New from pianist Bruce Levingston

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Bruce Levingston’s new album “Without Words” highlights lyrical color in Felix Mendelssohn’s works for solo piano

Also: A world premiere by Price Walden inspired by Mendelssohn, commissioned by Levingston

Release date September 22, 2023 on Sono Luminus

"exquisite...heart-wrenching vulnerability and tenderness…extraordinarily nuanced" — The New York Times

“Felix Mendelssohn’s Songs without Words are meant to enchant rather than dazzle,” writes pianist Bruce Levingston in the liner notes of his new recording, “Without Words”. “Like entries in a personal diary, they reveal the composer’s innermost reflections.” Levingston's recording of 14 of Mendelssohn’s Songs without Words, paired with a new set that he commissioned from Price Walden, is released on Sono Luminus on September 22, 2023. “Without Words” is Levingston’s tenth studio recording. 

Levingston hears a myriad of colors within Mendelssohn’s work, and believes that the composer understood how to evoke emotion through color. “A superb watercolorist,” writes Levingston, “Mendelssohn displays his mastery of line and color throughout these exquisite tone poems.”

When Levingston was asked by a friend to create a new work relevant to our own era, he turned to fellow Mississippian, composer Price Walden, commissioning from him a new set of “Songs without Words” that reflects upon today’s uncertain times. Most of Walden’s seven titles are evocative of their sentiment: Love Song, Elegy, Protest, and Lullaby. Levingston wrote that “Walden’s cycle ventures beyond its source to imagine a new and inspired tonal canvas.” 

The order of the selections on this recording – a set of seven Songs without Words by Mendelssohn followed by Walden’s seven new works, and concluding with seven more of Mendelssohn's songs - creates a moving dialogue between these composers that eloquently bridges the two centuries between them.

Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording. For more information about pianist Bruce Levingston, including his extensive discography, visit brucelevingston.com.

"a force for new music" — The New Yorker

Without Words
Bruce Levingston, piano

Sono Luminus (DSL-92269)
Release date: September 22, 2023

TRACKS

Felix Mendelssohn
[01] Song without Words Op. 102-No. 4 in G minor 2:14
[02] Song without Words Op. 67-No. 3 in B-flat major 3:26
[03] Song without Words Op. 38 No. 2 in C minor 2:29
[04] Song without Words Op. 38 No. 6 in A-flat Major Duetto 4:35
[05] Song without Words Op. 102-No. 3 in C major 1:40
[06] Song without Words Op. 53-No. 1 in A-flat major 3:56
[07] Song without Words Op. 30-No. 6 in F-sharp minor 4:29
Venetianisches Gondellied

Price Walden
[08] Song without Words No. 1 Prelude 3:37
[09] Song without Words No. 2 for the left hand 2:33
[10] Song without Words No. 3 Love Song - Duet 4:03
[11] Song without Words No. 4 Berceuse 3:08
[12] Song without Words No. 5 Elegy 4:47
[13] Song without Words No. 6 Protest 4:36
[14] Song without Words No. 7 Lullaby 3:21

Felix Mendelssohn
[15] Song without Words Op. 19-No. 2 in A minor 2:43
[16] Song without Words Op. 19-No. 1 in E major 4:11
[17] Song without Words Op. 19-No. 5 in F-sharp minor 3:46
[18] Song without Words Op. 19-No. 6 in G minor Venetianische Gondellied 2:41
[19] Song without Words Op. 62-No. 1 in G major 3:39
[20] Song without Words Op. 67-No. 5 in B minor 3:03
[21] Song without Words Op. 85-No. 4 in D major 3:25

Artist Biography

The American concert pianist Bruce Levingston is acclaimed for his “mastery of color and nuance” (The New York Times), and by The New Yorker as “a force for new music.” With over 18 million plays on Spotify and Apple Music, Levingston is one of today's most frequently streamed classical artists. His 2023 release “Without Words”, music by Felix Mendelssohn and Price Walden on Sono Luminus, is his tenth solo recording. 

Levingston has performed often in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. A longtime champion of living artists and composers, he has commissioned and premiered more than 75 works and collaborated with American Ballet Theatre, BAM, MoMA and the Whitney Museum to present new works. He is a native of the Mississippi Delta and lifelong advocate of human, civil and animal rights. He was awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2006, and named to the Mississippi Music Hall of Fame. He is Artist in Residence and holder of the Fant Endowed Chair at the University of Mississippi. 

October 25: World premiere of “they burn, the fires of the night: lamentations from the ashes”

The Defiant Requiem Foundation presents the world premiere of they burn, the fires of the night: lamentations from the ashes by Gerald Cohen 

Song cycle is a setting of texts from Poems Born in Bergen-Belsen by Menachem Z. Rosensaft

Featured performers: Mezzo soprano Leah Wool and baritone David Kravitz

October 25, 7 pm at Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College in NYC and live-streamed worldwide

“[Gerald Cohen’s music] reveals a very personal modernism that...offers great emotional rewards.” - Gramophone

Ghosts of the past weave their way into our present and future in Menachem Z. Rosensaft's book Poems Born in Bergen-Belsen. Composer Gerald Cohen has brought Rosensaft's words to the concert stage in his settings of these poems. Mezzo soprano Leah Wool and baritone David Kravitz are featured performers in the world premiere of Cohen's song cycle, they burn, the fires of the night: lamentations from the ashes.

The composition, commissioned and presented by The Defiant Requiem Foundation, will be performed on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 7 pm at The Dr. Bernard Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College (One West Fourth Street in Manhattan). In-person and live-streamed attendance is free, reservations (at www.defiantrequiem.org/Oct25 beginning in late August) are required.

The program also includes music by composers who were imprisoned at the concentration camp at Terezín during WWII, including Viktor Ullmann, James Simon and Robert Dauber; as well as selections from Olivier Messiaen’s seminal Quartet for the End of Time. Instrumentalists include clarinetist Jon Manasse and cellist Julian Schwarz. Program details are below.

A post-performance discussion with the poet and composer will be moderated by Murry Sidlin, President and Artistic Director of The Defiant Requiem Foundation. The audience is invited to a reception following the program.

Calendar listing

Wednesday, October 25, 2023, 7 pm

The Dr. Bernard Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College
One West Fourth Street in Manhattan

World premiere of they burn, the fires of the night: lamentations from the ashes by Gerald Cohen on poetry by Menachem Z. Rosensaft; and other chamber works

Post-performance discussion led by Murry Sidlin, President and Artistic Director of The Defiant Requiem Foundation

In-person and live-stream admission is free, reservations (at www.defiantrequiem.org/Oct25 beginning in late August) are required.

PROGRAM

Gerald Cohen: they burn, the fires of the night: lamentations from the ashes (world premiere)
Viktor Ullmann: Variations and Fugue on a Hebrew Folksong from Piano Sonata No. 7
James Simon: Arioso for Unaccompanied Cello
Robert Dauber: Serenade for Violin and Piano
Olivier Messiaen: The Abyss of the Bird & Praise to The Eternity of Jesus
from Quartet for the End of Time

PERFORMERS
Herbert Greenberg, Violin
Jon Manasse, Clarinet
Julian Schwarz, Cello
Marika Bournaki, Piano
Leah Wool, Mezzo Soprano
David Kravitz, Baritone

The performance is underwritten by the House of Julius Meinl

Sept 6 & 9: Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival

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Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival launches its 27th season in September

Sept. 6: violinist Miranda Cuckson, and Cleveland Orchestra musicians violist Eliesha Nelson and cellist Brian Thornton play works by Bond, Mumford, Mazzoli, Velasquez, Barzegar, and Arissian

Sept. 9 (co-presented by The Village Trip): Baritone Michael Kelly and pianist Bradley Moore perform works by Bond, Cage, Carter, Corigliano, Piazzolla and more

World and regional premieres featured on both programs

"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. The festival launches its 27th season with two concerts in September. 

On Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 7:30 pm, Cleveland Orchestra musicians violist Eliesha Nelson and cellist Brian Thornton with violinist Miranda Cuckson perform music by Missy Mazzoli, Ileana Perez Velasquez, Nina Barzegar, Mina Arissian, Jeffrey Mumford, and Victoria Bond, including world and regional premieres. Program details are below. The performance is at Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater (2537 Broadway, Manhattan). Tickets are $20 in advance, $30 at the door; ticket link will be live in mid-August. 

On Saturday, September 9 at 7 pm, Cutting Edge Concerts and The Village Trip Festival co-present a program of songs by Greenwich Village composers and poets with baritone Michael Kelly and pianist Bradley Moore. Featured are the world premieres of two song cycles by Victoria Bond and John Glover. Works by John Cage, Elliott Carter, John Corigliano, David Del Tredici, John Musto and Astor Piazzolla are also on the program. The performance is at the Salgamundi Club (47 Fifth Ave, Manhattan). Tickets are $30, available here.

The 2023-24 season of Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival continues on March 12, 2024 with the Cassatt String Quartet and pianist Ursula Oppens at Symphony Space.

Calendar Listing

CUTTING EDGE CONCERTS NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Road Not Taken

Wednesday, September 6, 2023, 7:30 pm

Symphony Space (2537 Broadway, Manhattan)

Miranda Cuckson, violin; Eliesha Nelson, viola; Brian Thorton, cello

Tickets: $20 advance (ticket link available mid-August); $30 at the door

PROGRAM

Victoria Bond Jasmine Flower
Eliesha Nelson, viola

Missy Mazzoli Tooth and Nail
Eliesha Nelson, viola

Jeffrey Mumford . . . becoming clear
I. Molto sonoro ed espressivo
II. Lontano ha ne

Eliesha Nelson
(NY Premiere)

Mumford fleeting cycles of layered air
Miranda Cuckson, violin

Ileana Perez Velasquez The road not taken
Miranda Cuckson, violin
(NY Premiere)

Nina Barzegar Vulnerable
Brian Thornton, cello

Mina Arissian Cello Sonata
Brian Thornton, cello
(World Premiere)

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CUTTING EDGE CONCERTS NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL,
co-presented by The Village Trip

Neighbors, Lovers, and Friends

Saturday, September 9, 2023, 7:30 pm

Salmagundi Club (47 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan)

Michael Kelly, baritone
Bradley Moore, piano

Tickets: $30 available here

Music by Victoria Bond, John Cage, Elliott Carter, John Corigliano, David Del Tredici, John Glover, John Musto, & Astor Piazzolla

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 26 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.

"CHORINHO" - violist Georgina Rossi and pianist Silvie Cheng

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New from violist Georgina Rossi and pianist Silvie Cheng: music by Brazilian composers

“CHORINHO” includes a work by Villa-Lobos, world premiere recordings by João de Souza Lima, Lindembergue Cardoso, and Ernani Aguiar; and a special arrangement of “Lua Branca”

Released August 11, 2023 on Navona Records

"[violist Georgina Rossi] shot through with eloquence..." — Fanfare Magazine

The new album by violist Georgina Rossi and pianist Silvie Cheng is saturated with Brazil’s rich musical heritage. CHORINHO (Navona NV6537, released August 11, 2023) presents a slew of alluring yet under-recognized works for viola, including world-premiere recordings of works by João de Souza Lima, Lindembergue Cardoso, and Ernani Aguiar. 

A solo piano interlude honors Heitor Villa-Lobos, the titan of Brazil’s 20th century musical scene. The concluding track, an arrangement of Chiquinha Gonzaga’s song Lua Branca by the two soloists themselves, hangs over the collection like a light. Vibrant, soulful, and expressive, CHORINHO offers a spectacular glimpse into a little-known area of Brazilian contemporary music.

Cheng and Rossi's previously collaborated on "MOBILI: Music for viola and piano from Chile" (New Focus, 2020). Critics praised the duo for their "excellent performances" (CineMusical), calling the album a "very accomplished listen" (Take Effect Reviews).

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

“CHORINHO: Music for Viola and Piano from Brazil”

Georgina Rossi, viola
Silvie Cheng, piano 

Navona Records NV6537
Release date: August 11, 2023

Tracks
[01] João de Souza Lima: Chorinho for viola and piano 7:09 

Osvaldo Lacerda: Appassionato, Cantilena, e Toccata for viola and piano
[02] I. Appassionato 5:06
[03] II. Catilena 5:09
[04] III. Toccata 2:50 

Ernani Aguair: Meloritmias No. 5 for solo viola
[05] I. Ponteando 3:08
[06] II. Resposta ao bilhete do jorgralrrapeixe 4:07
[07] III. Convite ao amigo Cristiano Ribeiro 4:03

[08] Heitor Villa-Lobos: Valsa da dor for solo piano 5:39

[09] Lindembergue Cardoso: Pequeno Estudio, Op. 78 for solo piano 8:06 

Brenno Blauth: Sonata for viola and piano
[10] I. Dramático 7:20
[11] II. Evocativo 7:12
[12] III. Agitado 6:25

[13] Chiquinha Gonzaga (arr. Silvie Cheng, Georgina Rossi): Lua branca (from the operetta: O Forrobodó) 1:56

Artist Biographies

Chilean-American violist Georgina Isabel Rossi. enjoys a varied career as soloist and chamber musician in North and South America. Recent highlights include appearances with Orquesta Sinfónica Universidad La Serena (OSULS), Orquesta Sinfónica Uncuyo in Mendoza, and Orquestade Cámara de Chile. Her debut album, Mobili: Music for Viola and Piano from Chile (New Focus Recordings), was praised by WQXR as “expertly played” and named one of the “Favorite Albums of the Year” on Classical California KUSC. In 2023 she releases CHORINHO: Music for Viola and Piano from Brazil (Navona Records), both with the pianist Silvie Cheng.

Ms. Rossi is on the music faculty of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, where she is a member of the resident string quartet and contemporary ensemble. She holds a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Roger Tapping, and a Bachelor of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where she was a student of Karen Dreyfus and Daniel Avshalomov. Georgina Rossi plays a 2014 viola made by Leonardo Anderi in Buenos Aires and a bow by Carl Wilhelm Knopf. In addition to her musical talents, she is also a visual artist and focuses on draftsmanship. 

Lauded for her “extraordinarily varied palette” (WholeNote Magazine) and “purely magical” playing (New York Concert Review), Tokyo-born Chinese-Canadian pianist Silvie Cheng illuminates musical works with her exquisite touch at the keyboard. Since her Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2011, she has performed internationally as a recitalist, collaborative pianist, and soloist including at Steinway Hall and Merkin Hall in New York; Flagey Hall in Brussels; Poly Theatre in Shanghai; and Alpensia Concert Hall in South Korea, among many other acclaimed venues. She has appeared as soloist with Symphony Nova Scotia, New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles. Her awards include top prizes at the Thousand Islands and Heida Hermanns International Piano Competition, the Canadian Music Competition National Finals, the Ontario Music Federation Association Competition, and the Lillian Fuchs Chamber Music Competition.

Works for solo violin by Mazzoli, Clyne, Joachim

Grammy award-winner and former Eighth Blackbird violinist Yvonne Lam releases first solo album, “Watch Over Us” 

Works for violin and electronics includes music by Anna Clyne, Eve Beglarian, Kate Moore, Katherine Balch, Missy Mazzoli and the world premiere recording of a work by Nathalie Joachim

Released July 28, 2023 on Blue Griffin Records

The Grammy award-winner and former Eighth Blackbird violinist Yvonne Lam releases her first solo album on July 28, 2023 (Blue Griffin BGR 647). “Watch Over Us” includes compositions for solo violin and electronics by some of the most accomplished women alive today. Featured is the world premiere recording of “Watch Over Us” by Nathalie Joachim (written for Lam) and the transcription for violin of Missy Mazzoli's "Tooth and Nail". Also on the collection, music by Katherine Balch, Anna Clyne, Eve Beglarian, and Kate Moore. 

“Even though I am the only live performer in each piece, it never feels like a solo,” writes Lam in the liner notes. “I actually feel that I am in a way per­forming with the composer, who created the fixed media part exactly to their taste. Over time, performing with these tapes felt akin to playing with a longtime chamber music partner whose intentions you can divine with your gut and whose sounds combine with yours to become something larger than the sum of its parts.”

The recording’s title composition, “Watch Over Us” by Yvonne Lam’s Eighth Blackbird colleague Nathalie Joachim, was originally intended as a documentary film score. Though the film itself never materialized, Lam said her premiere performance of the work, along with “other works for solo violin and electronics by remarkable women” inspired this album.

“I’ve been a fan of Anna Clyne’s music for well over a decade,” writes Lam. “Rest These Hands" is technically acoustic but I included it because of the poignant poem written by her mother that is read over the solo violin.” Lam says she’s been eager to play Kate Moore’s "Syn­aesthesia Suite" since she first learned of its existence. “I love the kaleidoscope of colors created by the track, and the vast arc of the musical journey Kate takes us on.”

Yvonne Lam was violinist and Co-Artistic Director of Eighth Blackbird from 2011-2019, winning a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for the album Filament with the venerable ensemble. As a youngster, she began playing violin by mistake: she thought she was learning to play guitar. She ultimately went on to earn degrees in violin at Juilliard and Curtis. 

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

Watch Over Us

Yvonne Lam, violin

Blue Griffin Recording (BGR 647)
Release date: July 28, 2023

TRACKS

[01] Missy Mazzoli: Tooth and Nail (10:02)

[02] Katherine Balch: Apartment Sounds (03:08)

[03] Nathalie Joachim: Watch Over Us (08:01) (world premiere recording)

[04] Anna Clyne: Rest These Hands (09:11)

[05] Eve Beglarian: Well-Spent (04:52)

[06] Kate Moore: Synaesthesia Suite (17:43)

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Grammy Award-winning violinist Yvonne Lam has appeared as soloist with such renowned orchestras as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony, the Auckland Philharmonia, and the American Youth Symphony. She was the violinist/violist and Co-Artistic Director of contemporary super-ensemble Eighth Blackbird for eight years, and commissioned and premiered major works by composers such as Steve Reich, David Lang, Nico Muhly, and Bryce Dessner. In addition to winning top prizes at international competitions including the Michael Hill World Violin Competition, the Liana Issakadze Violin Competition, and the Holland-America Music Society Competition, Ms. Lam served three seasons as Assistant Concertmaster of the Washington National Opera Orchestra. Ms. Lam is an Assistant Professor of Violin and Coordinator of Chamber Music at Michigan State University. She received her Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music and her Master of Music from the Juilliard School.  

Cassatt SQ performs Gerald Cohen on innova

Cassatt String Quartet is featured on new release of music by Gerald Cohen

Cohen’s Voyagers album includes world premiere recordings of 21st century works for string quartet, clarinet and trombone 

Released July 21, 2023 on innova Records

“[Gerald Cohen’s music] reveals a very personal modernism that...offers great emotional rewards.” Gramophone

For over a decade, the Cassatt String Quartet has collaborated with the composer Gerald Cohen. On July 21, 2023, innova Recordings releases “Voyagers” (innova 090); music by Gerald Cohen performed by the Cassatt String Quartet and guest artists. 

“Telling stories through music is central to all I do as a composer and performer – most explicitly in my operas and vocal works, but also in purely instrumental works such as those on this album,” said Gerald Cohen. “This album is the culmination of the voyage I have taken with the Cassatt String Quartet during the past decade. I will always be grateful for the collaboration with these wonderful colleagues.”

The title work is inspired by the Voyager spacecraft that carried the Golden Record, an audio time capsule intended to give extra-terrestrial beings an impression of human culture on Planet Earth. The performance also features Narek Arutyunian on clarinet and bass clarinet.

Playing for Our Lives is a contemporary memorial and tribute to the musical life of the Nazi concentration camp Terezín (Theresienstadt), near Prague. The work uses elements from from the Yiddish folk song Beryozkele, Hans Krasa’s opera Brundibar, and Verdi’s Requiem. Both Voyagers and Playing for Our Lives were written for the Cassatt String Quartet. The album concludes with Preludes and Debka, featuring trombonist Colin Williams. 

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

"an extraordinary quartet" – The New York Times

Gerald Cohen: Voyagers

Cassatt String Quartet
(Muneko Otani & Jennifer Leshnower, violins; Ah Ling Neu, viola; Elizabeth Anderson, cello)

Narek Arutyunian, clarinet & bass clarinet
Colin Williams, trombone

innova Recordings (innova 090)
Release date: July 21, 2023

TRACKS

Voyagers
[01] Cavatina (9:31)
[02] Bhairavi (6:57)
[03] Galliard (5:39)
[04] Beyond the Heliosphere (7:15)

Cassatt String Quartet
Narek Arutyunian, clarinet and bass clarinet

Playing for our lives
[05] Beryozkele (7:29)
[06] Brundibar (6:15)
[07] Dies Irae (8:40)

Cassatt String Quartet

[08] Preludes and Debka (13:01)

Cassatt String Quartet
Colin Williams, trombone

Biographies

Composer Gerald Cohen has been praised for his “linguistic fluidity and melodic gift,” (Gramophone Magazine); his music “is filled with vibrant melody, rhythmic clarity, drive and compositional mastery” (Gapplegate Review). His past discography includes Generations (New World Records, 2001) and Sea of Reeds (Navona, 2014). In addition to Voyagers (innova, 2023), a studio recording of the opera Steal a Pencil for Me is being released in 2024.

Cohen is a noted synagogue cantor and baritone; his experience as a singer informs his dramatic, lyrical compositions. His opera Steal a Pencil for Me received its world premiere production by Opera Colorado in January 2018, and his chamber and choral works have been performed in important venues in the United States and internationally. Recognition of Cohen's body of work includes commissioning grants from Meet the Composer, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, and American Composers Forum.

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 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.

Violinists Muneko Otani and Jennifer Leshnower, violist Ah Ling Neu and cellist Elizabeth Anderson are the members of the CSQ performing on the “Voyagers" album.

Released today: Chamber music by composer David Biedenbender

Composer David Biedenbender releases first portrait album of his music “All We Are Given We Cannot Hold”

Recording includes performances by soprano Linsday Kesselman, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Garth Newel Piano Quartet, and settings of poetry by Robert Fanning

Released July 14, 2023 on Blue Griffin Recording

"…modern, venturesome, and inexorable…The excitement, intensity, and freshness that characterizes Biedenbender’s music hung in the [air] long after the last note was played" — Examiner.com

Composer David Biedenbender draws inspiration from poetry by Robert Fanning, the beauty of the national parks and seemingly small, fleeting moments of life. “All We Are Given, We Cannot Hold” on Blue Griffin Recording (BGR 649, released July 14, 2023) includes performances by the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Garth Newel Piano Quartet with clarinetist Mingzhe Wang, and the Haven Trio. Two of these works are settings of poetry by Robert Fanning.  

“I remember first reading Robert’s poetry in 2014; it was as if he was able to give voice to feelings and experiences in a way that made them feel like my own. His words reveal a world of profound beauty that transcends the page,” says Biedenbender.

Biedenbender collaborated with Fanning to write Shell and Wing for soprano Lindsay Kesselman and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble. They initially intended the work to be about childhood, but the school shooting in Parkland, Florida shifted their focus to their complicated roles as parents, and they created a work about raising children in this violent world. The music draws from Schumann’s Träumerei (Dreaming/Reverie) and Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood). 

The title work, all we are given we cannot hold, written for the Haven Trio, captures seemingly ordinary moments of parenthood; the small, beautiful moments that disappear quickly. The texts are from collections of Fanning’s poetry. 

The two instrumental works on the album, Solstice (2018) and Red Vesper (2013), are performed by the Garth Newel Piano Quartet. Solstice was inspired by the composer’s visits to the Garth Newel Music Center in the Allegheny Mountains and quotes Ives’ The Unanswered Question and Appalachian fiddling. Biedenbender composed Red Vesper after the death of his sister-in-law. The title comes from the image of red rock formations in a National Park, evoking a vesper at dusk. Clarinetist Mingzhe Wang joins the quartet for the work.

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

"Clearly a composer to watch out for." — Fanfare Magazine

All We Are Given We Cannot Hold

Music by David Biedenbender

Poetry by Robert Fanning

Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble
Garth Newel Piano Quartet
Mingzhe Wang, clarinet
Haven Trio

Blue Griffin Recording (BGR 649)
Release date: July 14, 2023

TRACKS

Shell and Wing (2018) - text by Robert Fanning
[01] I. Shell 08:23
[02] II. Wing 07:39

Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble

[03] Red Vesper (2014) 07:07

Garth Newel Piano Quartet with Mingzhe Wang, clarinet

all we are given we cannot hold (2022) - text by Robert Fanning
[04] I. The Darkness, Literal and Figurative 03:37
[05] II. One and a Half Miles Away from Dying 04:40
[06] III. Watching My Daughter Through the One Way Mirror of a Preschool Observation Room 02:41
[07] IV. The Thorn Birds 04:14
[08] V. Model Nation 03:57
[09] VI. Body of Work 05:40
[10] VII. Cuttings 04:38

Haven Trio

Solstice (2018)
[11] I. Summer 05:18
[12] II. Autumn 09:16
[13] III. Winter 06:39
[14] IV. Spring 03:59

Garth Newel Piano Quartet

Total time: 77:54

Artist Biography

Composer David Biedenbender has written music for the concert stage as well as for dance and multimedia collaborations, and his work is often influenced by his diverse musical experiences in rock and jazz bands as a bassist, in wind, jazz, and New Orleans-style brass bands as a euphonium, trombone, and tuba player, and by study of Indian Carnatic Music. He has had the privilege of collaborating with and being commissioned by many renowned performers and ensembles, including Alarm Will Sound, the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, the Stenhammar String Quartet, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the U.S. Navy Band, Philharmonie Baden-Baden (Germany), VocalEssence, and the Eastman Wind Ensemble, among many others. He is currently Associate Professor of Composition in the College of Music at Michigan State University, and he holds degrees in composition from the University of Michigan and Central Michigan University.

Canceled: Sono Fest! at Soapbox Gallery

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Due to positive COVID-19 tests in the production staff, the remaining dates of Sono Fest! at Soapbox Gallery have been canceled.

This includes tonight's concert (June 12) with the Momenta Quartet, the concerts June 13-18 and the "Coda" concert with tenor Mark Padmore on June 23.

Canceled: Soapbox Gallery presents Sono Fest! June 6-18 & 23, curated by Ethan Iverson

"among the best chamber music shows I'd heard all season" – Seth Colter Walls, New York Times

Sono Fest! in the news:

• Feature article in the New York Times.

• Soapbox Gallery owner Jimmy Greenfield speaks with The Best is Noise host Ben Gambuzza in an interview on Radio Free Brooklyn.

• Ethan Iverson speaks about Sono Fest! in an Insider Interview.

Program descriptions written by curator Ethan Iverson

All concerts are at Soapbox Gallery (636 Dean St., Brooklyn, NY)
Live-stream and in-person tickets available here

There are two hour-long concerts every night at 7:30 and 9 pm EDT, more like jazz practice than classical convention. We expect to turn the room over (there are only 60 seats) so most of those who are performing formally notated works will probably play the same program twice (a comparatively rare opportunity to enjoy such a liberating sequence).

Canceled: Sono Fest! June 6-18 & 23

June 6: Ethan Iverson/Miranda Cuckson, violin

• June 7: Ethan Iverson/Chris Potter, saxophone

• June 8: Miranda Cuckson, violin

• June 9: Taka Kigawa, piano

• June 10: Timo Andres, piano

• June 11: Sam Newsome, saxophone and Sylvie Courvoisier, piano

• June 12: Momenta Quartet

• June 13: Judith Berkson, singer/pianist/composer

• June 14: Marta Sanchez, piano

• June 15: Aaron Diehl, piano

• June 16: Scott Wollschleger, composer

• June 17: Han Chen, piano

• June 18: Composer Robert Cuckson (1st set)

• June 18: Ethan Iverson (2nd set)

• June 23: *Coda* concert with tenor Mark Padmore (details below)

More details here.

June 23: Tenor Mark Padmore at Soapbox Gallery

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June 23: Tenor Mark Padmore in intimate gallery in Brooklyn

Concert with pianist Ethan Iverson and poet Sarah Deming concludes first annual Sono Fest!, in-person and live-streamed worldwide

Sono Fest! June 6-23 at Soapbox Gallery features two weeks of top contemporary classical and jazz artists

On June 23, tenor Mark Padmore comes to the intimate Soapbox Gallery in Brooklyn (646 Dean St). Performing in a 60-seat venue, Padmore is joined by pianist Ethan Iverson and poet Sarah Deming for their "Songs of the Earth" program. The trio performs two sets at 7:30 and 9 pm EDT to in-person audiences, and live-streamed worldwide. The concert concludes the inaugural Sono Fest! at Soapbox, June 6-23.

The program features lieder from Britten, Schubert, Ives, and many others, alongside poetry from Mary Oliver, Lawrence Durrell, Philip Larken, and others.

Sono Fest! (June 6-23 at Soapbox Gallery) features nightly performances from the most spectacular artists in classical and jazz: pianists Ethan Iverson, Aaron Diehl, Taka Kigawa, Sylvie Courvoisier, Timo Andres, violinist Miranda Cuckson, Momenta Quartet, saxophonist Sam Newsome, and much more.

"This is a festival of modern greats" says composer/jazz and classical pianist superstar Ethan Iverson who curates the series. The festival boasts in-person and live-streamed performances at 7:30 and 9 pm EDT every night (June 6-18 and 23) at Soapbox Gallery (636 Dean St, Brooklyn, NY). 

Calendar Listing

Sono Fest! "Coda"
Songs of the Earth

Mark Padmore, tenor
Ethan Iverson, piano
Sarah Deming, poet

June 23, 2023
sets at 7:30 pm and 9 pm EDT

Soapbox Gallery (636 Dean St., Brooklyn, NY)

Live-stream and in-person tickets available here

Billy Collins As if to demonstrate an eclipse
Franz Schubert Im Abendrot
Mary Oliver Mysteries, Yes
Gustav Mahler Ich atmet’ einen linden Duft
Kathleen Jamie Perfect Day
Aaron Copland Nature, the Gentlest Mother
Hanns Eisler Sprinkling of Gardens
Robin Robertson Keys to the Door
Gabriel Fauré Prison
Philip Larkin Going, going
Reynaldo Hahn Chanson d’automne
Tansy Davies Destroying Beauty
Seamus Heaney Clearances
Benjamin Britten The auld Aik
Charles Ives The Cage
Rainer Maria Rilke The Panther
Rebecca Clarke The Tiger
D H Lawrence The Snake
Sally Beamish O Hoopoe
Wallace Stevens Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird
Charles Ives Housatonic at Stockbridge
Franz Schubert Die Mutter Erde
Hayden Carruth Essay
Ralph Vaughan Williams Nocturne
Mary Oliver When Death Comes
Gustav Holst Betelgeuse
Thomas Hardy To Meet or Otherwise
Franz Schubert Frühlingsglaube

Sono Fest! Curated by Ethan Iverson

June 6-23, sets at 7:30 & 9 pm
In-person and live-streamed
Soapbox Gallery (636 Dean St, Brooklyn)

An explosion of creativity is bursting through the intimate Soapbox Gallery. The inaugural Sono Fest! features 13 nights of performances by some of the most spectacular artists in classical and jazz: pianists Ethan Iverson, Aaron Diehl, Taka Kigawa, Sylvie Courvoisier, and Timo Andres; violinist Miranda Cuckson, Momenta Quartet, saxophonist Chris Potter, and much more.

Curated by composer/jazz and classical pianist superstar Ethan Iverson, the festival boasts in person and live streamed performances at 7:30 and 9 pm EDT every night. 

Details and programs here; in-person and livestream tickets here.

• June 6: Ethan Iverson/Miranda Cuckson, violin

• June 7: Ethan Iverson/Chris Potter, saxophone

• June 8: Miranda Cuckson, violin

• June 9: Taka Kigawa, piano

• June 10: Timo Andres, piano

• June 11: Sam Newsome, saxophone and Sylvie Courvoisier, piano

• June 12: Momenta Quartet

• June 13: Judith Berkson, singer/pianist/composer

• June 14: Marta Sanchez, piano

• June 15: Aaron Diehl, piano

• June 16: Scott Wollschleger, composer

• June 17: Han Chen, piano

• June 18: Composer Robert Cuckson (1st set)

• June 18: Ethan Iverson (2nd set)

• June 23: *Coda* concert with tenor Mark Padmore (see details above)

Out now: Orli Shaham's Mozart Sonatas Vol. 4

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Pianist Orli Shaham releases volume 4 of the Complete Mozart Piano Sonatas

Sonatas K.279, K.280 & K.284 are out June 2, 2023 on Canary Classics

“One can now only wait with bated breath as Miss Shaham works her way towards completing her extraordinary exposition of Mozart’s piano sonatas.” — World Music Report

The internationally-renowned concert pianist Orli Shaham is deep into a multi-year endeavor of recording all of Mozart’s piano sonatas. On Friday, June 2, 2023, Shaham releases Volume 4 of "Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas" on Canary Classics (CC23) on CD and via all major streaming and download services. The remaining volumes of the six-disc set are due to be released next season.

"As a young musician, Mozart traveled widely and — like any good traveling salesman — needed samples to show off to prospective patrons. So, during a journey to Munich in 1774–1775, he wrote six “calling cards” to play at the homes of potential benefactors," writes Orli Shaham with Peter Dahm Robertson in the liner notes.

Three of these calling cards — the sonatas K.280, K.279, and K.284 — are on Volume 4 of Orli Shaham's Complete Piano Sonatas by Mozart. These works also demonstrate Mozart's exploration of new technology. "He would often write for new instruments, and on a standard keyboard expand the range of sounds he could create," continues Ms. Shaham. "On Sonata in F, K.280 he explores drawing people in with pauses; in Sonata in C, K.279 he writes a theme that isn't really a melody; and in K.284 “Dürnitz” he tries a final movement of variations, instead of a traditional rondo."

Critics call Shaham "an intelligent and sensitive guide" for this music. For a digital or physical copy of Volume 4 or any of the previously released discs, contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com.

“The stylish intelligence and pianistic refinement distinguishing the first volume ... continues" — Gramophone

Pianist Orli Shaham
Mozart Piano Sonatas Vol.4
K.279 ● K.280 ● K.284

Canary Classics CC23
Release date: June 2, 2023

TRACK LIST

Piano Sonata in F Major, No. 2, K.280 19:20
[01] I. Allegro assai 06:41
[02] II. Adagio 08:06
[03] III. Presto 04:25

Piano Sonata in C Major, No. 1, K.279 20:26
[04] I. Allegro 07:13
[05] II. Andante 08:04
[06] III. Allegro 05:03

Piano Sonata in D Major, No. 6, K.284, “Dürnitz” 30:13
[07] I. Allegro 08:03
[08] II. Rondeau en Polonaise: Andante 04:50
[09] III. Tema con variazone 17:14

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 2023, Ms. Shaham releases Volume 4 of the complete Mozart Piano Sonatas. Her Mozart recording project also includes Volumes 1, 2 and 3 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 served on the juries of both the Cliburn and Honens International Piano Competitions.

June 1: music by Philip Glass and Wojciech Kilar at LPR

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Sinfonietta Cracovia celebrates Philip Glass and Wojciech Kilar

Music for film and the concert stage on June 1 at (Le) Poisson Rouge

On Thursday, June 1, Sinfonietta Cracovia performs music by Philip Glass and Wojciech Kilar at (Le) Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker St, New York, NY). Tickets are $30 advance, $35 at the door; available at lpr.com.

The performance is part of the Sinfonietta Cracovia’s international tour celebrating the 90th anniversary of the birth of the late Polish composer Wojciech Kilar. The U.S. itinerary also includes concerts at Hammond Castle in Gloucester, MA (May 29) and in New Caanan, CT (June 3). The young Polish pianist and composer Aleksander Dębicz is featured; the orchestra is led by its principal conductor, Katarzyna Tomala-Jedynak. 

Founded in 1990, Sinfonietta Cracovia is one of the leading chamber orchestras in Poland. These performances of Glass|Kilar mark the ensemble’s first time in the U.S. since 2011. 

The program highlights the parallels in the careers and styles of both composers in performances of their film and concert music. Glass and Kilar both studied with Nadia Boulanger, both scored Dracula films, and both exist in the intersection of popular culture and fine arts. 

Wojciech Kilar (1932-2013) was a prolific composer of music for cinema, including Jane Campion’s “The Portrait of a Lady,” Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 classic “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” for which he received the ASCAP Film and Television Music Award, and Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist,” which earned him a BAFTA nomination. Glass was nominated for three Academy Awards for his film scores for “Notes on a Scandal,” “The Hours,” and “Kundun.” 

The concert also features Aleksander Dębicz’s “Sideways,” an original work for piano and chamber orchestra with Dębicz at the piano. 

Calendar Listing

Sinfonietta Cracovia presents
GLASS | KILAR

June 1, 2023 at 8 pm (7 pm doors)

(Le) Poisson Rouge
(158 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012)

Tickets $30 advance/$35 door available at lpr.com

Sinfonietta Cracovia
Katarzyna Tomala-Jedynak, conductor
Aleksander Dębicz, piano

Program
Philip Glass – Suite from The Hours (2002)
Philip Glass – Suite from Dracula (1998)
Wojciech Kilar – Orawa (1986)
Wojciech Kilar – Ricordanza (2005)
Wojciech Kilar – Certain Light from The Portrait of a Lady (1996)
Wojciech Kilar – The Brides from Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Aleksander Dębicz – Sideways (2022)

The tour is co-organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute within the "Program of events accompanying the celebration of Wojciech Kilar's 90th birthday (2022) and the 10th anniversary of his death (2023)" in partnership with the Polish Cultural Institute New York, PWM Edition, Supertrain Records, and the city of Cracow.

Other U.S. Tour Dates: 

May 29, 2023 at 8 pm
Hammond Castle
80 Hesperus Ave.
Gloucester, MA 01930
TICKETS

June 3, 2023 at 6 pm
Glass House and
St Marks Church
111 Oenoke Ridge
New Canaan, CT 06840
TICKETS

Guitarist Ben Verdery & Ulysses Quartet play Dessner, Bernstein and Verdery

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Guitarist/composer Ben Verdery’s new album “A Giant Beside You” features the award-winning Ulysses Quartet

World premiere recordings include music by Bryce Dessner, Leonard Bernstein, Verdery himself; plus music by Javier Farías

Release date: June 16, 2023 on ReEntrant/New Focus

"[Verdery is] an iconoclastic player" - The New York Times

Ben Verdery plays classical and electric guitar with the award-winning Ulysses Quartet on his new album, “A Giant Beside You” (rel. June 16 on ReEntrant/New Focus). The recording features a work written for him by Bryce Dessner, a longtime friend and collaborator. Also on the album – the 17th title in his discography – is Verdery’s arrangement of Leonard Bernstein’s Clarinet Sonata for classical guitar and string quartet, Chilean composer Javier Farías’ “Andean Suite,” and two of Verdery’s original compositions. Nearly all are world premiere recordings. 

About his “Quintet for High Strings” Bryce Dessner says, “The work was composed for my dear friend, Ben Verdery, who has been a part of my life for nearly twenty-five years. This quintet brings me back to my primary instrument — the guitar — and my relationship with Ben, which was so formative in my development as a musician. In this new piece, I am exploring my relationship to the instrument in a new way.” 

The two original compositions on this album by Verdery are related: a theme in “About to Fall” is heard in the opening motif of “A Giant Beside You.” The former is an homage to the late composer Ingram Marshall, a close friend of Verdery's. The latter takes inspiration from Sly and the Family Stones’ classic song “Stand!”. Verdery also puts his compositional prowess to use in an arrangement of Bernstein’s Clarinet Sonata. “It was evident from the outset that the clarinet part simply played on the guitar would not be musically satisfying,” he said. His solutions included having one of the violinists play in unison with the guitar from time to time, and giving passages with sustained notes to the cello or viola. Also, said Verdery, “to my utter delight, several of the piano passages played beautifully on the guitar.”

The album closer, “Andean Suite” by Javier Farías, evokes Andean folklore, from the Peruvian Yawar Fiesta (a symbolic fight celebrating the power of the indigenous people over the Spanish), to an Andean music form called huayno, and the Bolivian dance Diablada. 

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

A Giant Beside You

Ben Verdery, guitar
Ulysses Quartet
(Christina Bouey and Rhiannon Banerdt, violins; Colin Brookes, viola; Grace Ho, cello)

ReEntrant/New Focus Records (REN04)
Release date: June 16, 2023

TRACKS

Bryce Dessner
[01] Quintet for High Strings* 18:02
composed for and dedicated to Ben Vedery

Leonard Bernstein
Clarinet Sonata (arr. string quartet and guitar by Ben Verdery)*
[02] Grazioso 03:36
[03] Andantino-Vivace Leggiero 07:15

Ben Verdery
[04] About to Fall* 03:12
[05] A Giant Beside You* 06:47

Javier Farías
Andean Suite
[06] Yawar Fiesta 05:42
[07] Huayno 07:19
[08] Diablada 03:30

Total: 55:23

*indicates world premiere recording

Recommended tracks for classical radio:
[02] Bernstein: Clarinet Sonata – Grazioso
[07] Farías: Andean Suite – Huyano
[08] Farías: Andean Suite – Diablada

BIOGRAPHIES

Hailed for his innovative and eclectic musical career, Benjamin Verdery tours regularly throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, performing at major venues and festivals. As a recording artist, Verdery has released more than 17 albums, some featuring works composed especially for Verdery by Martin Bresnick, Roberto Sierra, Aaron Jay Kernis, Hannah Lash, Christopher Theofanidis, Ezra Laderman, Bryce Dessner, Ingram Marshall and others. Verdery has recorded and performed with scores of diverse artists, including Andy Summers, Leo Kottke, Anthony Newman, Jessye Norman, Herman Prey, Paco Peña, John Williams, hip-hop artist Billy Dean Thomas, Jiji, and the St. Lawrence String Quartet.  A prolific, published composer, many of Verdery’s compositions have been performed and/or recorded by John Williams, David Russell, the Assad Duo, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and Guitar Trek. He has been commissioned to compose works for guitar solo, duo, large ensembles, and film. Since 1985, Verdery has been guitar professor at the Yale School of Music. From 2007-2019 he served as Artistic Director of 92NY’s Art of the Guitar series and has been Producer of the Maui Summer Master Class since 1999.

The Ulysses Quartet has been praised for its “textural versatility,” “grave beauty” and “the kind of chemistry many quartets long for, but rarely achieve” (The Strad). Founded in the summer of 2015, the group won top prizes at the Fischoff National Chamber Music, Schoenfeld, Vietnam, and Osaka international chamber music competitions. Violinists Christina Bouey and Rhiannon Banerdt, violist Colin Brookes and cellist Grace Ho hail from Canada, the United States and Taiwan and hold degrees from The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory and Yale School of Music. Ulysses Quartet was the Juilliard Graduate Resident String Quartet as Lisa Arnhold Fellows (2019-2022)

Javier Farías’ music has been performed and recorded by guitarists Eliot Fisk, Ben Verdery, David Tanenbaum, Ricardo Cobo, Carlos Perez, Andy Summers (legendary rock guitarist of The Police), jazz-fusion guitarist Mike Stern and others. In 2014 Farías was awarded a commission from the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University. He won first prizes for his compositions in the Andrés Segovia Contest, the Michele Pittaluga Competition for Classical Guitar, and the 2 Agosto International Competition.

Bryce Dessner is a vital and rare force in new music. He has won Grammy Awards as a classical composer and with the band The National, of which he is founding member, guitarist, arranger, and co-principal song-writer. He is regularly commissioned to write for the world’s leading ensembles, from Orchestre de Paris to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and is a high-profile presence in film score composition, with credits including The Revenant, for which he was Grammy and Golden Globe nominated, Fernando Mereilles’s The Two Popes, Mike Mill’s C’mon C’mon and Bardo, by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Ethan Iverson curates 2 weeks of spectacular artists

Soapbox Gallery presents Sono Fest! June 6-18, curated by Ethan Iverson

Two sets nightly live-streamed & in-person by Ethan Iverson, Taka Kigawa, Aaron Diehl, Timo Andres and more

Just added: June 23 "Coda" concert with tenor Mark Padmore

An explosion of creativity is bursting through the intimate Soapbox Gallery (636 Dean St) in Brooklyn June 6-18. The inaugural Sono Fest! features nightly performances by the most spectacular artists in classical and jazz: pianists Ethan Iverson, Aaron Diehl, Taka Kigawa, Sylvie Courvoisier, Timo Andres, violinist Miranda Cuckson, Momenta Quartet, saxophonist Sam Newsome, and much more. Newly announced is a "Coda" concert with tenor Mark Padmore on June 23.

Curated by composer/jazz and classical pianist superstar Ethan Iverson, the festival boasts in person and live-streamed performances at 7:30 and 9 pm EDT every night. Full program details below.

Tickets are $25 in-person, or $15 for the live-stream, available at SoapboxGallery.org.

---

Program descriptions written by curator Ethan Iverson

All concerts are at Soapbox Gallery (636 Dean St., Brooklyn, NY)
Live-stream and in-person tickets available here

There are two hour-long concerts every night at 7:30 and 9 pm EDT, more like jazz practice than classical convention. We expect to turn the room over (there are only 60 seats) so most of those who are performing formally notated works will probably play the same program twice (a comparatively rare opportunity to enjoy such a liberating sequence).

Tuesday, June 6: Ethan Iverson, piano with Miranda Cuckson, violin

Ethan Iverson duo with Miranda Cuckson showcases my admiration of formal composition in the American grain. Our repertoire includes mid-century violin sonatas by Louise Talma and George Walker alongside an Elegy by another particular favorite, Peter Lieberson. To round out the program, I’ll also play my recent Piano Sonata. (More on Miranda below, she appears four times in the festival.)

Program:
Louise Talma Violin Sonata
Peter Lieberson Elegy
Ethan Iverson Piano Sonata
George Walker Violin Sonata

Wednesday, June 7: Ethan Iverson duo with Chris Potter, saxophone

After the first night of formal composition, I will relax into the second night’s improvised excursions featuring a brilliant and versatile avatar of modern jazz, saxophonist Chris Potter. The set list will include whatever we feel like playing that evening...

Thursday, June 8: Violinist Miranda Cuckson

Miranda Cuckson delivers the most challenging music in a forthright and engaging manner. If I had an unlimited budget and resources I’d present the New York City premiere of the violin concerto Georg Friedrich Haas wrote for her; as it stands, I will enjoy her sublime solo sets. When she plays microtonal pieces by Xenakis, Sciarrino, and other high modernists, one can hear Miranda sing the blues.

Program:
J.S. Bach C major Sonata BWV 1005
Stewart Goodyear Solo
Iannis Xenakis Mikka S

Friday, June 9: Pianist Taka Kigawa

Taka Kigawa is famous for legendary programs of contemporary music in unlikely spaces. A few months ago, I was on assignment in somewhat random circumstances and suddenly realized Taka Kigawa was sitting right in front of me. For much of this list I am calling in favors…but in this case I now owe Mr. Kigawa one. 

Program:
Pascal Dusapin Etudes (complete)

Saturday, June 10: Pianist Timo Andres

Timo Andres fits the bill: he’s a true composer-pianist of the old school, a proper virtuoso and a major voice in composition. To my delight, Timo has offered to play his program of Joplin Rags and Chopin Mazurkas. I have also insisted that he include a few of his own remarkable rhythmic and poetic piano pieces, which someday will be thought of as classic Americana.

Program:
Robin Holcomb Wherein Lies the Good
Frédéric Chopin Mazurka Op. 24 no. 2
Scott Joplin Magnetic Rag
Chopin Mazurka Op. 17 no. 1
Joplin Gladiolus Rag
Chopin Mazurka Op. 59 no. 3
Joplin A Breeze From Alabama
Chopin Mazurka Op. 24, no. 4
Joplin Euphonic Sounds
Chopin Mazurka Op. 56 no. 1
Joplin Paragon Rag
Timo Andres Wise Words
Andres Honest Labor

Sunday, June 11: Saxophonist Sam Newsome

Sam Newsome is a regular collaborator of mine in the score to Pepperland for the Mark Morris Dance Group, which we have performed together over 60 times. Hidden in plain sight, Sam is one of the freshest musical minds in New York. He mastered straight-ahead jazz, playing solid tenor for Terence Blanchard in the ‘90s, before changing to soprano and adopting a decidedly avant-garde approach, incorporating extended techniques and developing a language for solo saxophone. Joining him for some duo explorations will be innovative pianist and improviser Sylvie Courvoisier. 

Monday, June 12: Momenta Quartet

The Momenta Quartet (Emilie-Anne Gendron, Alex Shiozaki, Stephanie Griffin, Michael Haas) has recently released a wonderful recording of Alvin Singleton quartets. I have interviewed Singleton and regard him as one of the true living masters, with the four string quartets being a major contribution to this hallowed form. Momenta will play Singleton’s quartets no. 2 “Secret Desire to Be Black” and no. 4 “Hallelujah Anyhow” at Soapbox, alongside Meredith Monk’s lovely “String Songs.” 

Program:
Alvin Singleton Quartet no. 2 “Secret Desire to Be Black”
Meredith Monk String Songs
Alvin Singleton Quartet no. 4 “Hallelujah Anyhow”

Tuesday, June 13: Judith Berkson

Judith Berkson: singer, pianist, composer, cantor. My first exposure to Judith was at a rare NYC concert by the late Joe Maneri, an epic event that lives in my mind as one of the finest avant-garde jazz gigs I’ve ever seen. Judith has diverse capabilities. She creates electronic re-toolings of Robert Schumann; her solo ECM album Oylam is hypnotic; when she unleashes her full cantorial vocal style, the hair on the back of my neck stands up.

Program:
Berkson electroacoustic pieces
Schubert lieder

Wednesday, June 14: Pianist Marta Sánchez 

Marta Sánchez has a bright future. I have written liner notes for two of her records and dig David Murray’s current quartet with Marta in a heavily-featured role. Her intricate and contrapuntal jazz compositions are in the modern style, but, crucially, they are also informed by the long musical lineage of her native country, Spain.

Program:
Marta Sánchez new etudes for prepared piano

Thursday, June 15: Pianist Aaron Diehl

Aaron Diehl has grown into being not just a pianist of the first rank but an ambassador across several disciplines. Aaron swings Gershwin with the symphony, he smartly updates James P. Johnson and John Lewis for the modern taste, he casually deals out correct Bach at a recital, and rages into atonality with Tyshawn Sorey at the club. One of a kind. 

Friday, June 16: Composer Scott Wollschleger

Scott Wollschleger possesses an ear for fresh notes, and delivers them in a slow and almost terrifying manner: Morton Feldman meets Thelonious Monk meets H.P. Lovecraft. His pianist is the stellar Karl Larson, who will supply mostly solo Wollschleger for the first set, with Miranda Cuckson joining on viola for one piece. In the second set, Miranda will play a Wollschleger violin premiere; other solo and chamber music will include Miranda, Larson, John Popham and Kevin Sims.

Program: Set 1

 Scott Wollschleger

 Tiny Oblivion 
Music Without Metaphor 
 Brontal No. 2  
 Brontal No. 6
 Brontal No. 11
 Brontal No. 12  
 Secret Machine No. 4
 Secret Machine No. 6
Karl Larson, piano 
 Soft Aberration No. 2 
Karl Larson, piano; Miranda Cuckson, viola

Program: Set 2 

 Lost Anthems (NYC premiere)
Karl Larson, piano; Miranda Cuckson, viola 
 Fish of the sea (NYC premiere)
Kevin Sims, percussion 
 Secret Machine No. 7 (World premiere)
Miranda Cuckson, violin 
  Brontal Symmetry 
Cuckson, violin; Larson, piano; John Popham, cello

Saturday, June 17: Pianist Han Chen

Han Chen is a major virtuoso and has carved out a vital place in the NYC scene. When Thomas Adès gave a master class at New England Conservatory several years ago, I cancelled my own NEC students in order to go check it out. Chen played Adès’s “Traced Overhead” and the composer told him, “You play it better than me.” The whole Naxos recital of Adès by Chen is marvelous. At Soapbox, Chen will play “Traced Overhead” alongside further masterpieces by Berg, Corigliano, and Ravel.

Program:
Alban Berg Piano Sonata Op. 1
John Corigliano Etude-Fantasy
Thomas Adès Traced Overhead
Maurice Ravel Gaspard de la nuit 

Sunday, June 18: Composer Robert Cuckson (first set)

Robert Cuckson is another great NYC composer who lives a bit below the radar. When Miranda told me her dad was really good I demanded aural evidence, and, of course, Miranda was right. His style features long form structures that unfold in an unforced manner, high on lyricism and swept with chromaticism. For Father’s Day, Miranda will join a cast of elite chamber musicians including Haodong Wu, David Ordovsky, and Blair McMillen for a set of flute, violin, viola, and piano music. 

Program:
Robert Cuckson
  Objets de vertu
Haodong Wu, piano 
  Lines from Vergil
Wu, piano; David Ordovsky, flute 
 The Ballad of Camden Town
Ordovsky, flute 
 Boat of Ra
Miranda Cuckson, violin; Blair McMillen, piano 
  Six Piano Pieces
McMillen, piano 
  Fantasia on a Song by Delius
Miranda Cuckson, viola; Blair McMillen, piano

Sunday, June 18: Pianist Ethan Iverson (second set)

To conclude the festival I will play a solo set of surprises, undoubtedly influenced by all the sounds I’ve taken in from the previous two weeks. Dancer Reggie Parker also plans to make an appearance….

“Coda” Concert
Friday, June 23: Tenor Mark Padmore
with Ethan Iverson, piano and poet Sarah Deming

Mark Padmore is visiting America to join the summer session of Marlboro Music under Mitsuko Uchida. On his way there, Padmore will be stopping by Soapbox to give his Songs of the Earth program, featuring lieder from Britten, Schubert, Ives, and many others, alongside poetry from Mary Oliver, Lawerence Durrell, Philip Larkin, and many others. Sarah Deming will recite the poetry and I will play the piano. We performed this program last season and it was a hit with audiences; it also an extremely rare opportunity to hear Padmore in such an intimate space. 

Program descriptions written by curator Ethan Iverson

Lowell Liebermann: Violin Concerto

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World premiere recordings of Lowell Liebermann's works for violin and orchestra

Featuring award-winning Kazakh violinist Aiman Mussakhajayeva with the composer at the piano

Debut recording of Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra

“Aiman Mussakhajayeva is a consummate artist, a profound musician and an awesome technician. I am thrilled to have her perform my music.” — Lowell Liebermann

Lowell Liebermann is one of America's most frequently performed and recorded composers of our time. A new album out May 19, 2023 on Blue Griffin Records (BGR645) features four world premiere recordings by Liebermann for violin and orchestra. The album spotlights the exceptional artistry of Kazakhstani violinist Aiman Mussakhajayeva (EYE-mahn mou-sah-ha-jah-YEH-vah) with the Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra led by Tigran Shiganyan. 

Ms. Mussakhajayeva is a preeminent Kazakh violinist and prominent public figure who is the founder and rector of the Kazakh National University of Arts, and founder and artistic director of the Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra. She has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Valery Gergiev, and Vladimir Ashkenazy among others, and has recorded for Deutsche Gramophone with the Wiener Symphoniker. UNESCO has named her an Artist for Peace, and she's received the prestigious title of People's Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan for her significant achievements and their importance in promoting and enriching Kazakhstan arts and culture. She performs on a 1732 Stradivarius.

Liebermann and Mussakhajayeva’s new album spans over thirty years of the former’s career, offering a vivid picture of his compositional personality. The centerpiece of the album is his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (2001), which was premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra and Charles Dutoit with violinist Chantal Juillet. The Philadelphia Inquirer anticipated that the concerto might achieve “a popularity not enjoyed by any other violin concerto since the Barber.” Liebermann created arrangements for string orchestra of his two Chamber Concertos especially for this recording, and is the piano soloist on his Chamber Concerto No. 1 for violin, piano, and string orchestra.

This recording was made possible by Global Music Partnership, whose mission is to foster a creative collaboration in a diverse network of performing artists while pushing boundaries between countries and cultures. Critically acclaimed, Latin GRAMMY-nominated Sergei Kvitko produced, engineered, edited, and mastered the album. More information about GMP and biographies of the artists are available in the digital press kit here.

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

Lowell Liebermann
Violin Concerto, Op. 74
Chamber Concertos 1 and 2 | Air

Aiman Mussakhajayeva, violin
Lowell Liebermann, piano
Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra
Tigran Shiganyan, conductor

Blue Griffin Recording (BGR645)
Release date: May 19, 2023

TRACKS

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 74 (2001)
[01] Appassionato 12:39
[02] Lento 06:27
[03] Allegro 05:20

[04] Chamber concerto No. 1, Op. 28A (1989/2022) 17:23
for Violin, Piano, and String Orchestra*

[05] Chamber concerto No. 2, Op. 28B (2006/2022) 10:46
 for Violin and String Orchestra

[06] Air, Op. 118 (2011) 09:34
for Violin and String Orchestra

*with Lowell Liebermann, piano

Cassatt SQ - Seal Bay Festival 2023

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The Cassatt String Quartet gives performances across Maine at the Seal Bay Festival of American Chamber Music July 25-August 5

Programs feature works by Pulitzer-prize winner Zhou Long, Chen Yi, Florence Price, Astor Piazzolla, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and more

"an extraordinary quartet"  – The New York Times

The world-renowned Cassatt String Quartet performs in Maine July 25 through August 5, 2023 as the longtime ensemble of the Seal Bay Festival of American Chamber Music. From the island of Vinalhaven to Portland and Brunswick, the quartet performs over a dozen concerts across the state over 12 days, including public performances and community concerts. 

The 2023 festival brings composers Chen Yi, Zhou Long and Anthony De Ritis to Maine for concerts in Vinalhaven, Belfast and Portland on August 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Along with guest artists Wang Guowei (erhu) and Peter Weitzner (bass), the CSQ performs works by these guest composers alongside music by the American composer Dorothy Rudd Moore (1940-2022).

Founded in 1994, the Seal Bay Festival fosters the relationship between American composers, performers, and audiences. At SBF’s annual Composer Institute, world-renowned composers Chen Yi and Zhou Long are mentors to composers who are at the beginning of their careers. Music by these Fellows is premiered by the Cassatts on July 31, after several days of workshop rehearsals.

In addition to these concerts, the Cassatt String Quartet with guest bassist Peter Weitzner gives nearly a dozen community performances at retirement homes, churches, and community centers throughout Portland, Brunswick, Topsham, North Haven, Vinalhaven, Westbrook and Gorham.

Complete program and venue information is below.

Pictured above: Erhu player Wang Guowei

Seal Bay Festival

Calendar Listing and Program Details

Visual Artist Presentation with Master Printmaker Christopher Clark
July 29, 3 pm: Vinalhaven
Free admission

Must register in advance (muneko@gmail.com or 212-932-9449); address provided upon registration

Open rehearsal with Cassatt String Quartet and Wang Guowei (erhu)
July 30, 1 pm: Vinalhaven Library (6 Carver St, Vinalhaven)
Free admission

Erhu demonstration
Chen Yi: Fiddle Suite for erhu and string quartet (with Wang Guowei, erhu)
Preview of new quartets by Woody Mo, Yun Li, Leyou Wang, and Maja Maklakiewicz

Partners in Island Education Fundraising Concert with Cassatt String Quartet, Peter Weitzner (Bass), and Wang Guowei (erhu)
July 30 at 7 pm: Union Church (25 East Main St, Vinalhaven)*

Florence Price: String Quartet No. 1
TBA: Erhu solo performed by Wang Guowei
Zhou Long: Chinese song (with Wang Guowei, erhu)
Bottesini: Bass Quintet (with Peter Weitzner, bass)
Piazzolla (arr. Shirish Korde): Oblivion
Piazzolla (arr. Shirish Korde): Libertango 

Emerging Composer’s concert, presented by Composers Institute at Seal Bay Festival with Cassatt String Quartet
July 31, 6 pm: Vinalhaven School, Smith Hokanson Recital Hall (22 Arcola Ln, Vinalhaven)*

World premiere of quartets by Woody Mo, Yun Li, Leyou Wang, and Maja Maklakiewicz

Seal Bay Festival Concerts with Cassatt String Quartet and Wang Guowei (erhu)

August 1, 7 pm: Vinalhaven School, Smith Hokanson Recital Hall (22 Arcola Ln, Vinalhaven)*
August 2, 7 pm: The First Church of Belfast (8 Court St, Belfast)*
August 3, 7:30 pm: Woodfords Congregational Church (202 Woodford st, Portland)*

Zhou Long: Song of the Ch'in for string quartet
Chen Yi: Fiddle Suite for erhu and string quartet (with Wang Guowei, erhu)
Anthony De Ritis: Passion's Continuum
Dorothy Rudd-Moore: Modes

*denotes suggested donation for admission (all other concerts are free)

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 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. 

Seal Bay Festival is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, The Aaron Copland Music Fund, Alice M. Ditson Fund, Davis Family Foundation, Maine Arts Commission, and Amphion Foundation

May 24: Cutting Edge Concerts kicks off 26th season

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CUTTING EDGE CONCERTS New Music Festival
Victoria Bond, Artistic Director

May 24: Cutting Edge Concerts kicks off 26th Season at Kosciuszko Foundation

Program features music for Japanese shakuhachi and Native American flute

Works by Phillip Glass, Victoria Bond, Ron Warren, and James Nyoraku Schlefer

Composer Victoria Bond founded Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival to celebrate, support and promote the work of living composers. On May 24 at 7:00 pm at the Kosciuszko Foundation (15 E 65th St, Manhattan), the festival kicks off their 26th season with a program featuring two experts of traditional flutes - James Nyoraku Schlefer, grand master of the shakuhachi (Japanese flute), and Native flutist Ron Warren.

Nyoraku Schlefer and Warren are featured as both composers and performers alongside pianist Paul Barnes, violinist Pauline Kim Harris, cellist Caleb van der Swaagh, and violist Chieh-Fan Yiu.

Program highlights include Warren and Nyoraku Schlefer performing Warren's Lunas y Agua No. 5 together, an arrangement of a movement from Philip Glass' Second Piano Concerto with Paul Barnes, and Victoria Bond's Rashomon for string trio and shakuhachi. Rashomon was inspired by a collection of Japanese folk tales from the 12th century, telling the story of a group of people who witness a murder but each have a different account of what happened. Bond says "The form of the story is intrinsically musical, being a theme and variations, but the emotional context gives this classical form a new perspective." Tickets for the May 24 program are $25, available here.

Inspired by Pierre Boulez's series, "Perspective Encounters", the composer and conductor Victoria Bond founded Cutting Edge Concerts in 1998. With 26 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.

The 2023 season of Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival continues on September 9 at the Salmagundi Club (47 5th Ave, Manhattan) with baritone Michael Kelly and pianist Bradley Moore performing Bond's song cycle "From an Antique Land" alongside John Glover's "After Him."

Calendar Listing

CUTTING EDGE CONCERTS NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Way of the Mountains and Desert

May 24, 2023, 7:00 pm

Kosciuszko Foundation (15 E 65th St, Manhattan)

Paul Barnes, piano; James Nyoraku Schlefer, shakuhachi; Ron Warren, Native flute; Pauline Kim Harris, violin; Chieh-Fan Yiu, viola; Caleb van der Swaagh, cello

Tickets: $25, available here

James Nyoraku Schlefer Sidewalk Dances
Ron Warren Lunas y Agua No.5 (Nyoraku Schlefer, shakuhachi; Warren, native flute)
Philip Glass, arr. Barnes: Sacagawea (from Piano Concerto No. 2 “After Lewis and Clark”)
Victoria Bond Rashomon
Warren Love Song for This Earth
Warren The Way of Mountains and Desert (NY Premiere)
Warren Beads

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.

May 26: Pianist Orli Shaham and Violinist Deborah Buck at Bargemusic

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Pianist Orli Shaham and violinist Deborah Buck bring Clara Schumann's legacy to Bargemusic

Concert on May 26 includes music by Clara and Robert Schumann, Amanda Maier, Jessie Montgomery, Johannes Brahms, and Avner Dorman

On May 26 at 7 pm pianist Orli Shaham joins violinist Deborah Buck to celebrate Clara Schumann's legacy at Bargemusic in Brooklyn (1 Water Street). In addition to works by Clara and Robert Schumann, the program extends to the couple's circle of friends, with music by Amanda Maier and Johannes Brahms featured alongside contemporary works from Jessie Montgomery and Avner Dorman.

Clara Schumann was an inspiration to generations of composers and performers for her artistry and fierce personal perseverance. Celebrating her legacy, Buck and Shaham perform works by Schumann and her contemporaries, including violin sonatas by her husband Robert and friend Amanda Maier, alongside Brahms' Intermezzo No. 1 for piano solo. The duo rounds out the program with Avner Dorman's Intermezzo No. 2 for piano solo "After Brahms", and Jessie Montgomery's Rhapsody No. 1 for solo violin.

Tickets for the May 26 concert at Bargemusic are $35 and available online at Bargemusic.org or at the door.

Calendar Listing

Friday, May 26, 2023 at 7 pm

Pianist Orli Shaham and Violinist Deborah Buck
at Bargemusic (1 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201)

Tickets $35 available here

Amanda Maier Sonata for Violin and Piano
Jessie Montgomery Rhapsody No. 1 for Solo Violin
Clara Schumann Three Romances Op. 22 for Violin and Piano
Johannes Brahms Intermezzo Op. 119, No. 1 for piano solo
Avner Dorman After Brahms, Intermezzo No. 2 for piano solo
Robert Schumann Sonata No.1 for Violin and Piano, Op. 105

Biographies

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. 

Deborah Buck has built a rich and varied musical career as a chamber musician, concertmaster, soloist, professor, and artistic leader. Ms. Buck made her Lincoln Center concerto debut in 1997 with the Little Orchestra Society. For seventeen years, Ms. Buck was a member of the Lark Quartet where she concertized, commissioned, and recorded works by many of America’s most celebrated composers. As a recitalist, she has performed at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.; the Dame Myra Hess Series in Chicago for WFMT; the Brooklyn Museum of Art; and over the airways via “Sunday’s Live” on Los Angeles’s KKGO.

In 2022, Ms. Buck was appointed Concertmaster of Orchestra Lumos (formerly Stamford Symphony) and has been guest concertmaster of the Phoenix and West Virginia Symphonies. Ms. Buck is Assistant Professor of Violin and Head of Strings and Chamber Music at SUNY Purchase, and Co-Executive Director and curator of the Faculty Concert Series at the Kinhaven Music School in Vermont. 

Pianist Jeeyoon Kim: "music is poetic and poetry is music"

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June 7: Pianist Jeeyoon Kim at Carnegie Hall

Recital combines poetry with classic works by Debussy, Chopin, Scarlatti, and more

시음 /si-úm/ project includes full length album and 30-city national tour

"One of the next great stars of the music world"  —Manistee News

Award-winning classical Pianist Jeeyoon Kim returns to Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall on June 7, 2023 at 8 pm with her new performance project 시음 /si-úm/ (pronounced shee-oom). The project is part of an album of the same title (more information here); its name a blend of the words poetry and music in Korean. Jeeyoon debuted 시음 /si-úm/ in San Diego, and the Carnegie Hall performance is part of a 30-city tour across the United States this season.

The program includes Chopin’s Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major, Op. 22 and a sparkling work by the late Ukrainian composer, Nikolai Kapustin. Other works on the program include Romantic and Baroque classics from Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Handel, and Scarlatti.

About the program, Jeeyoon says: “As a pianist, one of my most rewarding moments is when I feel that I am deeply connected with listeners in the very moment of sharing music. My mission is to create a bridge between audiences and me as a performer, so they get to have a chance to discover the magic of music. I can’t think of a better way of spending my life. To me, music is poetic and poetry is music to my ear.”

In search of that special connection between music and words, Jeeyoon collaborated with established poets and writers for this project, including South Korea’s Tae-Joo Na (나태주), the former world champion surfer and author Shaun Tomson, the president of Poetry & Art San Diego Michael Klam, and Rudy Francisco. Additionally, an extensive program booklet will include black and white photographs by Allen T. Brown that pair with the program and poems.

The performance is at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (154 West 57th Street) on June 7, 2023 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $40 general admission, and are available at CarnegieHall.org | CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh.

Biography
Jeeyoon Kim began studying the piano when she was just four years old, and her love of music and the piano propelled her through her undergraduate studies in piano performance in her native Korea. After moving to the U.S., she graduated with distinction with a Master’s Degree and a Doctorate Degree in Piano Performance with a full scholarship from Indiana University’s renowned Jacob School of Music.

Jeeyoon has inspired a dedicated and passionate fan base by defying conventional wisdom and expanding on the traditional classical concert experience. She is an art activist, educator, podcaster, award-winning performer, and author of “Whenever You’re Ready.”

Calendar Listing

Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 8:00 pm

Pianist Jeeyoon Kim
시음 /si-úm/

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

Tickets are $40, and are available at CarnegieHall.org | CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh.

PROGRAM
Debussy La Plus que lente
Scarlatti Sonata in E major, K.380
Scarlatti Sonata in D minor, K.1 (L. 366) 
Handel Chaconne in G major, HWV 435
Rachmaninoff Vocalise
Rachmaninoff Etude in E-flat minor, Op. 39, No. 5
Debussy Reflets dans l’eau (Reflections in the water) 
Debussy Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (Steps to Parnassus)
Kapustin Concert Etude, Op. 40, No. 6, "Pastoral" 
Chopin Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major, Op. 22

With poetry by Tae-Joo Na (나태주), Shaun Tomson, Michael Klam and Rudy Francisco. 

May 13: Cassatt String Quartet in Ossining

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May 13: The Cassatt String Quartet in Ossining, NY

Works by Florence Price, Dorothy Rudd Moore, and Mozart at Bethany Arts Community

• 4 pm: Free pre-concert wine & cheese reception for ticket holders

• 5 pm: Concert

"an extraordinary quartet" – New York Times

The world-renowned Cassatt String Quartet returns to Bethany Arts Community for an afternoon reverie of music on May 13, 2023 at 5 pm (preceded by a reception at 4 pm). The program features Mozart’s last string quartet alongside music by two Black American pioneers; Florence Price and Dorothy Rudd Moore.

Florence Price and Dorothy Rudd Moore were groundbreaking musicians and there has been a recent renaissance of interest in both composers. Price was the first African-American 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 the Society of Black Composers and taught at New York University.

CSQ cellist Gwen Krosnick says: "When I joined the quartet, one of the first projects I advocated for was Moore's string quartet, Modes. My colleagues listened to the work and were drawn in, as I had been, by her chromatic language, the deeply personal voice there, and her incredible skill at writing for string quartet. This quartet is unusual for many reasons, especially how much she is able to accomplish - emotionally and compositionally - in such a brief form. This is a short piece with the impact of a monument."

The evening at Bethany Arts Community will take place on Saturday, May 13, 2023 from 4-6PM. At 4pm, the audience is invited for a wine & cheese reception to meet the artists. The concert will begin at 5pm. Tickets are $30 general admission, $25 senior, and $10 student, and can be purchased at the Bethany Arts Community website. 

BIOGRAPHY

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. 

Calendar Listing

Saturday, May 13, 2023

The Cassatt String Quartet

Bethany Arts Community (40 Somerstown Rd., Ossining, NY)

$30 general admission ($25 senior/$10 student) tickets available here

• 4 pm: Wine & cheese reception

• 5 pm: Concert

PROGRAM
Dorothy Rudd Moore Modes for String Quartet
W.A. Mozart String Quartet in F major, K. 590
Florence Price String Quartet No. 1

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

The Cassatt String Quartet

Upcoming Concerts

May 13 at 5 pm: Ossining, NY
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 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 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

March 31: Ontario Orch's CD release & concert

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March 31: Ontario Pops Orchestra celebrates release of debut album with concert in Toronto

"Breaking Barriers" 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

"impeccable musicianship" - All About the Arts

On March 31, 2023 at 8 pm the Ontario Pops Orchestra (OPO) celebrates the release of its debut CD, Breaking Barriers, with a concert at Trinity-St. Paul's United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts (427 Bloor Street West Toronto, ON). The album was released on digital platforms in Fall 2022.

On both the CD and concert, 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 highlights the work of women and BIPOC composers and instrumentalists. They have been praised for their "commitment to provide opportunities to deserving minority musicians [which] serves as an example we could learn to follow on this side of the border" (All About the Arts).

Tickets for the March 31 album release concert are available here. Much of the album's repertoire will be featured on the program, including the three concertos with Iveniuk, Secades, and Ngalissamy and Mozart's Symphony No. 40, alongside works by Dvorak, Glinka, and the Canadian national anthem.

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.

Digital Album & CD Release Party Calendar Listing

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

Stream album here
Digital or physical copy of album available by request

CD Release Concert

Friday, March 31, 2023 at 8 pm

Trinity-St. Paul's United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts
(427 Bloor Street West Toronto, ON M5S 1X7, Canada)

PROGRAM

Lavallée: Oh Canada
Glinka: Ruslan and Lyudmila overture
Dvorak: Symphony No. 9, 4th movement
Mozart: Symphony No 40
Vivaldi: Four Seasons - Summer
(with Tanya Charles Iveniuk, violin)
Vivaldi: Bassoon Concerto in E minor
(with Marlene Ngalissamy, bassoon)
Bach: Violin Concerto in A minor
(with Yanet Campbell Secades, violin)