Filed under: News | Tags: Bahman Saless, Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Claire Huangci
Next weekend, April 13 and April 14, 2012, the Boulder Chamber Orchestra led by Maestro Bahman Saless will perform a concert in Boulder and the same concert in Broomfield. The Boulder concert will be given at the First Congregational Church, at 1128 Pine Street, Boulder, CO 80302, and the Broomfield concert will be given at the Broomfield Auditorium, at 3 Community Park Road, Broomfield, CO 80020. The concerts are entitled “Reverence,” and will feature Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite, Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony, and Camille Saint-Saëns’ well-known and extremely difficult Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor.
Performing the Saint-Saëns Concerto will be Claire Huangci, a remarkable young pianist from Rochester New York. I will quote from the website:
“Born in Rochester, New York, 20-year-old pianist Claire Huangci astonishes all who hear her perform. Coming from a family of scientists, Claire received a grand piano for her 6th-year birthday present. After exploring the instrument herself in the first year, she started taking lessons when she was 7. And in the same year, she was featured on FOX News as a child prodigy with ‘the skills of a professional pianist.’
“During her studies, Claire was awarded with a number of scholarships and won many competitions, including the Grand Prize at the 1999 World Piano Competition. As a result, she performed in the gala concert with the World Festival Orchestra in Cincinnati and in a winner’s concert at Carnegie Hall. Continuing her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, she went on to win the Philadelphia Orchestra Competition and performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch, one of dozens of American orchestras she has appeared with. “In April 2006, Claire won first prize in the 57th Kosciuszko Chopin International Piano Competition in New York City. She made her first appearances in Europe with solo performances in Munich (Herkulessaal), Frankfurt, Leipzig (Gewandhaus), and Paris (Salle Cortot) and has also performed with the China Philharmonic Orchestra.”
Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite is from his famous ballet which was commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev, and it marks Stravinsky’s first work as a neoclassical composer.
The Prokofiev Classical Symphony is, likewise, a neoclassical work which he wrote in 1919. It was an exercise in composition for him, and he based the form of the Symphony on those of Franz Joseph Haydn, though, of course, there are no direct quotes of Haydn themes.
Both Pulcinella and the Classical Symphony are well-known, as they should be, and if you have not heard them, you must attend this performance.
Camille Saint-Saëns wrote his piano Concerto Nr. 2 in G minor and performed it in 1868. There is no question that the Second is his most famous Concerto, and it was written for the Russian pianist and composer, Anton Rubinstein for a Paris concert. But, as things did not work out, Saint-Saëns premiered the work himself with Rubinstein conducting. The audience’s reception of this work, upon first hearing, was not necessarily cordial, even though it was highly praised by Franz Liszt. As its excellence became more and more obvious to the fickle Parisian audiences (they loved trite operettas), they decided that they had loved it upon first hearing (or so said the critics).
If all of you readers attend the Friday, April 13, performance in Boulder, you will have the wonderful opportunity to sample a three course tasting menu prepared especially for the Boulder Chamber Orchestra audience by Chef Sam Proia at The Bitter Bar. That restaurant is located at 835 Walnut Street in Boulder, and is within easy walking distance of the First Congregational Church. The meal begins at 5:30 PM, and is a bargain at $25 per person. However, make your reservations now by calling the Bitter Bar at 303-442-3050, so that you will not be left out in the cold.
Filed under: News
Second Tuesdays at Trinity is pleased to present Silvana Santinelli in a solo piano recital with works by Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Ponce.
Pianist Silvana Santinelli has performed in Russia, the Czech Republic, France, Canada, China and Switzerland, in addition to the United States and her native Mexico. Currently an assistant professor at CSU in Ft. Collins, Dr. Santinelli has performed at the Kennedy Center, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., and the Sala Cortot in Paris, France. She and her husband, violinist Ronald François, comprise Duo François, and together they have toured internationally.
Tuesday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m.
Trinity Presbyterian Church, 7755 Vance Drive, Arvada, CO 80003
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and may be pre-reserved ahead of time by clicking the “2nd Tuesdays” button at www.tpcarvada.org or by calling 303-422-3656 x25, or may be purchased (cash or check only) at the door the evening of the concert.
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The Colorado Chamber Players
The Legend of Pecos Bill continues!
Sunday, April 14th, 2012
11 a.m. and 12 pm
Lone Tree Arts Center, Main Stage Theatre
10075 Commons Street, Lone Tree, CO 80124
$10 General admission, $5 Children
Performing Musicians:
David Waldman, Violin/Composer
Margaret Soper Gutierrez, Guest Violin
Barbara Hamilton-Primus, Viola
Carole Whitney, Guest Cello
Lisa Brende Martin, Oboe
AND
Mare Trevathan, Narrator
Call 720-509-1000 for tickets.
Tickets are available online at www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org or by phone at 720-509-1000, or at the box office in the lobby Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Funded in part by Douglas County SCFD Tier III
Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind
Sunday, April 15th, 2012, 4 p.m.
Boulder Public Library’s Canyon Theatre in Boulder, CO – FREE!
Music of Golijov, Gershwin and Schulhoff
The April 15th concert, in commemoration of Yom Hashoah (Day of Holocaust Remembrance), will feature works by three Jewish composers: George Gershwin (Promenade for Clarinet and Strings), Ervin Schulhoff (String Quartet no. 1), and Osvaldo Golijov’s tour de force for Clarinet and Strings: Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind. Performers will include David Waldman and Paul Primus, Violins; Barbara Hamilton, Viola; Thomas Heinrich, Guest Cello; and Daniel Silver, Clarinet.
Program: Promenade for Clarinet and String Quartet, George Gershwin String Quartet no. 1, Ervin Schulhoff (1924) Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, for Clarinet and String Quartet, Osvaldo Golijov (1994) http://www.coloradochamberplayers.org/events/golijov_boulder
Franz Schubert’s glorious Quintet for Piano and Strings, D.667, op. 114 Sunday & Tuesday May 6th and 8th, 2012
The Trout will be performed by the incomparable Susan Cahill, Double Bass, and CCP musicians David Waldman, Violin; Barbara Hamilton, Viola; Andrew Cooperstock, Piano; and guest cellist Mary Artmann.
Susan Cahill will also perform a double bass version of Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata.
May 6th: Bethany Lutheran Church, Cherry Hills Village
6:30 pre-concert talk with Marc Shulgold, 7 p.m. concert
May 8th: Trinity Presbyterian Church, Arvada 7:30 p.m. concert
$15 General, $10 Seniors 62+ and Students (same ticket price at both concerts)
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Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tackás Quartet – Final Season Concert
Edward Dusinberre, violin
Károly Schranz, violin
Geraldine Walther, viola
András Fejér, cello
Season Finale: Celebrating Takacs
Saturday, April 21 – 7:30 PM at Macky Auditorium, CU Campus
Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra
Michael Butterman, Music Director
ELGAR: Introduction and Allegro
STAMITZ: Concerto for Viola
BRUCH: Romance for Viola and Orchestra
BRAHMS: Concerto for Violin and Cello
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Duo Classica – Olga Dashevskaya and Lydia Sviatlovskaya
Concert:
Russian Souvenir
DuoClassica
Piano and Narratives: Olga Dashevskaya
Violin: Lydia Sviatlovskaya
Program: Music of P. Tchaikovsky, S. Rachmaninoff, S. Prokofiev, I. Stravinsky, A. Schnittke
Sunday, April 22, 2012 at 4:00 PM
Grace United Methodist Church -4905 E. Yale Ave., Denver
Tickets at the Door ($15 adult, $10 children and students with ID)
No Credit Cards
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Englewood Arts Presents continues its Chamber Music of the Masters series with a performance by Trio Cordilleras (please note that Trio Cordilleras replaces the Papilia Quartet, originally scheduled on this date but unable to perform due to circumstances beyond their control).
Members of Trio Cordilleras include violinist Elizabeth Kipper, cellist Thomas Heinrich, and pianist Alejandro Cremaschi.
The program will include works by Constatino Gaito, Joaquín Turina, Luis J. González, Paquito D’Rivera, Enrique Francini and Ástor Piazzolla.
Website: http://www.englewoodarts.org
Phone: 303.806.8196
Date: Saturday, April 28, 2012
Time: 2:00 PM
Venue: Hampden Hall in the Englewood Civic Center, 1000 Englewood Parkway at Hampden and Jason
Tickets are General Admission:
$15.00 Adults | $12.00 (60+) | $5.00 (under 18)
I could be wrong, but I think the concert below is a first for the Boulder Symphony Orchestra. It is a chamber music concert – the third chamber concert the season – which will be New Orleans jazz. This is something that you don’t want to miss, because Matt Leder has an outstanding reputation as a superb artist, and any of you who think that jazz is not an art, I would gently suggest that you rethink your position.
“Boulder Symphony, the Community Orchestra of Boulder County, is excited to present our third Chamber Music Series concert of the 2011-2012 season at 7:00 pm on Friday, April 13th at First Presbyterian Church, Boulder. Under the direction of Matt Leder, this multimedia program will embrace the charm of New Orleans and provide a dedication to those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Selections will include both traditional New Orleans jazz and the modern sounds of today’s New Orleans musicians.
“A native North Carolinian, Matt Leder is an avid educator and has appeared as a guest artist / clinician throughout the United States. He is currently a Doctoral candidate at the University of Northern Colorado. He holds a MM in Jazz Studies from the University of New Orleans and a BM in Jazz Performance from East Carolina University. While at UNO he was a member of the acclaimed Louis Armstrong Quintet. He has served over eight years as an active duty musician in the United States Navy, one year with the ANG Band of the Southwest (Los Angeles, CA) and is currently a member of the Air National Guard Band of the Northwest (Spokane, WA). As a member of the ANG Music program he tours with various ANG and Active Duty Air Force Bands all over the country. He has held adjunct faculty positions at Brown University, Community College of Rhode Island, South Piedmont Community College, St. George’s School, and is currently adjunct faculty at the University of Colorado at Denver. Mr. Leder has studied with Ellis Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Irvin Mayfield, Arturo Sandoval, Clyde Kerr, and many others. He is adept in many different genres, ranging from jazz combo, big band, brass quintet, concert band, musicals, rock band and New Orleans styles.
“Matt has a wide variety of experiences including selection into the International Association of Jazz Educators All Star Collegiate Big Band, performances at Carnegie Hall, Birdland and Symphony Hall (Boston, MA); a theater stint in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (shows with Steve Gatlin and the stars of the Lawrence Welk Show), performed in supporting ensembles for Bob Mintzer, Benny Green, Melton Mustafa, Nicholas Payton, and Ellis Marsalis, as well as notations in Down Beat, All Hands, and ITG Journal. He is also a current member of the Jazz Educators Network, International Trumpet Guild, and College Music Society.
“It is Matt’s hope that his students will develop an appreciation of Jazz and perform at the highest level of musical excellence. He also hopes to bring Jazz awareness into the community at large. He is committed, passionate, and diligent about taking his art to the highest level while providing for his family.”
EVENT: Boulder Symphony Chamber Music Series presenting the Matt Leder Jazz Sextet performing their show “Katrina, Katrina” EVENT DATE/LOCATION: Friday, April 13th at 7 pm at First Presbyterian Church, 1820 15th St., Boulder
ADMISSION: $5-$15
PUBLIC CONTACT: 970-577-1550, info@bouldersymphony.org Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $5 for students. Additional information is available at www.bouldersymphony.org or at 970-577-1550.
Filed under: News | Tags: Boulder Philharmonic, Christopher Taylor, Jennifer Koh, Michael Butterman, Sarah Chang
The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra as a very inviting season ahead of it for 2012-2013. There will be two world-class violinists Sarah Chang and Jennifer Koh.
Jennifer Koh won the International Tchaikovsky Competition and has performed throughout the world with all of the major orchestras. The wife of pianist Benjamin Hochman, who performed in Boulder this season, Ms. Koh studied at Oberlin College and at the Curtis Institute.
Sarah Chang debuted with the New York Philharmonic at the age of eight, and has performed throughout the world with leading conductors and orchestras. She is also an avid chamber music performer, and has performed with leading artists throughout the world.
In addition to these two fine violinists, Colorado’s own Christopher Taylor will perform the Prokofiev third piano Concerto with the Boulder Philharmonic next season. A winner of the bronze medal in the 1993 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Mister Taylor also won first place in the William Kapell Piano Competition. He is now Professor of Piano at the University of Wisconsin School of Music.
I would suggest that everyone gets their tickets early, because these outstanding artists are just the tip of the iceberg for what is going to be a truly exciting and extremely varied season.
I will now quote directly from the press release:
“The upcoming season marks Michael Butterman’s seventh season as music director of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, a strong tenure reflected by a significant increase in subscribers and single ticket sales. Season subscriptions are at a seven-year high for the 2011-2012 season, up 39% from 2009-2010 season.
“As a local and a fully-professional orchestra, the Boulder Phil strives to embrace and reflect all the natural beauty, the depth of culture, and the entrepreneurial spirit that makes Boulder so unique,” says Butterman. “Our concerts are designed to connect the Boulder Phil with the local community and the audience with a variety of music and artists. Each concert has something familiar and something new for our audiences to explore.”
“Highlights of the upcoming season include Sarah Chang performing Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto, Jennifer Koh performing Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, and Christopher Taylor performing Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Guest trumpeter and vocalist Byron Stripling joins the Boulder Phil to salute Louis Armstrong, and the popular Cirque de la Symphonie returns to present its synthesis of highly choreographed athletic artistry and well-known symphonic blockbusters. In an evening focused on life’s reflections, noted Met Opera soprano Angela Brown performs Danielpour’s A Woman’s Life, based on poems by Maya Angelou, and the Boulder Chorale and baritone Patrick Mason, voice professor at CU-Boulder’s College of Music, join the Boulder Phil to perform A German Requiem, by Johannes Brahms.
“The 2012-2013 season reflects Boulder Phil’s engagement in the Boulder community with the popular Discovery Concerts featuring Michael Butterman and the orchestra performing for Boulder elementary school students, the annual Young Artists Concerto Competition in partnership with the Parlando School for the Arts, and repeat performances in Lakewood and Highlands Ranch. For information on the upcoming season, subscriptions, and individual tickets, visit www.boulderphil.org.
Saturday, September 15, 2012, 7:30 pm, Macky Auditorium, Boulder Sunday, September 16, 2012, 3 pm, Lakewood Cultural Center, Lakewood Christopher Taylor, piano Jeffrey Nytch—Acclamations Sergei Prokoviev—Piano Concerto No. 3 Piotr Tchaikovsky—Symphony No. 4
Saturday, October 6, 2012, 7:30 pm, Macky Auditorium, Boulder Byron Stripling, trumpet “Music of New Orleans: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong”
Friday, Nov. 23, 4 pm; Saturday, Nov. 24, 2 & 7 pm; Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012, 2 pm, Macky Auditorium, Boulder Boulder Ballet / Boulder Children’s Chorale / Richard Oldberg, conductor Piotr Tchaikovsky—The Nutcracker
Saturday, January 12, 2013, 7:30 pm, Macky Auditorium, Boulder Sarah Chang, violin Samuel Barber—Violin Concerto Anton Bruckner—Symphony No. 4
Saturday, February 23, 2013, 7:30 pm, Macky Auditorium, Boulder Angela Brown, soprano / Patrick Mason, baritone / Boulder Chorale Richard Danielpour—A Woman’s Life Johannes Brahms—A German Requiem
Saturday, March 23, 2013, 7:30 pm, Macky Auditorium, Boulder Cirque de la Symphonie Selections to include works by Antonín Dvořák, Rimsky-Korsakov, John Williams, and others.
Saturday, April 27, 2013, 7:30 pm, Macky Auditorium, Boulder Jennifer Koh, violin Claude Debussy—Prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun” Einojuhani Rautavaara—Cantus Arcticus Jean Sibelius—Finlandia Igor Stravinsky—Four Norwegian Moods Jean Sibelius—Violin Concerto
Additional repeat performance at St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch to be announced.
“About Michael Butterman, Music Director Michael Butterman is making his mark as a model for today’s conductors and is recognized for his commitment to creative artistry, innovative programming, and audience and community engagement. He is in his seventh season as music director for the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and also for the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, and is in his 13th season as principal conductor for education and outreach for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the only position of its kind in the United States. He is also the resident conductor for the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.
“About the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra Under the vision and leadership of Music Director Michael Butterman, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra is celebrating its 55th season of providing outstanding orchestral music in our community. The Boulder Phil is a critically acclaimed professional orchestra, presenting performances nine months out of the year and employing a core of 72 of our region’s most highly trained musicians.
“Voted “Best Classical Music” two years running by the readers of Boulder Weekly, the Boulder Phil’s main performance venue is Macky Auditorium on the CU-Boulder campus, a historic concert hall which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. The Boulder Phil’s main concert series—broadcast across the state on Colorado Public Radio—features a dynamic mix of masterpieces and promising new works, highlighting both accomplished and emerging guest artists with a special emphasis on Boulder’s own creative community.
“The orchestra’s broad reach in the community includes special events such as the annual co-production of The Nutcracker with the Boulder Ballet as well as performances in Arvada, Beaver Creek, Highlands Ranch, and Lakewood. The Boulder Phil also works to inspire the next generation of music-lovers through its Discovery Concerts reaching 4th and 5th grade students across three counties.
“Founded in 1958, the Boulder Phil became a fully professional ensemble under the leadership of Theodore Kuchar, who began his tenure as music director in 1996. Michael Butterman was named music director in 2006, bringing a strong emphasis on education and outreach, as well as a creative approach to programming that includes a focus on collaborations with other local artists. Under his direction, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra reflects and fosters all that makes Boulder special―its creativity, spirit, beauty and quest for knowledge. By connecting people to orchestral music, the Boulder Phil strives to be an essential part of our community’s cultural fabric.”
Filed under: News
Saturday, March 31st, 2012, at the First Congregational Church of Boulder, the Boulder Chamber Orchestra will present a program featuring Alfredo Muro, an internationally known guitarist. There will also be a special guest appearance by Felicity Muench, who teaches guitar at Colorado State University and Colorado Christian University. This is going to be an outstanding program, and one of the reasons is the lengthy list of composers being performed which I have included below. Certainly, two composers that I’m looking forward to are Luigi Boccherini and Antonio Vivaldi. The Vivaldi being performed is his Concerto in D Major, which, as my memory serves me, was last performed in the Denver Metro area by JoAnn Falletta when she conducted the Denver Chamber Orchestra. It is also been a long time since I have heard a piece by Boccherini for guitar.
I will include a short biographical statement from the website of both of the guest artists:
“Alfredo Muro was born in Lima, Peru. At the age of 10 he began teaching himself to play the guitar, and he progressed rapidly. He was soon awarded a scholarship to study with Maestro José Pepe Torres at his Guitar Academy.
“At age 13, Mr. Muro took the top prize in a nationally televised competition featuring musicians from more than one hundred schools. In 1971, he was the winner in the year-long TV program Trampoline to Fame.
“Mr. Muro continued his studies with two of the greatest Peruvian guitar masters, Octavio Ticona and Carlos Hayre, gaining mastery of harmonic theory and the rich variety of Peruvian folklore. After four years of intense studies he moved to the United States to broaden his musical skills, studying with great masters Manuel Lopez Ramos, Frank Costa, and John Doan.
“Mr. Muro had the honor of representing Peru at the 16th Annual International Guitar Festival–2005 in Lima and for the second time at the 5th Annual International Guitar Festival–2007 in Arequipa. These juried events featured artists from thirteen countries, including Spain, Germany, Sweden, the United States, Argentina, and Japan. In 2008, Mr. Muro was invited to participate at the Entre Cuerdas International Guitar Festival in Chile and at the First International Guitar Festival in Junin de los Andes in Argentina. In April of 2009 he performed in Brazil at the Federal University of Rio do Janeiro, and in July of that year he was featured in three concerts in the cities of Numberg and Berlin, Germany.”
“Felicity Muench began playing the guitar at the age of seven. In 1980, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from the University of New Mexico and in 1982 received a Master of Arts in Music from California State University, Northridge. She has been selected to perform in master classes with world renowned guitarists Andres Segovia, Pepe Romero, John Duarte and Alice Artzt. She is currently the guitar professor at Colorado State University in Fort Collins and Colorado Christian University in Denver.
“Felicity Muench is an active freelance guitarist performing throughout Colorado and the USA in addition to performing with the Silverwood flute & guitar duo and with the Musical Bouquet violin & guitar duo.”
These performers will play works from the following composers: Fernando Sor, Mateo Carcassi, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Stanley Myers, G.F. Haendel, Luigi Boccherini, Anonymous, Isaac Albeniz, Alfredo Muro, Paulinho Nogueira, and Antonio Vivaldi.
The program will begin at 7:30 PM, and more information is available on the website of the Boulder Chamber Orchestra.
