Pianist Simone Dinnerstein Presented by Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center Performing Music by From her Album Undersong

Photo of Simone Dinnerstein by Tanya Braganti available in high resolution at: https://jensen-artists.squarespace.com/artists-profiles/simone-dinnerstein 

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein Presented by
Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center

Performing Music by Couperin, Schumann, Glass, and Satie From her Album Undersong

Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 7pm
Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center
120 College Street | Asheville, NC

Tickets and information: www.blackmountaincollege.org/simone-dinnerstein/

“an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity”
– The Washington Post

Simone Dinnerstein: www.simonedinnerstein.com

Asheville, NC – GRAMMY-nominated pianist Simone Dinnerstein, described by The Washington Post as an “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity,” is presented in concert November 8, 2023 at Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center (120 College Street).

Dinnerstein, who is heralded for her distinctive musical voice and commitment to sharing classical music with everyone, will perform several selections found on her 2022 Orange Mountain Music album Undersong –– the final installment in a trilogy of albums recorded at her home in Brooklyn during the pandemic between 2020 and 2022, which also includes A Character of Quiet (Orange Mountain Music, 2020) and Richard Danielpour’s An American Mosaic (Supertrain Records, 2021). The latter surpassed two million streams on Apple Music and was nominated for a 2021 Grammy Award in the category of Best Classical Instrumental Solo. The concert program will include: Robert Schumann’s Arabesque, in C Major, Op. 18 and Kreisleriana, Op. 16; François Couperin­’s Les Barricades Mysterieuses and Tic-Toc-Choc; Philip Glass’s Mad Rush; and Erik Satie’s Gnossienne No. 3.

Dinnerstein explains of Undersong’s title: “Undersong is an archaic term for a song with a refrain, and to me it also suggests a hidden text. Glass, Schumann, Couperin and Satie all seem to be attempting to find what they want to say through repetition, as though their constant change and recycling will focus the ear and the mind. This time has been one of reflection and reconsidering for many of us, and this music speaks to the process of revisiting and searching for the meaning beneath the notes, of the undersong.”

Reflecting on Schumann’s Arabesque, in C Major, Op. 18, Dinnerstein explains that it’s “a very beautiful, poetic piece of music but it ends with a separate type of epilogue that's something different from the piece and modern in a way. There's a rest before you play it and the rest serves as a bridge to Philip Glass’s Mad Rush. It's unclear to the listener whether it's Schumann or Glass. I really like that blurring of the composer's languages with each other."

Dinnerstein offers this connective observation between Schumann’s Kreisleriana, Op. 16 and Schumann’s, Arabesque “The Arabesque has some quick changes in mood and the most breathtaking coda at the end that completely takes it someplace else, written in Schumann’s music language but sounding absolutely contemporary. In comparison, Kreisleriana changes on a dime. Suddenly, you’ll be in a completely different headspace. I think that’s as much about Schumann himself, as about his love for Clara.”

Sequenza21 describes Dinnerstein’s approach to Couperin’s Les Barricades Mysterieuses as “sonorous [and] eschewing ornamentation in favor of unadorned, shapely melodies.” Meanwhile, the tempo of Couperin’s Tic-Toc-Choc is thought to mirror the rhythmic precision of a clock and the full title (Le Tic-Toc-Choc, ou Les Maillotins), references little hammers or mallets. The San Francisco Classical Voice says Dinnerstein’s performance of the piece makes it appear as if she “magically transform[s] the piano into a harpsichord.”

With its distinctly repetitious compositional structure, Philip Glass’s Mad Rush, a piece originally composed for organ at New York City’s St. John the Divine, underscores the collectively seamless nature of this program’s repertoire. The New Criterion describes Dinnerstein’s performance of the piece as “transcendent – the picture of introspection interrupted by unexpected vision.”

Of Erik Satie’s Gnossienne No. 3, Dinnerstein says, “Erik Satie published three Gymnopédie and three Gnossienne together, though he eventually wrote more Gnossienne, a fantastical term that he came up with. The markings in the score for Gnossienne No. 3 are bizarre: “Plan carefully”; “Provide yourself with clear sightedness”; “Alone for a moment”; “So as to get a hollow”; “Quite lost”; “Carry this further”; “Open your mind”. These are written right over the notes. The commentary is dada-esque.”

About Simone Dinnerstein: American pianist Simone Dinnerstein has a distinctive musical voice. The Washington Post has called her “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.”

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. www.simonedinnerstein.com

About Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center: ​The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center (BMCM+AC) preserves and continues the legacy of educational and artistic innovation of Black Mountain College (BMC). We achieve our mission through collection, conservation, and educational activities including exhibitions, publications, and public programs. Arts advocate Mary Holden founded BMCM+AC in 1993 to celebrate the history of Black Mountain College as a forerunner in progressive interdisciplinary education and to explore its extraordinary impact on modern and contemporary art, dance, theater, music, and performance. Today, the museum remains committed to educating the public about BMC’s history and raising awareness of its extensive legacy. Our goal is to provide a gathering point for people from a variety of backgrounds to interact through art, ideas, and discourse.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein, described by The Washington Post as “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity,” is presented in concert by Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center. Dinnerstein will perform several selections found on her 2022 Orange Mountain Music release, Undersong, including Robert Schumann’s Arabesque, in C Major, Op. 18 and Kreisleriana, Op. 16; François Couperin­’s Les Barricades Mysterieuses and Tic-Toc-Choc; Philip Glass’s Mad Rush; and Erik Satie’s Gnossienne No. 3.

Short description: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein, described as an artist of “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity” (The Washington Post) is presented in concert by Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, performing selections by François Couperin, Robert Schumann, Philip Glass, and Erik Satie from her 2022 album Undersong.

Concert details:
Who: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein and Caroga Arts Ensemble Conducted by Music Director Alexander Platt
Presented by Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center
What: Music by Music by François Couperin­, Robert Schumann, Philip Glass, and Erik Satie
When: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 3pm
Where: 120 College St, Asheville, NC 28801
Tickets and information: www.blackmountaincollege.org/simone-dinnerstein/

San Francisco Girls Chorus Opens 45th Anniversary Season with Left Coast Chamber Ensemble

Photo by Rachel Ziegler available in high resolution at www.sfgirlschorus.org/press-room.

San Francisco Girls Chorus Opens 45th Anniversary Season

Valérie Sainte-Agathe, Artistic Director

November 4 & 5, 2023 – This Is What It Means
SFGC Premier Ensemble Opening Concerts Centering Music by California Women
Co-Presented with Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Part of the California Festival
Music by Sarah Gibson (World Premiere), Reena Esmail, Nicolás Lell Benavides, Caroline Shaw, Gabriela Lena Frank, Lisa Bielawa, and Ursula Kwong-Brown

December 11, 2023 – SFGC Winter Concert: Folk Songs of the World with Latin Grammy-Nominee Accordionist Sam Reider at Davies Symphony Hall

San Francisco Girls Chorus: www.sfgirlschorus.org
Press Room: www.sfgirlschorus.org/press-room

San Francisco, CA – The San Francisco Girls Chorus (SFGC) led by Artistic Director Valérie Sainte-Agathe opens its 2023-2024 season, which celebrates 45 years of empowering young women through music, with concerts on November 4 and 5. Since 1978, SFGC has provided girls and young women the unique opportunity not only to perform at the highest artistic caliber, but also to develop self-confidence, leadership skills, and an awareness of the role of the arts in civic engagement.

SFGC launches the season with This Is What It Means, two concerts featuring its Premier Ensemble co-presented and performed with Left Coast Chamber Ensemble (LCCE) as part of the statewide California Festival on November 4, 2023 at First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley and November 5, 2023 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The concert program centers the voices of Californian women composers, interweaving instrumental and vocal works by Pauline Oliveros (Tree/Peace), Gabriela Lena Frank (Picaflor Esmeralda from Two Mountain Songs and Canto para California), Reena Esmail (Love of Thousands, SFGC commission 2019), Gabriella Smith (Carrot Revolution), Lisa Bielawa (Opening: Forest from Vireo), and Ursula Kwong-Brown (I See You, I Hear You, I Believe You) with the music of Nicolás Lell Benavides (A Bird Came Down the Walk), Caroline Shaw (Dolce Cantavi), and Hildegard von Bingen (O Virtus Sapientiae). SFGC and LCCE join forces in the world premiere performances of a new work by Los Angeles-based composer Sarah Gibson titled This is what it means, co-commissioned by the two ensembles for the occasion. Gibson's music has been described as "expansive" by the Los Angeles Times, and has been performed by the BBC and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Atlanta, Seattle, and New Jersey Symphonies, and more. Her compositions reflect her deep interest in the creative process across various artistic mediums, especially from the female perspective.

On December 11, 2023, SFGC presents its highly anticipated annual concert at Davies Symphony Hall, SFGC Winter Concert: Folk Songs of the World, bringing together hundreds of singers from the Premier Ensemble, the entire Chorus School, as well as SFGC alumnae. This year’s concert is inspired by folk music traditions from around the world and features acclaimed accordionist and 2023 Latin Grammy nominee Sam Reider as guest artist, combining traditional favorites (including Silent Night), new works, and hidden gems from the holiday choral repertoire. The San Francisco-based Sam Reider has performed, recorded, and collaborated with a range of artists including Jon Batiste, Jorge Glem, Sierra Hull, Laurie Lewis, and Paquito d’Rivera. From his genre-bending acoustic ensemble The Human Hands to his duo collaboration with Grammy-nominated Venezuelan artist Jorge Glem, his unique compositional voice and melodicism runs throughout his eclectic projects.

SFGC's season continues on March 9, 2024 when the Premier Ensemble performs Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans at Z Space, with music direction by Valérie Sainte-Agathe and stage direction by Céline Ricci. In May 2024, the Chorus School will showcase singers from Levels 1 through IV at its annual Chorus School Spring Concert at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center, coming together to celebrate their accomplishments from the year individually and as a school. The Premier Ensemble’s season concludes with a collaboration with renowned percussionist and composer Haruka Fujii on May 19, 2024 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In addition, SFGC ensembles will perform throughout the Bay Area in collaboration this season with other organizations and artists including the East Bay Philharmonic, Sunset Music & Arts, Lisa Mezzacappa, and the Amateur Music Network.

A leader in the Bay Area and national music scenes, SFGC produces award-winning concerts, recordings and tours; empowers young women in music and other fields; and sets the international standard for the highest level of performance and education. SFGC has been recognized through numerous honors including five GRAMMY Awards, four ASCAP/Chorus America Awards for Adventurous Programming, and in 2002, becoming the first youth chorus to receive Chorus America's prestigious Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence. Each year, hundreds of singers of diverse backgrounds from 45 Bay Area cities ranging in age from age four to eighteen participate in SFGC’s programs. The organization consists of a six-level Chorus School training program and the Premier Ensemble, a professional-level chorus of treble voices.

San Francisco Girls Chorus Season Highlights

This Is What It Means
SFGC Premier Ensemble Opening Concerts Centering Music by California Women
Co-Presented with Left Coast Chamber Ensemble
Part of the California Festival

November 4, 2023 at 7:30pm
First Presbyterian Church, 2407 Dana St, Berkeley, CA

November 5, 2023, at 4pm
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak St, San Francisco, CA

SFGC Winter Concert: Folk Songs
with Latin Grammy-Nominee Accordionist Sam Reider

December 11, 2023 at 7pm
Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA

SFGC Premier Ensemble in Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans
Music direction by Valérie Sainte-Agathe & stage direction by Celine Ricci

March 9, 2024 at 7:30pm & March 10, 2024 at 2pm
Z Space, 450 Florida St, San Francisco, CA

Chorus School Spring Concert
Featuring a World Premiere by SFGC Composer-in-Residence Sahba Aminikia

May 2024
Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 2850 19th Ave, San Francisco, CA

SFGC Premier Ensemble with Percussionist & Composer Haruka Fujii

May 19, 2024 at 3pm
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak St, San Francisco, CA

Tickets & information: www.sfgirlschorus.org

The San Francisco Girls Chorus receives support from Grants for the Arts, The Kimball Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Sequoia Trust, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., The Sam Mazza Foundation, The Bernard Osher Foundation, and The Morris Stulsaft Foundation.

More About The San Francisco Girls Chorus And Chorus School:

Established in 1978, the mission of the San Francisco Girls Chorus is to create outstanding performances featuring the unique and compelling sound of young women’s voices through an exemplary program committed to education and visionary leadership in the development of this art form.

Commissions of new works from the leading composers of our time, collaborations with renowned guest artists, and partnerships with other Bay Area and national arts organizations provide the young women of SFGC with matchless performance experiences among powerful adult role models. In addition to its annual engagements with the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony, recent and current/upcoming artistic partnerships include the San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Film Festival, Opera Parallèle, Kronos Quartet, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, New Century Chamber Orchestra, TEDxSanFrancisco, and Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky. SFGC has also traveled to the East Coast on a number of occasions in recent years for debut concert engagements, including for the 2016 NY PHIL BIENNIAL FESTIVAL at Lincoln Center in collaboration with The Knights orchestra, for SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras in April 2017 with The Knights at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and at Carnegie Hall in February 2018 with the Philip Glass Ensemble, for a sold-out performance that was broadcast around the world by Medici TV.

SFGC's commitment to artistic excellence has been recognized through many awards and honors, including five GRAMMY Awards; four ASCAP/Chorus America Awards for Adventurous Programming; and, in 2002, becoming the first youth chorus to receive Chorus America's prestigious Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence.

SFGC was founded in 1978 by Elizabeth Appling, who served as Artistic Director until her retirement in 1992. Other Artistic Directors during SFGC's illustrious 40-year history include Sharon J. Paul (1992 - 2000), Magen Solomon (2000-2001, interim), Susan McMane (2001-2012), Brandon Brack (2012-2013, interim), and Lisa Bielawa (2013-2018).

SFGC owns and operates the Kanbar Performing Arts Center, which has become a hub for small to mid-size arts organizations in the Bay Area. In addition to SFGC’s own rehearsal and performance programs, the Kanbar Center provides long-term leased office space to such organizations as American Bach Soloists, Opera Parallèle, Jewish LearningWorks, and the Chinese-American International School, as well as rehearsal space for groups including New Century Chamber Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, Merola summer opera program, and the San Francisco Boys Chorus.

About Valérie Sainte-Agathe, SFGC Artistic Director:

Valérie Sainte-Agathe has prepared and conducted the San Francisco Girls Chorus since 2013, including performances with renowned ensembles throughout the United States and beyond. Through transformative choral music training, education, and performance, Ms. Sainte-Agathe empowers young women and champions the music of today throughout the choral world.

Prior to her time with SFGC, Ms. Sainte-Agathe served as Music Director for the Young Singers program of the Montpellier National Symphony and Opera in France from 1998-2011, and participated in eight recordings with the Montpellier National Orchestra and The Radio France Festival.

In the 2022-2023 season, Ms. Sainte-Agathe celebrated a decade of leadership with the San Francisco Girls Chorus. During her tenure, she has welcomed artistic collaborations with many celebrated guest artists including Chanticleer, Santa Fe Opera, soprano Shawnette Sulker, composer and percussionist Susie Ibarra, GRAMMY-nominated composer Ayanna Woods, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, the King’s Singers, Roomful of Teeth, Bobby McFerrin. She premiered SFGC’s first self-produced and commissioned opera, Tomorrow’s Memories: A Little Manila Diary at San Francisco’s Magic Theatre in June 2023. Her first recording as SFGC’s Music Director, Final Answer, was released on Orange Mountain Music in February 2018, and her second recording, My Outstretched Hand, was released in July 2019. Ms. Sainte Agathe has toured with SFGC’s Premier Ensemble locally and internationally, and will travel with the ensemble to South Africa in July 2024.

Ms. Sainte-Agathe’s artistry stretches beyond the San Francisco Girls Chorus, including joining Philharmonia Baroque as its new Chorale Director in 2022, and a feature in the 2022 book Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note published by the Chicago Review Press. Ms. Sainte-Agathe joined forces with GRAMMY Award-winning Kronos Quartet during its 2021-2022 season to conduct the world premiere of At War With Ourselves - 400 Years of You by Michael Abels and continues to perform this work throughout the U.S. on tour with the ensemble.

Ms. Sainte Agathe’s performance highlights include her Carnegie Hall and Barbican Center debuts with the Philip Glass Ensemble, conducting with Michael Riesman in Glass’s Music with Changing Parts; conducting SFGC for the New York Philharmonic Biennial Festival at Lincoln Center; and collaborating with The Knights for the SHIFT Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She also served as Choirmaster with Taylor Mac, recipient of MacArthur Foundation's "Genius Grant," for the "Holiday Sauce" production at the Curran Theater in December 2018.

Sony Classical Presents Anshel Brusilow Conducts the Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia The Complete RCA Album Collection

Sony Classical Presents Anshel Brusilow
Conducts the Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia
The Complete RCA Album Collection

Philadelphia’s top chamber orchestra, founded and conducted by the Philadelphia Orchestra’s principal violinist and conductor Anshel Brusilow in 1966

All recordings in this set appearing on CD for the first time, remastered from the original master tapes using 24 bit / 192 kHz technology

Original LP sleeves and labels, booklet with full discographical notes

Release Date: November 3, 2023

Pre-order: bit.ly/SonyAnshelBrusilowChamberSymphonyOfPhiladelphia

The Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia was founded in 1965 by Anshel Brusilow, then concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Brusilow, who studied conducting and played under Pierre Monteux, George Szell and Eugene Ormandy, auditioned more than 1,000 musicians for the 36 full-time positions and conducted the ensemble from 1966 until 1968, when it was disbanded for want of adequate philanthropic support in the city for a second orchestra. But over the course of two-and-a-half 34-week seasons it had already performed more than 200 concerts and made six albums for RCA Victor. Sony Classical is now issuing all these LP recordings by the Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia on CD for the first time.

The original LP releases were praised by High Fidelity, which called the Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia “an orchestra of rare quality”. Reviewing its début release, Brahms’s D major Serenade, the US classical music magazine opined: “Brusilow could hardly have chosen a better work to show off the capabilities of his new orchestra – every first-chair woodwind and brass player has his chance to shine (and each does shine, brilliantly).” The Brahms was followed by a series of choice couplings: Tchaikovsky’s “Mozartiana” Suite with Arensky’s Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky (“Brusilow is thoroughly at home in this literature, and his players respond beautifully to his direction” – High Fidelity); symphonies by Haydn and Cherubini; a French programme of Ravel, Ibert and Françaix (“Perhaps a reflection of the Monteux influence … this record … carries true stylistic conviction in matters of phrasing, texture, and timbre” – High Fidelity); and Richard Strauss’s Le Bourgeois gentilhomme as well as Hugo Wolf’s Italian Serenade.

The orchestra also premièred and recorded a new sacred choral work by Richard Yardumian, the Philadelphia-based composer championed by Eugene Ormandy. Come, Creator Spirit for mezzo-soprano, chorus (or congregation) and orchestra was the first mass setting by an established American composer in the English vernacular following the Vatican Council’s 1963 decision. The work was lauded for its integrity, spiritual fervor, and power to communicate the essence of devotion in all its nuances from praise to supplication.

SET CONTENTS

DISC 1:
Brahms: Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11

DISC 2:
Yardumian: Come, Creator Spirit

DISC 3:
Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Suite No. 4, Op. 61, "Mozartiana"
Arensky: Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky, Op. 35a
Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No.1, Op. 11: II. Andante cantabile (Arr. for Orchestra)

DISC 4:
Cherubini: Symphony in D Major
Haydn: Symphony No. 60 in C Major, Hob. I:60, "Il distratto"

DISC 5:
Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin, M. 68a
Francaix: Sérénade for Small Orchestra
Ibert: Suite Symphonique
Ibert: Capriccio

DISC 6:
R. Strauss: Der Bürger als Edelmann Suite, Op. 60
Wolf: Italian Serenade

Steven Schick's Soundlines out on Islandia Music Records - Second Volume in Weather Systems

Islandia Music Records to Release
Weather Systems from Steven Schick
A Multi-Album Series

Second Album – Soundlines – Out on December 1

“Philosopher King of Percussion” – The New York Times 

www.stevenschick.com | www.islandiamusic.com

New York, NY – Islandia Music Records announces Weather Systems II – Soundlines: On Language and the Land, the second in a three-volume series from “one of the great percussion virtuosos of our time” (San Francisco Chronicle) Steven Schick. Weather Systems is a set of recordings of the percussion music that has been most meaningful to Schick, which spans more than 100 years and features a diverse set of composers. Weather Systems II – Soundlines: On Language and the Land will be released on December 1, 2023. The final installment of this recording project, Weather Systems III: It's About Time, is expected in 2026 and will be an up-close look at rhythm as an ode to future musicians.

Soundlines: On Language and the Land, which also marks Schick’s 70th birthday, is centered around his 700 mile walk up the California coast in 2006. Schick reflects on this journey as “a real moment of change in which my musical life and the natural world really started to speak to each other,” prompting a different approach to and understanding of percussion playing. The 3-CD set features highly contrasting works for percussion by Iannis Xenakis (Psappha), Vivian Fung (The Ice is Talking), George Lewis (Soundlines), Lei Liang (Trans), Frederic Rzewski (To the Earth), Vinko Globokar (Toucher), Roger Reynolds (Here and There), and Sarah Hennies (Thought Sectors), which all musically reveal deeper truths of the world.

Percussionist, conductor, and author Steven Schick has championed contemporary percussion music by commissioning or premiering more than one hundred-fifty new works. The title of his series, Weather Systems, and the first album, A Hard Rain, reflect Schick’s background growing up in a farming family in Iowa, always having one eye on the weather and in particular, on the rain. Soundlines: On Language and the Land is an echo of Schick’s walk up the California coast: a musical changing of perspectives and connection with the world. In his liner notes, Schick writes, “Each [of these recordings] presents layered emotions in which a humorous façade dissolves to reveal deeper truths.” 

The 700 mile journey on foot also had another motivation. Schick writes, “Although my walk from San Diego to San Francisco began as an exploration of sound and sonic cultures, it soon shifted to a more important goal. I was in love and I wanted to marry my girlfriend Brenda, who was living then in the Bay Area. . .  I was full of music but also full of love—for her and for the land I was crossing to reach her. The California coast may not have been the wine-dark sea of Homer, but for me it was the pathway to a future where music served life and not the other way around. With this realization, I did not minimize the position of music in my life, but rather safeguarded it. For those who wonder how Brenda answered my proposal: We have been married for 16 years.” 

Weather Systems will be released on Islandia Music Records, the record label of cellist and producer Maya Beiser. Beiser says, “Steve Schick and I met 30 years ago, in New York City. Both of us were involved with the Bang on a Can festival, we became founding members of the Bang on a Can All-Stars. Steve is a true virtuoso, possessing a rare artistic force which melds rigorous discipline with mesmerizing, hypnotic performance energy. Over the years we have collaborated on many different projects and remained close friends and artistic confidants. I am so thankful for the opportunity to help bring this monumental project to fruition with Islandia Music Records.”

Soundlines forms the basis for the pivotal journey of musical rediscovery and reframing. The album’s titular work by George Lewis tells of Schick’s seven-week trek from San Diego to San Francisco. Schick writes:

George Lewis has told my story in his extraordinary Soundlines, a work for speaking percussionist, ensemble, and electronics, using a narrative I wrote as the basis of his libretto. From its happy-go-lucky beginnings—I really did just start walking north one day—through moments of crisis and realization, George created a Radio Play, a Hörspiel, which in the German tradition is both light and dark; family entertainment and high drama. He included details of conversations along the way, a list of Native American tribes whose land I crossed on foot, and my own, ever-present, internal monologue. Soundlines points not just to the mechanics of a long walk but to the imperatives of a pilgrimage as a process of cleansing and reconciliation, a demarcation between how things had been and how they might yet be. George Lewis is one of the great creators of our time, as composer, author, advocate, and teacher. It is no surprise that in Soundlines he grasped the raptures and regrets of a long walk more clearly than did the walker himself.

Iannis Xenakis’ Psappha written in 1975 for multi-percussion solo takes inspiration from the Greek poet Sappho, whose archaic form is the namesake of Xenakis’ work. Since 1977, Schick estimates that he has performed Psappha over seven hundred times, allowing him to understand the piece as “fundamentally about the Sapphic voice.” By imagining the lost voices of Sapphos, Schick recorded Psappha surrounded by hanging gongs, which, “though never actually struck, reverberated sympathetically in a luminous halo of resonance. 

Vivian Fung’s The Ice is Talking was written in 2018 as a reaction to the receding glaciers in her Canadian home. Performed on a block of ice, the percussionist embodies the anxieties and poignancies of Fung’s work, all while playing on a disappearing instrument. But it is within these challenges that the deeper meanings of Fung’s work becomes apparent. For Schick, “the cracking and dripping of melting are miniature and poignant echoes of the loud booming and zinging of warming spring ice on the midwestern lakes of my childhood. Alas, the ice begins truly to sing only as it is dying.”

Lei Liang’s Trans, written in 2014, engages with the natural world, using beach stones to create clouds of sounds. Amidst these environmental sonorities created by his undergraduate students at University of California, San Diego, Schick lays down his virtuosic solo.

Frederic Rzewski’s To the Earth (1985) draws on the Homeric Hymn “To Earth Mother of All,” a prayer to the Greek goddess of the Earth. With flowerpots as solo instruments, the text and percussion embody Earth’s fragility and the precariousness of humanity.

Composed in 1973, Toucher by Vinko Globokar uses French translations from Berthold Brecht’s eponymous play. Originally based on Galileo’s persecution from the Catholic Church, Schick writes, “my first conversations with Vinko informed an interpretation of the piece as a paean to the soixante-huitards, the Parisian protesters of 1968 who struck against consumerism and imperialism.” Whether about Galileo or the soixante-huitards, Toucher musically depicts the stark differences between the powerful and powerless.

Described by Schick as a “daringly barren soundscape,” Roger Reynolds’ Here and There (2018) sets bass drum, large tam-tam, and vibraphone to spoken word. Drawing on Samuel Beckett’s “Text for Nothing IX,” Here and There probes Beckett’s contemplation on birth and death with intimately immediate percussion. The performance is the culmination of an over thirty year friendship and collaboration with Reynolds and Schick.

At almost an hour in length, Sarah Hennies’ Thought Sectors (2020) closes Schick’s album with an internal landscape. Through large sections of repetition, small absences, changes, and perturbations in the reiterations coagulate into meaning. As Schick writes, through Thought Sectors, “details normally too small to be distinguishable in the cascade of faster moving music begin to come alive. 

More About Steven Schick: Percussionist, conductor, and author Steven Schick was born in Iowa and raised in a farming family. Hailed by Alex Ross in The New Yorker as, “one of our supreme living virtuosos, not just of percussion but of any instrument,” he has championed contemporary percussion music by commissioning or premiering more than one hundred-fifty new works. The most important of these have become core repertory for solo percussion. Schick was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2014.

Steven Schick is artistic director of the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus and previously, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. As a conductor, he has appeared with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony, Ensemble Modern, the International Contemporary Ensemble, and the Asko/Schönberg Ensemble.

Schick’s publications include a book, The Percussionist’s Art: Same Bed, Different Dreams, and many articles. He has released numerous recordings including the 2010 Percussion Works of Iannis Xenakis, and its companion, The Complete Early Percussion Works of Karlheinz Stockhausen, in 2014 (both on Mode). He received the “Diapason d’Or” as conductor (Xenakis Ensemble Music with ICE) and the Deutscheschallplattenkritikpreis, as percussionist (Stockhausen), each for the best new music release of 2015.

Steven Schick is Distinguished Professor of Music and holds the Reed Family Presidential Chair at the University of California, San Diego. He was music director of the 2015 Ojai Festival, and co-artistic director, with Claire Chase, of the Summer Music Program at the Banff Centre from 2017-2019. 

About Islandia Music Records: Islandia Music Records is an independent record label founded and spearheaded by cellist and producer Maya Beiser, one of the foremost soloists and avant-garde artists of her generation. Beiser’s desire to be the driving force behind her artistic expression led her to concentrate on an intensely rich and innovative solo career. She has engaged composers, choreographers, dancers, visual artists, filmmakers, sound designers, and technology innovators to create works written for her or by her and interpreted through her singular artistic lens. The freedom to chart her own course made it possible to become a game changer in the contemporary creative landscape. A platform for self-expression and daring artistic adventures, Islandia Music Records allows for a broad palette of collaborative patterns: between the old and the new, the brazen and the subtle, the dark and the hopeful.

Steven Schick: Weather Systems II – Soundlines: On Language and the Land
Islandia Music Records
Release Date: December 1, 2023

Disc I
Iannis Xenakis: Psappha (1975) (14:23)
Vivian Fung: The Ice is Talking (2018) (11:40)
**George Lewis: Soundlines (A Dreaming Track) (2019) (30:14)

Disc II
Lei Liang: Trans (2014) (15:04)
Frederic Rzewski: To the Earth (1985) (9:17)
Vinko Globokar: Toucher (1973) (9:30)
*Roger Reynolds: Here and There (2018) (30:51) 

Disc III
Sarah Hennies: Thought Sectors (2020) (57:43)

**The International Contemporary Ensemble
Steven Schick, Solo Percussion and Voice, Conductor
David Byrd-Marrow, Horn
Rebekah Heller, Bassoon
Katinka Kleijn, Cello
Josh Modney, Violin
Erin Rogers, Saxophone
Joshua Rubin, Clarinet
Ross Karre, Percussion
George Lewis, Sound Processing and Sound Design
Soundlines Software by Damon Holzborn

Soundlines (A Dreaming Track) was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, Gustavo Dudamel Music & Artistic Director, and the International Contemporary Ensemble with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Newport Classical Celebrates the Holiday Season with Two Programs in December

Newport Classical Celebrates the Holiday Season
with Two Programs in December

Messiah at the Mansion
Featuring The Choir School of Newport County and Ensemble Altera
Sunday, December 3, 2023 | 1pm and 3:30pm
Rosecliff | 548 Bellevue Ave. | Newport, RI 

Classical Christmas
Saturday, December 16, 2023 | 3pm
Emmanuel Church | 42 Dearborn St. | Newport, RI

Tickets & Information: www.newportclassical.org

Newport, RI – Newport Classical celebrates the season with two weekends of holiday programs in December – Messiah at the Mansion featuring The Choir School of Newport County and Ensemble Altera in two performances on Sunday, December 3 at 1pm and 3:30pm at Rosecliff (548 Bellevue Ave.), and Classical Christmas on Saturday, December 16 at 3pm at Emmanuel Church (42 Dearborn St.), which brings together talented musicians from the community.

Messiah at the Mansion on December 3 features Handel’s iconic oratorio Messiah performed by Rhode Island’s Ensemble Altera, led by Christopher Lowrey, and the Professional Choristers of The Choir School of Newport County, led by Peter Berton, surrounded by the splendor of Rosecliff mansion. Described by the Boston Musical Intelligencer as “seamless ensemble perfection,” Ensemble Altera offers a boldly reimagined chamber version of Handel’s timeless classic with The Choir School of Newport County, including the famous “Hallelujah Chorus.” Newport Classical is proud to present the third year of this annual holiday tradition, perfect for the whole family. Messiah at the Mansion is sponsored by Cynthia Sinclair through her generous support of The Choir School of Newport County. 

Classical Christmas on December 16 is a community holiday celebration held in the English Gothic Revival architecture of Emmanuel Church. Newport Classical presents a delightful afternoon of holiday chamber music including works from the classical repertoire, traditional carols, and a grand finale featuring selections from Vivaldi’s Gloria. A memorable holiday experience for audiences of all ages, the concert is followed by a festive reception graciously hosted by the Vestry of Emmanuel Church.

Newport Classical’s Chamber Series at Newport Classical Recital Hall continues on November 3, when violinist William Hagen, hailed as a “brilliant virtuoso…a standout” (The Dallas Morning News), performs with pianist Orion Weiss. On January 26, rising-star pianist Eric Lu, who has been described by The Guardian as “a veritable poet of the keyboard,” will make his Newport Classical debut in a program featuring music by Schubert, Mendelssohn, Bach, and Chopin. The Galvin Cello Quartet, which burst onto the scene after capturing the Silver Medal at the 2021 Fischoff Competition and the 2022 Victor Elmaleh Competition, will perform on February 23. Bassoonist Eleni Katz and pianist Evren Ozel take the stage on March 22 in a program celebrating the many facets of the bassoon, featuring music by Debussy, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Coleridge-Taylor, and more. On April 26, the award-winning Balourdet Quartet, which recently won the Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, will present a program featuring Hadyn, Kurtág, and Schubert. Polish-American soprano Magdalena Kuźma, praised as a "standout" with "star quality" by Opera News, performs a program spanning from Chopin to Rachmaninoff to Rodgers and Hammerstein on May 17. On June 7, pianist Asiya Korepanova closes the Chamber Series with music by Rachmaninoff, Mussorgsky, Beach, Chopin, and more.

For Newport Classical’s complete concert calendar, visit www.newportclassical.org/concerts 

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. and previously known as Newport Music Festival, 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 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.

Newport Classical is proud to be an essential pillar of New England’s cultural landscape, and to invest in the future of classical music as a diverse, relevant, and ever-evolving art form. Newport Classical’s 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 – illustrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to presenting “timeless music for today.”

Emerald City Music Presents the New York Classical Players with Yekwon Sunwoo, Violinist Kate Ardndt, and Cellist Samuel DeCaprio

Emerald City Music Presents the New York Classical Players
with 2017 Cliburn Gold Medalist Yekwon Sunwoo,
Violinist Kate Ardndt, and Cellist Samuel DeCaprio
Conducted by Dongmin Kim

Featuring Music by David Ludwig, Tchaikovsky, and Chopin

Violinist Kristin Lee, Artistic Director

Friday, November 10, 2023 at 8pm
415 Westlake
415 Westlake Avenue N | Seattle, WA

Tickets: www.emeraldcitymusic.org/season/new-york-classical-players

Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 7:30pm
The Washington Center for the Performing Arts
512 Washington St SE | Olympia, WA

Tickets: www.emeraldcitymusic.org/season/new-york-classical-players-olympia

“...start a new [tradition] with your family at a night out at Emerald City Music.”
– Thurston Talk 

www.emeraldcitymusic.org

Seattle & Olympia, WA – On Friday, November 10, 2023 at 8pm in Seattle at 415 Westlake (415 Westlake Avenue N) and Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 7:30pm in Olympia at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts (512 Washington St SE), Emerald City Music (ECM) presents the New York Classical Players, led by Dongmin Kim in their Pacific Northwest performance debut. These concerts also mark the first time ECM will present a chamber orchestra on its stages. For these performances, ECM also welcomes 2017 Cliburn Piano Competition gold medalist Yekwon Sunwoo, violinist Kate Ardndt, and cellist Samuel DeCaprio. These exemplary musicians will join together to perform a program infused with the richness of Romantic-era music by Tchaikovsky and Chopin, as well as Moto perpetuo (2016) –– a contemporary work for solo violin by living composer David Ludwig (b. 1957).

Of Ludwig’s Moto Perpetuo (2016), Allan Kozinn of the Portland Press Herald says, “Ludwig’s interest is in extending the violin’s palette with timbres and effects. [T]he violin tones bend, stretch, whisper, slide and rasp, and the virtuosity involved is both technical…and conceptual.” The work was commissioned by violinist Jennifer Koh for the "Shared Madness" project and premiered at National Sawdust in New York City. Tchaikovsky's capricious and whimsical Pezzo Capriccioso is a work written over a single week as the composer was preoccupied with the illness of his close friend. The young 19-year-old Chopin wrote his lyrical Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21 – a work filled with romantic and soaring melodic passages – as an homage to his Warsaw School muse, Polish soprano Konstancja Gładkowska. Closing the evening is the soul-stirring cello melodies in Tchaikovsky’s timeless Serenade, a piece the composer wrote "by the impulse of an intimate conviction... a piece that comes from the bottom of my heart."

On New York Classical Players making their Pacific Northwest debut with Emerald City Music and collaborating with three stellar soloists, conductor Dongmin Kim says:

“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the New York Classical Players (NYCP) for our debut concerts in the Pacific Northwest, presented by Emerald City Music (ECM). To bring our music to new audiences, and in such beautiful settings, is truly special. The excitement only grows as we will be sharing the stage with Yekwon Sunwoo, an incredible pianist and winner of the 2017 Van Cliburn Competition. Together, we'll journey through an array of both classical and contemporary works. It's this blend that I believe really showcases what NYCP and ECM are all about: honoring tradition while embracing innovation. I can't wait to connect with you all through these performances. There's something magical about sharing live music together - it creates a bond. So please join us on this exciting musical adventure with ECM!”

For the performance 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. The second performance of the program in Olympia will take place at the newly renovated Washington Center for the Performing Arts.

Emerald City Music (ECM) is the Pacific Northwest home for eclectic, intimate, and vibrant classical chamber music experiences. Known for their casual environment combined with award winning artists, ECM has gained recognition from several high-profile publications like Seattle Times, The City Arts deemed ECM "the beacon for the casual-classical movement". Unique to only ECM attendees are encouraged to wear casual clothes, enjoy the open bar and walk around in order to increase the satisfaction of each of the ECM concerts.

This performance, and all of ECM’s Mainstage performances this season, will be recorded live and then made available on Emerald TV, ECM’s subscription-based streaming platform for performances and additional video content.

About the New York Classical Players:

New York City’s outstanding young chamber orchestra, the New York Classical Players is an ensemble dedicated to the highest standards of artistry, collaboration, and virtuosity. Under the leadership of music director Dongmin Kim, the group performs across the United States, in South America and in Asia. Dongmin Kim is quickly establishing himself as one of the most inspiring and versatile conductors. His recent and upcoming engagements on the world's prestigious stages include Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, Herbst Theatre, Faulkner Performing Arts Center, Seoul Arts Center, and the Lotte Concert Hall, to name a few. Since founding NYCP in 2010, Mr. Kim has led the group in over 200 concerts including a US tour with superstar soprano Sumi Jo and a host of prominent artists have appeared with the orchestra including Miriam Fried, Donald Weilerstein, Kim Kashkashian, Cho-Liang Lin, Pamela Frank, Charles Neidich, Peter Wiley, Carol Wincenc, Chee-Yun, Stefan Jackiw, Jasmine Choi, and Richard O'Neill.

About Dongmin Kim:

Dongmin Kim is the Music Director of the celebrated chamber orchestra New York Classical Players. Since founding NYCP in 2010, he has conducted hundreds of concerts for New Yorkers, three international tours from Asia to South America, and throughout the US. Most recently, he led a series of concerts with NYCP for the last minute stepping in to fill the English Chamber Orchestra's US tour. Dongmin has conducted various prestigious ensembles, including the National Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Arts Center Festival Orchestra, Round Top Festival Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Jacksonville, and Winnipeg. He was awarded the Herbert von Karajan Fellowship by the Vienna Philharmonic, which led to a residency at the Salzburg Music Festival. As the Indianapolis Symphony's Schmidt Conducting Fellow, Dongmin worked alongside Mario Venzago and Raymond Leppard.

He has recorded chamber orchestra pieces by renowned composer Samuel Adler for Toccata Classics, which received praise from Luxembourg's Pizzicato Magazine. Additionally, he recorded Korean Art Songs with Haeran Hong for Warner Classics. As a violist, Dongmin has performed in various countries, including the United States, South America, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and has been a principal violist for the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra under MTT. Born in Seoul, Dongmin studied Orchestral Conducting and Viola at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. His distinguished mentors include Kurt Masur, Janos Starker, Leonard Slatkin, Imre Pallo, and David Effron.

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, Hawai’i Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Ural Philharmonic of Russia, Korean Broadcasting Symphony, Guiyang Symphony Orchestra of China, and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Dominican Republic. 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 "the beacon for the casual-classical movement" (CityArts), 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
Twitter: www.twitter.com/emeraldctymusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/emeraldcitymusic

ECM New Series releases new album featuring the music of Arvo Pärt - Tractus - recorded in 2022

ECM New Series Releases

Arvo Pärt: Tractus

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Tallinn Chamber Orchestra
Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor

ECM New Series 2800
CD: 0289 4859166 4
Release date: November 10, 2023

Press downloads available upon request.

Music and word: In Arvo Pärt's work, they are manifestly at its core, even when no word is heard, no text has been set to music, but the power of language becomes the subject nonetheless. – Wolfgang Sandner

Tractus emphasizes Arvo Pärt compositions that blend the timbres of string orchestra and choir. New versions predominate, with focused performances from the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir under Tõnu Kaljuste’s direction that invite alert and concentrated listening. From the opening composition Littlemore Tractus, which takes as its starting point consoling reflections from a sermon by John Henry Newman, the idea of change, transfiguration and renewal resonates, setting a tone for a recording whose character is one of summing up, looking inward, and reconciling with the past. Compositions included are Littlemore Tractus, Greater Antiphons, Cantique des degrés, Sequentia, L’abbé Agathon, These Words… and Veni creator. An evocative reworking of Vater unser for choir, strings and piano concludes this album.

Tõnu Kaljuste, a long-time ally of Pärt, points out that much recent discussion with the composer has revolved around new approaches to the scores. Commenting on the wide-reaching and evocative repertoire brought together here, Wolfgang Sandner remarks in the CD’s liner note (included at the press room link above), “sound and silence, music and word always remain in dialogue in Arvo Pärt’s work. But the vocal and the instrumental too, the sacred and the profane, complement each other. Liturgical ritual and spiritual concert are in exchange and form a context that points to a common origin.”

The compositions included on Tractus are based upon or inspired by scriptural, liturgical or other Christian texts. “The text is independent of us,” Pärt once said. “It awaits us. Everyone needs his own time to come to it. The encounter occurs when the text is no longer treated as literature or artwork but as reference point or model.”

Recorded in Tallinn’s Methodist Church in September 2022 and produced by Manfred Eicher, Tractus extends the line of Arvo Pärt albums begun with Tabula rasa in 1984, the recording which initially brought Pärt’s music to widespread awareness. 

The collaboration between Arvo Pärt and producer Manfred Eicher has persisted now for forty years: “Our work together making new records is always a celebration,” Pärt has said. “It is something very lively and in continuous formation.”

The Tractus album includes a booklet with all sung texts and liner notes by Wolfgang Sandner (in German), and by Kai Kutman (in English).

Newport Classical Presents Next Chamber Series Concert – Violinist William Hagen and Pianist Orion Weiss Play Dvořák & Brahms

L-R: William Hagen, Orion Weiss
Hagen photo credit: Tyler Rye | Weiss photo credit: Lisa-Marie Mazzucco

Newport Classical Presents Next Chamber Series Concert
Violinist William Hagen and Pianist Orion Weiss Play Dvořák & Brahms

Friday, November 3, 2023 at 7:30pm
Newport Classical Recital Hall | 42 Dearborn St | Newport, RI

“Hagen’s violin rises from the orchestra to ever-loftier heights with a performance that is as passionate as it is poignantly phrased”
– Florida Times-Union

Tickets and Information: https://newportclassical.org/event/william-hagen

Newport, RI – Continuing its commitment to ongoing year-round programming, Newport Classical presents its next Chamber Series concert featuring the internationally acclaimed violinist William Hagen in an evening of virtuosic chamber music. Joined by renowned pianist Orion Weiss, Hagen takes the stage in downtown Newport at Newport Classical’s home venue, Newport Classical Recital Hall (42 Dearborn St.) on Friday, November 3, 2023 at 7:30pm.

In this performance, Newport audiences will hear the “captivating” (The Dallas Morning News) chamber music of Hagen and the “powerful technique and exceptional insight” (The Washington Post) of Weiss. The third-prize winner of the 2015 Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition, William Hagen is an established international soloist, performing with conductors such as Marin Alsop, Christian Arming, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Michel Tabachnik, and Hugh Wolff. Known for his affinity for chamber music, Orion Weiss has performed in recent seasons with the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic. He is the recipient of the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year, Gilmore Young Artist Award, and an Avery Fisher Career Grant.

In the duo’s Newport debut, Hagen and Weiss bookend their program with the music of Dvořák and his mentor, Brahms. Written and published in 1887, Dvořák’s Four Romantic Pieces, Op. 75 were adapted from his Bagatelles for String Trio. The resulting miniatures for violin and piano combine Dvořák’s charming lyricism with the passion and expressiveness of the Late Romantic period. Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30, No. 2 is one of the most imperious works in the repertoire. Quasi-symphonic in scope, the piano and violin interplay with one another as foils, culminating in a work of drama and power. The sonata is a favorite among many musicians and audiences alike. Among the last pieces that Clara Schumann ever wrote, her Three Romances, Op. 22 were composed in 1853 and premiered in 1855. The work was dedicated to her close friend and violinist, Joseph Joachim, who she performed the piece with on countless occasions. Also written for violinist Joseph Joachim, Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108 was composed in 1888 and was his last contribution to piano-violin duo literature. A contrast from his previous two works in the genre, Brahms’ Third Sonata is grand in scale, technically demanding, and tempestuously dramatic. The piece was quickly accepted as part of the standard repertoire and remains so 130 years later.

More about the artists:
https://www.williamhagen.com/#biography
https://www.orionweiss.com/about-orion

Newport Classical’s next performance on December 3 features Handel’s iconic oratorio Messiah performed by Rhode Island’s premier vocal powerhouse, Ensemble Altera and the Professional Choristers of The Choir School of Newport County. Newport Classical will also present a community concert of holiday chamber music on December 16 in Emmanuel Church. On January 26 in the next Chamber Series concert, rising-star pianist Eric Lu, who has been described by The Guardian as “a veritable poet of the keyboard," will make his Newport Classical debut in a program featuring music by Schubert, Mendelssohn, Bach, and Chopin. The Galvin Cello Quartet, which burst onto the scene after capturing the Silver Medal at the 2021 Fischoff Competition and the 2022 Victor Elmaleh Competition, will perform on February 23. Bassoonist Eleni Katz and pianist Evren Ozel take the stage on March 22 in a program celebrating the many facets of the bassoon, featuring music by Debussy, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Coleridge-Taylor, and more. On April 26, the award-winning Balourdet Quartet, which recently won the Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, will present a program featuring Hadyn, Kurtág, and Schubert. Polish-American soprano Magdalena Kuźma, praised as a "standout" with "star quality" by Opera News, performs a program spanning from Chopin to Rachmaninoff to Rodgers and Hammerstein on May 17. On June 7, pianist Asiya Korepanova closes the Chamber Series with music by Rachmaninoff, Mussorgsky, Beach, Chopin, and more.

For Newport Classical’s complete concert calendar, visit www.newportclassical.org/concerts 

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. and previously known as Newport Music Festival, 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 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.

Newport Classical is proud to be an essential pillar of New England’s cultural landscape, and to invest in the future of classical music as a diverse, relevant, and ever-evolving art form. Newport Classical’s 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 – illustrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to presenting “timeless music for today.”

Amanda Gorman & Jan Vogler at Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall - An Evening of Poetry and Bach

Amanda Gorman by Daniel Williams; Jan Vogler by Jim Rakete. Available in high resolution here.

Amanda Gorman & Jan Vogler at Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall

Presented by Dorn Music 

Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 8pm
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall | 57th St. and 7th Ave.

Tickets: www.carnegiehall.org by calling CarnegieCharge 212.247.7800, and at the Carnegie Hall box office at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue.

October 19, 2023 – New York, NY – History-making Presidential inaugural poet and bestselling author Amanda Gorman and internationally acclaimed cellist Jan Vogler share the stage for the first time at Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 8pm, in an evening of spoken word and music featuring the award-winning poetry of Ms. Gorman and the Cello Suites of J.S. Bach, offering a message of hope and humanity. Tickets are on sale October 19th at 11am ET.

Jan Vogler says, “I grew up reading poetry, and have played the music of Bach for nearly my entire life, reveling for many years in the universal appeal of his captivating Cello Suites. To collaborate with Amanda and to see how her wonderful poems change my interpretation of Bach's music is a great joy. I can't wait to share the results of this extraordinary inspiration.”

Amanda Gorman says, “Like many people, Bach’s music captures my heart and my imagination. To be in dialogue with it, and with Jan and his cello – a Stradivarius that was made around the time that Bach wrote this music – is to touch something timeless.”

Tanja Dorn, President and CEO of presenter Dorn Music says, “I am elated that Dorn Music will be bringing together these two incredible artists around the eternal music of Bach and Ms. Gorman’s contemporary poetry in this very special evening. We are so honored to be presenting Ms. Gorman at Carnegie Hall and to be helping to bring this collaboration to life.”

Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. She is a committed advocate for the environment, racial equality, and gender justice. Amanda’s activism and poetry have been featured on the Today Show, PBS Kids, and CBS This Morning, and in The New York Times, Vogue, and Essence. After graduating cum laude from Harvard University, she now lives in her hometown of Los Angeles.

In 2017, Amanda Gorman was appointed the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate by Urban Word – a program that supports Youth Poets Laureate in more than 60 cities, regions and states nationally. Gorman’s groundbreaking performance of her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration received international critical acclaim, inspiring millions of viewers with her message of hope, resilience, and healing.

Amanda appeared on the cover of TIME magazine in February 2021 and was the first poet to grace the cover of Vogue in their May 2021 issue. She was Porter Magazine's July 2021 cover star and received The Artist Impact Award at the 2021 Backstage at the Geffen Awards. In 2021 Amanda was one of 5 Variety Power of Women honorees and cover star, as well as one of three cover stars for Glamour's Women of the Year. The following year she was Allure’s beauty issue cover star, and one of four cover stars for Harper’s Bazaar’s 2022 Icons issue. The special edition of her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” her debut picture book, Change Sings, and her poetry collection, Call Us What We Carry, were published in 2021, all debuting at #1 on New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists. Her latest children’s book, Something, Someday, was published in September 2023 with illustrations by Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Christian Robinson, also debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Please visit theamandagorman.com.

Jan Vogler’s distinguished career has brought him together with renowned conductors and internationally acclaimed orchestras around the world. Highlights of his career as a soloist include concerts with the New York Philharmonic (both in New York and Dresden at the occasion of the reopening of the rebuilt Dresdner Frauenkirche under the direction of Lorin Maazel in 2005), performances with the Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh and Montréal Symphony Orchestras and many others. He collaborates with conductors such as Andris Nelsons, Fabio Luisi, Sir Antonio Pappano, Valery Gergiev, Omer Meir Wellber, Manfred Honeck and Kent Nagano.

His interpretations of Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous cello Suites have been praised by audiences and critics. His recording of the six solo suites was awarded the Echo Klassik award in 2013. His great ability allowed him to explore the sound boundaries of the cello and to establish an intensive dialogue with contemporary composers and artists. This includes regular world premieres, including works by Tigran Mansurian, John Harbison, Udo Zimmermann, Wolfgang Rihm, Jörg Widmann, Nico Muhly, Sven Helbig, Zhou-Long and Sean Shepherd. In addition to his classical career Jan has collaborated with artists like actor Bill Murray (New Worlds) and rock legend Eric Clapton.

Jan has been an exclusive Sony Classical artist since 2003. His latest recording combines the world premiere recording of the Cello Concerto by Enric Casals with the Cello Concerto by Lalo, his partners being the Moritzburg Festival Orchestra and conductor Josep Caballe Domenech. In addition, his recording "Pop Songs" with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Omer Meir Wellber was released in May 2022. In 2006, Jan received the European Award for Culture and in 2011 the Erich-Kästner Award for tolerance, humanity and international understanding. In June 2018 he received the European Award for Culture TAURUS as Director of the Dresden Music Festival and in 2021 Jan Vogler was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. Jan Vogler has been Director of the renowned Dresden Music Festival since October 2008 as well as Artistic Director of the Moritzburg Festival since 2001. Please visit janvogler.com.

Tickets are on sale through the Carnegie Hall website, www.carnegiehall.org by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, and at the Carnegie Hall box office at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue. Regular ticket prices start at $35. Student and Senior rush tickets are available for $35 at the Carnegie Hall box office. Students must show ID.

Dorn Music: dornmusic.com

GatherNYC Launches 2023-2024 Season in NYCat Museum of Arts and Design in Columbus Circle

GatherNYC Launches 2023-2024 Season in NYCat Museum of Arts and Design in Columbus Circle

Sixteen Concerts from October 22, 2023 through May 26, 2024

Season Schedule - Every Other Sunday Morning at 11AM:
OCT 22 • Eliza Bagg: “Lisel”
NOV 5 • Caroline Shaw + Andrew Yee
DEC 3 • Dalí Quartet
DEC 17 • Project Trio
JAN 7 • 9 Horses + Jacob Jolliff (mandolin)
JAN 21 • Parker Ramsay (harp) + Brandon Patrick George (flute)
FEB 4 • Douglas J Cuomo + The Overlook: Seven Limbs
FEB 18 • Duo Kayo
MAR 3 • Invoke
MAR 17 • Borromeo Quartet
MAR 31 • Juilliard Quartet
APR 7 • Orpheus + Boyd Meets Girl
APR 14 • Maeve Gilchrist (harp)
APR 28 • Majel Connery + Felix Fan: Rivers are our Brothers
MAY 12 • Ocean Music Action: Megan Conley (harp) + friends
MAY 26 • Kristin Lee (violin) + friends

“thoughtful, intimate events curated with refreshing eclecticism by its founders, the cellist Laura Metcalf and the guitarist Rupert Boyd, complete with pastries and coffee”
– The New Yorker 

“A sweet chamber music series”
– The New York Times

“Impressive Aussie/American led concert series proves music can be a religion.”
– Limelight Magazine 

Museum of Arts and Design | The Theater at MAD | 2 Columbus Circle | NYC

Tickets & Information: www.gathernyc.org

New York, NY – GatherNYC, a revolutionary concert experience founded in 2018 by cellist Laura Metcalf and guitarist Rupert Boyd, announces its 2023-24 season at the series’ home venue, Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) (2 Columbus Circle). The full season, 16-concert series runs from October 22, 2023 through May 26, 2024, with concerts held every other Sunday at 11am in The Theater at MAD. Coffee and pastries are served before each performance at 10:30am. 

Guests at GatherNYC are served exquisite live classical music performed by New York’s immensely talented artists, artisanal coffee and pastries, a taste of the spoken word, and a brief celebration of silence. The entire experience lasts one hour and evokes the community and spiritual nourishment of a religious service – but the religion is music, and all are welcome.

Spoken word artists perform briefly at the midpoint of each concert, many of whom are winners of The Moth StorySLAM events. “It’s an interesting moment of something completely different from the music, and it often connects with the audience,” Metcalf told Strings magazine in a feature about the series earlier this year. “Then we have a two-minute celebration of silence when we turn the lights down, centering ourselves in the center of the city. Then the lights come back on, and the music starts again out of the silence. We find that the listening and the feeling in the room changes after that.”

Metcalf and Boyd say, “We are thrilled to be returning to the beautiful Museum of Arts and Design, offering 16 concerts throughout our 2023-24 season, our most exciting lineup yet. We look forward to providing our audiences with world-class musical experiences in an intimate, unique setting, complete with spoken word, silence, coffee and a communal, welcoming environment.”

GatherNYC 2023-2024 Season Schedule – All Concerts Take Place at 11AM:

Oct 22: Eliza Bagg “Lisel”
Propelled by her varied and accomplished career performing with Grammy-winning ensemble Roomful of Teeth, experimental music legends Meredith Monk and John Zorn, and soloing with the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, vocalist Eliza Bagg's solo act “Lisel” explores the intersection between the human voice and technology. Using only her own voice and a computer, she uses autotune and delay effects to create a “full spectrum sound journey through the potential of the human voice.” 

Nov 5: Caroline Shaw + Andrew Yee
This intimate show presents original work by the multi-instrumentalists and composing duo, Caroline Shaw and Andrew Yee. Shaw is a Pulitzer-Prize winning composer and new music superstar. Andrew Yee is cellist of the Attacca Quartet, which has won two GRAMMY awards for albums of Shaw’s music, Orange and Evergreen. Together, Yee and Shaw invite audiences into the creative, tender, and achingly beautiful world of their musical friendship.

Dec 3: Dalí Quartet
The award-winning Dalí Quartet is acclaimed for bringing Latin American quartet repertoire to an equal standing alongside the Classical and Romantic canon. Their program “Classical Roots, Latin Soul” has been praised worldwide for its fresh approach to music from Brahms and Haydn to Piazzolla and Paquito d’Rivera.

Dec 17: PROJECT Trio
PROJECT Trio, made up of saxophone, double bass and beatboxing flute, is a dynamic and innovative music group known for their genre-blending performances and captivating stage presence. The trio pushes the boundaries of traditional chamber music with their unique fusion of classical, jazz, hip-hop, and world music influences. Their creative and adventurous approach to music-making has earned them a devoted following (their YouTube channel alone has over 100 million views), making them a trailblazing force in the contemporary music landscape. 

Jan 7: 9 Horses with Jacob Jolliff
Supergroup 9 Horses (Sara Caswell, violin; Joseph Brent, mandolin; Andrew Ryan, bass) returns to GatherNYC along with mandolin virtuoso Jacob Jolliff of the Bela Fleck Band to present their electrifying program that blends bluegrass with Bach and Vivaldi. 

Jan 21: Brandon Patrick George (flute) + Parker Ramsay (harp)
Grammy-winning flutist Brandon Patrick George, a “knockout musician with a gorgeous sound” (Philadelphia Inquirer) is joined by harpist Parker Ramsay, hailed as “remarkably special” (Gramophone) for an unforgettable duo recital. Together they perform a lyrical program spanning centuries and continents.

Feb 4: Douglas J Cuomo + The Overlook: “Seven Limbs”
The Overlook returns to GatherNYC to present Douglas J Cuomo’s meditative and ecstatic work Seven Limbs for string quartet and improvised electric guitar. This piece is inspired by an ancient Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice called The Seven Limbs, which is a method of purifying the mind, allowing it to become more patient, peaceful, loving, and compassionate; filled with joyful energy.

Feb 18: Duo Kayo
Duo Kayo is the dynamic pairing of violist Edwin Kaplan and cellist Titilayo Ayangade, both star chamber musicians and veterans of esteemed string quartets (the Tesla and Thalea Quartets, respectively). The duo is on a mission to become a vessel for new and exciting music, which they have already shared with audiences across the country, as well as closer to home at Lincoln Center. Their expressive, richly harmonic programs creatively blend the classical with the contemporary.

Mar 3: Invoke
Described as “...not anything but everything: Classical, Folk, Bluegrass, Americana and a sound yet to be termed seamlessly merged into a perfect one” (David Srebnik, SiriusXM Classical), Invoke strives to successfully dodge even the most valiant attempts at genre classification. The multi-instrumental quartet encompasses traditions from across America, including bluegrass, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz, and minimalism. Fueled by their passion for storytelling, Invoke weaves all of these styles together to form a unique contemporary repertoire, featuring original works composed by and for the group.

Mar 17: Borromeo Quartet
One of the most influential quartets of our time, the Borromeo Quartet has held residencies at both New England Conservatory and the Taos School of Music for 25 years. Their vivid performances and fearless approach to music making have inspired many generations of musicians, and led them to be recognized with some of the industry’s most prestigious awards: the Cleveland Quartet Award, the Avery Fisher Career Grant, and the Martin Segal Award of Lincoln Center.

Mar 31: Juilliard String Quartet
Founded in 1946 and hailed by The Boston Globe as “the most important American quartet in history,” the ensemble draws on a deep and vital engagement to the classics, while embracing the mission of championing new works, a vibrant combination of the familiar and the daring. Each performance of the Juilliard String Quartet is a unique experience, bringing together the four members’ profound understanding, total commitment, and unceasing curiosity in sharing the wonders of the string quartet literature. Based out of the Juilliard School in New York City, where the four members of the quartet serve on the faculty, the reach of this venerable quartet is worldwide.

April 7: Orpheus + Boyd Meets Girl
GatherNYC Artistic Directors Rupert Boyd and Laura Metcalf team up with violinist Abi Fayette and trumpeter Louis Hanzlik, two of the Artistic Directors of the legendary, Grammy-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, for a joyous collaborative program that spans many genres including Baroque, tango, jazz and more.
Originally, November 19th

April 14: Maeve Gilchrist (harp)
The Edinburgh-born, New York-based harpist and composer Maeve Gilchrist has taken the Celtic harp to new levels of visibility. Sought after as both a soloist and collaborator, she has released 5 albums and enjoyed high-profile collaborations with the Silkroad Ensemble, Arooj Aftab and many others. Her most recent album was hailed by the Irish Times in its five-star review as “Buoyant, sprightly and utterly beguiling...a snapshot of a musician at the top of her game.”

April 28: Majel Connery + Felix Fan: Rivers are our Brothers
The Rivers are our Brothers is an electronic song cycle on ecological responsibility, told from the point of view of the land. Based on a letter from Chief Seattle that urges us to think of the earth as kin, the songs take a first-person view of nature: rocks sing about their mothers, and snowflakes tell about their hearts of sand. Connery’s vocals and Felix Fan’s electric cello combine to tell the story using a “supernatural” sound. "The goal of this music is to give nature a voice" says Connery, “and this isn’t a cute nature documentary. I want to stop people in their tracks and show them the world like they’ve never seen it: as vibrant, and thrilling, and alive.”

May 12: Ocean Music Action: Honoring Mother Earth
On Mother’s Day, harpist Megan Conley brings her Ocean Music Action project to GatherNYC with a concert paired with a volunteer day of climate action. OMA uses the transformative power of music to inspire greater stewardship of oceans and waterways, and the musical selections are inspired by the natural world. Megan, formerly the principal harpist of the Houston Symphony now living in Honolulu, will be joined by several of her esteemed colleagues from The Knights for a special program honoring mother earth.

May 26: Kristin Lee & Friends
GatherNYC’s 2023-24 season concludes with a celebratory program curated and performed by one of New York City’s most accomplished violinists, Kristin Lee. Kristin enjoys a vibrant and multi-faceted career as a soloist with major orchestras like the Philadelphia Orchestra and St. Louis Symphony, a chamber musician on the roster of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, an Assistant Professor of Violin at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, and Founder and Artistic Director of Emerald City Music, a chamber music series in Washington State. Kristin and her colleagues will share a virtuosic and exciting program to finish the season.

For tickets and information, visit www.gathernyc.org.

California Symphony presents Handel-Rivers of Inspiration

CALIFORNIA SYMPHONY PRESENTS HANDEL–RIVERS OF INSPIRATION

Led by Donato Cabrera, Artistic & Music Director
Featuring the World Premiere of Viet Cuong’s Chance of Rain
Part of the California Festival

In Concert November 11 and 12, 2023
At Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts

California Symphony also presents Composing the Future: A Panel Discussion hosted by KDFC’s Dianne Nicolini on November 7 as part of the Statewide California Festival

Continuing a season of performances honoring trailblazing composers and unique artists

Tickets & Information: californiasymphony.org/festival

WALNUT CREEK, CA – California Symphony and Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera continue the 2023-24 season, featuring concerts that honor trailblazing composers and unique artists, with Handel–Rivers of Inspiration, on Saturday, November 11 at 7:30pm and Sunday, November 12 at 4pm at the Lesher Center for the Arts (1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek). These concerts are part of the statewide California Festival, showcasing the most compelling and forward-looking voices in performances of works written in the past five years.

California Symphony presents a line-up of water-inspired works for Handel—Rivers of Inspiration, including the highly-anticipated world premiere of Chance of Rain by the Symphony’s 2020-2023 Young American Composer-in-Residence Viet Cuong. Composed shortly after his father’s death, Cuong’s inspiration for this work came from early mornings spent as a child, watching the weather report over breakfast before practicing the piano while his father listened. Says Cuong, “The process of writing it has also reminded me that—while rain may fall—our fondest memories can keep us dry.” The program continues with George Frideric Handel’s Water Music, Suites No. 1 and No. 2. Jolly, jaunty, and packed with catchy tunes, the work was met with acclaim during its premiere at an outdoor concert on London’s River Thames in 1717 – so much so that King George I commanded the musicians to play it through three times over. An ingenious blend of popular styles of the day, Water Music is still among the most popular of Handel’s pieces. The program concludes with Robert Schumann’s euphoric Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish). Composed in a little over a month, Symphony No. 3 was inspired by a happy, peaceful trip that Schumann took with his wife Clara in the German countryside. Full of joyful rhythms and inventive melodies, the work beautifully captures the sights and sounds as the Rhine River rolls through the scenic landscape. 

"While the most well-known piece on these concerts may be Handel's Water Music, I created this program as a tribute to our outgoing composer in residence, Viet Cuong,” says Cabrera. “When I found out that Viet's piece was titled Chance of Rain and inspired by the metaphorical significance of water, I wanted to pair his piece with other compositions from the past that used water as a signifier of time, place, and meaning. Spanning over three hundred years, the music on this program will also reveal the incredible breadth of style that an orchestra like the California Symphony can perform."

California Symphony additionally offers as part of the California Festival, Composing the Future: A Panel Discussion on Tuesday, November 7 at 7:30pm in the Lesher Center for the Arts. Moderated by San Francisco’s Classical KDFC host Dianne Nicolini and featuring panelists San Francisco Symphony CEO Matthew Spivey, composer Viet Cuong, and pianist Sarah Cahill, the panel discussion will explore how collaborations shape classical music. Guests are invited to enjoy a complimentary drink alongside a conversation into the future and evolution of contemporary classical music as well as the challenges and opportunities that composers, performers, presenters, and audiences face. Capacity is limited and free tickets, which are available at californiasymphony.org/festival, are required for entry.

The California Symphony’s November 11 and 12 concerts open with the premiere performances of Viet Cuong’s Chance of Rain. Inspired by the everyday, Cuong’s Chance of Rain reminisces on moments from childhood, finding comfort and shelter in memories. Chance of Rain uses the large ensemble to its fullest extent, acoustically creating an echoed delay, which embodies the task of remembering. Cuong develops a “thrilling experience” (San Francisco Classical Voice) of musical memory through Chance of Rain, reflecting his inventiveness and boundless imagination.

During his time as the 2020-23 Young American Composer-in-Residence at California Symphony, Viet Cuong has enjoyed a fruitful partnership with the orchestra, composing three works commissioned and premiered by the California Symphony. In 2021, California Symphony premiered Cuong’s Next Week’s Trees in their “Poetry in Motion” video series. The work, which takes its name from American poet Mary Oliver’s Walking to Oak-Head Pond, And Thinking Of The Ponds I Will Visit In The Next Days And Weeks, served as a reminder of the “confident hope of the present.” Viet Cuong’s Stargazer Piano Concerto, inspired by the refractions of starlight on its journey to Earth, was premiered by pianist Sarah Cahill in the California Symphony’s 2022-23 season finale. Chance of Rain is Cuong’s final contribution as Resident Composer for the California Symphony.

Called “alluring” and “wildly inventive” by The New York Times, the “irresistible” (San Francisco Chronicle) music of Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong (b. 1990) has been commissioned and performed on six continents by musicians and ensembles including the New York Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Sō Percussion, Atlanta Symphony, Sandbox Percussion, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s, among many others, and has been played at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, National Gallery of Art, and more. In his music, Cuong enjoys exploring the unexpected and whimsical, and he is often drawn to projects where he can make peculiar combinations and sounds feel enchanting or oddly satisfying. He was recently featured in The Washington Post’s “21 for ’21: Composers and performers who sound like tomorrow.”

Founded in 1986, California Symphony is in its eleventh season under the leadership of Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera. It is distinguished by its vibrant concert programs that combine classics alongside American repertoire and works by living composers and for making the symphony welcoming and accessible. The orchestra includes musicians who perform with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, and others. Committed to developing new talent, California Symphony has launched the careers of some of today’s most well-known artists, including violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, cellists Alisa Weilerstein and Joshua Roman, pianist Kirill Gerstein, and composers Mason Bates, Christopher Theofanidis, and Kevin Puts.

California Symphony’s 2023-24 season is sponsored by the Lesher Foundation. The November concerts are sponsored by the Heller Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Three-concert subscriptions start at $99 and are available now, along with single tickets ($45-90, and $20 for students 25 and under). More information is available at CaliforniaSymphony.org. A 30-minute pre-concert talk and Q&A led by lecturer Scott Fogelsong will begin one hour before each performance.

FOR CALENDAR EDITORS:

WHAT: California Symphony presents Composing the Future: A Panel Discussion

California Symphony offers as part of the California Festival a panel discussion moderated by San Francisco’s Classical KDFC host Dianne Nicolini and featuring panelists San Francisco Symphony CEO Matthew Spivey, composer Viet Cuong, and pianist Sarah Cahill. The panel discussion will explore how collaborations shape classical music. Guests are invited to enjoy a complimentary drink alongside a conversation into the future and evolution of contemporary classical music as well as the challenges and opportunities that composers, performers, presenters, and audiences face.

WHEN: Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 7:30pm

WHERE: Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek

TICKETS: Capacity is limited and free tickets, which are available at californiasymphony.org/festival, are required for entry.

WHAT: California Symphony presents Handel–Rivers of Inspiration

California Symphony presents Rivers of Inspiration, a concert featuring the music of George Frideric Handel, Viet Cuong, and Robert Schumann. Opening the program is the highly anticipated world premiere of California Symphony’s 2020-2023 composer-in-residence Viet Cuong’s Chance of Rain. Robert Schumann’s exuberant Symphony No. 3 and Handel’s spectacular Water Music, Suites No. 1 and No. 2 accompany Viet Cuong’s world premiere. These concerts are part of the statewide California Festival, showcasing the most compelling and forward-looking voices in performances of works written in the past five years.

WHEN: Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 7:30 pm   
Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 4:00 pm

WHERE: Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek

CONCERT:
HANDEL–RIVERS OF INSPIRATION
7:30pm, Saturday, Nov. 11
4:00pm, Sunday, Nov. 12
Donato Cabrera, conductor
California Symphony
PROGRAM:
Viet Cuong—Chance of Rain (world premiere)
George Frideric Handel—Water Music, Suites No. 1 and No. 2
Robert Schumann—Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish)

TICKETS: Three-concert subscriptions start at $99 and are available now. Single tickets are $45-90 and $20 (for students 25 and under with valid Student ID).

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.

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik Signs With Epstein Fox Performances

Photo by Corey Hayes available in high resolution at: https://www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/yevgeny-kutik

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik Signs With Epstein Fox Performances

“polished dexterity and genteel, old-world charm”
– WQXR

www.yevgenykutik.com | www.efperformances.com

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “assured and full-bodied playing” (The Washington Post), has signed with Epstein Fox Performances for North American and general management.

Michael Fox, partner and co-founder of Epstein Fox Performances, says, “Yevgeny Kutik has been telling a beautiful story his entire career about the strength and brilliance of the human spirit — his recordings and performances get straight to the heart of his life and what makes his approach to the rep that we all know and love so compelling. In 2024-2025, Kutik will be touring a recital program consisting of Mendelssohn, Bloch and Prokofiev along with performing a wide range of concerto repertoire that will include Shostakovich and the concerto by Joseph Schwantner that he recently premiered with Leonard Slatkin and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.”

With a “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), violinist Yevgeny Kutik has captivated audiences worldwide with an old-world sound that communicates a modern intellect. Praised for his technical precision and virtuosity, he is also lauded for his poetic and imaginative interpretations of standard works as well as rarely heard and newly composed repertoire.

A native of Minsk, Belarus, Kutik began violin studies with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and immigrated to the US with his family at the age of five. An advocate for the Jewish Federations of North America, the organization that assisted his family in coming to the US, he regularly speaks and performs across the country to promote the assistance of refugees from around the world. Kutik is also ​​Artistic Director and co-founder of The Birch Festival –– a festival built around connecting and integrating leading musicians with the Berkshire community, while highlighting the unique and original stories of those who make up the Berkshires.

Kutik’s 2014 album, Music from the Suitcase: A Collection of Russian Miniatures (Marquis Classics), features music he found in his family’s suitcase after immigrating to the United States from the Soviet Union in 1990, and debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Classical chart. The album garnered critical acclaim and was featured on NPR's All Things Considered and in The New York Times. The album is currently being developed into an immersive stage and performance production for the 2024-2025 season.

Kutik’s additional releases on Marquis include his most recent album, The Death of Juliet and Other Tales (2021), which highlights Russia’s rich history of folklore and folktales portrayed in the music of Prokofiev. The album connects Prokofiev’s Solo Sonata for Violin, Sonata No. 2, and “Parting Scene and Death of Juliet” (arr. Borisovsky) to five Russian folk melodies in new arrangements by Kutik, Michael Gandolfi, and Kati Agócs, commissioned specifically for the album. In 2019, he released Meditations on Family, for which he commissioned eight composers to translate a personal family photo into a short musical miniature for violin and various ensemble, envisioning the project as a living archive of new works inspired by memories, home, and belonging. Strings Magazine featured Kutik as its cover story for the March/April issue, reporting, “True to Kutik’s vision, each miniature is a window into the composer’s emotional life.” Featured composers include Joseph Schwantner, Andreia Pinto Correia, Gity Razaz, Timo Andres, Chris Cerrone, Kinan Azmeh, Gregory Vajda, and Paola Prestini. Kutik’s 2016 album, Words Fail uses Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words as a starting point to expand upon the idea that music surpasses traditional language in its expressive capabilities. His 2012 debut album, Sounds of Defiance, features the music of Achron, Pärt, Schnittke, and Shostakovich, focusing on music written during the darkest periods of the lives of these composers.  

In 2021, Kutik made his debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by Leonard Slatkin, performing the world premiere of Joseph Schwantner’s Violin Concerto, written specifically for Kutik. This is based on Schwantner’s earlier The Poet’s Hour – Soliloquy for Violin, which Kutik recorded on episode six of Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra, a made-for-television classical music concert series released on DVD by Naxos and broadcast nationally on PBS. Kutik gave the world premiere of Cântico, a work for solo violin by Andreia Pinto Correia, at the Tanglewood Music Festival in August 2022. The work was co-commissioned for Kutik by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Throughout the United States, Kutik has performed with orchestras including the Rochester and Dayton Philharmonics, Tallahassee, New Haven, Asheville, Wyoming, and La Crosse symphony orchestras, as well as Florida’s SYMPHONIA, New York City’s Riverside Symphony and Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston. Abroad, he has appeared as guest soloist with Germany’s Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock and WDR Rundfunk Orchestra Köln, Montenegro’s Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, Japan’s Tokyo Vivaldi Ensemble, and the Cape Town Philharmonic in South Africa. He has appeared in recital as a part of the Dame Myra Hess Concerts Chicago, Peoples' Symphony Concerts, Merkin Hall Tuesday Matinee Series, and National Sawdust in New York City, the Embassy Series and The Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., and at the Lobkowicz Collections Prague presented by Prince William Lobkowicz. Festival performances have included the Tanglewood Music Festival, Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, Pennsylvania’s Gretna Music, Germany’s Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

Passionate about his heritage and its influence on his artistry, Kutik is an advocate for the Jewish Federations of North America, the organization that assisted his family in coming to the United States, and regularly speaks and performs across the United States to both raise awareness and promote the assistance of refugees from around the world. He was a featured performer for the 2012 March of the Living observances, where he played for audiences at the Krakow Opera House and for over 10,000 people at Auschwitz-Birkenau. 

Yevgeny Kutik began violin studies with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and went on to study with Zinaida Gilels, Shirley Givens, Roman Totenberg, and Donald Weilerstein. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory and currently resides in Boston. In 2006, he was awarded the Salon de Virtuosi Grant as well as the Tanglewood Music Center Jules Reiner Violin Prize. Kutik’s violin was crafted in Italy in 1915 by Stefano Scarampella.

For more information, please visit www.yevgenykutik.com.

About Epstein Fox Performances: Epstein Fox Performances (EFP) is a performing arts agency specializing in classical, jazz & roots artists. The newly minted Classical division is led by EFP partner and co-founder Michael Fox and Agent & Manager Brooke Scholl. The classical roster consists of many of the most dynamic ensembles & artists reshaping chamber, symphony and opera: Terence Blanchard, Turtle Island Quartet, Joseph Conyers, Harlem Quartet, Eighth Blackbird, PUBLIQuartet, and many others. The agency prides itself in its focus of supporting artistic innovation that moves the field forward and deepens the connection between the audience and the performers.

Simone Dinnerstein and Awadagin Pratt Perform at the Kennedy Center Presented by Washington Performing Arts

Photo by Lisa Marie Mazzucco available in high resolution at: www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/simone-dinnerstein

Simone Dinnerstein and Awadagin Pratt Perform at the Kennedy Center Presented by Washington Performing Arts

Performing Music by
J.S. Bach, Brahms, Glass, Schubert, and Beethoven

Monday, October 30, 2023 at 7:30pm
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
2700 F Street Northwest | Washington, DC

Tickets and information:
www.washingtonperformingarts.org/seasontickets/2023-24-season/simone-dinnerstein-awadagin-pratt/

“an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity”
– The Washington Post

Simone Dinnerstein: www.simonedinnerstein.com

Washington DC – GRAMMY-nominated pianist Simone Dinnerstein, described by The New York Times as “colorful and idiosyncratic,” along with esteemed pianist Awadagin Pratt, will be presented in concert by Washington Performing Arts at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater (2700 F Street Northwest, Washington, DC). The concert will take place on Monday, October 30, 2023 at 7:30pm.

American pianist Simone Dinnerstein has a distinctive musical voice. 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.”

For this performance, Dinnerstein and Pratt will collaborate on a program featuring several piano works written for four hands. Beyond their mutual passion for and prestige with the piano, Dinnerstein and Pratt share a connection through Washington Performing Arts, as both have taken part in its cherished Hayes Piano Series. The performance series was launched in 1966 in honor of Washington Performing Arts founder Patrick Hayes and wife, pianist and pedagogue Evelyn Swarthout Hayes. Dinnerstein and Pratt will perform J.S. Bach's O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig, BWV 1085 as transcribed by György Kurtag; Schubert’s bright and dynamic Fantasie in F minor, Op. 28; and Beethoven’s stately Symphony No. 6 in F, Op. 68 “Pastoral” –– as arranged by Selmar Bagge –– together at a single piano. The performance will also feature solo performances of Ballades Nos. 1 and 2, Op. 10 by Brahms and Philip Glass’s Etude No. 6.

Of the uniqueness built into a four hand concert program and performing alongside Awadagin Pratt, Dinnerstein says:

“There is an intimacy to the four-hand 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 four-hands 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.

I have admired Awadagin’s musicianship for many years and remember the first time that we read four-hand music together, backstage before a fabulous recital that he gave in Fairfield, CT. In the past few years, Awadagin has joined me in performances of Bach’s keyboard concertos for two, three, and four pianos with my ensemble, Baroklyn at the Miller Theater at Columbia University. It is always a thrill to collaborate with him, and I am greatly looking forward to our first four-hand recital together at the Kennedy Center!”

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.

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. 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 Calendar Editors:

Description: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein, described by The Washington Post as “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity,” and esteemed pianist Awadagin Pratt, are presented in concert by Washington Performing Arts. Dinnerstein and Pratt will perform a program featuring several selections written for piano with four hands, as well as solo selections. The concert will include music by J.S. Bach/György Kurtág, Brahms, Glass, Schubert, and Beethoven/Selmar Bagge.

Short description: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein, “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity” (The Washington Post) and pianist Awadagin Pratt, are presented by Washington Performing Arts, performing selections by J.S. Bach/György Kurtág, Brahms, Glass, Schubert, and Beethoven/Selmar Bagge.

Concert details:

Who: Pianists Simone Dinnerstein and Awadagin Pratt
Presented by Washington Performing Arts
What: Music by J.S. Bach/György Kurtág, Brahms, Glass, Schubert, and Beethoven/Selmar Bagge
When: Monday, October 30, 2023 at 7:30pm
Where: Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, 2700 F Street Northwest, Washington, DC
Tickets and information: www.washingtonperformingarts.org/seasontickets/2023-24-season/simone-dinnerstein-awadagin-pratt/

Divine Discourse - Organist Victoria Sirota and Composer Robert Sirota Presented by St. John’s Episcopal Church on November 12th

Photo by Ryuhei Shindo available in high resolution at: www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/robert-sirota

Divine Discourse

Victoria Sirota, Organist & Robert Sirota, Composer
Presented by St. John’s Episcopal Church

Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 3pm
St. John's Episcopal Church | 225 French St. | Bangor, ME
Suggested Free Will Offering of $10.00

www.stjohnsbangor.org

“a compelling musical voice of our time”
– The American Organist

www.robertsirota.com

Bangor, ME – On Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 3pm, organist Victoria R. Sirota and composer Robert Sirota will present Divine Discourse, a concert at St. John’s Episcopal Church (225 French St.) featuring the music of J.S. Bach, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Robert Sirota.

Victoria Sirota says, “Bob and I have been each other’s primary muse since before we were married over 50 years ago. Over those years he has written more than a dozen works for organ. This one hour recital, which we are calling Divine Discourse, includes music by two composers who have had a strong influence on our musical and spiritual lives: J.S. Bach and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, as well as three Sirota works: Letters Abroad (1982), Celestial Wind (1987), and his most recent organ composition, Prayer (2020).”

Sharing a long history intertwined with family, faith, and music, Robert and Victoria will join together for the concert’s collaborative highlight, Letters Abroad for Piano and Organ –– a nine-movement work written by Robert Sirota in 1982. Around this extensive work, Victoria Sirota will perform J.S. Bach’s Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 686, which references a Lutheran hymn of 1524 written by Martin Luther as a paraphrase of the Biblical Psalm 130; Fanny Mendelssohn’s Präludium für Orgel F-Dur, one of the last pieces Mendelssohn wrote before her marriage to Wilhelm Hensel; Robert Sirota’s 2020 composition Prayer for organ; and his 1987 work Celestial Wind –– a work also inspired by Biblical scripture which Victoria premiered in 1987.

The central piece of the program, Letters Abroad, is imbued with feelings Robert Sirota experienced during the summer of 1980 when Victoria traveled abroad to pursue research on Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel while he remained in Massachusetts with their young son, Jonah. The work reflects a collection of musical “postcards” Sirota composed in order to, as he says, “ease the pain of separation” from Victoria. Not only does the piece contain a climax that’s intended as an homage to Fanny Mendelssohn but when the Sirotas collaborated on the recording, Robert and Victoria needed to be physically separated by a distance of 100 feet to successfully capture each individual part. Robert Sirota explains that this divide embodies the central metaphor of the work: “The organ and the piano speak to each other over time and space, and create a sense of separation, and ultimately of being reunited.” In this way, both Letters Abroad and Divine Discourse as a whole reflect the kind of personal and artistic intuition for which Robert Sirota is known.

Over five decades, composer Robert Sirota 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.

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 Victoria R. Sirota: Victoria Sirota, organist, Episcopal priest and author, holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Boston University and Harvard Divinity School. She has studied organ with Andre Marchal in Paris and Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam and has performed organ recitals in the United States, France and Germany. The Rev. Dr. Sirota has taught at Boston University, Yale Divinity School and Institute of Sacred Music, and The Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University. Former National Chaplain for the American Guild of Organists and The Association of Anglican Musicians, she is the author of articles, reviews and texts for hymns, cantatas and song cycles. Her book Preaching to the Choir: Claiming the Role of Sacred Musician is available from Church Publishing, and, in addition to recordings on Northeastern and Gasparo labels, her recording of organ works by Robert Sirota Celestial Wind is available from Albany Records.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Searsmont, ME composer Robert Sirota, whose music is described by The Portland Press Herald as “personal and undogmatic,” and organist Victoria R. Sirota, are presented in concert by St. John’s Episcopal Church. The Sirotas will perform a program titled Divine Discourse, which features Robert Sirota on piano and Victoria Sirota on organ, playing the music of J.S. Bach, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Robert Sirota.

Short description: Composer Robert Sirota, whose music is described as “personal and undogmatic,” (Portland Press Herald), and organist Victoria R. Sirota are presented by St. John’s Episcopal Church, performing music by J.S. Bach, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Robert Sirota.

Concert details:
Who: Organist Victoria Sirota and Composer Robert Sirota Presented by St. John’s Episcopal Church
What: Music by J.S. Bach, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Robert Sirota
When: Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 3pm
Where: ​​St. John's Episcopal Church, 225 French St., Bangor, ME
Information (Suggested free will offering $10): www.stjohnsbangor.org

Composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s 2023-2024 Season Includes Performances in Over 16 Countries

Photo by Anna Maggý available in high resolution at www.annathorvalds.com/photos

Composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s 2023-2024 Season Includes Landmark Performances by Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Continued Premieres of ARCHORA, Performances in at Least 16 Countries

“Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s natural instrument is the symphony orchestra, but in her hands it is reborn as a natural organism.”
– The Guardian

Double Concert by Iceland Symphony Orchestra in Reykjavik
 Led by Chief Conductor Eva Ollikainen

October 5 at Harpa Concert Hall: AIŌN
October 6 at Hallgrímskirkja: METACOSMOS, ARCHORA, Heyr þú oss himnum á, Ad Genua
Information: https://en.sinfonia.is/concerts-tickets/archora-1

Upcoming highlights include ARCHORA performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in Manchester, on October 14; French premiere by the Orchestre de Paris on January 24 and 25; Swiss premiere by Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne on February 7 and 8; Danish premiere by Aarhus Symphony Orchestra on February 29; and US East Coast premiere by the Boston Symphony Orchestra on April 18-20

Anna’s major new installation piece METAXIS will be premiered by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at Harpa on June 1, 2024, as part of the opening celebration of the Reykjavík Arts Festival

Plus performances at the Southbank Centre, King’s Place, Beijing Music Festival, and by orchestras including the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Tampere Philharmonic, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, and more

Schedule: www.annathorvalds.com/performances 

Latest Album Available Now on Sono Luminus: ARCHORA / AIŌN
Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Eva Ollikainen
Press downloads available upon request.

Composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s “seemingly boundless textural imagination” (The New York Times) and “riveting” (The Times) sound world has made her “one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music” (NPR). Her music is composed as much by sounds and nuances as by harmonies and lyrical material – it is written as an ecosystem of sounds, where materials continuously grow in and out of each other, often inspired in an important way by nature and its many qualities, in particular structural ones, like proportion and flow. “Thorvaldsdottir is incapable of writing music that doesn’t immediately transfix an open-eared listener,” reports The New York Times.

Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s 2023-2024 season (September 2023 to June 2024) includes performances of her music across at least sixteen countries, including Iceland, England, Ireland, China, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, and Slovenia. Her current schedule is available on her website and will be updated with additional performances throughout the year.

Up next, Anna’s concert season includes milestone performances on October 5 and 6, 2023 in Reykjavik by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, where Anna is Composer-in-Residence. On October 5, the ISO performs her symphony-scale AIŌN at Harpa Concert Hall, and on October 6, the orchestra presents a portrait concert of her work at Hallgrímskirkja that includes METACOSMOS, ARCHORA, Heyr þú oss himnum á, and Ad Genua, with the Choir of Hallgrímskirkja conducted by Steinar Logi Helgason, and soloist Bryndís Guðjónsdóttir. Both concerts will be led by ISO Chief Conductor Eva Ollikainen.

A major highlight of this season is continued premiere performances of Anna’s latest major orchestral work ARCHORA, from 2022. Of the world premiere, The Guardian reported, “Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s music is about mass and density, how different planes of sounds collide and combine, and how intricately detailed textures evolve over time. Those qualities make the orchestra the obvious medium for her work, and it has largely been through her sequence of strikingly effective orchestral scores that the Iceland-born composer has become recognised as one of the most distinctive voices in European music today." ARCHORA was commissioned by the BBC Proms and co-commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and Klangspuren Schwaz, and was premiered in August 2022 at the BBC Proms by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and Ollikainen in a concert selected as among The Guardian’s Classical Highlights of 2022.

This season, the Swedish premiere of ARCHORA took place on September 21 and 22, performed by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Eva Ollikainen. Upcoming performances include the Manchester premiere by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ollikainen on October 14; the French premiere of the piece by the Orchestre de Paris, a co-commissioner of the work, led by Klaus Mäkelä on January 24 and 25, 2024; the Swiss premiere by the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne conducted by Ollikainen on February 7 and 8; the Danish premiere by the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra led by Ollikainen on February 29; and the US East Coast premiere by the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Andris Nelsons from April 18-20, 2024. 

These performances follow the May 2023 release on Sono Luminus of the ISO’s recording of ARCHORA and AIŌN, conducted by Ollikainen. In April 2023, Sono Luminus also released her major orchestral work CATAMORPHOSIS as part of the album Atmospheriques, conducted by Daníel Bjarnason. With these recordings, all of Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s orchestral music is now available on Sono Luminus. The label’s previous releases include METACOSMOS in 2019; AERIALITY, originally released by Deutsche Grammophon in 2014 and re-released in a remastered version on Sono Luminus in 2022; and Dreaming, originally released on a portrait album by Innova Recordings in 2011 and re-released on Sono Luminus in 2020.

This season also brings the world premiere of Anna’s major new installation piece METAXIS by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra on June 1, 2024 at Harpa, part of the opening celebration of the 2024 Reykjavík Arts Festival and of the festival's collaboration with Harpa and the ISO. Anna describes METAXIS as, “an installation for deconstructed orchestra and space.” Audiences will have the unique opportunity to explore the music from different perspectives, as they wander through Harpa’s iconic foyer and feel how their experience of the music changes with every step. The musicians and the electronics will be spread out over the different levels of the building, blending together in myriad ways and creating a unique sound world with innumerable textures. The piece is half an hour in length and will be conducted by Eva Ollikainen.

In addition to the BBC Philharmonic’s performance of ARCHORA mentioned above, highlights of the season in England, where Anna is now based, include the Aurora Orchestra performing Anna’s string octet Illumine on October 8 at Saffron Hall in Saffron Walden and on October 11 at the Southbank Centre in London. Commissioned by Ensemble Intercontemporain, Anna writes in her note for the piece that it is, “based on the notion of dawn and the relationship between light and darkness.” Aurora Orchestra will also perform Anna’s chamber piece In the Light of Air on November 25 at King’s Place in London. On April 27, 2024 the City of Birmingham Orchestra will perform Dreaming in a concert conducted by Gergely Madaras at Symphony Hall in Birmingham. Gramophone describes Dreaming as, “an imposing monolith that emerges from silence and recedes back into it, speaking of natural desolation, severe beauty and precarious tectonics in between.”

Anna’s music will also be performed throughout the United States and Canada during the season. In Boston, in addition to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s East Coast premiere of ARCHORA mentioned above, Claire Chase and ensemble will perform Ubique, commissioned by and premiered at Carnegie Hall in May 2023, at Harvard University on October 18. The chamber orchestra A Far Cry will perform Illumine on February 17 and 18, 2024. On March 10, the Boston Symphony Chamber Players perform Spectra at Jordan Hall. In New York, Blackbox Ensemble will perform Anna’s chamber piece Ró at the Noguchi Museum on November 8. On April 8, AXIOM ensemble will perform Hrím for chamber orchestra led by Jeffrey Millarsky at The Juilliard School. On the West Coast, the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra conducted by Daniel Stewart will perform METACOSMOS on November 19. METACOSMOS was premiered by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen in 2018 and in Europe by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert in January 2019. The Boston Globe reported, “There is possibly no other composer working today who is so adept at channeling the massive forces of nature, and given a full orchestral sound palette to play with, [Thorvaldsdottir] goes wild. Writing lines that ride the knife edge of order and chaos and giving poetic but direct suggestions to the musicians, she immerses listeners in eerie, irresistible landscapes of sound.” Other performances of Anna’s music will take place across the country in cities including Nashville, TN; Flagstaff, AZ; Boulder, CO; Austin, TX; Juneau, AK, and more. In Canada, CATAMORPHOSIS was performed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Otto Tausk, on September 15 and 16, 2023. Additional performances of Anna's work will take place in Montreal.

In addition to the Orchestre de Paris’s and Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne’s premieres of ARCHORA mentioned above, European performances include in Germany the Kammerakademie Potsdam Modern Ensemble performing Illumine on October 25, 2023; the Beethoven Orchester Bonn conducted by Dirk Kaftan performing Anna’s major orchestral work CATAMORPHOSIS on October 27; the Philharmonisches Orchester Heidelberg conducted by Cornelius Meister performing METACOSMOS on April 4 and 5, 2024; the Frankfurt Radio Symphony performing METACOSMOS conducted by Alain Altinoglu at Alter Oper in Frankfurt on June 13 and 14; and Aeriality performed by the Pfalzphilharmonie Kaiserslautern conducted by Daniele Squeo on June 16 and 17, 2024. In Switzerland, Aeriality will be performed on January 25, 2024 by Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen, conducted by Modestas Pitrenas. The Danish String Quartet continues touring Anna’s most recent string quartet Rituals, described by The New York Times as an, “entrancing series of permutations in which a set of musical gestures are rearranged like matter,” with performances at the Musikgebouw in Amsterdam on September 16, 2023; at National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland on September 28; and at Flagey’s Studio 4 in Brussels on October 13. Additional performances of Anna’s music will take place in Vienna, Austria and Ljubljana, Slovenia.

This autumn in China, Illumine will be performed by the Mahler Foundation Festival Orchestra conducted by John Warner at the Beijing Music Festival on October 13, 2023.

In the Nordic countries, in addition to the Swedish and Danish premieres of ARCHORA and the premiere of METAXIS in Iceland mentioned above, in Denmark on November 15, 2023 the Danish Sinfonietta performs Illumine in Randers. In Sweden, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali performs CATAMORPHOSIS on March 13 and 14, 2024. The Hehku Ensemble performs For it will never return for tenor and harp on May 18 in Gothenburg Concert Hall. On May 30, the Malmö Symphony Orchestra performs METACOSMOS conducted by Fabien Gabel at Malmö Live Concert Hall. In Finland this spring, CATAMORPHOSIS will be performed on April 26 by the Tampere Philharmonic conducted by Matthew Hall and on May 31 by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Collon in Helsinki. CATAMORPHOSIS, premiered in 2021, was commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Of the piece The Times reported, “[Thorvaldsdottir] has carved her own corner in contemporary music by creating symphonic works of sustained brilliance and considerable power from the steady collision, growth and mutation of precisely imagined sounds and textures.”

For more information about Anna Thorvaldsdottir: www.annathorvalds.com/bio

Donato Cabrera Guest Conducts the Houston Symphony in Fiesta Sinfónica on October 13, 2023

Photo by Kristen Loken available in high resolution at www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/donato-cabrera

Donato Cabrera Guest Conducts the Houston Symphony in Fiesta Sinfónica on October 13, 2023

Friday, October 13, 2023
Jones Hall for the Performing Arts | 615 Louisiana Street | Houston, TX
Free, Reservations Required: www.houstonsymphony.org/tickets/concerts/fiesta-sinfonica

“He's a passionate, heart-on-the-sleeve conductor, with eclectic musical tastes and a wealth of experience.”
– The Mercury News

www.houstonsymphony.org • www.donatocabrera.com 

Houston, TX – Mexican-American conductor Donato Cabrera will guest conduct the Houston Symphony on Friday October 13, 2023 at 7:30pm at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts (615 Louisiana Street). Cabrera joins the Houston Symphony for its annual Fiesta Sinfónica, a free performance that dates back to 1992, celebrating the musical contributions of Latin American and Hispanic composers. The program for this special performance includes Márquez’s Conga del Fuego Nuevo, Rosas’ Sobre las Olas (Over the Waves), Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Contreras’ MeChicano (Texas premiere), the third movement from Orbón’s Tres versiones, and Bernstein’s “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story. Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Martinez is the soloist for Rhapsody in Blue, which will celebrate its centennial anniversary in 2024.

Cabrera says of this vibrant program and having Gabriela Martinez take part in the performance:

“With iconic works by Arturo Marquez and Juventino Rosas, as well as the Texas premiere of Juan Pablo Contreras’s MeChicano, this concert celebrates the music of Latin America composers. But we’ll also be performing Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, which sheds light on the enormous influence Latin American music has had on native born composers like Leonard Bernstein. Latin American soloists have always had an important presence on concert stages throughout the world and what better vehicle to showcase the talents of Venezuelan pianist, Gabriela Martinez, than George Gershwin’s timeless classic, Rhapsody in Blue?”

Fiesta Sinfónica features the Texas premiere of Juan Pablo Contreras’ inspiring MeChicano, which Cabrera performed with the California Symphony and gave the world premiere of with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, two co-commissioners of the piece through New Music USA’s Amplifying Voices Program. Contreras became the youngest Mexican classical composer nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in 2019. MeChicano, the first work he wrote after becoming a U.S. citizen, celebrates the Mexican-American communities that have flourished across the nation. The Arizona Daily Star hailed MeChicano as, “A sonic cross-culture kaleidoscope that borrowed equally from Mexican music styles – toe-tapping cumbias, flashes of mariachi, and Tejana polka – and quintessential American – jazz and rock.”

Donato Cabrera is the Artistic and Music Director of the California Symphony and the Music Director of the Las Vegas Philharmonic. He served as the Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and the Wattis Foundation Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2009-2016. Cabrera is one of only a handful of conductors in history who has conducted performances with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, and the San Francisco Ballet. He is dedicated to adventurous programming, a leading advocate for living composers and digital innovation, and is keenly focused on outreach, engagement, and programming that reflects the communities he is serving. Cabrera co-founded the New York-based American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME), which is dedicated to the outstanding performance of masterworks from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Cabrera has made debuts with the Chicago, London, National, and New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco, Philharmonic Orchestra of the Staatstheater Cottbus, Orquesta Filarmónica de Boca del Río, Orquesta Sinfónica Concepción, Hartford Symphony, Greensboro Symphony, Nevada Ballet Theatre, New West Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony, Monterey Symphony, and the Reno Philharmonic. In his Carnegie Hall debut, Cabrera led the world premiere of Mark Grey’s Ătash Sorushan with soprano Jessica Rivera.  

Deeply committed to diversity and education through the arts, Cabrera evaluates the scope, breadth, and content of the California Symphony’s music education programs, including its nationally recognized Sound Minds program and adult-education oriented Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed weekly summer lecture series. As Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, Cabrera worked closely with its then Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas, and frequently conducted the orchestra in a variety of concerts, including all of the education and family concerts, reaching over 70,000 children throughout the Bay Area every year. 

Cabrera is equally at home in the world of opera, frequently conducting productions in the United States and abroad. He was the Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Opera from 2005-2008 and has also been an assistant conductor for productions at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Ravinia Festival, Festival di Spoleto, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Music Academy of the West. Since 2008, he has frequently conducted productions in Concepción, Chile. In 2021 he made his debut with Opera San José and in spring 2023, Cabrera appeared with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music conducting Gian Carlo Menotti's The Consul.

Awards and fellowships include a Herbert von Karajan Conducting Fellowship at the Salzburg Festival and conducting the Nashville Symphony in the League of American Orchestra’s prestigious Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview. Cabrera was recognized by the Consulate-General of Mexico in San Francisco for his contributions to promoting and developing the presence of the Mexican community in the Bay Area. 

About Gabriela Martinez: Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Martinez has a reputation for the lyricism of her playing, her compelling interpretations, and her elegant stage presence. Her playing has been described as, “magical… a remarkable pianist, with a cool determination, a tone full of glowing color and a seemingly effortless technique” (Los Angeles Times) and, “compelling …versatile, daring and insightful” (The New York Times). Martinez made her orchestral debut at age six, and has performed with over 100 orchestras since including the San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, San Diego, Grand Rapids, New Jersey, Tucson, Pacific and Fort Worth symphonies, Buffalo Philharmonic; Germany’s Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, Nurnberger Philharmoniker; Canada’s Victoria Symphony Orchestra; the Costa Rica National Symphony, and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra in Venezuela. She has performed with Gustavo Dudamel, James Gaffigan, James Conlon, JoAnn Falleta, Michael Francis, Marcelo Lehninger and Guillermo Figueroa, among many others.

Martinez is passionate about new music, and has commissioned and premiered works by many composers including Mason Bates, Sarah Kirkland Snider, Paola Prestini, Jessica Meyer, and Dan Visconti. Her debut album, Amplified Soul, was released on the Delos label, and was recognized with a GRAMMY Award for Producer of the Year David Frost.

About the Houston Symphony Orchestra: Under Music Director Juraj Vacua, the Houston Symphony continues its second century as one of America's leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring, and recording activities. One of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas, the Symphony held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston on June 21, 1913. Today, with an operating budget of $37.8 million, the full-time ensemble of professional musicians presents more than 130 concerts annually, making it the largest performing arts organization in Houston. Traditionally, musicians of the orchestra and the Symphony's two Community-Embedded Musicians also offer over 1,000 community-based performances each year at various schools, community centers, hospitals, and churches reaching more than 200,000 people in Greater Houston annually.

After suspending concert activities in March 2020, the Symphony successfully completed a full 2020-21 season with in-person audiences and weekly livestreams of each performance, making it one of the only orchestras in the world to do so, while the Symphony's Education and Community Engagement team continued to fulfill its mission through creative and virtual means throughout the COVID pandemic. The Houston Symphony remains committed to livestreaming all of its 2023-24 season to a broad audience in over forty-five countries and all fifty states, one of few American orchestras dedicated to transmitting live performances to a size-able audience outside its home city through this technology.

The Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony has recorded under various prestigious labels, including Koch International Classics, Naxos, RCA Red Seal, Telare, Virgin Classics, and, most recently, Dutch recording label Pentatone. In 2017, the Houston Symphony was awarded an ECHO Klassik award for the live recording of Alban Berg's Wozzeck under the direction of former Music Director Hans Graf. The orchestra earned its first Grammy nomination and Grammy Award at the 60 annual ceremony for the same recording in the Best Opera Recording category. The Symphony's most recent recordings include a Pentatone release in January 2022 of its world premiere performances of Jimmy Lopez Bellido's Aurora and Ad Astra, and a Naxos release in July 2023 of its world premiere performance of Jennifer Higdon's Duo Duel.

San Francisco Girls Chorus Announces 2023-2024 Season

Photo by Tim Hamlin available in high resolution at www.sfgirlschorus.org/press-room.

San Francisco Girls Chorus Announces 2023-2024 Season
Celebrating 45 Years of Empowering Young Women Through Music

Valérie Sainte-Agathe, Artistic Director

November 4 & 5, 2023 – This Is What It Means
SFGC Premier Ensemble Opening Concerts Centering Music by California Women
Co-Presented with Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Part of the California Festival
Music by Sarah Gibson (World Premiere), Reena Esmail, Nicolás Lell Benavides, Caroline Shaw, Gabriela Lena Frank, Lisa Bielawa, and Ursula Kwong-Brown

December 11, 2023 – SFGC Winter Concert: Folk Songs of the World with Latin Grammy-Nominee Accordionist Sam Reider at Davies Symphony Hall

March 9 & 10, 2024 – SFGC Premier Ensemble in Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans at Z Space
Music Direction by Valérie Sainte-Agathe & Stage Direction by Céline Ricci

May 2024 – Chorus School Spring Concert at Scottish Rite Masonic Center
Featuring World Premiere by SFGC Composer-in-Residence Sahba Aminikia

May 19, 2024 – SFGC Premier Ensemble with Percussionist & Composer Haruka Fujii at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music

San Francisco Girls Chorus: www.sfgirlschorus.org
Press Room: www.sfgirlschorus.org/press-room

San Francisco, CA – The San Francisco Girls Chorus (SFGC), led by Artistic Director Valérie Sainte-Agathe, announces its 2023-2024 season, which celebrates 45 years of empowering young women through music. Since 1978, SFGC has provided girls and young women the unique opportunity not only to perform at the highest artistic caliber, but also to develop self-confidence, leadership skills, and an awareness of the role of the arts in civic engagement.

A leader in the Bay Area and national music scenes, SFGC produces award-winning concerts, recordings and tours; empowers young women in music and other fields; and sets the international standard for the highest level of performance and education. SFGC has been recognized through numerous honors including five GRAMMY Awards, four ASCAP/Chorus America Awards for Adventurous Programming, and in 2002, becoming the first youth chorus to receive Chorus America's prestigious Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence. Each year, hundreds of singers of diverse backgrounds from 45 Bay Area cities ranging in age from age four to eighteen participate in SFGC’s programs. The organization consists of a six-level Chorus School training program and the Premier Ensemble, a professional-level chorus of treble voices.

Artistic Director Valérie Sainte-Agathe says, “What distinguishes SFGC from other youth choirs is the creativity, the innovation, the fact that we are giving our singers the opportunity to show their best in every single situation. All of these traits are on display in this 45th Anniversary Season, as we celebrate the legacy of the San Francisco Girls Chorus by looking towards the future. Not only are we bringing overlooked masterpieces to the 21st century, we are performing cutting edge new works, including commissions written uniquely for us.”

Under the direction of Valérie Sainte-Agathe, SFGC has achieved an incomparable sound that underscores the unique clarity and force of impeccably trained treble voices fused with expressiveness and drama. As a result, the SFGC vibrantly performs 1,000 years of choral masterworks from plainchant to the most challenging and nuanced contemporary works, many created expressly for them, in programs that are as intelligently designed as they are enjoyable and revelatory to experience. The SFGC 2023-2024 season is no exception.

SFGC launches the season with This Is What It Means, two concerts featuring its Premier Ensemble co-presented and performed with Left Coast Chamber Ensemble (LCCE) as part of the statewide California Festival on November 4, 2023 at First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley and November 5, 2023 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The concert program centers the voices of Californian women composers, interweaving instrumental and vocal works by Pauline Oliveros (Tree/Peace), Gabriela Lena Frank (Picaflor Esmeralda from Two Mountain Songs and Canto para California), Reena Esmail (Love of Thousands, SFGC commission 2019), Gabriella Smith (Carrot Revolution), Lisa Bielawa (Opening: Forest from Vireo), and Ursula Kwong-Brown (I See You, I Hear You, I Believe You) with the music of Nicolás Lell Benavides (A Bird Came Down the Walk), Caroline Shaw (Dolce Cantavi), and Hildegard von Bingen (O Virtus Sapientiae). SFGC and LCCE join forces in the world premiere performances of a new work by Los Angeles-based composer Sarah Gibson titled This is what it means, co-commissioned by the two ensembles for the occasion. Gibson's music has been described as "expansive" by the Los Angeles Times, and has been performed by the BBC and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Atlanta, Seattle, and New Jersey Symphonies, and more. Her compositions reflect her deep interest in the creative process across various artistic mediums, especially from the female perspective.

On December 11, 2023, SFGC presents its highly anticipated annual concert at Davies Symphony Hall, SFGC Winter Concert: Folk Songs of the World, bringing together hundreds of singers from the Premier Ensemble, the entire Chorus School, as well as SFGC alumnae. This year’s concert is inspired by folk music traditions from around the world and features acclaimed accordionist and 2023 Latin Grammy nominee Sam Reider as guest artist, combining traditional favorites (including Silent Night), new works, and hidden gems from the holiday choral repertoire. The San Francisco-based Sam Reider has performed, recorded, and collaborated with a range of artists including Jon Batiste, Jorge Glem, Sierra Hull, Laurie Lewis, and Paquito d’Rivera. From his genre-bending acoustic ensemble The Human Hands to his duo collaboration with Grammy-nominated Venezuelan artist Jorge Glem, his unique compositional voice and melodicism runs throughout his eclectic projects.

On March 9 and 10, 2024, SFGC presents its Premier Ensemble in Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans at Z Space, with music direction by Valérie Sainte-Agathe and stage direction by Céline Ricci. This remarkable oratorio from 1716 was written for an all-female ensemble, with all characters both male and female interpreted by women of the Ospedale della Pietà, a girl’s orphanage in Venice where Vivaldi was music director. It is the only oratorio by Vivaldi to have survived.

In May 2024, the Chorus School will showcase singers from Levels 1 through IV at its annual Chorus School Spring Concert at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center, coming together to celebrate their accomplishments from the year individually and as a school. The concert will culminate in a world premiere by 2023-2024 SFGC Composer-in-Residence Sahba Aminikia written specifically for the occasion. Aminikia believes music to be an immersive and transcendent, yet visceral, human experience, and is highly influenced by the poetry of Hafiz, Rumi, and Saadi, as well as traditional, classical and jazz music. The Iranian-born American composer trained under Iranian pianists Nikan Milani and Safa Shahidi, and his first classical teacher, Mehran Rouhani. He later relocated to Russia, where he studied at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. He received his B.M. and M.M. from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The San Francisco Chronicle has described him as, “an artist singularly equipped to provide a soundtrack to these unsettling times.”

SFGC’s Premier Ensemble’s 2023-2024 season concludes with a collaboration with renowned percussionist and composer Haruka Fujii on May 19, 2024 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The concert of new music will include a commissioned work by Fujii, one of the most prominent solo percussionists and marimbists of her generation. Fujii has won international acclaim for her interpretations of contemporary music, having performed numerous premieres of works from luminary composers, and appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and more. Since 2010, she has performed as an artist of the Grammy Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble, joining a group of international musicians founded by Yo-Yo Ma, and serves as one of the artistic leadership team alongside with the artistic director Rhiannon Giddens. Her interest in percussion was influenced by her mother, noted marimbist Mutsuko Fujii. She studied music at the Tokyo National University, the Juilliard School, and the Mannes College of Music. Fujii previously collaborated with SFGC on the world premiere of the choral opera Tomorrow’s Memories: A Little Manila Diary by Matthew Welch.

In addition, SFGC ensembles will perform throughout the Bay Area in collaboration this season with other organizations and artists including the East Bay Philharmonic, Sunset Music & Arts, Lisa Mezzacappa, and the Amateur Music Network.

Tickets for the San Francisco Girls Chorus’s 2023-2024 season will be available beginning on October 2, 2023 at www.sfgirlschorus.org.

San Francisco Girls Chorus Season Highlights

This Is What It Means
SFGC Premier Ensemble Opening Concerts Centering Music by California Women
Co-Presented with Left Coast Chamber Ensemble
Part of the California Festival

November 4, 2023 at 7:30pm
First Presbyterian Church, 2407 Dana St, Berkeley, CA

November 5, 2023, at 4pm
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak St, San Francisco, CA

SFGC Winter Concert: Folk Songs
with Latin Grammy-Nominee Accordionist Sam Reider

December 11, 2023 at 7pm
Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA

SFGC Premier Ensemble in Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans
Music direction by Valérie Sainte-Agathe & stage direction by Celine Ricci

March 9, 2024 at 7:30pm & March 10, 2024 at 2pm
Z Space, 450 Florida St, San Francisco, CA

Chorus School Spring Concert
Featuring a World Premiere by SFGC Composer-in-Residence Sahba Aminikia

May 2024
Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 2850 19th Ave, San Francisco, CA

SFGC Premier Ensemble with Percussionist & Composer Haruka Fujii

May 19, 2024 at 3pm
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak St, San Francisco, CA

Tickets & information: www.sfgirlschorus.org

The San Francisco Girls Chorus receives support from Grants for the Arts, The Kimball Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Sequoia Trust, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., The Sam Mazza Foundation, The Bernard Osher Foundation, and The Morris Stulsaft Foundation.

More About The San Francisco Girls Chorus And Chorus School:

Established in 1978, the mission of the San Francisco Girls Chorus is to create outstanding performances featuring the unique and compelling sound of young women’s voices through an exemplary program committed to education and visionary leadership in the development of this art form.

Commissions of new works from the leading composers of our time, collaborations with renowned guest artists, and partnerships with other Bay Area and national arts organizations provide the young women of SFGC with matchless performance experiences among powerful adult role models. In addition to its annual engagements with the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony, recent and current/upcoming artistic partnerships include the San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Film Festival, Opera Parallèle, Kronos Quartet, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, New Century Chamber Orchestra, TEDxSanFrancisco, and Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky. SFGC has also traveled to the East Coast on a number of occasions in recent years for debut concert engagements, including for the 2016 NY PHIL BIENNIAL FESTIVAL at Lincoln Center in collaboration with The Knights orchestra, for SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras in April 2017 with The Knights at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and at Carnegie Hall in February 2018 with the Philip Glass Ensemble, for a sold-out performance that was broadcast around the world by Medici TV.

SFGC's commitment to artistic excellence has been recognized through many awards and honors, including five GRAMMY Awards; four ASCAP/Chorus America Awards for Adventurous Programming; and, in 2002, becoming the first youth chorus to receive Chorus America's prestigious Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence.

SFGC was founded in 1978 by Elizabeth Appling, who served as Artistic Director until her retirement in 1992. Other Artistic Directors during SFGC's illustrious 40-year history include Sharon J. Paul (1992 - 2000), Magen Solomon (2000-2001, interim), Susan McMane (2001-2012), Brandon Brack (2012-2013, interim), and Lisa Bielawa (2013-2018).

SFGC owns and operates the Kanbar Performing Arts Center, which has become a hub for small to mid-size arts organizations in the Bay Area. In addition to SFGC’s own rehearsal and performance programs, the Kanbar Center provides long-term leased office space to such organizations as American Bach Soloists, Opera Parallèle, Jewish LearningWorks, and the Chinese-American International School, as well as rehearsal space for groups including New Century Chamber Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, Merola summer opera program, and the San Francisco Boys Chorus.

About Valérie Sainte-Agathe, SFGC Artistic Director:

Valérie Sainte-Agathe has prepared and conducted the San Francisco Girls Chorus since 2013, including performances with renowned ensembles throughout the United States and beyond. Through transformative choral music training, education, and performance, Ms. Sainte-Agathe empowers young women and champions the music of today throughout the choral world.

Prior to her time with SFGC, Ms. Sainte-Agathe served as Music Director for the Young Singers program of the Montpellier National Symphony and Opera in France from 1998-2011, and participated in eight recordings with the Montpellier National Orchestra and The Radio France Festival.

In the 2022-2023 season, Ms. Sainte-Agathe celebrated a decade of leadership with the San Francisco Girls Chorus. During her tenure, she has welcomed artistic collaborations with many celebrated guest artists including Chanticleer, Santa Fe Opera, soprano Shawnette Sulker, composer and percussionist Susie Ibarra, GRAMMY-nominated composer Ayanna Woods, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, the King’s Singers, Roomful of Teeth, Bobby McFerrin. She premiered SFGC’s first self-produced and commissioned opera, Tomorrow’s Memories: A Little Manila Diary at San Francisco’s Magic Theatre in June 2023. Her first recording as SFGC’s Music Director, Final Answer, was released on Orange Mountain Music in February 2018, and her second recording, My Outstretched Hand, was released in July 2019. Ms. Sainte Agathe has toured with SFGC’s Premier Ensemble locally and internationally, and will travel with the ensemble to South Africa in July 2024.

Ms. Sainte-Agathe’s artistry stretches beyond the San Francisco Girls Chorus, including joining Philharmonia Baroque as its new Chorale Director in 2022, and a feature in the 2022 book Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note published by the Chicago Review Press. Ms. Sainte-Agathe joined forces with GRAMMY Award-winning Kronos Quartet during its 2021-2022 season to conduct the world premiere of At War With Ourselves - 400 Years of You by Michael Abels and continues to perform this work throughout the U.S. on tour with the ensemble.

Ms. Sainte Agathe’s performance highlights include her Carnegie Hall and Barbican Center debuts with the Philip Glass Ensemble, conducting with Michael Riesman in Glass’s Music with Changing Parts; conducting SFGC for the New York Philharmonic Biennial Festival at Lincoln Center; and collaborating with The Knights for the SHIFT Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She also served as Choirmaster with Taylor Mac, recipient of MacArthur Foundation's "Genius Grant," for the "Holiday Sauce" production at the Curran Theater in December 2018.

Invoke Presented by Panoramic Voices in Two Performances

Photo by Marshall Tidrick. Available in hi-resolution at: www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/invoke

Invoke Presented by Panoramic Voices in Two Performances

Featuring World Premieres of
Steven Sérpa's Terra sagrada, Terra solitária and
Uma and Wari by Adrienne Inglis

Plus arrangements of Invoke Originals with Panoramic Voices

Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 7:30pm
Central Machine Works | 4824 E Cesar Chavez St | Austin, TX

Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 7pm
Jester King Brewery, Kitchen, Farm and Event Hall
13187 Fitzhugh Road | Austin, TX

More information: www.panoramicvoices.org

“The special thing about Invoke is…how its lively spirit and playfulness are essential to the way they approach every piece of music.”
– Austin Chronicle

www.InvokeSound.com

Austin TX – Austin’s own multi-instrumental quartet Invoke (Nick Montopoli, violin/banjo/vocals; Zach Matteson, violin/vocals; Karl Mitze, viola/mandolin/vocals; Geoff Manyin, cello/vocals) –– a group the Austin Chronicle says “infuse[s] their performances with such a down-home joyfulness” –– will be presented by Panoramic Voices –– a 130-person inclusive choir known for spanning all genres from classical, country, rock, hip hop, and beyond –– in two performances on October 21 at Jester King Brewery, Kitchen, Farm and Event Hall (13187 Fitzhugh Road) and October 19 at Central Machine Works (4824 E Cesar Chavez St.). The performance on October 19 was added to accommodate high demand, and will feature only a small selection from the full program on October 21.

The setlist for October 19 will feature a performance of the title track from Invoke’s forthcoming Sono Luminus album, Evolve & Travel, as performed by the quartet, as well as several traditional folk songs specially arranged by Karl Mitze and Panoramic Voices Managing Artistic Director Juli Orlandini, collaboratively performed by Invoke and Panoramic Voices. On October 21, Invoke will perform works from Evolve & Travel, in addition to arrangements of their music with Panoramic Voices. The performance will also feature the world premieres of Uma and Wari by Adrienne Inglis, as well as Terra sagrada, Terra solitária by Steven Sérpa –– all commissioned by Panoramic Voices specifically for this performance.

Driven by a passion for storytelling, Invoke’s performances feature original works composed by and for the group, which form a unique contemporary repertoire inspired by many different musical styles –– from minimalism, to jazz, to American fiddle tunes, and bluegrass.

Violinist Zach Matteson says of this unique collaboration and performing on different instruments for Serpa and Inglis’s works:

"We're really excited to bring back some of the repertoire from Invoke's past for including our arrangement of Sweet Willie (found on our debut album Souls in the Mud) where we highlight a Smithsonian archive recording of my great-grandfather, Maurice Matteson singing a ballad he "bagged" in the hills of North Carolina. Our original arrangement only contained muted strings to enhance the eerie qualities of the tune, but now we can explore a wider array of textures with this amazing choir. I'm also excited that we'll be bringing back a tune we arranged during our Pandemic Streaming days, Green Green Rocky Road.

Another aspect of this collaboration that will be really special is the addition of two world premiers by composers Steven Sérpa and Adrienne Inglis. We are very honored to be exploring Steven Sérpa's roots as a part of the incredibly wide ranging array of Portuguese folk music heard in Terra sagrada, Terra solitária. And I personally am really excited for my debut on Sikus (Bolivian pan pipes) and Karl Mitze’s debut on Charango, a traditional Andean stringed instrument for Adrienne's work, Uma.”

Adrienne Inglis says of Uma: “[Uma] for [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass] and string quartet with optional charango and sikus, is written as a dance in the style of a Bolivian huayño. The text in the indigenous language of Aymara comes from the poem “Uma,” written by Chilean poet Pedro Humire Loredo. In the high Andean plateau called the altiplano or puna, the scarcity of water calls on the local people to share the precious and essential resource. Humire’s poetry reassures us that there is enough uma (water) for all. The popular indigenous huayño dance predates the Spanish conquest. This choral setting celebrates cooperation and sharing of water with embellished instrumental sections and optional panpipes (sikus or zampoñas) played in hocket (trenzado) and charango. Occasional shouts (gritos) may add to the excitement.”

Of Wari, the text for which also uses the indigenous language of Aymara and comes from Pedro Humire Loredo’s poem “Uma,” Inglis says: “Wari means vicuña, a native wild camelid species considered to be the ancestor of the domesticated alpaca. The harsh life of the Andes takes its toll on vicuña young, leaving behind grieving vicuña mothers. The Aymara people suffer similar losses and also cry for their lost loved ones. This yaraví lament includes expressive cadenza sections for both violin and cello, traditional key and rhythm, and a choral setting of Humire’s poignant poetry.”

With Terra sagrada, Terra solitária, composer Steven Sérpa connects with the music of his long-lost Portuguese heritage. This suite uses folk songs from southern Portugal and incorporates the local style of communal folk singing “Cante Alentejo.” Terra sagrada marks out emotions experienced by many immigrant families: the desire to see the world or find a better life for their families, the heartache for loved ones left behind and nostalgia for the villages they grew up in, and a sacred esteem for the lands that gave them life.

Director Juli Orlandini says of the collaborative project:

“Invoke’s passion for their craft is absolutely infectious; beyond the musicality they bring to their performances, the sheer joy in doing so is tangible from the moment they step on stage. As the leader of a community choir, my job is to provide experiences that will enrich my singers’ lives; I am beyond grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime performance opportunity Invoke has afforded over 130 singers, some of whom are singing with a choir for the first time in their lives!”

More about Invoke: Described as “...not anything but everything: Classical, Folk, Bluegrass, Americana and a sound yet to be termed seamlessly merged into a perfect one” (David Srebnik, SiriusXM Classical Producer), Invoke strives to successfully dodge even the most valiant attempts at genre classification. Invoke was selected to be the Young Professional String Quartet in Residence at the University of Texas at Austin from 2016-2018. Their awards include first prizes in the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition in New York, NY, received First Prize at the M-Prize International Chamber Arts competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and received First Prize in the Coltman Competition in Austin, Texas.

Invoke has shared the stage with some of the most acclaimed chamber groups in the country, including the Westerlies, Miró and Ensō Quartets, and the U.S. Army Field Band. Additional performance highlights include Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center, the Phillips Collection, and the Green Music Center. Invoke has also appeared with musicians from various genres, including composer-performer Clarice Assad, chamber rock group San Fermin, indie group Never Shout Never, and DC beatboxer/rapper/spoons virtuoso Christylez Bacon.

Invoke’s discography includes their debut album, Souls in the Mud (2015); Furious Creek (2018); and Fantastic Planet (2021). The group’s recording credits appear on bassist/composer Ethan Foote’s solo album Fields Burning, singer/songwriter Marian McLaughlin’s Spirit House, jazz/soul singer Rochelle Rice’s EP Wonder, and many more. Invoke has also worked extensively with composer Graham Reynolds and his non-profit organization, Golden Hornet, recording volumes IV-VI of String Quartet Smackdown, Marfa: A Country & Western Big Band Suite, and the 2019 film, Where'd You Go, Bernadette.

Invoke is strongly committed to championing diverse American voices through commissioning and highlighting new music. Invoke’s ongoing commissioning project, entitled American Postcards, asks composers to pick a time and place in American history and tell its story through the group’s unique artistry.

For more information, visit www.invokesound.com.

About Panoramic Voices: Directed by Juli Orlandini, Panoramic Voices is an adventurous choral collective that thrives on a “music without borders” approach to music making. Singers from all walks of life are accepted—no auditions, no participation fees—making the group a truly inclusive community. With collaborations spanning all genres from classical, country, rock, hip hop, and beyond, PV has worked with a dizzying array of artists such as Mobley, Roky Erickson, Carson McHone, Calliope Musicals, Zeale, and Grammy Award-winners Roomful of Teeth. The commissioning of new works has also been an important part of Panoramic Voice’s mission, resulting in the premiere of compositions by Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw, Wilco’s Glenn Kotche, Austin luminary Graham Reynolds, and many more.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Austin-based, multi-instrumental quartet Invoke – a group known for storytelling through music, which the Capital Gazette describes as “versatile and musically adventurous” – is presented by Panoramic Voices for a hometown performance. The concert features the world premieres of Terra sagrada, Terra solitária by Steven Sérpa and Uma by Adrienne Inglis. Invoke will perform several of their original works, in addition to collaborating with the choral ensemble Panoramic Voices to perform special arrangements of Invoke’s original music.

Short description: Invoke brings a “lively spirit and playfulness” (Austin Chronicle) to Panoramic Voices, performing original music and arrangements for Panoramic Voices, plus the world premieres of Terra sagrada, Terra solitária by Steven Sérpa and Uma by Adrienne Inglis.

Primary Concert details:
Who: Invoke
Presented by Panoramic Voices
What: Original Music by Invoke Plus Arrangements with Panoramic Voices and the World Premieres of Steven Sérpa’s Terra solitária andAdrienne Inglis’s Uma.
When: Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 7pm
Where: Jester King Brewery, Kitchen, Farm & Event Hall, 13187 Fitzhugh Road, Austin, TX
Tickets and information: www.panoramicvoices.org/

Secondary Concert details:
Who: Invoke
Presented by Panoramic Voices
What: Excerpts from “Folk Yeah!” - Original Music by Invoke Plus Arrangements with Panoramic Voices
When: Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 7:30pm
Where: Central Machine Works, 4824 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX
Tickets and information: www.panoramicvoices.org/

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik is Guest Soloist with Traverse Symphony Orchestra Conducted by Maestro Kevin Rhodes

Photo by Corey Hayes available in high resolution at: https://www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/yevgeny-kutik

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik is Guest Soloist
with Traverse Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Maestro Kevin Rhodes

Featuring Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61

Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 3pm
Corson Auditorium | 4000 M-137 | Interlochen, MI

Tickets and Information:
http://traversesymphony.org/concert/beethoven/

“polished dexterity and genteel, old-world charm”
– WQXR

www.yevgenykutik.com

Traverse City, MI — On Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 3pm, violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” (The New York Times) will be presented in concert as the featured soloist with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Kevin Rhodes. The performance will take place in Corson Auditorium (4000 M-137).

A longtime collaborator of the Traverse Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Kevin Rhodes, Kutik reunites once again with Rhodes and the TSO after a 2022 performance in the TSO’s Maestro Series. For this concert, Kutik and the TSO will perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 as part of a program that also includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36. In this performance of Beethoven’s sole violin concerto, audiences can enjoy Kutik’s refined solo artistry alongside a musical conversation fostered with the TSO. The work embraces a more collaborative approach to the concerto form that connects the soloist and orchestra through a melodic dialogue.

Of this next collaboration with Maestro Kevin Rhodes and the TSO, Kutik says:

“I am so delighted to return back to Traverse to perform with Kevin Rhodes and the TSO. The Beethoven Violin Concerto is a stunning piece, without a doubt one of the most important violin concertos ever written. One of the greatest joys in music making is when a piece is a true collaboration between instruments, and this piece is a great example of this. Often, it can feel like a gathering of friends, together on stage, making music for the purpose of something much larger than themselves.”

About Yevgeny Kutik: With a “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), violinist Yevgeny Kutik has captivated audiences worldwide with an old-world sound that communicates a modern intellect. Praised for his technical precision and virtuosity, he is also lauded for his poetic and imaginative interpretations of both standard works and newly composed repertoire. Kutik is also ​​Artistic Director and co-founder of The Birch Festival.

A native of Minsk, Belarus, Kutik began violin studies with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and immigrated to the US with his family at the age of five. An advocate for the Jewish Federations of North America, the organization that assisted his family in coming to the US, he regularly speaks and performs across the country to promote the assistance of refugees from around the world. Kutik’s discography, all on Marquis Classics, includes The Death of Juliet and Other Tales (2021), Meditations on Family (Marquis Classics 2019), Words Fail (2016), Music from the Suitcase (2014), and Sounds of Defiance (2012). Music from the Suitcase is being developed into an immersive stage and performance production for the 2024-2025 season.

Yevgeny Kutik was a featured soloist in Joseph Schwantner’s The Poet’s Hour – Soliloquy for Violin on episode six of Gerard Schwarz’s All-Star Orchestra, a made-for-television classical music concert series released on DVD by Naxos and broadcast nationally on PBS. In 2021, Kutik made his debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by Leonard Slatkin, performing the world premiere of Schwantner’s Violin Concerto, an expansion of The Poet’s Hour, written specifically for Kutik. Kutik gave the world premiere of Cântico, a work for solo violin by Andreia Pinto Correia, at the Tanglewood Music Festival in August 2022. The work was co-commissioned for Kutik by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, he made his debuts at the Kennedy Center, presented by Washington Performing Arts, and at the Ravinia Festival. Kutik made his major orchestral debut in 2003 with Keith Lockhart and The Boston Pops as the First Prize recipient of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition. In 2006, he was awarded the Salon de Virtuosi Grant as well as the Tanglewood Music Center Jules Reiner Violin Prize.

Kutik holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory and currently resides in Boston. Kutik’s violin was crafted in Italy in 1915 by Stefano Scarampella.

For more information, please visit www.yevgenykutik.com.

About Traverse Symphony Orchestra: The Traverse Symphony Orchestra (TSO), founded in 1952 by community leader Elnora Milliken as The Northwestern Michigan Symphony Orchestra, has grown from a small group of volunteer musicians to a paid professional orchestra of 60 contracted members, with a commitment to presenting the finest in musical entertainment and quality educational programs.

Tickets for this performance are $25.50, $38.50, $45.50, and $61.50 and available now at www.traversesymphony.org/concerts-tickets

For more information about the 2023-23 Season concerts including the complete lineup of guest artists and repertoire, please visit our website at www.TraverseSymphony.org or call our Box Office 231-947-7120, 10-3pm Monday-Friday.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, described by The New York Times as having a “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” is presented as the featured soloist with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, October 22, 2023 at 3pm. Together with the Symphony, Kutik will perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, under the direction of Maestro Kevin Rhodes.

Short description: Violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique,” (The New York Times), is presented by the Traverse Symphony Orchestra on October 22, 2023 as the featured soloist in a performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major led by Maestro Kevin Rhodes.

Concert details:

Who: Yevgeny Kutik
Presented by Traverse Symphony Orchestra
What: Music by Ludwig van Beethoven
When: Saturday, October 22, 2023 at 3pm.
Where: Corson Auditorium, 4000 M-137, Interlochen, MI
Tickets and information: www.traversesymphony.org/concert/beethoven/

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein is Guest Soloist with Alabama Symphony Orchestra on October 12th

Photo by Lisa Marie Mazzucco available in high resolution at: www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/simone-dinnerstein

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein is Guest Soloist
with Alabama Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Music Director Carlos Izcaray

Featuring Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major

First of Three Performances as part of the Gogue Center’s 2023–24 Orchestra
and Chamber Music Series

Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 7pm
Woltosz Theatre at Gogue Performing Arts Center
910 South College Street | Auburn, AL

Tickets and information:
https://www.goguecenter.auburn.edu/simone-dinnerstein-and-the-alabama-symphony-orchestra/

“lean, knowing, and unpretentious elegance”
– The New Yorker

Simone Dinnerstein: www.simonedinnerstein.com

Auburn, AL – GRAMMY-nominated pianist Simone Dinnerstein will be the featured guest soloist with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, October 12, 2023, for a performance in the Woltosz Theatre at the Gogue Performing Arts Center (910 South College Street). Dinnerstein, who is heralded for her distinctive musical voice and commitment to sharing classical music with everyone, will perform Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major as part of a concert program which also features Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro Overture and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92. The performance will be conducted by Music Director Carlos Izcaray. This will be the first of three appearances by Dinnerstein as part of the Gogue Center’s 2023–24 Orchestra and Chamber Music Series.

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.”

While Dinnerstein has come to be recognized and celebrated for her appreciation of music by J.S. Bach, she has also brought bold and expressive artistry to the work of Brahms in performances for over 10 years. Brahms’ second piano concerto is a new addition to her repertoire. She says, “Brahms’s second piano concerto has long been my favorite, but I never felt ready to play it. Something about turning fifty felt like it was about time I faced this challenge, and I have spent the past few months delving deep into the forest of this remarkable work.”

As part of the Gogue Center’s Orchestra and Chamber Music Series for 2023-2024, Dinnerstein will be presented in two additional performances in 2024. On January 26, 2024, Dinnerstein will perform The Eye Is the First Circle, the first project Dinnerstein conceived, created, and directed. The performance will be done in collaboration with projection designer Laurie Olinder and lighting designer Davison Scandrett. Then on April 5, 2024, Dinnerstein will lead her ensemble, Baroklyn, in a program of all Bach repertoire in the final presentation of the Gogue Center’s Orchestra and Chamber Music Series.

Of collaborating with conductor Carlos Izcaray and giving three performances with the Gogue Center, Dinnerstein says:

“I feel honored to be presented by the Gogue Center in three performances this season. My last performance before the pandemic was at the beautiful concert hall of the Gogue Center and I am very excited to return to this wonderful venue with their abundance of fine pianos! I am also looking forward to collaborating with the distinguished conductor, Carlos Izcaray. I have found that conductors that regularly work with stellar youth orchestras have a particular vibrancy and freshness to their approach. As the conductor of the American Youth Symphony, I am eager to see how this element of Maestro Izcaray’s musicianship will add to our collaboration with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.”

Simone Dinnerstein has played with orchestras ranging from the New York Philharmonic and the 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, the Seoul Arts Center and the Sydney Opera House.

She has made thirteen albums, all of which topped the Billboard classical charts, with repertoire ranging from Couperin to Glass. From 2020 to 2022, she released a trilogy of albums recorded at her home in Brooklyn during the pandemic. A Character of Quiet (Orange Mountain Music, 2020), featuring the music of Philip Glass and Schubert, was described by NPR as, “music that speaks to a sense of the world slowing down,” and by The New Yorker as, “a reminder that quiet can contain multitudes.” Richard Danielpour’s An American Mosaic (Supertrain Records, 2021), surpassed two million streams on Apple Music and was nominated for a 2021 GRAMMY Award in the category of Best Classical Instrumental Solo. The final installment in the trilogy, Undersong, was released in January 2022 on Orange Mountain Music.

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 the Alabama Symphony Orchestra: The formation of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO) began with the first performance by a group of volunteer musicians in 1921. That group would evolve from a volunteer ensemble to the state’s only full-time professional orchestra. Today, the ASO is continuing to make music and provide vital services to the residents of the state, serving nearly 100,000 individuals a year through concert series, youth programs, and educational and community engagement efforts to fulfill its mission to change lives through music. The Alabama Symphony Orchestra has entertained and enriched audiences for almost a century, playing a variety of classical and popular music and hosting performances by some of the finest guest artists in the world. Performing 100 concerts annually, the 53 talented musicians of the ASO bring to life some of the world’s most treasured musical masterpieces and introduce listeners to exciting new works and composers.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Simone Dinnerstein, described by The Washington Post as “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity,” is presented as the featured guest soloist with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in a performance led by Music Director Carlos Izcaray, of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major. The evening’s program will also include performances of The Marriage of Figaro Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92. This is the first of three scheduled appearances by Dinnerstein for the Gogue Center’s 2023–24 Orchestra and Chamber Music Series.

Short description: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein, an artist of “lean, knowing, and unpretentious elegance” (The New Yorker), is presented in a performance with the the Alabama Symphony Orchestra led by Music Director Carlos Izcaray, as the featured soloist in Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major.

Concert details:
Who: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein
Presented by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Music Director Carlos Izcaray
What: Music by Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven
When: Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 7pm
Where: Woltosz Theatre at Gogue Performing Arts Center, 910 South College Street, Auburn, AL
Tickets and information: www.goguecenter.auburn.edu/simone-dinnerstein-and-the-alabama-symphony-orchestra/