May 4: UrbanArias presents "Inbox Zero"

View with Images

UrbanArias presents: “Inbox Zero”

May 4 at Keegan Theatre: the latest work by the music theater team Peter Hilliard and Matt Boresi

Monodrama commissioned by UrbanArias features baritone Keith Phares

UrbanArias has teamed up once again with the acclaimed composer and librettist team Peter Hilliard and Matt Boresi. Hilliard and Boresi’s latest work, Inbox Zero, will be performed on May 4, 2023 at 8 pm at Keegan Theatre in Washington, D.C. (1742 Church St NW). The monodrama features baritone Keith Phares, with members of the Inscape Orchestra conducted by UrbanArias Artistic Director Robert Wood. Dennis Whitehead Darling directs. Tickets are $25, available online at The Keegan Theatre, or by email boxoffice@keegantheatre.com or phone (202) 265-3767.

Inbox Zero is the story of Jackie, a man whose desire for monetary gain supersedes his understanding of human nature. As he struggles to provide for his wife and child, an internet scam captures his imagination and attention, and he is soon embroiled in an imagined international intrigue that convinces him to drain the family bank account in hopes of a million dollar get-rich quick scheme.

The work is the third and most recent UrbanArias commission from Hilliard and Boresi. Inbox Zero, along with their previous works, Blue Viola (also featuring Phares) and The Last American Hammer, are part of the duo's multi-project exploration of the degrading effects of commerce and class upon survival and fulfillment.

This presentation is a staged workshop reading, focusing on the words and music rather than a full production. A talkback with the creators will follow the performance.

Calendar Listing

UrbanArias presents

INBOX ZERO

May 4, 2023 at 8:00 PM

at The Keegan Theatre in DuPont Circle
(1742 Church St. NW, Washington, D.C.)

Keith Phares, baritone

Music by Peter Hilliard
Libretto by Matt Boresi

Inscape Chamber Orchestra
Robert Wood, conductor
Directed by Dennis Whitehead Darling

Tickets are $25; available online at The Keegan Theatre. Email boxoffice@keegantheatre.com; phone (202) 265-3767

Biographies

Composer Peter Hilliard (ASCAP) and lyricist Matt Boresi are writers of operas, musicals, art song, and choral work favoring themes of contemporary life. Hilliard and Boresi’s work includes the chamber operas “Blue Viola”, “The FIlthy Habit”, “Don Imbroglio”, an upcoming musical for Lyric Theatre @ Illinois, the song cycles “Buyer Beware” (tenor), and “Farmball Songs” (baritone), and the puppet operas “Verdi by Vegetables” and “The Harmony Jar”. Their song cycle for mezzo about community conflicts was released on Albany Records. 

They are co-founders of the award-winning Decameron Opera Coalition, a network of independent opera companies creating new work and a national conversation about the future of opera and music theatre.

For over 20 years, in repertoire from Baroque through present day, Baritone Keith Phares has appeared in leading roles with Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, the New York City Opera, Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, São Paolo Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and elsewhere; in collaboration with Hal Prince, Francesca Zambello, Frank Corsaro, Richard Hickox, Marin Alsop, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Thomas Allen, among others; and in recital with the Marilyn Horne Foundation, The American Modern Ensemble, WordSong, Illuminarts, LyricFest and Brooklyn Art Song Society.  

Keith Phares is an Assistant Professor of Voice at Bowling Green State University. 

Conductor Robert Wood founded UrbanArias in 2009. Under his guidance, the company has achieved national recognition as an innovator in the field of opera, and has produced over 30 contemporary works in Virginia, DC, and New York City, 16 of which were world premieres, and 12 of which were UrbanArias commissions. He conducts all of UrbanArias’ productions.

Maestro Wood made his debut with the San Francisco Opera in 2004 and has conducted numerous opera productions across North America. His collaborations with the Wolf Trap Opera Company include Le Comte Ory and Die Zauberflöte. Maestro Wood was Conductor in Residence at the Minnesota Opera (2006-2008), and Chorus Master at The Santa Fe Opera (2001-2004).

UrbanArias is dedicated to commissioning and producing short, contemporary operas – works that are up to 90 minutes long, and written within the last 25 years. UrbanArias brings engaging, accessible, and entertaining operas to audiences in the Washington, DC area and around the globe.

March 30: American Women Play American Women

View with Images

March 30: American women play American women

Pianist Magdalena Baczewska and the Cassatt String Quartet perform music by Florence Price, Amy Beach, and Dorothy Rudd Moore

Italian Academy at Columbia University

"an extraordinary quartet" – New York Times

On March 30, 2023, at 7:30 pm, the pianist Magdalena Baczewska brings the renowned Cassatt String Quartet to the Italian Academy at Columbia University (1161 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan) to perform music by three American women—Amy Beach, Florence Price, and Dorothy Rudd Moore. The concert is free, and advance reservations (via this link) are recommended. Further details are on the Italian Academy's website.

In 2019, Ms. Baczewska and the Cassatts performed at the Italian Academy to a completely full audience, who "were clearly moved by the music and offered standing ovations," wrote Rick Whitaker, Italian Academy concert manager in Columbia News. "It was a concert I always describe as the best we've ever presented," he said.

All three composers on the program were pioneers and groundbreaking musicians. Price was the first Black woman to have her music performed by a major orchestra. Moore, who lived in New York City until her death last year, was co-founder of Symphony of the New World, the first racially-integrated orchestra in the United States. Beach is known for being the first woman to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra in 1896.

On the program, the CSQ performs Moore's "Modes" and Prices' String Quartet No. 1, and is joined by Baczewska for Beach's Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor. Baczewska also performs a solo piano work by Price.

This spring, the Cassatt String Quartet performs a number of programs in the Northeast, including another concert with pianist Magdalena Baczewska in New Canaan, CT on May 14. Details about the CSQ's upcoming concerts are below.

Calendar Listing

Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 7:30 pm
AMERICAN WOMEN PLAY AMERICAN WOMEN

The Cassatt String Quartet and pianist Magdalena Baczewska

Italian Academy at Columbia University
1161 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY

Admission is free; advance reservations (via this link) are recommended.

PROGRAM
Florence Price String Quartet No.1 in G major
Florence Price Fantaisie nègre, No. 1, for piano solo
Dorothy Rudd Moore Modes for String Quartet
Amy Beach Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor Op 67

The Cassatt String Quartet
Muneko Otani and Jennifer Leshnower, violins
Rosemary Nelis, viola
Gwen Krosnick, cello 

The Cassatt String Quartet Upcoming Concerts

May 7: Amherst, MA
Amherst College's Buckley Recital Hall (53 College St)
Music by Dylan Schneider:
PANDEMIC (world premiere)
with saxophonist Jonathan Hulting-Cohen
GOES A-H-H-H: Quartet Bossa Nova
Dancer at an Exhibition (Written for the Cassatt String Quartet)
Part of Amherst College Residency (May 5-8)

May 9 at 8 pm: Bennington, VT
Dean Carriage Barn at Bennington College (1 College Dr)
Program: 
W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in F major, K. 590
Florence Price: String Quartet No. 1
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: String Quartet
Part of Bennington College Residency (May 9 & 10)

May 13 at 5 pm: Ossining, NY
Opening Night Concert at Bethany Arts Community (40 Somerstown Rd)
Program:
Dorothy Rudd Moore: Modes
W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in F major, K. 590
Florence Price: String Quartet No. 1

May 14 at 4 pm: New Canaan, CT
Treetops Chamber Music Concert at Carriage Barn Arts Center (681 South Ave)
Program:
W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in F major, K. 590
Dorothy Rudd Moore: Modes
Amy Beach: Piano Quintet in F-sharp Minor, Op. 67 (with Magdalena Baczewska)

July 25 - August 5: Seal Bay Festival in Maine
Programs include:
Anthony DeRitis: Passion's Continuum (ME premiere)
Zhou Long: Song of the Ch’in
Chen Yi: Fiddle Suite

About the Artists

Hailed by the press as “One of the most innovative, even radical classical keyboardists in the U.S.,” pianist and harpsichordist Magdalena Baczewska [pronounced ba-CHEV-ska] enjoys a versatile career as a concert and recording artist, educator, speaker, and administrator. Since her debut at age 12 with the Silesian Philharmonic, she has performed with some of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Vancouver Symphony and China National Symphony.

Baczewska is the Director of the Music Performance Program and Senior Lecturer in Music at Columbia University, where she mentors and provides performance opportunities for the student musicians, teaches Music Humanities (a part of Columbia’s famed Core Curriculum), and works with the Columbia-Juilliard Exchange students in Performance Seminar. She is a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage for promoting Polish culture abroad. Baczewska is a Yamaha Artist. 

Hailed for its “mighty rapport and relentless commitment,” the Cassatt String Quartet has performed to critical acclaim across the world since its founding in 1985, with appearances at Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Tanglewood Music Center, the Kennedy Center, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Centro National de las Artes, Maeda Hall, and Beijing’s Central Conservatory. The group’s discography includes over forty recordings, including three discs that were named “10 Best Classical Recordings” in The New Yorker. 

The Cassatt String Quartet’s upcoming projects include major performances and recordings of works by Tania León, Dylan Schneider, Shirish Korde, and Daniel S. Godfrey; its annual residencies at the Seal Bay Festival of American Chamber Music and Cassatt in the Basin!; hometown concerts in the New York area; and appearances at Treetops Chamber Music Society, Maverick Concerts, and Music Mountain. The CSQ, comprised of Muneko Otani and Jennifer Leshnower, violins; Rosemary Nelis, viola; and Gwen Krosnick, cello, is named for the American Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt. 

---

Danish ensemble makes American debut at Carnegie Hall

View with Images

April 1: American debut of Danish ensemble Rudersdal Chamber Players at Carnegie Hall 

Rudersdal Chamber Players give premiere performances of piano quartets by Carl Nielsen, Poul Ruders, Amanda Maier and Andrew Waggoner

The Rudersdal Chamber Players from Denmark makes their United States debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 8 pm. The program of Scandinavian and American music for piano, violin, viola and cello features premiere performances of piano quartets by Danes Carl Nielsen and Poul Ruders, the Swedish composer and violin virtuosa Amanda Maier Röntgen (1853-1894), and the American composer Andrew Waggoner.

A centerpiece of the program is the East Coast premiere of a piano quartet by group’s namesake, the Danish composer Poul Ruders, whose work has been commissioned from the Berlin, BBC, and New York Philharmonic orchestras. Also on the program: the first performance in the United States of a chamber arrangement of Carl Nielsen’s “Helios Overture,” an orchestral work inspired by the setting sun over the Aegean Sea.

The piano quartet in E minor, composed in 1891, was Amanda Maier Röntgen's last major work. A celebrated violin soloist and composer, the music was inspired in part by a visit to her friend, the composer Edvard Grieg, in Norway. “Now, the Fire” by the American composer Andrew Waggoner, written for and dedicated to the RCP, receives its New York premiere.

Praised for their “flawless playing” (Pizzicato) and named “highly regarded” by Gramophone Magazine, Rudersdal Chamber Players – violinist Christine Pryn, violist Isabelle Bania, cellist John Ehde and pianist Manuel Esperilla have performed throughout Denmark and in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Poland and Russia (before the war). In 2022 they released the world premiere recording of Poul Ruders’ chamber music, earning 5 stars from BBC Music Magazine among other critical accolades. 

The performance is at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (154 West 57th Street) on April 1, 2023 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $25-$30, and are available at CarnegieHall.org | CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh. The concert is presented by Weekend of Chamber Music. 

Calendar Listing

Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 8:00 pm

Rudersdal Chamber Players

American debut

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
154 West 57th Street
New York, NY

Tickets are $25-$30, and are available at CarnegieHall.org | CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh.

Rudersdal Chamber Players
Christine Pryn, Violin
Isabelle Bania, Viola
John Ehde, Cello
Manuel Esperilla, Piano

PROGRAM
Carl Nielsen Helios Overture (arr. for chamber orchestra by Karl Aage Rasmussen)
United States premiere

Poul Ruders Piano Quartet
East Coast premiere

Andrew Waggoner Now, the Fire
New York premiere

Amanda Maier-Röntgen Piano Quartet
United States premiere

The concert is presented by Weekend of Chamber Music

New from organist Christopher Houlihan

View with Images

Organist Christopher Houlihan Releases New Recording, First and Last

Album features French works by Louis Vierne and César Franck, recorded on the only French-built organ in New York

Release date February 3, 2023, on Azica Records

"passionate and intelligently virtuoso musician" — Gramophone

On February 3, 2023, organist Christopher Houlihan, described as “the next big organ talent” by the Los Angeles Times, releases First and Last on Azica Records. The album features César Franck’s “Grande Pièce Symphonique,” op. 17 (1860–62) and Louis Vierne’s Symphonie No. 6, op. 39 (1930).

Sharing his inspiration behind the album, Houlihan says, “Within this genre, there are no two pieces that better represent the trajectory of this style than Franck’s Grande pièce symphonique and Vierne’s Symphony No. 6 – essentially the first and the last French Romantic organ symphonies.” 

As a young musician, Vierne (1870–1937) idolized the famous César Franck (1822–1890) and by the time he was 16, had earned a coveted spot in Franck’s organ class at the Paris Conservatoire. Houlihan says, “It is tempting to see a parallel between Vierne’s musical style and his difficult life. And in fact, it is true that particularly poignant personal events occasionally sparked his creativity.”

First and Last was recorded on the Manton Memorial Organ “Pascal Quoirin” (2011) at the Church of the Ascension, the only French-built organ in New York. Houlihan explains the significance of playing this repertoire on the organ at Church of the Ascension, “Among organ music, the successful performance of French repertoire is especially dependent on the particular sonorities available on a given instrument. The Quoirin organ is a very good fit for the colorful demands of Franck and Vierne’s music, and it was an honor to return to Ascension Church for this recording.”

Houlihan has steeped himself in Louis Vierne’s music, having performed all six of the French composer’s organ symphonies in critically acclaimed marathon concerts across North America in 2012, on a tour that was launched at the Church of the Ascension on the 75th anniversary of Vierne’s death.

Of Vierne's organ symphonies, Houlihan says, “I am often asked if I have a favorite among Vierne’s symphonies. It’s hard (and unnecessary) to pick, but the sixth just might be my favorite. It has all the characteristics that make Vierne’s music so appealing, and perfectly in proportion. And, with Vierne at the height of his artistry, it also marks the apex of the French symphonic organ tradition — a fitting culmination of the style established with Franck’s Grande pièce symphonique.”

Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.

"glowing, miraculously life-affirming performances"— Los Angeles Times

Franck and Vierne: First and Last
French Romantic Organ Symphonies

Christopher Houlihan, organ

The Manton Memorial Organ, Pascal Quoirin (2011)
Church of the Ascension, New York

Azica Records (ACD-71356)
Release date: February 3, 2023

TRACKS
César Franck (1822 -1890) – Grande Pièce Symphonique, Op. 17 from Six pièces d’orgue (1860-1862) 
[01] Andantino serioso 4:03
[02] Allegro non troppo e maestoso 7:00
[03 Andante - Allegro - Andante 8:16
[04] Allegro non troppo c maestoso 2:49
[05] Beaucoup plus largement 4:10

Louis Vierne (1870–1937) – 24 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31
[06] Berceuse, no. 19 4:13

Louis Vierne – Symphonie No. 6, Op. 59 (1930)
[07] I. Introduction et Allegro 10:13
[08] II. Aria 7:27
[09] III. Scherzo 4:26
[10] IV. Adagio 9:51
[11] V. Final 7:31

Total Time = 69:59

About the Artist

The organist Christopher Houlihan has established an international reputation as a “passionate and intelligently virtuoso musician” (Gramophone), hailed for his "glowing, miraculously life-affirming performances" (Los Angeles Times). Houlihan has performed at Disney Concert Hall with the principal brass of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, presented by the Philadelphia Orchestra; and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., presented by the National Symphony Orchestra. The Los Angeles Times raved about his Disney Hall debut, proclaiming, "Houlihan is the next big organ talent."

In addition to First and Last (Azica Records, 2023), his discography includes Christopher Houlihan plays Bach (Azica, 2018), and recordings of music by Maurice Duruflé and Jehan Alain, and Organ Symphony No. 2 by Louis Vierne, both on Towerhill Records.

Christopher Houlihan is the John Rose Distinguished College Organist and Director of Chapel Music, and Artist-in-Residence at Trinity College, where he succeeds his former teacher, John Rose. He is Artistic Director of the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival Hartford, which sponsors one of the premier North American organ performance competitions. In addition to his studies at Trinity College, Houlihan studied with Grammy Award-winning organist Paul Jacobs at The Juilliard School and with Jean-Baptiste Robin at the French National Regional Conservatory in Versailles.

Cassatt String Quartet announces 2023 Spring Season

View with Images

Cassatt String Quartet announces spring 2023 concerts and residencies

Performances across the United States, residencies at Columbia University, Amherst College, Bennington College, and West Texas

"an extraordinary quartet" – New York Times

The Cassatt String Quartet, formed in 1985, announces its spring 2023 season. Through concerts and residencies, violinists Muneko Otani and Jennifer Leshnower, violist Rosemary Nelis, and cellist Gwen Krosnick perform throughout the year in New England, New York, and Texas. Season details are below.

Violinist Muneko Otani says, “We are thrilled to continue to have opportunities to tour the country, bringing concerts, masterclasses, workshops, and community events to audiences across the United States. Also, two recording projects will be released in 2023: an album of works by Gerald Cohen, and another of music by Daniel S. Godfrey." These new recordings add to the quartet's discography of 40 titles, which includes the 2022 releases Andy Teirstein's Restless Nation, Victoria Bond's Blue and Green Music.

Performance highlights include the world premiere of Passion's Continuum by Anthony De Ritis in Boston on February 19, in a program that includes Daniel S. Godfrey’s Toward Light for Guitar and String Quartet with guest artist Eliot Fisk. The following week, the CSQ and Eliot Fisk head to Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA to record Godfrey’s Toward Light, produced by multi-GRAMMY award-winning producer Judith Sherman.

Also this spring, the quartet is in residence at Columbia University in New York City, culminating in a concert on March 31 at The Italian Academy on Columbia's campus. The spring residency at Amherst College includes a concert on May 7 of works by Amherst professor Dylan Schneider.

The quartet visits West Texas twice in 2023 for its bi-annual residency Cassatt in the Basin. The January visit included programs in Midland and Odessa, and a concert at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Since 2005, Cassatt in the Basin has reached over 20,000 people, enriching the lives of adults and students in the community through concerts, workshops and other music events across the region.

This summer, the quartet returns to the Seal Bay Festival in Maine, where it is in its 20th season as ensemble-in-residence. The festival brings unique exposure to contemporary American chamber music to audiences in coastal Maine.

---

Hailed for its “mighty rapport and relentless commitment,” the Cassatt String Quartet has performed to critical acclaim across the world since its founding in 1985, with appearances at Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Tanglewood Music Center, the Kennedy Center, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Centro National de las Artes, Maeda Hall, and Beijing’s Central Conservatory. The group’s discography includes over forty recordings, spanning the Koch, Naxos, New World, Point, CRI, Tzadik, and Albany labels – including three discs that have been named by Alex Ross to his “10 Best Classical Recordings” feature in The New Yorker. 

The Cassatt Quartet’s upcoming projects include major performances and recordings of works by Tania León, Dylan Schneider, Shirish Korde, and Daniel S. Godfrey; its annual residencies at the Seal Bay Festival of American Chamber Music and Cassatt in the Basin!; hometown concerts in the New York area; and appearances at Treetops Chamber Music Society, Maverick Concerts, and Music Mountain. 

The CSQ is named for the American Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt. 

Upcoming Concerts

January 29 at 2 pm: Lubbock, TX
Texas Tech University at Kent R. Hance Chapel (2511 17th St)
Program:
W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in F major, K. 590
Dorothy Rudd Moore: Modes
Giovanni Bottesini: Gran Quintetto with Mark Morton, bass

Part of Cassatt in the Basin Residency (January 24-30)

FEBRUARY 19 CONCERT POSTPONED:

February 19 at 4 pm: Boston, MA
Northeastern University's Fenway Center (77 St Stephen St)
Program:
Florence Price: String Quartet No. 1
Dorothy Rudd Moore: Modes
Anthony De Ritis: Passion's Continuum (World premiere)
Zhou Long: Song of the Ch’in
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Cadenza for solo guitar (Eliot Fisk)
Daniel Strong Godfrey: Toward Light for guitar and string quartet (with Eliot Fisk)

March 30 at 7:30 pm: New York City
Italian Academy at Columbia University (1161 Amsterdam Ave)
Program:
Florence Price: String Quartet No. 1
Amy Beach: Piano Quintet in F-sharp Minor, Op. 67 (with Magdalena Baczewska)

Part of Columbia University Residency (March 29-31)

May 7: Amherst, MA
Amherst College's Buckley Recital Hall (53 College St)
Music by Dylan Schneider:
PANDEMIC (world premiere)
with saxophonist Jonathan Hulting-Cohen
GOES A-H-H-H: Quartet Bossa Nova
Dancer at an Exhibition (Written for the Cassatt String Quartet)

Part of Amherst College Residency (May 5-8)

May 9 at 8 pm: Bennington, VT
Dean Carriage Barn at Bennington College (1 College Dr)
Program: 
W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in F major, K. 590
Florence Price: String Quartet No. 1
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: String Quartet

Part of Bennington College Residency (May 9 & 10)

May 13 at 5 pm: Ossining, NY
Opening Night Concert at Bethany Arts Community (40 Somerstown Rd)
Program:
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: String Quartet
Dorothy Rudd Moore: Modes
W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in F major, K. 590
Florence Price: String Quartet No. 1

May 14 at 4 pm: New Canaan, CT
Treetops Chamber Music Concert at Carriage Barn Arts Center (681 South Ave)
Program:
W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in F major, K. 590
Dorothy Rudd Moore: Modes
Amy Beach: Piano Quintet in F-sharp Minor, Op. 67 (with Magdalena Baczewska)

July 25 - August 5: Seal Bay Festival in Maine
Programs include:
Anthony DeRitis: Passion's Continuum (ME premiere)
Zhou Long: Song of the Ch’in
Chen Yi: Fiddle Suite

---

Cassatt String Quartet concerts in New York State are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of Governor and the New York State Legislature

Amherst concert sponsored by: Amherst College Music Department, Provost Lecture Fund, Arts at Amherst Initiative, Office of Provost: Faculty Development Fund

Additional funding for all programs that include contemporary music are made possible in part by: The Aaron Copland Music Fund, Alice M. Ditson Fund, and Amphion Foundation

Seal Bay Festival is also supported The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation

Plugged-In: Winds, Electronics and a world premiere 2/19

The Sylvan Winds perform electro-acoustic program February 19 at National Opera Center

"Plugged In" program features world premiere by Svjetlana Bukvich and new music by Allison Loggins-Hull

Plus music by Kinan Azmeh, 20th century classics by Davidovsky and Cowell and more

On February 19 at 6 pm the Sylvan Winds continues their 2022-23 season with a performance at the National Opera Center in New York City. The "Plugged-In" program of works for winds and electronics features a world premiere by Bosnian-American composer Svjetlana Bukvich, new music by Allison Loggins-Hull, Syrian clarinetist/composer Kinan Azmeh's "How many would it take?", works by Phillip Bimstein, Cynthia Folio, and Lawson & Merrill, alongside 20th century classics for wind quintet by Gyorgy Ligeti and Henry Cowell. Tickets are $25 in advance ($20 for Seniors & students) available here and $30 at the door. (Programs subject to change)

The new work by Svjetlana Bukvich, Unraveling the Linear, was commissioned by the Sylvan Winds and receives its world premiere on this concert. Ms Bukvich says, "Unraveling the Linear explores our relationship with time, moment to moment perception. But it may be an illusion, a result of complex interactions in timeless space." 

The wind quintet is in their fifth decade of performances, and the 2022-23 season celebrates music, culture, and history. Performing in important cultural and historic New York City buildings, the Sylvan Winds creates imaginative and informative programs that reflect the environs of each space.

Hailed by the New York Times for "…its adventuresome programming and stylishness of performance," the Sylvan Winds was founded in 1976. Founding member and flutist Svjetlana Kabalin is joined by oboist Kathy Halvorson, clarinetist Nuno Antunes, Gina Cuffari on bassoon, and horn player Zohar Schondorf, completing the traditional woodwind quintet instrumentation. The quintet has appeared under the auspices of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival and the Caramoor International Music Festival.

Tickets for the February 19, 6:00 pm concert at Scorca Hall at the National Opera Center (330 7th Ave, 7th Floor, Manhattan) are available at SylvanWinds.com.

Calendar Listing

Programs subject to change

February 19, 6:00 pm: Plugged In
Scorca Hall (330 Seventh Ave, Manhattan)

The Sylvan Winds present a program of contemporary works for winds and electronics. Featuring a world premiere by the Bosnian-American composer Svjetlana Bukvich, "How many would it take?" by Syrian clarinetist/composer Kinan Azmeh, and works by Allison Loggins-Hull, Mario Davidovsky, Henry Cowell, and the duo Lawson & Merrill (David Margolin Lawson, David Merrill).

PROGRAM
Lawson & Merrill: Riviere (2022)
Henry Cowell: Suite for Wind Quintet (1934)
Phillip Bimstein: "The Fearful Things & Paradise Lost" from Casino (2006)
Cynthia Folio: Seven Aphorisms (2001) Nos. 4, 5, & 6
Kinan Azmeh: How Many Would it Take? (2012)
György Ligeti: Six Bagatelles (1953) Nos. 3, 4, & 6
Allison Loggins-Hull: Agency (2022)
György Ligeti: Ten Pieces (1968) Nos. 7, 9, & 10
Svjetlana Bukvich: Unraveling the Linear (2022)

Unraveling the Linear by Svjetlana Bukvich was commissioned by the Sylvan Winds, with funding from the Individual Artist Program, made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

---

Free Admission
May 25, 6:30 pm: La Pasion: Fado, Tango & Flamenco
Hispanic Society Museum & Library (Broadway between 155th and 156th St, Manhattan)

Music from the Latin diaspora, presented at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library. Featuring works by Albeniz, Bizet, da Silva, D’Rivera, de Sousa, Gomes, and Piazzolla.

---

These concerts are made possible, in part, with funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

The Composers Now Festival celebrates living composers, the diversity of their voices, and the significance of their musical contributions to our society. During the month of February, the Festival brings together myriad performances ranging in genre from jazz to indie, classical to post-classical, experimental to folk, and beyond.

Ontario Pops releases debut album

Ontario Pops Orchestra releases debut album "Breaking Barriers"

Music includes concertos and symphonic works by Mozart, Bach, and Vivaldi conducted by Music Director Carlos Bastidas

One of the most diverse professional orchestras in Canada, OPO highlights work of women and BIPOC composers/instrumentalists

On March 31, 2023 the Ontario Pops Orchestra (OPO) releases its debut CD, Breaking Barriers. The album was released on digital platforms in Fall 2022. Three Black women are spotlighted as soloists: violinists Tanya Charles Iveniuk, Yanet Campbell Secades and bassoonist Marlene Ngalissamy. The recording includes concertos by Bach and Vivaldi alongside Holst’s St. Paul’s Suite, and "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" and Symphony No. 40 by Mozart, all led by OPO founder, conductor, and music director Carlos Bastidas.

Inspired by watching broadcasts of the Boston Pops Orchestra as a youngster in his native Colombia, Bastidas founded the OPO in 2014 to foster musicianship in a positive, inclusive and supportive environment. One of the most diverse professional orchestras in Canada, the Toronto-based orchestra performs classical and popular music, provides musicians with performance and professional development opportunities, and highlights the work of women and BIPOC composers and instrumentalists. 

The album release will be celebrated with a concert on March 31, 2023 at 8 pm at Toronto's Trinity St. Paul Music Centre (427 Bloor St. W). Tickets are $20-$30 CAD and are available here.

Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical or digital copy of this recording.

About the Artists

Carlos Bastidas is the founder, conductor, and music director of the Ontario Pops Orchestra in Toronto and the emeritus conductor for the Durham Chamber Orchestra in the Region of Durham (Ontario). Born in Colombia, Maestro Bastidas studied bassoon, composition, conducting and chamber music at the University of Ottawa. In 2019, he received the Transformation Institute's Transformation Award for Heritage, and was one of TD's 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians. As found of Ontario Pops, he has steadily built the ensemble's following and developed its reputation as one of the most diverse professional orchestras in Canada from its beginnings in 2014.

Born in Camagüey, Cuba, violinist Yanet Campbell Secades is an accomplished soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. She has performed throughout Europe and the Caribbean as well as in her home country Cuba. In 2015, she won the first prize at Cuba’s prestigious Unión de Artistas y Escritores Cubanos (UNEAC) competition, and in 2019 she was a prize winner at the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals’ National Competition. Yanet has performed at the Rheingau Musik Festival in Germany and the Mozartwoche in Austria. She received her Master of Music from Memorial University of Newfoundland and she is currently is in the Artist Diploma Program at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada with roots in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, violinist Tanya Charles Iveniuk, has performed across North and South America, and the Caribbean. Recipient of the Women’s Art Associate of Canada – Luella McCleary Award, the Gabriella Dory Prize in Music, and the Hamilton Black History Council’s John C Holland Award, Tanya received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto, and an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School. She is the concertmaster of the Obiora Ensemble, and violinist with Ensemble du Monde (Guadeloupe), Toronto Mozart Players, and the Odin Quartet. Former posts include Associate Concertmaster of the Gateways Festival Orchestra and violinist with Sinfonia Toronto. Tanya is a dedicated educator, and an in-demand string adjudicator and clinician abroad as well as in Ontario.

Marlene Ngalissamy developed a deep passion for the bassoon at age 13. As her curiosity blossomed, she was accepted at the Montreal Conservatory of Music where she studied with Mathieu Harel and Stephane Levesque. She continued her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music with Daniel Matsukawa. She participated in workshops and programs around the world including the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, the International Summer Academy of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the Pablo Casals Festival in France.

---

Breaking Barriers

Ontario Pops Orchestra
Carlos Bastidas, conductor

Tanya Charles Iveniuk, violin
Yanet Campbell Secades, violin
Marlene Ngalissamy, bassoon

CD release date: March 31, 2023
(Digital album released October 2022)

TRACKS

Disc 1

Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 by Wolfang Amadeus Mozart
[01] I. Molto allegro 8:35
[02] II. Andante 7:34
[03] III. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio 4:28
[04] IV. Allegro assai 5:41

The Four Seasons, RV 315 "Summer" by Antonio Vivaldi
with Tanya Charles Iveniuk, violin
[05] I. Allegro non molto 6:10
[06] II. Adagio e piano - Presto e forte 2:43
[07] III. Presto 3:02

St. Paul's Suite for String Orchestra, Op. 29, No. 2 by Gustav Holst
[08] I. Jig. 3:45
[09] II. Ostinato. 2:03
[10] III. Intermezzo. 4:14
[11] IV. Finale (The Dargason) 3:47

Disc 2
Serenade in G Major, K. 525 "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" by W.A. Mozart
[01] I. Allegro. 6:18
[02] II. Romanze. 6:55
[03] III. Menuetto 2:16
[04] IV. Finale. 4:05

Violin Concerto in A minor, No. 1, BWV 1041 by Johann Sebastian Bach
with Yanet Campbell Secades, violin
[05] I. Allegro moderato 4:21
[06] II. Andante. 7:11
[07] III. Allegro assai 3:57

Violin Sonata No. 3, BWV 1005 by J.S. Bach
with Yanet Campbell Secades, violin
[08] I. Adagio. 4:59

Bassoon Concerto in E minor, RV 484 by Vivaldi
with Marelene Ngalissamy, bassoon
[09] I. Allegro poco. 4:45
[10] II. Andante. 3:38
[11] III. Allegro 3:11

January: Cassatt String Quartet at Texas Tech and residency in West Texas

Cassatt String Quartet performance at Texas Tech in Lubbock

January 29 performance is part of the long-running Cassatt in the Basin program with guest artist Mark Morton on bass

Community program "Cassatt in the Basin" brings the quartet to West Texas twice a year for concerts and music education events in Odessa and Midland

"an extraordinary quartet” – New York Times

On January 29 at 2 pm, the Cassatt String Quartet performs at Kent R. Hance Chapel on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Admission is free, details are here.

The New York-based quartet brings a special program to Lubbock, performing quartets by Mozart and Dorothy Rudd Moore. Mark Morton, professor of double bass at Texas Tech University, joins them for Giovanni Bottesini's "Gran Quintet for strings".

The concert is one of the events of Cassatt in the Basin. Since 2005, the quartet's bi-annual residencies in West Texas have enriched the lives of adults and students in the community through concerts, workshops and other music events across the region.

The January 2023 visit by the Cassatt String Quartet includes a multitude of activities in Odessa and Midland, including:

• Concerts at at Manor Park Retirement Home (1/25) and Heartland Home Assisted Living (1/28)

• Coachings and side-by-sides with students at Odessa and Permian High Schools, and Compass Academy

• Open rehearsal at Brookdale Senior Living (1/26)

• Family program at the Ector County Library (1/30)

A full schedule of events is at CassattInTheBasin.com/Events. 

---

Hailed for its “mighty rapport and relentless commitment,” the Cassatt String Quartet has performed to critical acclaim across the world since its founding in 1985, with appearances at Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Tanglewood Music Center, the Kennedy Center, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Centro National de las Artes, Maeda Hall, and Beijing’s Central Conservatory. The group’s discography includes over forty recordings, spanning the Koch, Naxos, New World, Point, CRI, Tzadik, and Albany labels – including three discs that have been named by Alex Ross to his “10 Best Classical Recordings” feature in The New Yorker Magazine. 

The Cassatt Quartet’s upcoming projects include major performances and recordings of works by Tania León, Dylan Schneider, Shirish Korde, and Daniel S. Godfrey; their annual residencies at the Seal Bay Festival of American Chamber Music and Cassatt in the Basin!; hometown concerts in the New York area; and appearances at Treetops Chamber Music Society, Maverick Concerts, and Music Mountain. 

The CSQ is named for the great Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt. 

Calendar Listing

Cassatt in the Basin presents

Cassatt String Quartet

with Mark Morton, bass

Muneko Otani, violin
Jennifer Leshnower, violin
Rosemary Nelis, viola
Gwen Krosnick, cello

Free Admission

January 29 at 2:00 pm

Kent R. Hance Chapel
2511 17th Street
Lubbock, TX

PROGRAM
Dorothy Rudd Moore: Modes
Giovanni Bottesini: Gran Quintet for strings
Mozart: String Quartet No.23 in F major, K.590

Details here

Pianist Francine Kay performs Czech music on new release

Pianist Francine Kay performs Czech music on Things Lived and Dreamt

Release date January 13, 2023 on Analekta

Music by Dvořák, Smetana, Janáček, and Suk, and a work by the rarely-heard Czech woman Vítězslava Kaprálová

"Kay plays with astonishing grace and floating sonorities" — Knut Franke, Fono Forum (Germany)

Pianist Francine Kay performs favorites and seldom-heard works by Czech composers on Things Lived and Dreamt, a new recording from Analekta Records (AN29004, release date January 13, 2023). In addition to the charming and popular Humoresque No. 7 by Dvořák and Smetana’s Polka No. 2, the collection shines a light on Suk's piano masterpiece from which the album's title is taken. Things Lived and Dreamt op. 30 is a set of ten fantastical pieces that Suk himself described as “a sort of artist’s diary”. 

A highlight of the album is April Preludes by Vítězslava Kaprálová (1915-1940), a student of Bohuslav Martinů. “If it hadn’t been for her premature death in 1940 at the young age of twenty-five, Vítězslava Kaprálová would undoubtedly have become a major figure in 20th century music,” according to Music Web International.

Leoš Janáček's great Sonata 1.X.1905 (From the Street) runs the gamut of emotional energy as it commemorates the death of a Moravian carpenter who was killed during a civil demonstration.

This is Ms. Kay’s fourth recording on Analekta. Her Debussy recording earned her a JUNO nomination and was Fono Forum's Disc of the Month.

Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.

Things Lived and Dreamt

Francine Kay, piano
Analekta (AN29004)
Release date: January 13, 2023

TRACKS

LEOŠ JANÁČEK (1854–1928) 
Sonata 1.X.1905 (1905)
[01] Předtucha (Lepressentiment/ The Presentiment) Con moto 5:47
[02] Smrt (La mort / The Death) Adagio 7:16

JOSEF SUK (1874–1935)
Jaro (Printemps / Spring), Op. 22a (1902)
[03] No.5 Vroztoužení (Ledésir/Longing) Allegro non troppo 3:56

ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841–1904) Humoresques, Op. 101 (1894)
[04] No. 4 – Poco andante – fa majeur / F Major 2:32
[05] No.7 – Poco lento e grazioso–sol bémol majeur/G-Flat Major 3:10
[06] No.8 – Poco andante–si bémol mineur/B-Flat Minor 3:03

JOSEF SUK (1874–1935)
Životem a snem (Things Lived and Dreamt), Op. 30 (1909)
[07] I Allegretto moderato – S humorem a ironií, místy rozdurděně (With humour and irony, agitated in places) 2:13
[08] II Allegro vivo – Neklidně a nesměle, bez silnějšího výrazu (Restless and somewhat timid, without strongly marked expression) 1:48
[09] III Andante sostenuto–Tajemně a velmi vzdušně (Mysterious and light and airy) 3:44
[10] IV Poco allegretto – Zamyšleně, později stále výbojněji (Contemplative, then increasingly resolute in mood) 3:07
[11] V Adagio – K uzdraveni mého syna (For my son’s recuperation) – Klidně, shlubokým citem (Calm, with deep feeling) 5:26
[12] VI Moderato quasi allegretto – S výrazem tiché, bezstarostné veselosti (With quiet, carefree cheer) 3:27
[13] VII Adagio non tanto – Jednoduše, později s výrazem drtivé moci (Forthright, later with the expression of overpowering force) 4:27
[14] VIII Vivace – Jemně, švitorně (Delicate, warbling) 2:04
[15] IX Poco Andante – Šepotavě a tajemně (Whispering and mysterious) 3:34
[16] X Adagio – Zapomenutým rovům v koutku hřbitova křečovického (Dedicated to forgotten graves in the Křečovice cemetary – Snivě (Dreamy) 5:04

VÍTĚZSLAVA KAPRÁLOVÁ (1915–1940)
Dubnová Preludia (Préludes d’avril / April Preludes), Op. 13 (1937
[17] I Allegro ma non troppo 2:10
[18] II Andante 3:16 
[19] III Andante semplice 2:20 
[20] IV Vivo 1:47

BEDŘICH SMETANA (1824–1884) 
Czech Dances 1, JB 1 : 107 (1877)
[21] Polka No.2 en la mineur/in A Minor – Moderato 2:17

Total time = 74:09

About the Artist

Noted for her “extraordinary range of color” (Montreal Gazette) and “poetic brilliance” (Toronto Star), the JUNO-nominated pianist Francine Kay is acclaimed for the beauty of her sound and the intensity and depth of her interpretations. 

Since making her debut at the Carnegie Recital Hall as winner of the Pro Piano Competition, Francine Kay has been a regular guest at international festivals.  Her performances are broadcast frequently on CBC, NPR, the BBC, WFMT, Radio France, and the EBU.

Ms. Kay’s discography on the Analekta label includes recordings of works by Ravel, Satie and Debussy, the latter of which was hailed as "prodigious, incomparably luxuriant in sound, bold and effortless" (Répertoire), and “one of the most outstanding recordings of Debussy’s piano music in recent years.” (Fono Forum)

Francine Kay is on the faculty of Princeton University. She earned her DMA at Stony Brook University, her Masters and Bachelors degrees at The Juilliard School with Adele Marcus, and an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Leon Fleisher, Gilbert Kalish and Marek Jablonski were Francine Kay's musical mentors. 

Cover Art: Veronika Holcová; Photo credit: Bo Huang

"Connecting Cultures" music for piano four-hands

New album "Connecting Cultures": music for piano four-hands played by Zhihua Tang and Deborah Moriarty

Music from around the world by Mozart, Dvořák, Falla, Amy Beach, Florence Price; music from China, and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue

On Blue Griffin Records, released November 25, 2022

In a project born out of the performers' desire to connect with other cultures around the world and with one another, the pianists Deborah Moriarty and Zhihua Tang released "Connecting Cultures: Four-hand music from around the world" on Blue Griffin Records November 25, 2022.

Both Moriarty and Tang are on faculty at Michigan State University College of Music and each perform around the world. For this album, they share a piano bench, performing works by Amy Beach, Florence Price, Dvořák, and the Chinese composers Wang Jianzhong and Gong Huahua, alongside familiar favorites Rhapsody in Blue and Mozart's Andante and Five Variations in G major.

Each of the works are drawn from the composers' roots. From spirituals to nursery songs and folk dances, the selection comes from a variety of cultures and promotes female, African American, and Hispanic composers alongside standard repertoire. "Through these pieces it is possible to discern a unified human characteristic that has been poignantly revealed by this pandemic," the duo writes in the album's liner notes. "We all have a keen longing for home and comfort, and for a better united future for humanity. By exploring these human traits, we can express renewed faith in the promise of all cultures coming together to move toward that future on common ground."

Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.

---

Connecting Cultures
Deborah Moriarty and Zhihuang Tang, piano four-hands

Blue Griffin (DE 3592)
Release date: November 25, 2022

TRACKS

Antonín Leopold Dvořák 
[01] Slavonic Dance, Op 46. No. 8 4:36
[02] Slavonic Dance, Op. 72 No. 2 4:49

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
[03] Andante and Five Variations in G major, K. 501 8:03

Wang Jianzhong
[04] Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon 3:20

Gong Huahua
[05] Mountain Harvest 6:49

Manuel de Falla
Two Spanish Dances from La Vida Breve
[06] Spanish Dance No. 1 3:38
[07] Spanish Dance No. 2 4:45

Amy Marcy Cheney Beach
Summer Dreams, Op. 47
[08] The Brownies 3:46
[09] Robin Redbreast 1:42
[10] Twilight 1:45
[11] Katy-dids 1:11
[12] Elfin Tarantelle 1:52
[13] Good Night 2:59

Florence Beatrice Price|
Three Negro Spirituals
[14] I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray 1:53
[15] Lord I Want to Be a Christian 4:03
[16] Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit 1:32

George Gershwin (arr. Henry Levine)
[17] Rhapsody in Blue 17:31

---

Zhihua Tang is assistant professor and director of collaborative piano at the Michigan State University College of Music. Tang has enjoyed an active performing career around the world and has been praised for her extraordinary versatility and profound artistry on the piano.

As a concerto soloist, she has performed with Detroit Civic Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta, Indiana University Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Ballet Orchestra, and Shanghai Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra. As a recitalist, she has performed extensively across Europe, the United States, and Asia, and has participated in the Aspen Music Festival, Banff Music Festival, and Gilmore Piano Festival.  

A native of Shanghai, Tang earned her DMA from Michigan State University College of Music studying with Deborah Moriarty, her master's degree from Indiana University studying with Menahem Pressler and attended the Shanghai Conservatory.

---

Deborah Moriarty is professor of piano and chair of the piano area at the Michigan State University College of Music, where she is a recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award. 

A Massachusetts native, she made her debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at age 11. She has served on the piano faculty at the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of Lowell. Moriarty attended the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School, and the New England Conservatory of Music, where she received her Master of Music degree with honors. A medal winner in the “Concours Debussy,” she is an active recitalist and soloist with orchestras across the country, and has performed in Europe, Asia and South America. Moriarty is a founding member of the Fontana Ensemble of Michigan and has recordings on the Crystal, CRI, Blue Griffin and Centaur labels. 

Moriarty is the Artistic Director of the Encore Festival and the “Music in the Hidden Churches” concert series in Todi, Italy. She is co-founder of “Celebrating the Spectrum: A Festival of Music and Life,” an annual summer festival that brings together talented pianists with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Sylvan Winds 2022-23 season begins Dec 16

The Sylvan Winds announce their 2022-2023 season. Across three concerts in December, February, and May, the wind quintet performs in significant cultural and historic buildings in Manhattan. Kicking off on December 16, 2022 at 7:30 pm at the Church of Notre Dame in Morningside Heights, the Sylvan Winds get into the holiday spirit with traditional French carols and March of Three Kings from Bizet's L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2. The program also includes music by Claude Arrieu, one of the most prolific French women of the 20th century, and works by Rameau, Auric, and Milhaud. Selections from Bizet's Carmen complete this all-French program. Details are below.

The venue, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was founded by a French community of priests and has been a center of the French culture in New York since 1910.

The Sylvan Winds' 2022-2023 season celebrates music, culture, and history. Performing in important cultural and historic New York City buildings, the Sylvan Winds creates imaginative and informative programs that reflect the environs of each space. (Programs subject to change)

• Chants de Noel! | December 16, 7:30pm | Church of Notre Dame (405 West 114th St, Manhattan) Works by Rameau, Auric, Arrieu, Milhaud, Bizet, and traditional French Carols.

• Plugged In | February 19, 6pm | Scorca Hall (330 Seventh Ave, Manhattan) Works for winds and electronics by Martin, Davidovsky, Azmeh, Loggins-Hull, and a world premiere by Svjetlana Bukvich.

• La Pasion: Fado, Tango & Flamenco | May 25, 6:30pm | Hispanic Society Museum & Library (Broadway between 155th and 156th St, Manhattan) Works by Albeniz, Bizet, da Silva, D’Rivera, de Sousa, Gomes, and Piazzolla.

Hailed by the New York Times for "…its adventuresome programming and stylishness of performance," the Sylvan Winds was founded in 1982. Founding member and flutist Svjetlana Kabalin is joined by oboist Kathy Halvorson, clarinetist Nuno Antunes, Gina Cuffari on bassoon, and horn player Zohar Schondorf, completing the traditional woodwind quintet instrumentation. The quintet has appeared under the auspices of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival and the Caramoor International Music Festival.

Tickets for the December 16 concert at Church of the Notre Dame are $25 in advance ($20 students/seniors) or $30 at the door and available here.

---

The SYLVAN WINDS

2022-23 Season

Programs subject to change

December 16, 7:30pm: Chants de Noel!
Church of Notre Dame (405 West 114th St (entrance on Morningside Dr), Manhattan) 

The Sylvan Winds get in the holiday spirit with an All-French program at the historic Church of Notre Dame in Morningside Heights. Works by Rameau, Auric, Arrieu, Milhaud, Bizet, and traditional French Carols are on the program. 

PROGRAM

Bizet: March of Three Kings from L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2.
Rameau:  Gavotte with Six Doubles
Auric: Trio for oboe, clarinet & bassoon
Arrieu: Quintet in C (1955) 
Milhaud: La Cheminée du Roi René
Traditional: French Carols
Bizet: March of Three Kings from the L'Arlessiene Suite
Bizet: Selections from Carmen  

February 19, 6:00 pm: Plugged In
Scorca Hall (330 Seventh Ave, Manhattan)

The Sylvan Winds present a program of contemporary works for winds and electronics. Featuring a world premiere by the Bosnian-American composer Svjetlana Bukvich, "How many would it take?" by Syrian clarinetist/composer Kinan Azmeh, and works by Allison Loggins-Hull, Mario Davidovsky, Irving Fine, and Robert Martin.

PROGRAM

Robert Martin: Black Rock
Irving Fine: Partita
Mario Davidovsky: Synchronisms No. 8 for wind quintet and tape
Kinan Azmeh: How many would it take? 
Allison Loggins-Hull: Agency (2023)
Svjetlana Bukvich: World Premiere (2023)

May 25, 6:30 pm: La Pasion: Fado, Tango & Flamenco
Hispanic Society Museum & Library (Broadway between 155th and 156th St, Manhattan)

Music from the Latin diaspora, presented at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library. Featuring works by Albeniz, Bizet, da Silva, D’Rivera, de Sousa, Gomes, and Piazzolla.

PROGRAM

Bizet: Aragonaise, Seguidilla & Danse Boheme from Carmen
Piazzolla: Libertango & Milonga sin palabras
Paquito D'Rivera: Vals Venezolano & Contradanza
Julio Campos de Sousa: Fado Loucura
Jose Carlos Gomes: Fado Magala
Albeniz: Asturias from Suite Espanola, Op. 47
Traditional: Siguiriya/Martinete
Pedro da Silva: An Irishman in Turkey

---

These concerts are made possible, in part, with funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Oct 22: Cutting Edge Concerts 25th Season Finale

Cutting Edge Concerts closes 25th anniversary season with works by Victoria Bond and others

October 22 concert presented in collaboration with KeyedUp Music Project at Tenri Cultural Center 

"a gift to New Yorkers thirsty for new sounds" – Time Out New York

Composer Victoria Bond founded Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival to celebrate, support and promote the work of living composers. Over the past 25 years, works by more than 200 composers have been played by world-class ensembles and soloists in the country. Audiences have delighted to dozens of world premieres and hundreds of on-stage conversations with the composers themselves.

On October 22 at 7 pm at Tenri Cultural Center, Cutting Edge Concerts closes out their 2022 season. Joining forces with KeyedUp Music Project, the program includes songs by Bond set to words by Albert Einstein and Walt Whitman, sung by Dennis Tobensky, and Illumination performed by pianist Marc Peloquin. Also on the program: music by Robert Helps, Dalit Warshaw, and David Del Tredici. details and tickets 

In other Cutting Edge Concerts news, the Bowers/Fader duo gives an encore performance of Bond's "Nowhere Land," which they premiered at last month's CEC concert at St. John's in the Village. The concert is on October 23 at 5 pm at the National Opera Center.  details and tickets

New CD from Artistic Director Victoria Bond

On October 1, 2022, Cutting Edge Concerts' Artistic Director Victoria Bond's new album, "Blue and Green Music" was released on Albany Records. The centerpiece of the album is the world premiere recording of Blue and Green Music, commissioned by the Cassatt Quartet through a Chamber Music America commissioning grant.

Also on the album: Bond's Dreams of Flying, performed by the Cassatt Quartet, plus the song cycle From an Antique Land, and a song set to a text by Albert Einstein, Art and Science, both performed by baritone Michael Kelly and pianist Bradley Moore. 

About Cutting Edge Concerts

Inspired by Pierre Boulez's series, "Perspective Encounters", the composer and conductor Victoria Bond founded Cutting Edge Concerts in 1998. With 25 years of concerts, Cutting Edge Concerts has presented over 300 new works by more than 200 composers. Each program highlights the music of living composers, all of whom attend the concert. Along with performances by world-class ensembles and soloists, each program features on-stage discussions between host Victoria Bond and the composers.

About Victoria Bond

A major force in 21st century music, composer Victoria Bond is known for her melodic gift and dramatic flair. Her works for orchestra, chamber ensemble and opera have been lauded by The New York Times as "powerful, stylistically varied and technically demanding." Her compositions have been performed by the New York City Opera, Shanghai, Dallas and Houston Symphonies, members of the Chicago Symphony and New York Philharmonic, American Ballet Theater and the Cassatt and Audubon Quartets.  Ms. Bond is also an acclaimed conductor, and is the principal guest conductor of Chamber Opera Chicago, and has held conducting positions with Pittsburgh Symphony, New York City Opera, Roanoke Symphony, and Bel Canto and Harrisburg Operas.

Nov 17: César Franck at 200

View Press Release with Images

November 17: Concert celebrating 200th anniversary of César Franck’s birth

Organist David Enlow performs all-Franck recital at Manhattan's Church of Ascension

"strong and compelling" — The American Organist

In honor of the 200th anniversary of César Franck’s birth, the organist David Enlow presents an all-Franck recital. The performance is on November 17, 2022, 7:00 pm at The Church of the Ascension (5th Avenue at 10th Street in Manhattan).

The French composer César Franck was an enormous influence on the development of romantic and post-romantic music. His music combined the structure of German Romanticism with the orchestral color and harmonies of French music. As a prodigious organ player, the Belgian-born composer inspired Parisian organists and composers alike with his long-form works for solo organ and virtuoso improvisations.

Organist David Enlow is uniquely poised for such a commemoration. His recording of Franck's complete organ works (Pro Organo, 2012) received critical acclaim, with l'Orgue praising his “perfect technique, inventive, flexible, vigorous musicality.” 

The Church of the Ascension is an especially appropriate venue for this recital, as it is home to the only French-built organ in New York City, the Manton Memorial Organ built by Pascal Quorin in St-Didier, France. With over 6000 pipes, it is the largest French organ built anywhere in the past half century. The church’s history goes almost as far back as Franck himself – it was first organized in 1827, and has been in its current building since 1841.

Highlights of the November 17 recital include: 

• Choral in A minor: Franck's final work, written while convalescing after a traffic accident in Paris

• The cinematic Pièce Héroïque, written for the dedication of the organ at Paris' Palais du Trocadéro. "This piece could easily be the soundtrack to a feature film about love in wartime," says David Enlow

• Final: A carnival-like work written for the composer's populist friend Louis Lefébure-Wély

Organist David Enlow, hailed for his “dazzling technique” (Boston Classical Review) and “performances full of color, passion, invention, and power” (American Record Guide), is Music Director of Park Avenue Synagogue and Church of the Resurrection, and organist of the Clarion Music Society. He is first prize winner of the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival and the Arthur Poister Competition, and studied with Paul Jacobs, John Weaver, and John Tuttle.

Tickets for the November 17 recital at The Church of the Ascension (W 10th St and 5th Ave, New York, NY) are $20 and available here.

Calendar Listing

Organist David Enlow

César Franck 200th Birthday Concert

November 17, 2022 at 7:00 pm

The Church of the Ascension
W 10th St, 5th Ave.
New York, NY

Tickets: $20 general admission available here

PROGRAM

All works by Cesar Franck, performed on the Manton Memorial Organ built by Pascal Quorin (St-Didier, France)

Pièce Héroïque (from Trois Pièces)
Grande Pièce Symphonique
Prière
Final (from Six Pièces)
Cantabile (from Trois Pièces)
Choral en la-mineur / Choral in A Minor

From coast to coast with pianist Inna Faliks

View Release with Images

Ukrainian-American Pianist Inna Faliks' 2022 Fall Season

Highlights include performances of "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" and auto-biographical recital "Polonaise-Fantasie: the Story of a Pianist"

Performances at Lincoln Center, Evanston Symphony, Red Rocks Music Festival and more

"A pianist of the highest order" - Berkshire Fine Arts

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
October 21 at 7:00 pm | Lincoln Center (New York, NY)
October 30 at 2:30 pm | Pick-Staiger Concert Hall (Evanston, IL)

In October, pianist Inna Faliks performs Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" in two appearances. On October 21, she joins the Pegasus Orchestra and conductor Karén Hakobyan at Lincoln Center. She is one of five stellar pianists  in a program that also includes all of Rachmaninoff's works for piano and orchestra. On October 30, she joins the Evanston Symphony to perform the work with conductor Lawrence Eckerling. 

Polonaise-Fantaisie: The Story of a Pianist
November 13 at 7:00 pm | The Sofia, Home of B Street Theatre (Sacramento, CA)
November 20 at 4:00 pm | Bethel Lutheran Church (Madison, WI)

"Polonaise-Fantaisie: The Story of a Pianist" is the hybrid of a piano recital and an autobiographical monologue, and Inna Faliks considers it the most personal project she has ever done. She says: “It is my hope that, in sharing this story, I offer audiences a glimpse into a life of a performing musician, as well as into my very personal story – the story that makes me the artist I am today.” Ms. Faliks recorded the project as an album on Delos in 2017. 

Red Rocks Music Festival: "Mainly Beethoven"
December 4 at 3:00 pm | Steele Indian School Park (Phoenix, AZ)

Ms. Faliks joins violinist Liba Schacht (Roosevelt University) and cellist John Sharp (Chicago Symphony) for a program of chamber music at Red Rocks Music Festival in Phoenix. They'll perform the Southwest premiere of Veronika Krausas' "Master & Margarita Suite" alongside Fanny Mendelssohn's "Notturno" and the Archduke Trio and Appassionata Sonata by Beethoven. 

Forthcoming musical memoir

Inna Faliks has announced that Weight in the Fingertips will be published by Globe Pequot on June 15, 2023. The book is "a memoir of experiences growing up in Ukraine and immigrating to the States, becoming a musician, the adventures of a musical life, the trials of being a woman in a male dominated field, a paean to teachers and mainly a love affair with the music itself."

Recent Recordings

Reimagine: Beethoven and Ravel (Navona NV6352)
Listen on Spotify
Purchase album

The Schumann Project, Volume 1 (MSR Classics)
Listen on Spotify
Purchase album

Biography

“Adventurous and passionate” (The New Yorker) Ukrainian-born American pianist Inna Faliks has made a name for herself through her commanding performances of standard piano repertoire, as well genre-bending interdisciplinary projects, and inquisitive work with contemporary composers. After her acclaimed teenage debuts at the Gilmore Festival and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, she has performed on many of the world’s great stages in recital and with many major orchestras, performing with conductors Leonard Slatkin, Keith Lockhart and many others.

Ms. Faliks collaborates with and premieres music by some of today’s most significant composers, including Billy Childs, Richard Danielpour, Timo Andres and Clarice Assad. She is known for her poetry-music series Music/Words, and has worked with a number of prominent poets. She regularly tours her monologue-recital Polonaise-Fantasie, the Story of a Pianist, which tells the story of her immigration to the United States from Odessa (recorded on Delos). Besides Reimagine, her discography includes all-Beethoven and Rachmaninoff/Ravel/Pasternak discs for MSR Classics, and the Master and Margarita project, featuring three world premieres on Sono Luminus.

In addition to her other impressive accomplishments, Faliks is a respected educator and is head of Piano Studies at UCLA. She is also a published writer, with articles and essays appearing in Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post, among other media outlets. Inna Faliks is a Yamaha Artist.

New from composer Mark Abel

View Release with Images

Composer Mark Abel's Spectrum to be released on Delos Records October 21

Album features world premiere recordings of songs and chamber music

Featuring all-star performers including sopranos Hila Plitmann and Isabel Bayrakdarian

“[Abel] treats words with shapely care, establishing vibrant and urgent contexts for the interaction of voice and instruments.” – Gramophone

Two song cycles form the cornerstone of “Spectrum” (Delos DE3592, rel. October 21, 2022), the new album of music by Mark Abel, which features some of the most outstanding voices on stage today: Hila Plitmann, Isabel Bayrakdarian, and Kindra Scharich. Abel's music has been praised by Gramophone Magazine as "compelling in narrative depth and energy" and The Whole Note wrote that Abel is “a compositional master of intriguing contemporary music.”

Trois Femmes du Cinema (Three Women of Cinema), set to texts by Abel himself, is performed by powerhouse soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian and famed pianist Carol Rosenberger. Abel says his texts about cult figures Anne Wiazemsky, Pina Pellicer and Larisa Shepitko “distill my feelings about their work and what I believe they were trying to convey as artists.”

Renowned singers Hila Plitmann, soprano, and Kindra Scharich, mezzo-soprano, are featured in the emotive Two Scenes from “The Book of Esther.” The composer refers to the piece as “a slice of an opera in development.” Writes Abel in the booklet notes, "The biblical heroine, an iconic figure in the cultural lore of Judaism, was an inspiration for Hila Plitmann when she was growing up in Israel." 

The two-disc set, rounded out by three chamber works and the short song cycle 1966, features pianist Dominic Cheli (2017 CAG winner), Pacific Symphony concertmaster Dennis Kim, Alexander String Quartet violist David Samuel, cellist Jonah Kim, horn player Jeff Garza, flutist Christy Kim and pianists Sean Kennard and Jeffrey LaDeur.

Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.

“Mark Abel earns praise for musical innovation. Moreover, he garners affection by recapturing the enchantment of song." – Voix des Arts

Composer Mark Abel
Spectrum

Delos  (DE 3592)
Release date: October 21, 2022

TRACKS

CD1

Trois Femmes du Cinema (23:22)
01 Anne Wiazemsky (8:47)
02 Pina Pellicer (6:07)
03 Larisa Shepitko (8:28)

04 Reconciliation Day (10:22)

05 Out the Other Side (10:01)

CD2

Two Scenes from “The Book of Esther” (22:46)
01 The Maiden Esther (8:47)
02 Two Queens (13:58)

03 The Long March (12:59)

1966
04 Fall Sunday, San Francisco (4:17)
05 First Love (3:09)
06 Somewhere in Wyoming (5:22)

---

Mark Abel has been called “a compositional master of intriguing contemporary music” (The Whole Note) and his works have been praised by Gramophone Magazine as "compelling in narrative depth and energy."

Abel’s creative life weaves together music and journalism. Deeply entranced by classical music as a child, his interest gave way to jazz and rock in adolescence, capped by a lengthy stint as a guitarist, bassist, songwriter and record producer in New York in the 1970s and & '80s. In 1983, however, he turned his attention to journalism, ultimately becoming foreign editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. During those years, he began working out complex compositional ideas, a path that rekindled his affection for classical music. Spectrum is the sixth recording of his music on the Delos label.

Cutting Edge Concerts Fall concerts

View as Webpage

Cutting Edge Concerts: final programs of 25th anniversary season

CUTTING EDGE CONCERTS New Music Festival 
Victoria Bond, Artistic Director

Sept. 23: Philip Glass celebration with Pauline Kim Harris in collaboration with The Village Trip

Oct. 22: Songs by Victoria Bond presented in collaboration with Keyed Up Music Project

"...a gift to New Yorkers thirsty for new sounds" – Time Out New York

Composer Victoria Bond founded Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival to celebrate, support and promote the work of living composers. Over the past 25 years, works by more than 200 composers have been played by world-class ensembles and soloists in the country. Audiences have delighted to dozens of world premieres and hundreds of on-stage conversations with the composers themselves.

The 2022 season closes with two concerts in Manhattan: 

At St. John's in the Village, Bond's string trio Dancing on Glass is featured on a program honoring Philip Glass at 85. Dancing on Glass is performed by Pauline Kim Harris, violin (pictured); Chieh-Fan Yiu, viola; and Coleman Itzkoff, cello, on September 23 at 7 pm.  details and tickets

On October 22 at 7 pm at Tenri Cultural Center, Cutting Edge Concerts joins forces with Keyed Up Music Project, with a program that includes songs by Bond set to words by Albert Einstein and Walt Whitman, sung by Dennis Tobensky, and Illumination performed by pianist Marc Peloquin. details and tickets

CUTTING EDGE CONCERTS: A short history

Inspired by Pierre Boulez's series, "Perspective Encounters", the composer and conductor Victoria Bond founded Cutting Edge Concerts in 1998. With 25 years of concerts, Cutting Edge Concerts has presented over 300 new works by more than 200 composers. Each program highlights the music of living composers, all of whom attend the concert. Along with performances by world-class ensembles and soloists, each program features on-stage discussions between host Victoria Bond and the composers.

For the 20th anniversary, New Music Box published a feature on the festival and its many highlights and accomplishments. In it, Victoria Bond wrote "I launched the Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival in 1998 with the purpose of presenting the music of living composers, including—but not limited to—my own work. I was eager to know what my composition colleagues were writing and to have a way of bringing their music to the public. I also knew many performers interested in new music, and the thought of putting these together was intoxicating."

Victoria Bond, Artistic Director

A major force in 21st century music, composer Victoria Bond is known for her melodic gift and dramatic flair. Her works for orchestra, chamber ensemble and opera have been lauded by The New York Times as "powerful, stylistically varied and technically demanding." Her compositions have been performed by the New York City Opera, Shanghai, Dallas and Houston Symphonies, members of the Chicago Symphony and New York Philharmonic, American Ballet Theater and the Cassatt and Audubon Quartets.  Ms. Bond is also an acclaimed conductor, and is the principal guest conductor of Chamber Opera Chicago, and has held conducting positions with Pittsburgh Symphony, New York City Opera, Roanoke Symphony, and Bel Canto and Harrisburg Operas.

Oct 1: Victoria Bond "Blue and Green Music" on Albany

Composer Victoria Bond's Blue and Green Music released on Albany Records October 1

Album features world premiere recordings; highlights Bond's longstanding collaboration with the Cassatt String Quartet

Title track inspired by Georgia O'Keefe painting of same name

[Victoria Bond's works are] "powerful, stylistically varied and technically demanding." — The New York Times

On October 1, 2022, composer Victoria Bond's new album, "Blue and Green Music" will be released on Albany Records (TROY 1905). The centerpiece of the album is the world premiere recording of Blue and Green Music, commissioned by the Cassatt Quartet through a Chamber Music America commissioning grant. 

The title track was inspired by a Georgia O'Keeffe painting of the same name, which uses the two colors to create an abstract study in motion, color and form. Victoria Bond writes, "O’Keeffe said, 'Since I cannot sing, I paint.' Her painting is filled with music and it was my challenge to hear that music. I created two distinct motifs to express the two colors, and those motifs developed their own sense of direction and form. Just as O’Keeffe’s painting is suggestive rather than specific, my music is intended to evoke rather than describe."

The Cassatt Quartet is a longstanding collaborator with Ms. Bond, who has appeared as guest composer at The Cassatt's Seal Bay Music Festival twice. The quartet has performed Bond's Dreams of Flying numerous times on the concert stage, and the world premiere recording is included on this album. 

Rounding out the album are songs performed by baritone Michael Kelly and pianist Bradley Moore. From an Antique Land is Bond's setting of poetry by Edna St. Vincent Millay, Percy Shelley and Gerard Hopkin, each tied together by the theme of memory. Art and Science was inspired by a 1927 letter written by Albert Einstein. Bond says she discovered through this letter that Einstein valued art fully as much as he valued science, and drew a connection between them.

Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.

“The excellent Cassatt String Quartet” — Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times

Blue and Green Music

String Quartets and Vocal Works by Victoria Bond

Cassatt String Quartet

Michael Kelly, baritone
Bradley Moore, piano

Albany Records (TROY 1905)
Release date: October 1, 2022

TRACKS

Blue and Green Music^ [15:35]
01 Blue and Green  [06:08]
02 Green  [02:03]
03 Blue  [03:34]
04 Dancing Codes [03:49]

05 Art and Science*   [08:28]

From an Antique Land* [28:04]
06 Recuerdo  [05:32]
07 Ozymandius  [07:04]
08 Spring and Fall  [07:40]
09 On Hearing a Symphony of Beethoven  [7:48]

Dreams of Flying^ [17:41]
10 Resisting Gravity  [06:20]
11 Floating  [01:40]
12 The Caged Bird Dreams of the Jungle  [05:17]
13 Flight  [04:24]

Total Time = 69:47
^Performed by the Cassatt String Quartet
*Performed by Michael Kelly, baritone & Bradley Moore, piano

Aug 5: “El Rebelde” – songs by Gabriela Frank and Shostakovich

New from Art Song Colorado: “El Rebelde,” release date August 5, 2022

Baritone Andrew Garland performs music by Gabriela Lena Frank, including the world premiere recording of Cantos de Cifar y el Mar Dulce (Songs of Cifar and the Sweet Sea)

Album includes more music by Frank, and Shostakovich’s Spanish Songs

“Andrew Garland sang with vocal allure and dramatic urgency.” — Alex Ross, The New Yorker

The acclaimed baritone Andrew Garland is front and center on a new album of songs by Gabriela Lena Frank and Dmitri Shostakovich on Art Song Colorado’s label (DASP 005, release date August 5, 2022). “El Rebelde” (“The Rebel”) brings together the vocal compositions of Frank and Shostakovich, two composers who transformed Spanish language song through their innovative settings.

Along with the pianist Jeremy Reger, Garland performs Cantos de Cifar y el Mar Dulce (Songs of Cifar and the Sweet Sea) in its world premiere recording. Cifar is a setting of a collection of poems by the Nicaraguan poet Pablo Antonio Cuadra that recounts the odyssey of a harp-playing mariner who travels the waters of Lake Nicaragua. Eight songs are contained on this album, and Frank intends to ultimately set all 30 poems of this saga.

Also on this album is Las Cinco Lunas de Lorca (The Five Moons of Lorca), with tenor Javier Abreu and Cuatro Canciones Andinas (Four Andean Songs), both by Frank; and Spanish Songs Op. 100 by Dmitri Shostakovich.

Lorca, with text by the Cuban-American playwright Nilo Cruz, describes the assassination of the literary giant Federico García Lorca in the Spanish Civil War. Texts for Four Andean Songs draw on traditional poetry of the Quechua people, descendants of the ancient Incas. The Peruvian folklorist José María Arguedas collected and translated these poems from Quechua into Spanish. Shostakovich’s songs are traditional Spanish tunes in simple arrangements: Spanish culture through a Russian lens.

Garland says he admires Frank’s music for its "driving rhythms, the jazz harmonies, the non-classical vocal techniques, the Spanish language, the high F#s and Gs." He continues, "Besides her innovative music-making, I adore Gabi’s philosophy: when western “classical music” assimilates another culture, it must make both cultures equal: one culture can’t dominate the other."

Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.

"[Lena Frank is] one of the 35 most significant women composers in history" — The Washington Post

Track List

Gabriela Lena Frank: Cantos de Cifar y el Mar Dulce (Songs of Cifar and the Sweet Sea)
[01] I. El nacimiento de Cifar
[02] XV. Me diste oh Dios! una hija
[03] XVIII. Primer parte: El rebelde
[04] XVIII. Segune parte: Tomasito, el cuque
[05] XVIII. Tercer parte: El Niño
[06] XXII. Primer parte: Eufemia
[07] XXII. Segund parte: En La Vela del Angelito
[08] XXX. Pescador

[09] Gabriela Lena Frank: Las Cinco Lunas de Lorca

Gabriela Lena Frank: Cuatro Canciones Andinas
[10] Despedida
[11] Yo Crio una Mosca
[12] Carnaval de Tambobamba
[13] Yunca

Dmitri Shostakovich: Spanish Songs, Op. 100
[14] Prashai Granada (Farewell, Granada)
[15] Zvyozochki (Starry Eyes)
[16] Pyervaya Fstryecha (First Meeting)
[17] Ronda (Round Dance)
[18] Chernookaya (Dark Eyes)
[19] Son (Dream)

Total Time = 68:31

Biographies

Baritone Andrew Garland has performed recitals at Carnegie Hall, the New York Festival of Song, the Ravinia festival, Cleveland Art Song Festival, Bard Festival, Vocal Arts DC, college campuses around North America, and venues in Italy, Croatia, Greece, and Turkey. He has premiered works by Heggie, Bolcom, Paulus, Steven Mark Kohn, Hoiby, Cipullo, and Gabriela Frank. He has performed in concert with the Atlanta Symphony, Boston Baroque, Handel and Haydn, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and leading opera roles at Seattle Opera, New York City Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, Minnesota Opera, and many others. Garland teaches on the voice faculty at the University of Colorado.

Art Song Colorado introduces new audiences to classical song. Their innovative performances by Colorado artists include visual art, super-titles and storytelling. Art Song Colorado’s online videos capture the feeling of live performance in bite-sized experiences that are a perfect introduction for audiences. Join Art Song Colorado for “Musical Storytelling in a timeless style.”

Aug. 26: Pianist Orli Shaham's Mozart Vols 2 & 3

Volumes 2 and 3 of Orli Shaham's Complete Piano Sonatas by Mozart

2-disc set released August 26 on Canary Classics

Singles released August 12 & 19

“a first-rate Mozartean” — The Chicago Tribune

The internationally-renowned concert pianist Orli Shaham is deep into a multi-year endeavor of recording all of Mozart’s piano sonatas. Volumes 2 and 3 of "Mozart: Complete Piano Sonatas" is released on Canary Classics (CC21) on August 26, 2022. Singles will be released on August 12 (Rondo All Turca: Allegretto from K.331) and August 19 (Allegretto from K.576).

In this two CD set, Orli Shaham performs the ever-popular Sonata K.331, including the Rondo Alla Turca; one of the most technically demanding piano works by Mozart - the Sonata in D major, K.576; and the Sonata in A minor, K.310, a work with enormous emotional depth. Says Ms. Shaham, “These sonatas give so many insights into Mozart’s mind, his personality, and his soul, and reveal fresh ideas about the music and its meaning with every hearing.” The complete list of sonatas on Volumes 2 and 3 is below.

Improvisation is a big part of Orli Shaham’s approach to this music. For months leading up to the recording sessions, she worked on sections that she felt Mozart left open to improvisation, experimenting with all kinds of ideas. The result is a great sense of spontaneity in each of the sonatas she recorded. "The act of improvisation allows you to feel some sense of what Mozart would have felt. He was a real flesh-and-bone human being, for all his genius, just like us,” said Ms. Shaham.

Critics call Shaham "an intelligent and sensitive guide" for this music. For a digital or physical copy of Volumes 2 and 3 (Canary Classics CC21, released August 26), contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com. Volume 1 (Canary Classics CC19) is also available.

"Her playing is defined by expressive and varied phrasing, always convinced of where it's leading" — Classical Musical Sentinel

Orli Shaham, piano

Mozart Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 and 3

K.282 ● K.283 ● K.310 ● K.331 ● K. 332

K.545 ● K.576

Canary Classics CC21
Release date: August 26, 2022*

*Singles released on August 12 (Rondo All Turca: Allegretto from K.331)
and August 19 (Allegretto from K.576)

Volume 2 (Total Time = 61:11)
[01-03] Piano Sonata in A Minor, No. 9, K. 310
[04-06] Piano Sonata in F Major, No. 12, K. 332
[07-09] Piano Sonata in D Major, No. 18, K. 576

Volume 3 (Total Time = 69:34)
[01-03] Piano Sonata in C Major, "für Anfänger", No. 16, K. 545
[04-06] Piano Sonata in E-flat Major, No. 4, K. 282
[07-09] Piano Sonata in G Major, No. 5, K. 283
[10-12] Piano Sonata in A Major, "Alla turca", No. 11, K. 331

---

Hailed as “a first-rate Mozartean” by Chicago Tribune, Orli Shaham has established an international reputation as one of today's most gifted pianists.

Orli Shaham has performed with many of the major orchestras around the world, and has appeared in recital from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. She is Artistic Director of Pacific Symphony’s chamber series Café Ludwig in Costa Mesa, California and Artistic Director of the interactive children's concert series, Orli Shaham’s Bach Yard, which she founded in 2010.

In 2022, Ms. Shaham releases the second and third volumes of the complete Mozart Piano Sonatas. Her Mozart recording project also includes Volume 1 of the Piano Sonatas and her album of Piano Concertos with St. Louis Symphony, all of which are part of her discography of a over a dozen titles on Canary Classics, Deutsche Gramophone, Albany Records, SFS Media and more.

Orli Shaham is a Co-Host and Creative for the national radio program From the Top. She is on the piano and chamber music faculty at The Juilliard School and is chair of the board of trustees at Kaufman Music Center in New York. In 2022, Orli Shaham serves on the juries of both the Cliburn and Honens International Piano Competitions.

September: A "herculean feat" by Momenta Quartet (new dates)

Momenta Quartet presents:

Momenta Festival VII

New Dates!

September 15, 16, 17 & 18, 2022

Featuring: Mexican Independence Day Celebration, Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov, world premiere by David Glaser, Brahms' Horn Trio, and more

Four unique programs curated by each quartet member; free admission

"[the Momenta Festival] has become one of the most amazingly eclectic, never mind herculean feats attempted by any chamber ensemble in this city..." - New York Music Daily

Momenta Quartet presents its annual festival September 15-18, 2022 (rescheduled from June 2022). All four concerts are at the Broadway Presbyterian Church (601 W 114th St. New York, NY) at 7:30 pm, and admission is free.

The seventh edition of the festival features four diverse chamber music programs each curated by a different member of the quartet. With programs that blend the old and new, the "intriguing programming" (The New York Times) and "striking originality" (I Care If You Listen) of the Momenta Festival have been acclaimed by critics and fans alike.

The festival opens with a string quartet by the Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov, paired with works by Americans Elizabeth Brown and Shawn Jaeger. On Mexican Independence Day (September 16), the quartet performs two string quartets by Julián Carrillo, as the group is in the midst of recording all of Carrillo's quartets for Naxos. Guest artists David Byrd-Marrow, horn and Nana Shi, piano join the quartet on September 17 for a whimsical work, In Memory of Perky Pat, and Brahms' monumental horn trio. The world premiere of David Glaser’s String Quartet No. 5, written for Momenta in memory of Mario Davidovsky, alongside Beethoven’s groundbreaking “Serioso” quartet, closes the festival.

"I continue to be surprised at the quality of programming each member of the quartet brings to the festival," says Momenta violist Stephanie Griffin. "We founded this festival in 2015 as an artistic outlet for each of our individual musical interests, and my colleagues have introduced so many new pieces and composers to audiences and myself across the seven years."

Admission to all concerts is free. Programs are subject to change.

---

Momenta Quartet's 2022 Momenta Festival

All concerts start at 7:30 pm (doors at 7 pm)
at the Broadway Presbyterian Church (601 W 114th St.) in Manhattan

Free admission, no tickets/reservations needed

SEPTEMBER 15: Distant Songs - curated by Michael Haas, cello

In the words of Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov, “Music is, above all, a chant, a song the world sings about itself.” Momenta explores the influence of song and the human voice on this program featuring recent works by Silvestrov and American composers Elizabeth Brown and Shawn Jaeger.

Program:

Elizabeth Brown: Just Visible in the Distance (2013)

Valentin Silvestrov: String Quartet no. 3 (2011)

Shawn Jaeger: Thy Wondering Eyes (2010)

---

SEPTEMBER 16: A Mexican Independence Day Celebration - curated by Stephanie Griffin

Momenta continues its deep dive into the fascinating and under-explored world of historic Mexican composers. As part of the quartet’s ongoing project to make the world premiere recordings of Julián Carrillo’s complete string quartets for Naxos, Momenta will perform his String Quartet No. 5 (1937) and No. 11 (1962).

Julián Carrillo (1875 - 1965) was a Mexican composer, conductor and music theorist, who developed a theory of microtonal music which he called "The Thirteenth Sound" (Sonido 13).

Program:

Julián Carrillo: String Quartet No. 5

Julián Carrillo: String Quartet No. 11

---

SEPTEMBER 17: Horn Fifths - curated by Alex Shiozaki, violin

Guest artists: David Byrd-Marrow, horn and Nana Shi, piano

David Byrd-Marrow and Nana Shi join Momenta on this program exploring the horn and its harmonies. Having premiered Hirofumi Mogi’s In Memory of Perky Pat (2021) earlier this year, Momenta is reprising that whimsical piece for string quartet and french horn. Grażyna Bacewicz’s Piano Quintet No. 2 (1965) provides another take on harmony, replacing overtones with quintal harmonies in this angular and virtuosic quintet. To close the evening, we return to the comforting consonance of Johannes Brahms’s Horn Trio, taking us through a full range of emotions without leaning too much into the clash of dissonance.

Program:

Hirofumi Mogi: In Memory of Perky Pat (2021) for string quartet and horn

Johannes Brahms: Trio for Violin, Horn, and Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 40 (1865)

Grażyna Bacewicz: Piano Quintet No. 2 (1965)

---

SEPTEMBER 18: Visionary Sounds - curated by Emilie-Anne Gendron, violin

Momenta presents the world premiere of David Glaser’s String Quartet No. 5 (2022), written for Momenta in memory of Mario Davidovsky, alongside Davidovsky’s intricate Synchronisms No. 9 (1988) for violin and recorded electronic sounds. This exploratory evening also includes Mexican microtonal trailblazer Julián Carrillo’s final String Quartet No. 11 (1962); and Beethoven’s groundbreaking “Serioso” quartet.

Program:

Stefan Wolpe: Twelve Pieces for String Quartet (1950)

Mario Davidovsky: Synchronisms No. 9 (1988) for violin and recorded electronic sounds

David Glaser: String Quartet No. 5, in memoriam Mario Davidovsky (2022)*

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 11 in f minor, Op. 95 “Serioso” (1810)

*world premiere, written for Momenta

---

Momenta Quartet

Emilie-Anne Gendron, violin
Alex Shiozaki, violin
Stephanie Griffin, viola
Michael Haas, cello

Momenta: the plural of momentum – four individuals in motion towards a common goal. This is the idea behind the Momenta Quartet, whose eclectic vision encompasses contemporary music of all aesthetic backgrounds alongside great music from the recent and distant past. The New York City-based quartet has premiered over 150 works, collaborated with over 200 living composers and was praised by The New York Times for its “diligence, curiosity and excellence.” In the words of The New Yorker’s Alex Ross, “few American players assume Haydn’s idiom with such ease.”

Momenta has appeared at such prestigious venues as the Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery, Rubin Museum, Miller Theatre at Columbia University, the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Washington University in St. Louis, Ostrava Days in the Czech Republic, and at the internationally renowned Cervantino Festival in Mexico. Momenta has recorded for Centaur Records, Furious Artisans, PARMA, New World Records, and Albany Records; and has been broadcast on WQXR, Q2 Music, Austria's Oe1, and Vermont Public Radio.

The Momenta Festival VII is made possible through the generous support of the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, the Amphion Foundation, the Alice M. Ditson Fund, New Music USA, Chamber Music America, the Sparkplug Foundation, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The 2022 Momenta Festival is supported by The Adele and John Gray Endowment Fund and through the generosity of many individual donors.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌