition and the Astral Artists National Auditions, and awards from the Trondheim Chamber Music Competition, Trio di Trieste Premio International Competition, the SYLFF Fellowship, Dorothy DeLay Scholarship, the Aspen Music Festival’s Violin Competition, the New Jersey Young Artists’ Competition, and the Salon de Virtuosi Scholarship Foundation. Her performances have been broadcast on PBS’s “Live from Lincoln Center,” the Kennedy Center Honors, WFMT Chicago’s “Rising Stars” series, WRTI in Philadelphia, and on WQXR in New York. She also appeared on Perlman in Shanghai, a nationally broadcast PBS documentary that chronicled a historic cross-cultural exchange between the Perlman Music Program and Shanghai Conservatory.
Born in Seoul, Lee moved to the United States and studied under prestigious teachers including Sonja Foster, Catherine Cho, Dorothy DeLay, Donald Weilerstein, and Itzhak Perlman. Lee holds a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School. Lee’s violin was crafted in Naples, Italy in 1759 by Gennaro Gagliano and is generously loaned to her by Paul & Linda Gridley.
American Sketches | Kristin Lee | First Hand Records
Release Date: November 15, 2024 (Worldwide)
Recorded at Oktaven Audio, Mount Vernon, New York, USA
November 21, 2019 (tracks 5–7, 13–14)
March 5, 2020 (tracks 1–4, 9–12 and 15)
May 15, 2023 (track 8)
American Sketches – Tracklist
John Novacek (B. 1964) Four Rags (1999) * [9:56]
1. No. 1 Intoxication [1:53]
2. No. 2 4th Street Drag [4:01]
3. No. 3 Cockles [2:32]
4. No. 4 Full Stride Ahead [1:30]
George Gershwin (1898-1937)
5. Girl Crazy: But Not For Me (1930) (Arr. Jeremy Ajani Jordan, B. 1989) * [2:24]
James Louis ‘J.J.’ Johnson (1924-2001)
6. Lament (1954) (Arr. J.A. Jordan) * [5:09]
Scott Joplin (1868-1917)
7. The Entertainer (1902) (Arr. J.A. Jordan) * [2:22]
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
8. Romance, Op. 23 (1893) ^ [5:53]
Henry 'Harry' Thacker Burleigh (1866-1949) Southland Sketches (1916) * [11:06]
9. No. 1 Andante [2:34]
10. No. 2 Adagio Ma Non Troppo [2:28]
11. No. 3 Allegretto Grazioso [3:18]
12. No. 4 Allegro [2:44]
Jonathan Ragonese (B. 1989) [6:29]
13. non-poem 4 (2017) (Arr. For Violin And Piano, 2018) *
Kevin Puts (B. 1972) [4:29]
14. Four Airs: IV. Air (Previously Called Aria) (2000) *
Thelonious Monk (1917-1982) [5:06]
15. Monk's Mood (1943-44) *
Total time: [53:16]
*Jeremy Ajani Jordan, piano
^Jun Cho, piano
Produced by Kristin Lee and Ryan Streber
Recorded by Ryan Streber
Edited and Mastered by Edwin Kenzon Huet and Ryan Streber
Sept. 4-24: La Ballonniste – Opera-in-Progress by Composer Lisa Bielawa with Libretto by Claire Solomon – Workshop Performance Presented by University Opera at the Mead Witter School of Music
La Ballonniste – Opera-in-Progress by Composer Lisa Bielawa with Libretto by Claire Solomon
Opera-in-Progress La Ballonniste to be Workshopped at University of Wisconsin–Madison from September 4-24
Lisa Bielawa, Composer & Claire Solomon, Librettist
Cori Ellison, Dramaturg
with University Opera at the Mead Witter School of Music
Workshop Performance: Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Hamel Music Center, Collins Recital Hall | University of Wisconsin-Madison
740 University Avenue | Madison, WI
Free and open to the public, no tickets required
More Information
“Bielawa’s music is thoughtful and approachable. She’s a voice in what you might call the new accessible avant-garde.” – Gramophone Magazine
Lisa Bielawa: www.lisabielawa.net
Madison, WI – Guggenheim and Rome Prize-winning composer, producer, and vocalist Lisa Bielawa – described as “a dynamic and innovative composer” by The Boston Globe – will workshop her opera-in-progress, La Ballonniste, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from September 4-24, 2024, collaborating with University Opera at the Mead Witter School of Music, and joined by the opera’s librettist Claire Solomon and dramaturg Cori Ellison.
The development period will culminate with a workshop performance of La Ballonniste on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 7:30pm in Collins Recital Hall at the Hamel Music Center (740 University Avenue) featuring University vocalists May Kohler, Ben Johnson, Brendin Larson, Alex Cook, and others to be announced. The work-in-progress performance is open to the public to attend, free of charge (no registration required).
Lisa Bielawa’s music has been described as “ruminative, pointillistic and harmonically slightly tart,” by The New York Times, and “fluid and arresting ... at once dramatic and probing,” by the San Francisco Chronicle. She is the recipient of the Music Award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters and an OPERA America Grant for Female Composers. She was named a William Randolph Hearst Visiting Artist Fellow at the American Antiquarian Society for 2018 and was Artist-in-Residence at Kaufman Music Center in New York for the 2020-2021 season. Recently she completed a Loghaven Artist Residency and was part of the inaugural Louisville Orchestra’s Creators Corps. She received a Los Angeles Area Emmy nomination for her unprecedented, made-for-TV-and-online opera Vireo: The Spiritual Biography of a Witch's Accuser. For her Guggenheim Fellowship period, Bielawa is writing and developing this new opera as well as a book of prose vignettes from her experiences and encounters with music in a variety of international settings.
La Ballonniste is a heartfelt comedy centering on 18th century French opera singer Élisabeth Tible: the first woman to fly in a hot air balloon. The opera opens in 1784, Lyon, on the cusp of the French Revolution, as balloon madness sweeps France.
The opera takes its themes from beloved entertainments of the ancien régime (the “old regime” of kings that was about to be overthrown in the French Revolution), satirizing the blurry line between power and magic and the hubris of Europe’s ruling class, in an era of vast inequality, much like our own. Élisabeth is fashioned on the heroines of opéra comique, her métier; its tropes and techniques inform every aspect of the opera, with buffoonery, animated wax statues of royalty, a revolutionary chorus and demonic orchestra, a neoclassical deus ex machina, and multiple musical styles in unholy alliance. We follow Élisabeth as she breaks free of a controlling husband, who – as a “waxworker” or creator of lifelike wax effigies – prefers inanimate women; finds an ally in artist-balloon pilot (aeronaut) Fleurant; and finally defies both gravity and the rigid social class structure of her day to fly free and sing her prophetic vision from the air.
The “globe aérostatique,” as the first gas balloons were called, was an instant craze and the ultimate autocratic status symbol: expensive, dangerous, drifting uncontrollably through the skies to the amazement of crowds up to 400,000 people, the ballon symbolizes absolute power and its fragility. La Ballonniste is a romp, but it is also an allegory for the end of absolutism with resonance in our own time. It stages the lush excesses of the ancient régime as freedom soars as a descant, above the skies, in a rapture of aesthetic pleasure.
“The discovery of this forgotten woman’s story, brought to life with such humor and humanity in Claire’s superb libretto, has taken me to totally new musical places,” Bielawa says. “Inspirations range from Shostakovich and Gogol’s The Nose, Leonard Bernstein’s Mass and the Barbie movie. These characters are full of lovable foibles and I frequently catch myself laughing while I work, but there is also tenderness underneath the sonic playfulness. It is a supreme luxury to be able to develop these characters and ideas with members of the University Opera community. Their sense of adventure and discovery is unlike any other opera department I have encountered. It’s going to be a very fun ride!”
More about Lisa Bielawa: Composer Lisa Bielawa consistently incorporates community-making as part of her artistic vision. She has created music for public spaces in Lower Manhattan, a bridge over the Ohio River in Louisville, KY, the banks of the Tiber River in Rome, on the sites of former airfields in Berlin and San Francisco, and to mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. During the pandemic, Bielawa cultivated a virtual community using submitted testimonies and recorded voices from six continents through her work Broadcast from Home, now archived by the Library of Congress.
Bielawa’s music has been premiered at the NY PHIL BIENNIAL, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, SHIFT Festival, National Cathedral, Rouen Opera, MAXXI Museum in Rome, and Helsinki Music Center, among others. Orchestras that have championed her music include The Knights, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, ROCO, and the Orlando Philharmonic. Premieres of her work have been commissioned and presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Rider, Seattle Chamber Music Society, Radio France, Yerevan Concert Hall in Armenia, the Venice Architectural Biennale, American Music Week in Salzburg, the INFANT Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia, and more. www.lisabielawa.net
For Calendar Editors:
Concert details:
What: Workshop Performance of Opera-in-Progress La Ballonniste
Lisa Bielawa, Composer & Claire Solomon, Librettist
Who: University Opera at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
When: Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 7:30pm
Where: Hamel Music Center’s Collins Recital Hall, 740 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706
More information: www.music.wisc.edu/events/la-ballonniste
Description: University Opera at the Mead Witter School of Music presents a special workshop performance of La Ballonniste – a new forthcoming opera by composer Lisa Bielawa, with a libretto by Claire Solomon. The opera, which spans three short acts, highlights the rise of Elisabeth Tible – abandoned wife of a maker of wax effigies and aspiring soprano to iconic status as the first female balloonist in late 18th-century France.
Oct 11: ECM New Series Releases Yuuko Shiokawa & András Schiff's New Recording of Brahms & Schumann
ECM New Series Releases Yuuko Shiokawa & András Schiff's New Recording of Brahms & Schumann
ECM New Series Releases
Brahms & Schumann
Yuuko Shiokawa, violin & András Schiff, piano
First Single Available: Brahms' Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, op. 78: Adagio
Listen Now
ECM New Series 2815
CD 0289 4875 878 4
Release: October 11, 2024
Press downloads and CDs available upon request
After tackling the sonatas for violin and piano of Bach, Busoni and Beethoven in 2017 – a “thoughtfully determined and subtly interconnected programme” according to Strad magazine –, the duo of Yuuko Shiokawa and András Schiff returns with striking renditions of Brahms’s Violin Sonata No. 1 and Schumann’s Violin Sonata No. 2. When the violinist and pianist made their first joint appearance on the label with the 2000 recording of Schubert’s C major fantasy for violin and piano, Gramophone magazine was in awe with their performance, raving how “from the start, there's an air of magic,” and calling the renditions “interpretations of rare penetration and individuality: a must for the Schubert section in your collection.” Now turning their gaze to the Schubert-admirer Schumann and his contemporary Brahms, the duo offers a deeper look into core repertory of Romantic chamber music.
Brahms’s First Violin Sonata in G major, known as the “Regenliedsonate” (Rain Sonata)”, with its final movement incorporating motifs from his two songs “Regenlied” (Rain Song) and “Nachklang” (Lingering Sound), is presented in an evocative guise. In his liner note, Wolfgang Stähr notes how, from those two previous songs, “Brahms adopts not only the theme, but also the “rainy,” onomatopoeic, dripping piano accompaniment. He had given these two poetically and melodically linked songs to his lifelong friend Clara Schumann for her 54th birthday.” In an overwhelmed response, she wrote she couldn’t believe “that anyone feels about this tune as rapturously and wistfully as I do.” The motif from the “Regenlied” appears twice, its triple d in dotted rhythm opening both the first and the third movement, bringing the overreaching theme full circle.
The Brahms sonata stands in an inviting juxtaposition with Schumann’s at times vigorously driving Sonata in D minor. Completed almost 30 years prior, in 1851, the sonata was premièred by Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim in 1853 – the link between Clara Schumann and Brahms kept well maintained. That same year, Brahms and Schumann, together with Albert Dietrich, composed the collaborative F-A-E Sonata, whose c minor scherzo, contributed by Brahms, was most likely inspired by the second movement in b minor of this Schumann sonata.
Devoting themselves completely to the music of these composer-friends, Yuuko Shiokawa and András Schiff once again display their own rare duo understanding throughout their third collective undertaking for ECM’s New Series. Recorded at the Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano, the album was produced by Manfred Eicher.
The recording can be viewed in both the context of the duo’s longstanding collaborative partnership in chamber music and Schiff’s more recent deeper foray into the music of Brahms, which includes the 2020 recording of the composer’s clarinet sonatas alongside Jörg Widmann and the critically acclaimed 2021 recording of Brahms’s piano concertos with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (“A vibrant new recording - Mr. Schiff and the outstanding players make [the concertos] sound intimate and human-scale.” – New York Times
Oct. 15: Sacred and Profane: Music by Robert Sirota & Sheree Clement Performed at New York City's Symphony Space
Sacred and Profane: Music by Robert Sirota & Sheree Clement
L-R Photo of Robert Sirota by Ryuhei Shindo, Photo of Sheree Clement by Tatiana Daubek. Photos may be found here.
Sacred and Profane:
Music by Robert Sirota & Sheree Clement
Performed at Symphony Space
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 7:30pm
Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway | New York, NY
Tickets and More Information
www.RobertSirota.com | www.ShereeClement.com
New York, NY – Composers Robert Sirota and Sheree Clement present a shared evening of their music titled Sacred and Profane on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 7:30pm at Symphony Space in Leonard Nimoy Thalia (2537 Broadway). Sacred and Profane invites audiences to explore the dual narratives of conflict and reconciliation. A unique blend of chamber music and opera, Sirota and Clement’s music grapples with the human condition through the lenses of comedy, drama, and lyricism.
The evening will feature an all-star group of performers including soprano Ariadne Greif, baritone Paul Pinto, the Momenta Quartet, cellist Benjamin Larsen, pianist Hyungjin Choi, flutist Roberta Michel, violists Jonah Sirota and Nadia Sirota, and percussionist Katherine Fortunato.
Sacred and Profane opens with Robert Sirota’s Broken Places (2016), which comprises seven brief movements as a meditation on the theme of brokenness. The chamber work for flute and cello is accompanied by an original poem written as a textual companion to the piece.
Continuing the theme of contrast and internal conflict, the world premiere of Sheree Clement’s Mermaid Songs (2024) for string quartet and soprano features three humorous and forthright songs containing vivid dreams of becoming a mermaid, maintaining friendships with sea urchins, and coping with chemotherapy amidst champagne cocktail parties. Setting three poems from Heather Hartley’s Adult Swim, the three songs expose conflicting truths told through Clement’s intricate musical language and candid humor.
Robert Sirota’s 2005 work A Sinner’s Diary for flute, violas, cello, percussion, and piano, opens the second half of the concert, and serves as a musical confession, probing the push and pull of suffering, doubt, and grace. Written in nine movements, Sirota describes the piece as a “surreal liturgy” with titles and themes taken from rubrics in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. He explains that the movements, which began as a kind of journaling, “evolved into a conversation between my inner demons and the angels of my better nature. This duality reflects the year in which it was written – a year that included a number of personal crises as well as abundant grace.”
The evening ends with the live premiere of Sheree Clement’s Table Manners (2020), a comedic duet with soprano Ariadne Greif, baritone Paul Pinto, and 40 pounds of silverware. With text by Phillis Levin, the duet revolves around dueling themes of friendship, competition, and greed, punctuated by mercurial moments of connection and dada comedy. Table Manners is directed by Mary Birnbaum.
More about Robert Sirota: Robert Sirota’s works have been performed by orchestras across the US and Europe; ensembles such as Alarm Will Sound, Sequitur, yMusic, Chameleon Arts, and Dinosaur Annex; Concerts on the Slope; the Chiara, American, Ethel, Elmyr, Blair and Telegraph String Quartets; the Peabody, Concord, and Webster Trios; and at festivals including Tanglewood, Aspen, Yellow Barn, and Cooperstown; Bowdoin Gamper and Bowdoin International Music Festival; and Mizzou International Composers Festival. Recent commissions include Jeffrey Kahane and the Sarasota Music Festival, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Palladium Musicum, American Guild of Organists, the American String Quartet, Alarm Will Sound, the Naumburg Foundation, and yMusic, Thomas Pellaton, Carol Wincenc, Linda Chesis, Trinity Episcopal Church (Indianapolis), and Sierra Chamber Society, as well as arrangements for Paul Simon. Since 2021, Sirota has presented Muzzy Ridge Concerts, an annual series featuring performances by world-class musicians, in his home studio in Searsmont, Maine.
Robert Sirota has received grants from the Guggenheim and Watson Foundations, NEA, Meet the Composer, and the American Music Center. His music is recorded on Legacy Recordings, National Sawdust Tracks, and the Capstone, Albany, New Voice, Gasparo and Crystal labels, and is published by Muzzy Ridge Music, Schott, Music Associates of New York, MorningStar, Theodore Presser, and To the Fore. For complete information, visit www.robertsirota.com.
About Sheree Clement: With intricate shimmering colors over fragments of tunes, Sheree Clement builds surprising narratives. She upends the listener’s expectations with politically charged texts, found sounds and unusual structures, all to wake us up to the upheaval, conflicting truths and possibilities of now. Her works have been performed in New York at Merkin Hall and Miller Theatre, at the Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and at the Temple du Luxembourg, Paris, France. The New York Times has described her work as “intriguing”… “fascinating in its explorations of instrumental color” [with] “arresting moments of calm.” Winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Sheree has had her works performed by Speculum Musicae, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and the Canyonlands Ensemble in Salt Lake City.
Recent premieres include Vocalise for the Naked Emperor, for the Louis Moreau Gottschalk Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Fast Fish for the New York New Music Ensemble. This fall, Sheree will also produce a music video of her work, Teeth, for solo piano and fixed media with Eliza Garth. Among her honors are grants from NYSCA and a Goddard Leiberson Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Sheree holds composition degrees from the University of Michigan and Columbia University.
For Calendar Editors:
Description: Composers Robert Sirota and Sheree Clement present a shared evening of their music titled Sacred and Profane on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 7:30pm at Symphony Space in Leonard Nimoy Thalia. Sacred and Profane invites audiences to explore the dual narratives of conflict and reconciliation. A unique blend of chamber music and opera, Sirota and Clement’s music grapples with the human condition through the lenses of comedy, drama, and lyricism. The performance features an all-star group of musicians including soprano Ariadne Greif, baritone Paul Pinto, the Momenta Quartet, cellist Benjamin Larsen, pianist Hyungjin Choi, flutist Roberta Michel, violists Jonah Sirota and Nadia Sirota, and percussionist Katherine Fortunato, with stage direction by Mary Birnbaum.
Concert details:
What: Sacred and Profane: Sheree Clement and Robert Sirota
Who: Director Mary Birnbaum, pianist Hyungjin Choi, percussionist, Katherine Fortunato, soprano Ariadne Greif, cellist Benjamin Larsen, flutist Roberta Michel, The Momenta Quartet, baritone Paul Pinto, violists Jonah Sirota and Nadia Sirota
When:Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 7:30pm
Where: Symphony Space’s Leonard Nimoy Thalia, 2537 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
Tickets and Information: www.symphonyspace.org/events/vp-sacred-and-profane-sheree-clement-robert-sirota
Sept. 28: Telegraph Quartet Presented by Four Seasons Arts Performing the Music of Rebecca Clarke, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Maurice Ravel
Telegraph Quartet Presented by Four Seasons Arts
Available in high resolution at: www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/telegraph-quartet
Telegraph Quartet Presented by Four Seasons Arts
Performing the Music of
Rebecca Clarke, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Maurice Ravel
Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 3:00pm
Berkeley Piano Club | 2724 Haste Street | Berkeley, CA
Tickets and More information
“soulfulness, tonal beauty and intelligent attention to detail”
– San Francisco Chronicle
Berkeley, CA – On Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 3:00pm, the Telegraph Quartet (Eric Chin and Joseph Maile, violins; Pei-Ling Lin, viola; Jeremiah Shaw, cello), a group described by The New York Times as being “full of elegance and pinpoint control,” will be presented in concert by Four Seasons Arts at Berkeley Piano Club (2724 Haste Street), performing Rebecca Clarke’s Poem for String Quartet, Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat Major, Op. 74 “Harp”, and Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major. The Telegraph Quartet recorded the latter work as part of their newest album, 20th Century Vantage Points: Divergent Paths –– the first in a three-volume album series exploring string quartets of the 20th century.
The Telegraph Quartet formed in 2013 with an equal passion for standard and contemporary chamber music repertoire. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as, “an incredibly valuable addition to the cultural landscape” and “powerfully adept… with a combination of brilliance and subtlety,” the Telegraph Quartet was awarded the prestigious 2016 Walter W. Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the Grand Prize at the 2014 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.
This Saturday afternoon performance will feature works that were composed by Clarke, Beethoven, and Ravel during the early 19th and 20th centuries. Rebecca Clarke wrote her Poem for String Quartet –– a serene work rooted in rhythmic and melodic repetition –– in 1926. However, she would never see the work published before her passing in 1979. Beethoven had begun losing his hearing by his late 20s and by the time the good-natured “Harp” Quartet was composed in 1809, its cheery quality belied the composer’s 11-year-long struggle with hearing loss that inevitably kept him from fully experiencing this work. Ravel and Debussy held a great deal of mutual respect and admiration for each other’s work. Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major is inspired by and modeled after Debussy’s own string quartet, which he composed 10 years prior. Ravel’s quartet embraces the conventional four-movement classical structure and uses the quartet medium to find a space and vibrancy; it uses clear, etched themes set against a backdrop of colorfully evocative environments.
The Telegraph Quartet’s latest album, 20th Century Vantage Points: Divergent Paths, was released in 2023 on Azica Records. The first in the Telegraph’s three-album series focused on string quartets of the first half of the 20th century, Divergent Paths explores the bewildering and unbridled creativity of the period through the music of Arnold Schoenberg and Maurice Ravel, whose music on this album weaves threads of great contrast and surprising similarity. The album has been met with critical acclaim, with The New York Times reporting, “[I]n the Schoenberg, they achieve something truly special, meticulously guiding its often wayward progress. At times Schoenberg makes the four strings sound almost orchestral, but the Telegraph players can also make his contrapuntal tangles radiantly clear. Every minute of their account sounds gripping and purposeful, which is one of the highest compliments you can pay the piece.”
More about Telegraph Quartet: The Telegraph Quartet has performed in New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Chamber Masters Series, and at festivals including the Chautauqua Institute, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, and the Emilia Romagna Festival. They have collaborated with pianists Leon Fleisher and Simone Dinnerstein; cellists Norman Fischer and Bonnie Hampton; violinist Ian Swensen; St. Lawrence Quartet, and the Henschel Quartett. A fervent champion of 20th- and 21st-century repertoire, the Telegraph Quartet has premiered works by John Harbison, Osvaldo Golijov, Robert Sirota, and Richard Festinger. In 2018 the Quartet released its debut album, Into the Light, featuring works by Anton Webern, Benjamin Britten, and Leon Kirchner on the Centaur label. The Telegraph Quartet released its new album, 20th Century Vantage Points: Divergent Paths––which features Ravel’s renowned quartet and Schoenberg’s first quartet––on August 25 via Azica Records.=
The Telegraph Quartet begins a residency at The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance in fall 2024. From 2017-2024, the Telegraph was quartet-in-residence at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In addition to giving regular faculty performances, the ensemble gave master classes abroad at the Taipei National University of the Arts, National Taiwan Normal University, and in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Telegraph has also served as artists-in-residence at the Interlochen Adult Chamber Music Camp, SoCal Chamber Music Workshop, and Crowden Music Center Chamber Music Workshop. In November 2020, the Telegraph Quartet launched ChamberFEAST!, a chamber music workshop in Taiwan and in fall 2020, Telegraph launched an online video project called TeleLab, in which the ensemble collectively breaks down the components of a movement from various works for quartet.
For more information, visit www.telegraphquartet.com.
For Calendar Editors:
Concert details:
Who: Telegraph Quartet
Presented by Four Seasons Arts
What: Music by Rebecca Clarke, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Maurice Ravel
When: Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 3:00pm
Where: Berkeley Piano Club, 2724 Haste Street, Berkeley, CA 94705
Tickets and information: www.fsarts.org/telegraph-string-quartet/
Description: The award-winning Telegraph Quartet, described by The New York Times as being “full of elegance and pinpoint control,” is presented in concert by Four Seasons Arts. The ensemble will perform a concert program featuring Poem for String Quartet by Rebecca Clarke, String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat Major, Op. 74 “Harp” by Ludwing van Beethoven –– works noted for never being experienced by their composers, as well as a work on the ensemble’s 2023 album, Divergent Paths: String Quartet in F Major by Maurice Ravel.
Emerald City Music Announces Season 09: Global Resonance Concerts from October 2024 to May 2025 in Seattle and Olympia – Opening Weekend: American Sketches
Emerald City Music Announces Season 09
High resolution press photos available here.
Emerald City Music Announces Season 09: Global Resonance
Fifteen Concerts from October 2024 through May 2025
in Seattle and Olympia, WA
Violinist Kristin Lee, Artistic Director
Featuring Performances by violinist Kristin Lee, pianist Jun Cho, cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, violist Melia Watras, percussionist Bonnie Whiting, Brentano String Quartet, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center with guitarist Jason Vieaux, Dreamers’ Circus, Canellakis-Brown Duo, flutist Sungwoo Kim, & More
Opening Weekend: October 18-19, 2024
Season Subscriptions and Single Tickets Available Now: www.emeraldcitymusic.org
Seattle & Olympia, WA – Continuing under the leadership of Artistic Director and violinist Kristin Lee, Emerald City Music (ECM) presents fifteen concerts for its Season 09 between October 2024 and May 2025 at two signature venues – in Seattle at 415 Westlake and in Olympia at The Minnaert Center for the Arts – as well as at Olympia’s Capital High School Performing Arts Center and at Lairmont Manor in Bellingham. Emerald City Music is the Pacific Northwest home for eclectic, intimate, and vibrant classical chamber music experiences. Known for a casual environment combined with award winning artists, ECM has gained recognition since its founding in 2015. Season subscriptions and single tickets for Season 09 are available now.
The Seattle Times reports: "ECM isn’t falling back on the tried-and-true, under the assumption that a new listener is an unadventurous, easily frightened-off listener. Instead, they’re betting that the tried-and-true could be precisely one of the barriers to sparking interest that classical-music organizations need to overcome." The concept of the concert series as a platform where artists and audiences transform one another breathes life into every element of what ECM does – from the casual open-bar setting of its flagship Seattle concert experiences, to the bustling community that faithfully assembles in its concert halls in Olympia and beyond. At Emerald City Music concerts, the audience’s presence matters, transforming the artists, the community, and the future of classical music.
Artistic Director Kristin Lee says of this year’s diverse array of performances:
“The theme for Emerald City Music over Season 09 is Global Resonance. From the lively American program that starts the season to the Spanish Journey with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Danish folk music with Dreamer's Circus, the festive Bulgarian Dance with the Canellakis-Brown Duo, and the timeless elegance of Joseph Haydn's compositions, this season is about experiencing the world's diverse musical sounds. This theme connects with our Evolution Series, featuring the flute – one of the world’s most celebrated instruments – and honors composer Pauline Oliveros, who championed the concept of ‘Deep Listening,’ encouraging us to tune into the universe's offerings.”
Emerald City Music’s Season 09 Mainstage Performances:
Kristin Lee: American Sketches
Friday, October 18, 2024 at 8pm: 415 On Westlake
Saturday October 19, 2024 at 7:30pm: The Minnaert Center for the Arts, SPSCC
Emerald City Music returns to the stage for its ninth season, celebrating Artistic Director Kristin Lee’s upcoming solo album, American Sketches, out on November 15 on First Hand Records. American Sketches captures the pride that Kristin Lee has for the U.S. as a foreign-born citizen, through tunes that embody a recognizable and spirited sound. Lee states: “It’s been quite a journey in bringing this album to life, especially since this is my very first curated album. Through recording and creating American Sketches, I’ve gained a voice and better understanding of myself. With the courage to share this album with the world, I’ve gained boldness and trust within myself. I’m embracing the changes that this process has bestowed upon me and eagerly anticipating how I will continue to evolve, bringing changes to my musical life.” For the opening weekend of Season 09, Lee performs with pianist Jun Cho, showcasing selections from the album including music by H.T. Burleigh, Jonathan Ragonese, Ernest Bloch, George Gershwin, JJ Johnson, Scott Joplin, and Amy Beach, with arrangements by Jeremy Ajani Jordan.
Composer in Focus: Pauline Oliveros’s Sound Meditations, Curated & Hosted by Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir
Friday, November 8, 2024 at 8pm: 415 On Westlake
Saturday, November 9, 2024 at 7:30pm: Capital High School Performing Arts Center
Pioneer of “deep listening” and “sonic awareness,” ECM celebrates the life and music of Pauline Oliveros. This meditative evening, curated and hosted by cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, will combine live performance, film, and an interactive audience experience. Pauline Oliveros' life was about opening her own and others' sensibilities to the universe, influencing American music profoundly through improvisation, meditation, and technological exploration. She was one of the original members of The San Francisco Tape Center – a significant resource for electronic music in the 1960s – and a founding member of the Deep Listening Band, which was formed in 1988 in Port Townsend, Washington. The concert program will include video segments from an Oliveros documentary that explains her concept of music; performances of her compositions by Thorsteinsdóttir, Kristin Lee, violist Melia Watras, and percussionist Bonnie Whiting; along with group activities of meditation.
Quartet in Spotlight: Brentano String Quartet with Haydn’s Opus 33s
Friday, December 6, 2024 at 8pm: 415 On Westlake
Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 7:30pm: Capital High School Performing Arts Center
The incomparable Brentano String Quartet, going on 30+ years as an ensemble, joins Emerald City Music’s stage for the first time with a monumental program of Haydn’s Op. 33 Quartets in its entirety. Three of the quartets will be performed in Seattle on Friday evening, the other three in Olympia the following evening – a great opportunity to experience ECM in both cities. Joseph Haydn, also known as "Papa Haydn," earned his nickname through his pioneering contributions to symphonies, string quartets, and piano trios. Throughout his life, he composed 104 symphonies and 68 string quartets, becoming a pivotal figure in classical music and a mentor to both Beethoven and Mozart. In 1781, Haydn wrote his Opus 33 string quartets, which were dedicated to the Grand Duke of Russia, leading to their nickname, the "Russian" quartets. These works are renowned for their wit and humor, including the "Joke" quartet being one of his most celebrated compositions.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Spanish Journey
Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 7pm: Lairmont Manor, in partnership with Bellingham Friends of Music
Friday, February 7, 2025 at 8pm: 415 On Westlake
Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 7:30pm: The Minnaert Center for the Arts, SPSCC
New York’s Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center returns to the Emerald City Music, bringing a vibrant celebration of Spanish music. This exciting program features Artistic Director Kristin Lee alongside the acclaimed, GRAMMY-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux, who returns to the ECM stage. Spend a musical evening in Spain, a country of enchanting colors, rhythms, and textures, in this special evening curated by Lee. The distinctive Spanish style is beautifully expressed in piano trios of Falla and Turina, while guitar – an instrument deeply associated with Spain – is also featured, played by Jason Vieaux. Song complements the balance of the program with vocal works by Sarasate, Rodrigo, and Obradors, the texts of which beautifully express the flair and passion of the Spanish language. The combination of the guitar’s intoxicating sounds, the language’s seductive tones, and the trios’ vivid style illustrates the richness of this culture. Soprano Vanessa Becerra, cellist Clive Greensmith, and pianist Soyeon Kate Lee join Lee and Vieaux for these evocative performances.
The Return of Dreamers’ Circus
Friday, February 28, 2025 at 8pm: 415 On Westlake
Saturday March 1, 2025 at 7:30pm: The Minnaert Center for the Arts, SPSCC
After a smashing hit in 2019, having made their American West Coast debut on Emerald City Music’s stage, Dreamers’ Circus is returning to the Puget Sound from Denmark. The young Danish Trio is a driving force in Nordic world music. Contemporary and endlessly innovative in their approach, they draw inspiration from the deep traditions of folk music in the region and reshape them into something bright, shiny, and new. Dreamers’ Circus are Nikolaj Busk (DK) on piano and accordion, Ale Carr (SWE) on Nordic cittern and Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen (DK), also of the Danish String Quartet, on violin. Dreamers’ Circus display inventiveness and talent in their approach to performances that include music from Denmark and Sweden as well as Finland, Norway, and the far reaches of the windswept Faroe Islands. The ensemble has won five prestigious Danish Music Awards and were named 2023 Artist of the Year by the Danish national classical radio channel P2, becoming the first non-classical group to earn that honor.
An Evening of Music and Film with Canellakis-Brown Duo
Friday, April 11, 2025 at 8pm: 415 On Westlake
Saturday April 12, 2025 at 7:30pm: The Minnaert Center for the Arts, SPSCC
Returning artists Nicholas Canellakis and Michael Stephen Brown bring a program with a twist to the ECM stage, showcasing collaborative original films in dialogue with music by Rachmaninoff, Korngold, and more, in Such Stuff as Dreams. Reinventing the cello/piano genre into a concert experience unlike any other, Such Stuff as Dreams combines the many talents of cellist-filmmaker Nicholas Canellakis and pianist-composer Michael Stephen Brown into one evening. Featured on the program are two films – Canellakis’s latest short comedy My New Cello, and Such Stuff as Dreams, a mesmerizing new multimedia work for film and live score, directed by Canellakis and composed by Brown. Alongside will be evocative and thrilling music by composers with strong ties to the world of film, creating a truly singular, multi-genre event.
EVOLUTION Series: Evolution of the Flute, Co-Curated by Sungwoo Kim
Friday, May 16, 2025 at 8pm: 415 On Westlake
Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 7:30pm: TBA
An ECM fan favorite, the EVOLUTION Series is back, this time delving into the fascinating world of the flute in Evolution of the Flute, co-curated by flutist Sungwoo Kim. The flute is among the earliest known identifiable musical instruments, with origins dating back more than 53,000 years. Over millennia, this remarkable instrument has evolved through numerous stages to become the flute we know today and is one of the most celebrated woodwind instruments. This extraordinary concert will feature five exceptional flutists, each showcasing the instrument's remarkable evolution from its ancient origins to its contemporary brilliance. Experience the transformation of the flute, from a simple tube with holes to a sophisticated, multi-metal marvel with over 120 articulating parts, exploring the flute’s lineage, and witnessing a variety of flutes in diverse repertoire.
For Emerald City Music’s Complete Schedule and Concert Details, visit www.emeraldcitymusic.org/calendar.
Emerald City Music’s 2024-2025 concerts take place on Fridays at 8pm at 415 Westlake in Seattle, WA and on Saturdays at 7:30pm at The Minnaert Center for the Arts in Olympia (2011 Mottman Rd) or Capital High School Performing Arts Center (2707 Conger Ave NW). Season tickets and tickets to individual concerts are now on sale at www.emeraldcitymusic.org.
About Kristin Lee, ECM Artistic Director
Kristin Lee is a violinist of remarkable versatility and impeccable technique who enjoys a vibrant career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, and artistic director. “Her technique is flawless, and she has a sense of melodic shaping that reflects an artistic maturity,” writes the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and The Strad reports, “She seems entirely comfortable with stylistic diversity, which is one criterion that separates the run-of-the-mill instrumentalists from true artists.”
As a soloist, Lee has appeared with leading orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, Hawai’i Symphony, Tacoma Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Nordic Chamber Orchestra of Sweden, Ural Philharmonic of Russia, Korean Broadcasting Symphony, Guiyang Symphony Orchestra of China, Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Dominican Republic, and Singapore National Youth Orchestra.
She has performed on the world’s finest concert stages, including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, the Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Ravinia Festival, the Louvre Museum, the Phillips Collection, and Korea’s Kumho Art Gallery. An accomplished chamber musician, Kristin Lee became a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center after winning The Bowers Program audition and completing the program's three-year residency. In addition to her prolific performance career, Lee is a devoted educator. She is on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as an Assistant Professor of Violin. Lee is also the founding artistic director of Emerald City Music (ECM), a chamber music series that presents authentically unique concert experiences and bridges the divide between the highest caliber classical music and the many diverse communities of the Puget Sound region of Washington State.
Kristin Lee’s honors include an Avery Fisher Career Grant, top prizes in the Walter W. Naumburg Competition and the Astral Artists National Auditions, and awards from the Trondheim Chamber Music Competition, Trio di Trieste Premio International Competition, the SYLFF Fellowship, Dorothy DeLay Scholarship, the Aspen Music Festival’s Violin Competition, the New Jersey Young Artists’ Competition, and the Salon de Virtuosi Scholarship Foundation.
Born in Seoul, Lee moved to the United States and studied under prestigious teachers including Sonja Foster, Catherine Cho, Dorothy DeLay, Donald Weilerstein, and Itzhak Perlman. Lee holds a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School. Lee’s violin was crafted in Naples, Italy in 1759 by Gennaro Gagliano and is generously loaned to her by Paul & Linda Gridley. For more information, visit www.violinistkristinlee.com.
About ECM
Emerald City Music (ECM) is the Pacific Northwest home for eclectic, intimate, and vibrant classical chamber music experiences. Deemed “a welcoming and more inclusive environment for intimate music-making” (The Seattle Times), ECM hosts world-renowned musicians in unique concert experiences. Founded in 2015, Emerald City Music produces and tours seven productions annually, with each tour visiting Seattle’s South Lake Union (415 Westlake, a chic contemporary venue with an open bar), Olympia’s Minnaert Center (a 495 seat modern concert hall), a once annual concert at the Bellingham Music Festival, and an annual concert in New York City.
ECM has gained recognition regionally and nationally as a major player in the chamber music scene. Artistic Director Kristin Lee –– a touring violinist awarded the Avery Fisher Career Grant and a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center –– is regarded for her innovative programming that both honors the tradition of chamber music while expanding the genre’s boundary past common limits. Emerald City Music made a name for itself beginning in its second season with a national collaborative commission with Grammy-winning composer John Luther Adams, and has continued to press the boundary of chamber music with accolades like a tour of Steve Reich’s iconic and rare Music for 18 Musicians, a pitch-black performance of Georg Haas’s “In the Dark” quartet, and the West Coast debut of the Danish folk group The Dreamers’ Circus.
ECM values real, authentic connection and holds the belief that music possesses the innate power to connect people, inclusive of varying backgrounds and perspectives. Over eight years, artists from every corner of the globe have visited Emerald City Music to prove just that: there exists a special connection between artist and listener that only music can facilitate.
Follow ECM on Social Media
Facebook: www.facebook.com/emeraldcitymusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/emeraldcitymusic
Sept 27: World Premiere of Rising – New Dance Piece Opens PRAx’s Season Exploring Water
World Premiere of Rising
World Premiere of Rising
Performed by the Neave Trio & Pigeonwing Dance
Choreography by Gabrielle Lamb & Music by Robert Sirota
Presented by PRAx and the Oregon State University
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
Friday, September 27, 2024 at 7:00pm
Detrick Hall at Oregon State University
470 SW 15th Street | Corvallis, OR
NeaveTrio.com | PigeonwingDance.com | www.RobertSirota.com
Corvallis, OR – On Friday, September 27, 2024 at 7:00pm, the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University launch PRAx's 2024-25 season and year-long exploration of water with the world premiere performance of Rising, an evening-length work that brings together the GRAMMY®-nominated Neave Trio, New York City’s Pigeonwing Dance, a rich score by eminent composer Robert Sirota, intricately detailed choreography by Gabrielle Lamb, and the spoken words of oceanographers and naturalists. Dances about water - rivers and oceans - are among the oldest human forms of expression; but in this time of climate change and rising sea levels, Rising takes on heightened significance. The performance will be preceded by a PRAxPRELUDE Curator's Talk, “How to Carry Water,” with Ashley Stull Meyers and Kelly Bosworth at 6pm in the Toomey Lobby.
An exploration of the human connection to Earth's oceans, Rising intertwines Robert Sirota's emotive, Iyrical music with Gabrielle Lamb's choreography, rooted in restraint and scientific inspiration. Rising, developed over three years, was initiated by the Neave Trio (violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura), whose mission “to Engage, to Exchange, to Connect” prompted them to respond through music and movement to the 2021 UN Report on Climate Change. Unusually, the musicians handpicked both composer and choreographer and have been vital to shaping the work's vision. The artists wish to bring attention to the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels on marine ecosystems, while leaving space for the hope that, in the words of naturalist Craig Foster, “we can all learn to walk a little more lightly on this planet.”
Gabrielle Lamb describes Rising’s choreography and its connection to the images of its oceanic theme: “A single dancer is onstage, moving to spoken text by an oceanographer describing oceanic gyres. Words give way to the piano’s rippling arpeggios, and more dancers enter with sinuous oscillations suggestive of sea creatures. Soon, their five bodies combine into fluent living sculptures. Eye contact connects dancers, transforming abstract movement into human interaction and hinting at multiple interrelated stories.”
About the Artists
Gabrielle Lamb: www.pigeonwingdance.com/gabrielle
Robert Sirota: www.robertsirota.com
The Neave Trio: www.neavetrio.com
Pigeonwing Dance: pigeonwingdance.com
For Calendar Editors:
Description: On Friday September 27, the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University launch PRAx's 2024-25 season and year-long exploration of water with the world premiere performance of Rising, an evening-length work that brings together the Grammy-nominated Neave Trio, New York City’s Pigeonwing Dance, a rich score by eminent composer Robert Sirota, intricately detailed choreography by Gabrielle Lamb, and the spoken words of oceanographers and naturalists. Dances about water - rivers and oceans - are among the oldest human forms of expression; but in this time of climate change and rising sea levels, Rising takes on heightened significance. The performance will be preceded by a PRAxPRELUDE Curator's Talk, “How to Carry Water,” with Ashley Stull Meyers and Kelly Bosworth at 6pm in the Toomey Lobby.
Performance details:
What: Rising (world premiere)
Who: The Neave Trio, Pigeonwing Dance, Choreographer Gabrielle Lamb, and Composer Robert Sirota
Presented by PRAx and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University
When: Friday, September 27, 2024 at 7:00pm
Where: Detrick Hall of The Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) at Oregon State University, 470 SW 15th Street, Corvallis, OR 97331
Tickets and Information: www.prax.oregonstate.edu/events/rising
Oct 8: Newport Classical Presents An Evening with GRAMMY® Award-Winning Pianist Emanuel Ax - Tickets on Sale Aug 23
Newport Classical Presents An Evening with Emanuel Ax
Photo by Nigel Parry. Available in high resolution here.
Newport Classical Presents An Evening with Emanuel Ax
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Newport Classical Recital Hall | 42 Dearborn St | Newport, RI
Tickets On Sale Friday, August 23, 2024
“His greatness, his overwhelming authority as musician, technician and probing intellect emerges quickly as he plays.” – Los Angeles Times
Newport, RI – Newport Classical presents GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist Emanuel Ax on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 7:30pm at Newport Classical Recital Hall (42 Dearborn St.). Hailed for his “thoughtful, lyrical, lustrous” playing by The Washington Post, the acclaimed American pianist will make his Newport Classical debut in a solo recital program of Beethoven and Schumann, entitled Fantasies. Paired with the intimacy of Newport Classical’s home venue, known for its striking architecture and excellent acoustics, Emanuel Ax brings his “youthful brio, incisive rhythm, bountiful imagination, [and] delicacy” (The New York Times) to downtown Newport for a memorable evening of music. Tickets start at $60 and go on sale on Friday, August 23.
This one-night-only performance features Beethoven’s beloved “Moonlight Sonata” and his Piano Sonata No. 13 alongside Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 and his Fantasy in C, Op. 17. The program also includes John Corigliano’s Fantasia on an Ostinato, which draws inspiration from the second movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. This concert is made possible through the generous support of Joan Sweeney and Jim Godbout.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome the incomparable Emanuel Ax to our home venue for this very special one-night engagement, which promises to be an intimate evening of exceptional classical music, an experience Newport Classical is proud to be recognized for all year long,” said executive director Gillian Fox.
Born to Polish parents in what is today Lviv, Ukraine, Emanuel Ax moved to Winnipeg, Canada, with his family when he was a young boy. Ax made his New York debut in the Young Concert Artists Series, and in 1974 won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv. In 1975 he won the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists, followed four years later by the Avery Fisher Prize.
His 2024-25 season begins with a continuation of the Beethoven For Three touring and recording project with partners Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo Ma which takes them to European festivals including BBC Proms, Dresden, Hamburg, Vienna and Luxembourg. As guest soloist he will appear during the New York Philharmonic’s opening week which will mark his 47th annual visit to the orchestra. During the season he will return to the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, National, San Diego, Nashville, and Pittsburgh symphonies, and Rochester Philharmonic. A fall recital tour from Toronto and Boston moves west to include San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles culminating in the spring in Chicago and his annual Carnegie Hall appearance. A special project in duo with clarinetist Anthony McGill takes them from the west coast through the midwest to Georgia and Carnegie Hall and in chamber music with Itzhak Perlman and Friends to Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco. An extensive European tour will include concerts in Paris, Oslo, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Warsaw, and Israel.
Ax has been a Sony Classical exclusive recording artist since 1987 and following the success of the Brahms Trios with Kavakos and Ma, the trio launched an ambitious, multi-year project to record all the Beethoven Trios and Symphonies arranged for trio of which the first three discs have been released. He has received GRAMMY® Awards for the second and third volumes of his cycle of Haydn’s piano sonatas. He has also made a series of GRAMMY®Award-winning recordings with Yo-Yo Ma of the Beethoven and Brahms sonatas for cello and piano. In the 2004-05 season Ax contributed to an International EMMY® Award-winning BBC documentary commemorating the Holocaust that aired on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. In 2013, Ax’s recording Variations received the Echo Klassik Award for Solo Recording of the Year (19th Century Music/Piano).
Ax is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and holds honorary doctorates of music from Skidmore College, New England Conservatory of Music, Yale University, and Columbia University.
More About Emanuel Ax: https://emanuelax.com/
About Newport Classical:
Newport Classical is a premier performing arts organization that welcomes people of every age, culture, and background to intimate, immersive musical experiences. The organization presents world-renowned and up-and-coming artistic talents at stunning, storied venues across Newport – an internationally sought-after cultural and recreational destination.
Originally founded in 1969 as Rhode Island Arts Foundation at Newport, Inc., Newport Classical has a rich legacy of musical curiosity having presented the American debuts of hundreds of international artists and is most well-known for hosting three weeks of concerts in the summer in the historic mansions throughout Newport and Aquidneck Island. In the 55 years since, Newport Classical has become the most active year-round presenter of music on Aquidneck Island, and an essential pillar of Rhode Island’s cultural landscape, welcoming thousands of patrons all year long.
Newport Classical invests in the future of classical music as a diverse, relevant, and ever-evolving art form through its four core programs – the one-of-a-kind Music Festival; the Chamber Series in the Newport Classical Recital Hall; the free, family-friendly Community Concerts Series; and the Music Education and Engagement Initiative that inspires students in local schools to become the arts advocates and music lovers of tomorrow. These programs illustrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to presenting “timeless music for today.”
In 2021, the organization launched a new commissioning initiative – each year, Newport Classical will commission a new work by a Black, Indigenous, person of color, or woman composer as a commitment to the future of classical music. To date, Newport Classical has commissioned and presented the world premiere of works by Stacy Garrop, Shawn Okpebholo, Curtis Stewart, and Clarice Assad.
For Newport Classical’s complete concert calendar, visit www.newportclassical.org/concerts
Sept. 20: Telegraph Quartet Presented by Chamber Music Concerts Performing the Music of Rebecca Clarke, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Maurice Ravel
Telegraph Quartet Presented by Chamber Music Concerts Performing the Music of Rebecca Clarke, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Maurice Ravel
Photo of the Telegraph Quartet by Lisa Marie Mazzucco available in high resolution here.
Telegraph Quartet Presented by Chamber Music Concerts
Performing the Music of
Rebecca Clarke, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Maurice Ravel
Friday, September 20, 2024 at 7:30pm
SOU Music Recital Hall | 450 S Mountain Ave. | Ashland, OR
“full of elegance and pinpoint control” – The New York Times
Ashland, OR – On Friday, September 20, 2024 at 7:30pm, the Telegraph Quartet (Eric Chin and Joseph Maile, violins; Pei-Ling Lin, viola; Jeremiah Shaw, cello), a group described by The Strad as having "precise tuning, textural variety and impassioned communication,” will be presented in concert by Chamber Music Concerts at Southern Oregon University at the Music Recital Hall (450 S Mountain Ave) performing Rebecca Clarke’s Poem for String Quartet, Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat Major, Op. 74 “Harp”, and Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major. The Telegraph Quartet recorded the latter work as part of their newest album, 20th Century Vantage Points: Divergent Paths –– the first in a three volume album series exploring string quartets of the 20th century. There will be a free pre-concert lecture, one hour before the performance, presented by musicologist Ed Wight. The lecture will be held in Room 132 in the Music Building.
The Telegraph Quartet formed in 2013 with an equal passion for standard and contemporary chamber music repertoire. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “an incredibly valuable addition to the cultural landscape” and “powerfully adept… with a combination of brilliance and subtlety,” the Telegraph Quartet was awarded the prestigious 2016 Walter W. Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the Grand Prize at the 2014 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.
This Friday evening performance will feature works that were composed by Clarke, Beethoven, and Ravel during the early 19th and 20th centuries. Rebecca Clarke wrote her Poem for String Quartet –– a serene work rooted in rhythmic and melodic repetition –– in 1926. However, she would never see the work published and disseminated before her passing in 1979. Beethoven had begun losing his hearing by his late 20s and by the time the good-natured “Harp” Quartet was composed in 1809, its cheery quality belied the composer’s 11-year-long struggle with hearing loss that inevitably kept him from fully experiencing this work. Ravel and Debussy held a great deal of mutual respect and admiration for each other’s work. Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major is inspired by and modeled after Debussy’s own string quartet, which he composed 10 years prior. Ravel’s quartet embraces the conventional four-movement classical structure and uses the quartet medium to find a space and vibrancy; it uses clear, etched themes set against a backdrop of colorfully evocative environments.
The Telegraph Quartet’s latest album, 20th Century Vantage Points: Divergent Paths, was released in 2023 on Azica Records. The first in the Telegraph’s three-album series focused on string quartets of the first half of the 20th century, Divergent Paths explores the bewildering and unbridled creativity of the period through the music of Arnold Schoenberg and Maurice Ravel, whose music on this album weaves threads of great contrast and surprising similarity. The album has been met with critical acclaim, with The New York Times reporting, “[I]n the Schoenberg, they achieve something truly special, meticulously guiding its often wayward progress. At times Schoenberg makes the four strings sound almost orchestral, but the Telegraph players can also make his contrapuntal tangles radiantly clear. Every minute of their account sounds gripping and purposeful, which is one of the highest compliments you can pay the piece.”
More about Telegraph Quartet: The Telegraph Quartet has performed in New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Chamber Masters Series, and at festivals including the Chautauqua Institute, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, and the Emilia Romagna Festival. They have collaborated with pianists Leon Fleisher and Simone Dinnerstein; cellists Norman Fischer and Bonnie Hampton; violinist Ian Swensen; St. Lawrence Quartet, and the Henschel Quartett. A fervent champion of 20th- and 21st-century repertoire, the Telegraph Quartet has premiered works by John Harbison, Osvaldo Golijov, Robert Sirota, and Richard Festinger. In 2018 the Quartet released its debut album, Into the Light, featuring works by Anton Webern, Benjamin Britten, and Leon Kirchner on the Centaur label. The Telegraph Quartet released its new album, 20th Century Vantage Points: Divergent Paths––which features Ravel’s renowned quartet and Schoenberg’s first quartet––on August 25 via Azica Records.
The Telegraph Quartet begins a residency at The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance in fall 2024. From 2017-2024, the Telegraph was quartet-in-residence at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In addition to giving regular faculty performances, the ensemble gave master classes abroad at the Taipei National University of the Arts, National Taiwan Normal University, and in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Telegraph has also served as artists-in-residence at the Interlochen Adult Chamber Music Camp, SoCal Chamber Music Workshop, and Crowden Music Center Chamber Music Workshop. In November 2020, the Telegraph Quartet launched ChamberFEAST!, a chamber music workshop in Taiwan and in fall 2020, Telegraph launched an online video project called TeleLab, in which the ensemble collectively breaks down the components of a movement from various works for quartet.
For more information, visit www.telegraphquartet.com.
For Calendar Editors:
Concert details:
Who: Telegraph Quartet
Presented by Chamber Music Concerts at Southern Oregon University
What: Music by Rebecca Clarke, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Maurice Ravel
When: Friday, September 20, 2024 at 7:30pm
Where: SOU Music Recital Hall 450 S Mountain Ave Ashland, OR 97520
Tickets and information: www.chambermusicconcerts.org/concerts/telegraph-quartet
Description: The award-winning Telegraph Quartet, described by The New York Times as being “full of elegance and pinpoint control,” is presented by Chamber Music Concerts on Friday, September 20, 2024. There will be a free, pre-concert lecture, one hour before the performance, presented by musicologist Ed Wight. The lecture will be held in Room 132 in the Music Building. The ensemble will perform a concert program featuring Poem for String Quartet by Rebecca Clarke, String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat Major, Op. 74 “Harp” by Ludwing van Beethoven –– works noted for never being experienced by their composers, as well as a work on the ensemble’s 2023 album, Divergent Paths: String Quartet in F Major by Maurice Ravel.
Sept 6: ECM New Series Reissues Arvo Pärt's Tabula Rasa on Vinyl
ECM New Series Reissues Arvo Pärt's Tabula Rasa on Vinyl
ECM New Series Announces Vinyl Reissue
Arvo Pärt: Tabula Rasa
Gidon Kremer: violin
Keith Jarrett: piano
Tatjana Grindenko: violin
Staatsorchester Stuttgart: orchestra
Dennis Russel Davies: conductor
The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Alfred Schnittke: prepared piano
Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra
Saulius Sondeckis: conductor
ECM New Series 1275
LP: 0422 8177641 0
Vinyl Reissue Release Date: September 6, 2024
Vinyl reissue in facsimile gatefold edition, includes original liner notes in enclosed booklet
In 1984, ECM brought a new sound into the musical world with the release of Arvo Pärt’s Tabula rasa, the first album on the label’s New Series imprint.
As Paul Griffiths wrote in his liner notes for a 2010 special-edition produced in collaboration with the composer’s publisher Universal Edition: “This was the beginning, also, of an extraordinary association between composer and record producer, an example of loyalty and collegiality unique in our time. Pärt’s mature career is documented on ECM albums produced by Eicher (…) If Pärt gave ECM one of its enduring foci, ECM gave Pärt a forum he could not otherwise have found.”
Now, on the occasion of the 40th New Series anniversary, this gatefold vinyl reissue with enclosed booklet presents the record in its original guise. The record also marked the intersection of some of the most longstanding, significant musical collaborators in the label’s history: Arvo Pärt, Gidon Kremer and Keith Jarrett.
Until today the album’s enduring significance is pointed out in renowned publications:
Pärt's music reaches far beyond the conspiracy of connoisseurs who support most new classical music. He is a composer who speaks in hauntingly clear, familiar tones, yet he does not duplicate the music of the past. He has put his finger on something that is almost impossible to put into words—something to do with the power of music to obliterate the rigidities of space and time. One after the other, his chords silence the noise of the self, binding the mind to an eternal present. – Alex Ross, The New Yorker
The album that brought Pärt’s name to the West, and to the world (…). Back in 1984 Tabula rasa helped re-educate our ears and throw open the doors of our musical sensibilities to spatial domains that had otherwise been closed to us. This is without any shadow of a doubt one of the great recordings of the last century. – Rob Cowan, Gramophone (2023)
Sept 21 & 22: California Symphony Launches 2024-2025 Season with BEETHOVEN’S NINTH
California Symphony Launches 2024-2025 Season with BEETHOVEN’S NINTH
High resolution photos available here.
California Symphony Launches its 2024-2025 Season with BEETHOVEN’S NINTH
Opening with Louise Farrenc’s Powerful Overture No. 2
Led by Donato Cabrera, Artistic & Music Director
Featuring Laquita Mitchell, soprano; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Nicholas Phan, tenor; Sidney Outlaw, baritone
With the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Chorus
Eric Choate, Director
In Concert September 21 at 7:30pm & September 22 at 4pm
At Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts
Free Public Pop Up Event with Amateur Music Network September 21 at 5pm
At Walnut Creek’s Water Light Public Plaza
California Symphony’s 2024-2025 Season Showcases the Crowning Achievements of
Composers at the Peak of Their Powers: Watch Donato Cabrera’s Introduction
Tickets & Information: www.californiasymphony.org
WALNUT CREEK, CA – California Symphony and Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera launch the 2024-2025 season, showcasing the crowning achievements of composers at the peak of their powers, with two thrilling concerts celebrating the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 7:30pm and Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 4pm at Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts (1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek). The concerts open with a vivacious and powerful overture by pioneering 19th-century French composer Louise Farrenc, who was well known during her lifetime but whose work is only now being performed widely. Following Farrenc’s overture is Beethoven’s instantly recognizable final symphony, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces in classical music. Powerful and uplifting, the work’s final movement Ode to Joy has become an enduring anthem for unity.
Four internationally acclaimed singers with Bay Area connections – Laquita Mitchell, soprano; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Nicholas Phan, tenor; and Sidney Outlaw, baritone – join the California Symphony and the 100-member strong San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) Chorus for these performances.
California Symphony’s Saturday performance on September 21 will be preceded by a free Pop Up event in partnership with the Amateur Music Network. From 5-5:30pm at Water Light Public Plaza (1501 Locust St., Walnut Creek), Donato Cabrera will lead an open workshop of Ode to Joy for amateur musicians. Registration (which is free, but required) is open now.
“The two works I chose to begin our 2024-25 concert series not only help define and celebrate what we’re exploring throughout the entire season, but they also represent what I believe to be a defining characteristic of the California Symphony, which is a sense of adventure,” Cabrera says. “Like the uncorking of a bottle of champagne, the incredibly elegant and exuberant overture by the 19th-century French composer Louise Farrenc is an intriguing introduction to a composer unfairly neglected and rarely performed. Without intermission and with a sense of audaciousness, we will dive right into the 200th anniversary performance of one of the greatest artistic creations ever conceived, the last symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. In hearing these two works in such closeness to one another, it is my hope that both equally inform and enhance the other, giving all of us a truly unique and rewarding experience."
Louise Farrenc, largely unknown in the U.S. until recent years, is considered by some to be one of France’s most gifted 19th-century musicians. Born into an artistic family – her father and brother both being Rome Prize-winning sculptors – Farrenc lived at the Sorbonne, and at age 15 became the first woman accepted to study music composition at the Paris Conservatory. She concertized throughout France for decades, and at age 38 became the only woman until the 20th century to hold the position of Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatory. Farrenc wrote many pieces for piano, as well as a significant number of chamber music and orchestral works. Her bold and dynamic Overture No. 2 in E-flat, which opens California Symphony’s season, was one of her first works for orchestra, written in 1834 when she was thirty years old and already a formidable composer.
A masterpiece that celebrates our shared humanity, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 was revolutionary in its time and remains one of the most iconic pieces of music in history. Not only was it longer than most symphonies that came before it, it was also the first ever to feature vocal soloists and a full choir. Composed by Beethoven when he was almost completely deaf, the Symphony is loved around the world as a symbol of unity and happiness, particularly because of the well-known setting of Friedrich Schiller’s poem, Ode to Joy. As California Symphony program annotator Scott Foglesong puts it, “For many, that meaning is wrapped up in a hope, or even a certainty, in a future that will be better, that the human spirit will win out in the end, that if we just believe in ourselves enough, present difficulties will give way to future happiness… We are all blessed with the divine spark, Beethoven says: it is our universal, imperishable and eternal birthright. All we have to do is claim it.”
Illustrating California Symphony’s signature approach to creating vibrant concert programs that span the breadth of orchestral repertoire, including works by American composers and by living composers, the 2024-2025 season features the iconic final symphonies of titans of classical music Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; the unfinished masterpieces of Anton Bruckner and Franz Schubert; a Grammy-winning Disney Fantasia-esque concerto for film and orchestra by Bay Area composer Mason Bates paired with Benjamin Britten’s lively introduction to the ensemble; a world premiere by the orchestra’s 2023-2026 Young American Composer-in-Residence Saad Haddad; a recent work by Grammy-nominated composer and Kennedy Center composer-in-residence Carlos Simon; Joaquin Rodrigo’s famous tour-de-force guitar concerto Concierto de Aranjuez; and rarely performed music by 19th-century French composer Louise Farrenc and 20th-century Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz.
Founded in 1986, California Symphony has been led by Donato Cabrera since 2013. Its concert season at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California serves a growing number of music lovers from across the Bay Area. California Symphony believes that the concert experience should be fun and inviting, and its mission is to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment for the entire community. Through this commitment to community, imaginative programming, and its support of emerging composers, California Symphony is a leader among orchestras in California and a model for regional orchestras everywhere.
Three, four, and five-concert subscriptions start at $120 and are available now. Single tickets start at $50 and at $25 for students 25 and under. A 30-minute pre-concert talk and Q&A led by lecturer Scott Fogelsong will begin one hour before each performance. More information is available at CaliforniaSymphony.org.
FOR CALENDAR EDITORS:
WHAT: California Symphony presents Beethoven’s Ninth
California Symphony and Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera launch the 2024-2025 season with two thrilling concerts celebrating the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, a monumental masterpiece that celebrates our shared humanity. The concerts open with a vivacious and powerful overture by pioneering 19th-century French composer Louise Farrenc, who was well known during her lifetime but whose work is only now being performed widely. Following Farrenc’s overture is Beethoven’s instantly recognizable final symphony, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces in classical music. Four internationally acclaimed singers with Bay Area connections – Laquita Mitchell, soprano; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Nicholas Phan, tenor; and Sidney Outlaw, baritone – join the California Symphony and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) Chorus. Powerful and uplifting, the work’s final movement Ode to Joy has become an enduring anthem for unity.
California Symphony takes the stuffiness out of the concert experience: Take selfies at the photo booth, order a signature cocktail, and sip at your seat. Tickets include a free 30-minute pre-concert talk by award-winning instructor Scott Foglesong, starting one hour before the show.
WHEN: Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 7:30pm
Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 4:00pm
WHERE: Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek
CONCERT:
BEETHOVEN’S NINTH
7:30pm, Saturday, September 21
4:00pm, Sunday, September 22
Donato Cabrera, conductor
California Symphony
Laquita Mitchell, soprano; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Nicholas Phan, tenor; Sidney Outlaw, baritone
San Francisco Conservatory of Music Chorus, Eric Choate, Director
PROGRAM:
Louise Farrenc: Overture No. 2 in E-flat
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
TICKETS: Three, four, and five-concert subscriptions start at $120 and are available now. Single tickets start at $50 and at $25 for students 25 and under.
INFO: For more information or to purchase tickets, the public may visit CaliforniaSymphony.org or call the Lesher Center Ticket Office at (925) 943-7469 (open Wed – Sun, noon to 6pm).
PHOTOS: Available here.
About the California Symphony:
Founded in 1986, California Symphony has been led by Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera since 2013. It is distinguished by its vibrant concert programs that span the breadth of orchestral repertoire, including works by American composers and by living composers. Its concert season at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California serves a growing number of music lovers from across the Bay Area.
California Symphony believes that the concert experience should be fun and inviting, and its mission is to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment for the entire community. Through this commitment to community, imaginative programming, and its support of emerging composers, California Symphony is a leader among orchestras in California and a model for regional orchestras everywhere.
Since 1991, California Symphony's three-year Young American Composer-in-Residence program has provided a composer with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collaborate with the orchestra over three consecutive years to create, rehearse, premiere, and record three major orchestra compositions, one each season. Every Composer-in-Residence has gone on to win top honors and accolades in the field, including the Rome Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Awards, and more.
The orchestra's nationally recognized educational initiative Sound Minds impacts students' trajectories by providing instruction for violin or cello and musicianship skills. Sound Minds has proven to contribute directly to improved reading and math proficiencies and character development, as students set and achieve goals, learn communication and problem-solving skills, and gain self-confidence. Inspired by the El Sistema program of Venezuela, the program is offered completely free of charge to the students and families of Downer Elementary School in San Pablo, California.
Through its innovative adult education program Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed, California Symphony provides lifelong learners a fun-filled introduction to the orchestra and classical music. Led by celebrated educator and California Symphony program annotator Scott Foglesong, these live classes are held over four weeks in the summer annually and are available to stream online year-round.
In 2017, California Symphony became the first orchestra with a public statement of a commitment to diversity. Its website is available in both Spanish and English.
Reaching far beyond the performance hall, since 2020 the orchestra's concerts have been broadcast nationally on multiple radio series through Classical California (KUSC/KDFC) and the WFMT Radio Network, reaching over 1.5 million listeners across the country.
For more information, visit CaliforniaSymphony.org.
California Symphony’s 2024-25 season is sponsored by the Lesher Foundation.