“… immerses the listener in Bartók’s unique sound world … almost explosive energy and drama. Kodály’s music, and Alexander’s playing of it, are exceptionally lovely and moving …” – Fanfare
The Alexander String Quartet, now in its 32nd season and ranked among the world’s premiere chamber ensembles, releases a monumental new recording pairing the complete string quartets of Hungarian friends and contemporaries, Béla Bartók and Zoltan Kodály, on three CDs. Bartók’s six quartets and Kodály’s rarely-recorded two comprise some of the most beautiful, beguiling and ultimately influential string quartet music of the 20th century. The new release on the Foghorn Classics label is available now from Allegro Classical.
The remarkable first string quartets by the two young professors at the Budapest Academy of Music were premiered just two days apart in March of 1910, dates which would be hailed as “the double birthday of Hungarian music.” From the outset, Bartók and Kodály were surrounded by many passionate advocates at a time when critics and audiences found them alien and threatening.
After completing multiple traversals of the complete Bartók cycle over 31 years, the Alexander String Quartet has finally committed it to record. Several of the quartet’s musicians studied with Eugene Lehner, who premiered the Sixth Bartók Quartet when he was a member of the Kolisch Quartet. In preparing for a recent cycle, the ASQ decided to pair the first two quartets of Bartók with the only two of his great friend and countryman, Kodály: “They turned out to be real audience pleasers,” commented violinist Fred Lifsitz, “and we opted to include them on this recorded cycle as well. It was evidently a significant and demonstrably important friendship.”
This recording is made with the Ellen M. Egger set of instruments, created by Francis Kuttner in 1987 out of the same tree. The four magnificentinstruments were made in the great tradition of Antonio Stradivari as a matching ensemble.
The Alexander String Quartet – violinists Zakarias Grafilo and Frederick Lifsitz, violist Paul Yarbrough, and cellist Sandy Wilson – are “a group deep in its element, firm in its stride.” (Los Angeles Times). Formed in 1981, the ASQ has performed in the major music capitals of five continents and is acclaimed as an important advocate of new music as well as for its interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, and Shostakovich. Recent recordings for the Foghorn Classics label include music by Gershwin and Kern and In Friendship, works by Brahms and César Cano with clarinetist Joan Enric Lluna. Based in San Francisco, the Alexander String Quartet serves as directors of the Morrison Chamber Music Center at San Francisco State Universityand is Ensemble in Residence of San Francisco Performances.
“Now this is the way for an ensemble to celebrate an anniversary … It takes confidence for an ensemble to put the word ‘virtuoso’ in its name. The New York Virtuoso Singers have long earned it.”– Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times
The New York Virtuoso Singers (NYVS) celebrate their 25th anniversary season with the extraordinary 25×25: 25 new compositions by 25 contemporary composers commissioned by NYVS for this milestone. Under the direction of founder and conductor Harold Rosenbaum, the works were premiered at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City over two concerts last season. The resulting 2-CD collection from Soundbrush Records, available October 8, showcases a treasure trove of new works from the best of America’s living composers—including twelve Pulitzer Prize-winners—and an award-winning professional chorus of remarkable skill and artistry.
25×25 features an enormous breadth of style and inspiration from the composers. Conductor Harold Rosenbaum is passionate about the adventure of working with living composers, and about expanding the choral music repertoire. “I love music from all eras,” comments Rosenbaum, “but when I’m doing contemporary music, the more complex it is and the more challenging it is, the more I enjoy unravelling the mysteries.” The collection includes a cappella works, those with soloists, as well as pieces with piano accompaniment from Brent Funderburk.
Works by classic American poets are set by WILLIAM BOLCOM, with William Blake’s Why Was Cupid A Boy; GEORGE TSONTAKIS, withEdgar Allan Poe’sA Dream Within a Dream; JOSEPH SCHWANTNER, who sets Smoke from Thoreau’s Walden; and THEA MUSGRAVE’sStarlight, an excerpt from Longfellow’sMorituri Salutamus.
Sacred texts and subjects inspired STEPHEN HARTKE,whose Audistis quia dictum est (Matthew 5:38-39) highlights a controversial passage in the New Testament; RICHARD DANIELPOUR with a new Lux Aeterna; and JENNIFER HIGDON with an interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer. Psalm settings include SHULAMIT RAN’sPsalm 37 (The Humble Shall Inherit the Earth) in the original Hebrew; and YEHUDI WYNER’s Psalm 69(Save me, O God).
25×25 features a wide range of renowned poets, from Ben Jonson’sSong to Celia, set byROGER DAVIDSON; thewry and spooky Here by first-century Greek poet Marcus Argentarius, set by MARK ADAMO; STEVEN STUCKY sets Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Say Thou Dost Love Me; CHEN YI sets Let’s Reach a New Height, a poem from the Tang Dynasty; FRED LERDAHL’s Cornstalks,for small double chorus a cappella, is a setting of the autumnal poem Zea by Richard Wilbur; JOHN CORIGLIANO gracefully interprets Upon Julia’s Clothes, a poem by17th-century poet Robert Herrick; and John Harbison sets The Pool by contemporary poetMichael Fried.
Inspiration came to DAVID DEL TREDICI from a 1727 New England Primer, with his Alphabet II, and to DAVID FELDER with Nomina sunt consequentia rerum (Names are the consequences of things) from Dante’s In La Vita Nuova. DAVID LANG puts his own twist on an African-American spiritual withthe same train,and BRUCE ADOLPHE draws a text from the writings of neuroscientist Antonio Damasio in his Obedient Choir of Emotions. JOAN TOWER’s Descending is a spare expression of loss and grief on the passing of a sister and dear friend, and AUGUSTA READ THOMAS’s Spells, by Gerard Manley Hopkins/Thomas,isdedicated to the memory of Elliott Carter.RICHARD WERNICK sets a palindromic Latin text in The Devil’s Game—mirrored by a clever musical palindrome—and AARON JAY KERNIS sets an ecstatic and mystical Kabbalistic text, Song of You, by the Hasidic leader and Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev.
A particularly poignant contribution to the collection isMemorialby ELLEN TAAFFE ZWILICH. Written to honor the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre, the work integrates the names of the victims into text from the Requiem Mass. Memorial features The Canticum Novum Youth Choir, with director Edie Rosenbaum.
SIR JAMES GALWAY LAUNCHES “FIRST FLUTE”: AN INNOVATIVE ONLINE LEARNING METHOD
Sir James Galway
Regarded as the supreme interpreter of the classical flute repertoire and a consummate entertainer whose appeal crosses all musical boundaries, Sir James Galway makes a welcome return to the US this fall for a 14-city tour across nine states with acclaimed conductor JoAnn Falletta and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. Following Sir Galway’s “Legacy Tour” of last season, which included stops in New York, Boston, Washington DC and Los Angeles, the upcoming tour celebrates the Belfast-born flutist’s heritage and his long partnership with Falletta, as well as with The Irish Chamber Orchestra with which he made his American debut, 35 years ago.
Kicking off Saturday, October 26 inGreenvale, New York, the tour will visit Storrs, Connecticut; Purchase, New York; Newport News and Fairfax, Virginia; New Brunswick, New Jersey; Richmond, Kentucky; Carmel, Indiana; Urbana-Champaign, Illinois; Scottsdale, Arizona; and concludes with three concerts in California: San Diego, Costa Mesa, and, finally, Northridge on Tuesday, November 12. (Please see below for a detailed tour schedule.)
Featured on the program is Lady Jeanne Galway, one of the leading female flute soloists of the decade in addition to a frequent duet partner in concert with her husband – a distinctive musical rapport that has delighted audiences worldwide. This tour is also a special reunion for Lady Galway and JoAnn Falletta who were students together at the Mannes College of Music in New York City, where they often played flute and guitar duets, (Later, Lady Galway would serve as Falletta’s principal flute at the Queens Philharmonic.)
Beloved as a mentor and teacher through his frequent masterclasses, several of which will take place on the upcoming tour (part of The Galway Flute Academy and Festival he holds each year with Lady Galway near their home in Switzerland), Sir James Galway has long desired to make his method and expertise available to a larger public. The result is the ground-breaking First Flute, an online interactive series of lessons geared for beginning flute students of all ages. The first fifteen online lessons entitled “Foundations” include basics, fingering, tips & warnings, the “practice room” (with downloadable sheet music) and repertoire, in addition to concert footage. First Flute will launch this fall at www.firstflute.com.
On the concert programs Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway will perform Belfast composer Philip Hammond’s Carolan Variations, heard in its US premiere and in a new version for string accompaniment, a work inspired by two tunes by Irish harpist Turlough O’Carolan. The concert program also features Herbert Hamilton Harty’s fantasy for Flute and Harp, In Ireland, and, one of Sir Galway’s signature works, Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major. Falletta and the Irish Chamber Orchestra will also perform Mendelssohn’s SymphonyNo. 3 (“Scottish”) and Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 (“Jupiter”), in alternating cities on the tour.
One of the busiest artists in classical music, Sir James Galway has performed across the world with the leading orchestras, the most prestigious conductors and for numerous world dignitaries. Sir James Galway held the coveted position of solo flautist with the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan, launching his career as a soloist in 1975, and boasts a discography of over 65 recordings. “All performing musicians aspire to the condition of James Galway, says The Los Angeles Times, “… He has a technical mastery so complete that it makes everything look easy … No one in their right mind, or ear, could object to such committed, insightful and lovable performances.” For a complete biography please see here: Sir James Galway
Considered by The Chicago Tribune to be “a razor-sharp, fully seasoned ensemble, a worthy ambassador,” The Irish Chamber Orchestrais a fresh and vibrant force on the Irish and international music scene. With an annual season in Limerick and Dublin, tours countrywide, the orchestra has toured the US with pianist Leon Fleischer, in addition to successful across Europe, Australia, South Korea, China, and Singapore.
SIR JAMES GALWAY | THE IRISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA | 2013 TOUR
Saturday, October 26, 8pm | Tilles Center, Greenvale, NY
Sunday, October 27, 3pm | Jorgensen Center, U. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Tuesday October 29, 8pm | Concert Hall at SUNY Purchase, Purchase, NY
Friday, November 1, 8pm | Ferguson Ctr, Newport News U., Newport News, VA
Saturday, November 2, 8pm |George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Sunday, November 3, 3pm | State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ
Tuesday, November 5, 7:30pm| EKU Center for Arts, Richmond, KY
Wednesday, November 6, 8pm | Palladium, Carmel, IN
Thursday, November 7, 7:30pm| Krannert Center, Urbana-Champaign IL
Saturday, November 9, 8pm | Piper Theatre, Scottsdale, AZ
Sunday, November 10, 7:30pm | Copley Symphony, San Diego, CA
Monday, November 11, 8pm | Segerstrom Concert Hall, Costa Mesa, CA
Tuesday, November 12, 8pm | Valley Performing Arts Centre, Northridge, CA
Celebrated around the world for his “colorful, kinetic performances” (All Music Guide) that “abound in vitality” (Early Music America), harpsichordist Hank Knox transports the splendors of music of the 17th and 18th centuries, along with the unique enchantments of rare and historic instruments, into the present day. A busy recitalist, ensemble musician, director and educator, Knox’s concerts over the next several months will take him from Toronto to Flin Flon, and from Montreal to Barcelona.
Hank Knox will launch his new CD of keyboard works by J.S. Bach with a solo recital at the McGill Summer Organ Academy at Redpath Hall on Friday, July 12 at 8pm. (Knox also teaches continuo at the biennial two-week event, which attracts talented young organists from around the world.) Released on the early-music.comlabel, the recording highlights the range of works that Bach—hugely acclaimed as a keyboard virtuoso—performed over the course of his life, showcasing technical virtuosity, free composition, strict polyphony, and, often, unconventional harmony. The programme encompasses the early Toccata in E minor (BWV914), the brilliant and expressive Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue (BWV 903), as well as a movement from the Musical Offering (BWV 1079), published in 1747, just three years before Bach’s death. The audience will be invited to a special reception following the concert to celebrate the release of the recording.
In September, Knox and his harpsichord hit the open road for Have Harpsichord, Will Travel, a series of concerts across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Knox is one of the few classical artists — and certainly the first harpsichordist — to be presented on tour by Home Routes/Chemin Chez Nous whose house concert circuit is normally populated by folk or world music musicians. Knox and his sturdy, if heavy, two-manual harpsichord by
Richard Kingston, modeled after the 18th-century Flemish builder Dulcken, will hit cities including Regina, Flin Flon and Winnipeg, as well as a masterclass at the University of Manitoba. [Exact tour dates and cities are to be confirmed.] Knox wraps up the tour by bringing his recital programme to the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, as part of the free concert series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. The concert on Thursday, October 3 from 12-1pm will include music by Byrd, Frescobaldi, Rameau, Geminiani and Bach.
Back home in Montreal, Hank Knox opens an Italian-themed season with the superb Arion Baroque Orchestra, where he is a founding member. Concerts from October 18 through 20 are titled Venezia mi amore, with music from Gabrieli to Vivaldi, and feature guest violinist and director Enrico Onofri. The next month, from November 14 to 17, oboist Alfredo Bernardini directs Venice Tempest, with music by Galuppi, Albinoni, Marcello, Vivaldi and others. All concerts are at Salle Bourgie. In between, the orchestra will tour Belgium and Spain (dates and cities to be confirmed) with a variety of repertoire including Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, complete with its magnificent harpsichord cadenza.
A few days following, Knox will give a solo recital entitled L’harmonie universelle at Maison de la culture Francis Brisson in Shawinigan on Sunday, November 24 at 4pm.
HANK KNOX regularly performs, records and tours with Arion Baroque Orchestra, Tafelmusik, Les Violons du Roy, le Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, and l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, among numerous other ensembles. One of today’s busiest musicians in the field of Early Music, Knox’s musical collaborators have included violinists Elizabeth Wallfisch, Monica Huggett, and Stefano Montanari, lutenist Steven Stubbs, baritone Max van Egmond, and conductors Christopher Hogwood, Trevor Pinnock, Andrew Parrott, and Sir Roger Norrington. Dedicated to sharing the unique sounds of antique harpsichords, as well as fine copies of historical instruments, Knox has released a number of acclaimed recordings on rare instruments for early-music.com, ATMA, Analekta, CBC, Titanic and Collegium labels. Knox teaches harpsichord and continuo at McGill University, where he also conducts various instrumental and chamber music ensembles and directs an ongoing series of Baroque operas for Opera McGill. A William Dawson Scholar in recognition of his achievements in Early Music, Knox held the post of Director of McGill’s Early Music program for over 20 years and was awarded the Thomas Binkley prize for an outstanding university collegium director by Early Music America in 2008.
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Reconnu internationalement pour ses « prestations cinétiques et hautes en couleur » (All Music Guide) qui « regorgent de vitalité » (Early Music America), le claveciniste Hank Knox transporte les splendeurs du répertoire des 17e et 18e siècles et l’unique ravissement d’instruments historiques rares dans le monde d’aujourd’hui. Récitaliste, chambriste, directeur et pédagogue à l’horaire chargé, M. Knox donnera dans les prochains mois une série de concerts qui le mènera de Toronto à Flin Flon et de Montréal à Barcelone.
Hank Knox lancera son nouveau CD d’œuvres pour clavier de J.S. Bach avec un récital solo offert dans le cadre de l’Académie estivale d’orgue de McGill à la Salle Redpath le vendredi 12 juillet à 20 h. (M. Knox enseigne également la basse continue dans le cadre de l’événement biennal de deux semaines, qui attire les jeunes organistes talentueux de partout.) Sous étiquette early-music.com, l’enregistrement propose une palette d’œuvres interprétées par Bach – virtuose des plus acclamés – tout au long de sa vie, mettant en lumière la virtuosité, la liberté compositionnelle, la polyphonie stricte et, bien souvent, une harmonie non traditionnelle. Le programme comprend aussi bien la Toccate en mi mineur (BWV 914), œuvre de jeunesse, que la brillante et expressive Fantaisie chromatique et fugue (BWV 903) et un mouvement de L’Offrande musicale (BWV 1079), publiée en 1747, trois ans avant la mort de Bach. Après le concert, le public sera convié à une réception spéciale soulignant le lancement de l’enregistrement.
En septembre, M. Knox et son clavecin prennent la route pour Have Harpsichord, Will Travel, une série de concerts donnée à travers le Manitoba et la Saskatchewan. M. Knox est l’un des rares artistes classiques – et certainement le premier claveciniste – à être présenté en tournée par Home Routes/Chemin Chez Nous, circuit de concerts habituellement consacré au folklore et aux musiques du monde. Accompagné de son solide et lourd clavecin à deux claviers signé Richard Kinston, d’après un instrument du 18e siècle du facteur flamand Dulcken, M. Knox jouera notamment à Regina, Flin Flon et Winnipeg, en plus de donner un cours de maître à l’Université du Manitoba. [Les dates et villes de la tournée seront précisées sous peu.]
M. Knox conclut sa tournée par un récital à la Canadian Opera Company de Toronto, dans le cadre de la série de concerts gratuits donnés dans le Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. Le concert du jeudi 3 octobre (de midi à 13 h) comprendra des pages de Byrd, Frescobaldi, Rameau, Geminiani et Bach.
De retour à Montréal, Hank Knox ouvrira la saison à thématique italienne du superbe Orchestre baroque Arion, dont il est membre fondateur. Les concerts donnés du 18 au 20 octobre, intitulés Venezia mi amore, qui comprennent des musiques de Gabrieli à Vivaldi, mettront en vedette le violoniste et chef invité Enrico Onofri. Le mois suivant, du 14 au 17 novembre, l’hautboïste Alfredo Bernardini dirigera Vents de Venise avec des pièces de Galuppi, Albinoni, Marcello, Vivaldi et autres. Tous les concerts se donneront à la Salle Bourgie. Entre les deux, l’orchestre effectuera une tournée en Belgique et en Espagne (dates et villes à confirmer) avec un répertoire varié qui comprend le Concerto brandebourgeois no 5 de Bach et sa magnifique cadence pour clavecin.
Quelques jours après, M. Knox donnera un récital solo intitulé L’harmonie universelle à la Maison de la culture Francis Brisson à Shawinigan le 24 novembre à 16 h.
HANK KNOX joue, enregistre et tourne régulièrement avec l’Orchestre baroque Arion, Tafelmusik, Les Violons du Roy, le Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal et l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, parmi tant d’autres. L’un des musiciens les plus occupés sur la scène de la musique ancienne, M. Knox a collaboré avec des musiciens tels que les violonistes Elizabeth Wallfisch, Monica Huggett et Stefano Montanari, le luthiste Steven Stubbs, le baryton Max van Egmond et les chefs Christopher Hogwood, Trevor Pinnock, Andrew Parrott et Sir Roger Norrington. Convaincu de la nécessité de partager la sonorité exceptionnelle de clavecins anciens, de même que celle des répliques d’instruments historiques, M. Knox compte à son actif plusieurs enregistrements acclamés sur de rares instruments d’époque sous étiquettes early-music.com, ATMA, Analekta, CBC, Titanic et Collegium. Hank Knox enseigne le clavecin et la basse continue à l’Université McGill, en plus de diriger plusieurs ensembles, notamment de musique de chambre et une série d’opéras baroques pour Opera McGill. Boursier William Dawson pour son travail en musique ancienne, il dirige depuis plus de 20 ans le programme de musique ancienne de l’Université McGill et a reçu en 2008 le prix Thomas Binkley remis par Early Music America pour la remarquable direction d’un ensemble de musique ancienne universitaire.
“Written on Skin feels like the work of a genius unleashed.”
– Alex Ross, The New Yorker
Predicted to become “one of the defining operas of the early 21st century” by Opera Today, Nimbus Records’ highly-anticipated world premiere recording of George Benjamin’s Written on Skin will be available in North American on July 9 from Allegro Classical. The recording was captured at the premiere performances at Aix-en-Provence last summer and was released in the UK in March to coincide with the London premiere at the Royal Opera House. Rarely – perhaps never – has a new opera elicited such passionate praise, for Benjamin’s searing score, for Martin Crimp’s enthralling text – which features cannibalism, suicide, sex and murder – and for the extraordinary cast: “Benjamin finds both a rigorous economy and expressive violence in his music, which does justice to the opera’s stylised storytelling and its unflinching emotional struggles,” said The Guardian, declaring, “Written on Skin might not just be a watershed for Benjamin’s music, but for British opera as a whole.”
Sung in English and an hour and a half in length, Written on Skin’s flawless cast has been hailed as a collective tour de force. Based on the 13th-century Occitan legend of the poet and troubadour Guillem de Cabestany, librettist Martin Crimp transforms the troubadour into a young painter of illuminated manuscripts – The Boy (American countertenor Bejun Mehta in a visceral and beautifully-sung performance) – hired by a wealthy feudal lord – The Protector (the arresting British baritone Christopher Purves) – to produce a glorifying biographical book. Living in their manor, the Boy awakens the repressed passion of the lord’s young wife – Agnes, or The Woman (Canadian soprano Barbara Hannigan in an emotionally shattering performance) – and possibly of the brutal Protector himself, as the story proceeds to its almost unbearably intense and powerful end.
Conducted by the composer, Written on Skin is scored for an orchestra of 60 players with some unusual additions including a bass viola de gamba and a glass harmonica. “The dark spirit of the drama is impressively sustained throughout the recording, with the five singers giving their all and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra relishing the music’s startlingly distinctive range of colours and textures,” said Arnold Whittall in Gramophone, “This is music of formidable self-assurance, performed and recorded with matching conviction.”
Also included on the recording is Benjamin’s Duet for Piano and Orchestra , performed by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, playing with his signature depth and brilliant virtuosity.
A STIRRING MUSIC THEATRE WORK ABOUT LIFE AND LOSS DURING THE CIVIL WAR
A deeply insightful and powerful work about life and loss during the Civil War, Rappahannock County, a new music theater work by composer Ricky Ian Gordon with lyrics and concept byMark Campbell is featured in its world premiererecording on Naxos’ American Opera Classics label. Set for release on April 30, the recording follows successful stage productions at the Virginia Arts Festival, the Modlin Center in Richmond, and Texas Performing Arts at the University of Texas in Austin in 2011, the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War. Inspired by letters, diaries and other personal accounts, Rappahannock County features a gifted young cast of five principal singers portraying more than 30 roles. The Virginia Arts Festival Orchestra is conducted by Music Director Rob Fisher.
Rappahannock is an Algonquin word meaning “rapidly rising waters,” and Rappahannock County is bordered on the north by a river many slaves crossed to freedom. Over the course of five parts representing five years, the work explores the war’s impact, from secession to defeat, on a community of Virginians—black and white, rich and poor. “Distilling the entire history of the Civil War into a 90- minute song cycle was a daunting task,” comments Mark Campbell, “So much as has been written and debated about the War – and many of the scars it caused haven’t healed.” Campbell credits Edward L. Ayers, author of In the Presence of Mine Enemies: Civil War in the Heart of America, with guiding the creative process.“This new musical theatre work rendered the Civil War, our nation’s epic tragedy, in miniature,” said The Austin Chronicle, noting the “two dozen art songs that gleamed like diamonds in sunlight.”
“Many of the characters are unforgettable,” says the Richmond Times-Dispatch, praising how the singers “bring them to varied life, musically and dramatically, every note of the way.” Soprano Aundi Marie Moore touchingly portrays different slaves, including one who has nowhere to go when she is set free from her family, and an ecstatic bride allowed at last to “jump the broom” with her fiancé; mezzo-soprano Faith Sherman is a prim society lady, a pie-selling spy and an exiled Virginian; baritone Mark Walters is a pro-slavery preacher, a newspaper editor, and a forgotten soldier; tenor Matthew Tuell portrays politician Jefferson Adams, an embalmer and a dying army private who sings the poignant “I seen snow”; and baritone Kevin Moreno is a nameless slave, a union soldier, and a free man.
The recording also includes Ricky Ian Gordon’s wrenching song cycle Late Afternoon, an elegy of grief on texts by Jane Kenyon, Jean Valentine and Marie Howe. The work features mezzo-soprano Margaret Lattimore with the composer at the piano.
Distinguished Concerts International New York & New York Opera Studio Congratulate Baritone STEPHEN LANCASTER and Mezzo-soprano TERESA BUCHHOLZ
Nico and Carol Castel congratulate male winner Stephen Lancaster. Female winner Teresa Buchholz is at far left.
Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) and the New York Opera Studio (NYOS) are delighted to announce the winners of the 3rd edition of the Nico Castel InternationalMaster Singer Competition. Mezzo-soprano Teresa Buchholz and baritone Stephen Lancaster were declared the female and male “Master Singers” at the conclusion of the finalist concert which took placeon Monday, April 1at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Eight candidates performed one oratorio selection and one opera aria each on the evening’s concert.
“This year’s finalists were all superb singers,” commented jury member Jonathan Griffith, DCINY Co-Founder, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, “Our two winners set themselves apart for their excellent performances in both oratorio and opera genres.” Buchholz performed “Laudamus te” from Bach’s Mass in B minor for her oratorio selection and Meyerbeer’s “Nobles Seigneurs, Salut!” from Les Huguenots for her opera selection, while Lancaster performed “Estuans Interius” from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and “L’Orage s’est Calmé” from Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers. The two Master Singers were awarded $1,000 each in addition to a soloist role in a major choral masterwork with orchestra in a future DCINY season. Lancaster was also declared the evening’s “Audience Favorite” as determined by audience vote via text message at intermission.
Also on the Finals Jury were legendary artist Nico Castel, conductor Paul Nadler; conductor and pianist Lucy Arner; pianist Tom Muraco; and soprano and language coach Jennifer Ringo Conlon.
Teresa Buchholz’s recent engagements include Bloch’s Sacred Service with the Israel Philharmonic, Mozart’s Requiem at Alice Tully Hall, and Mercedes in Carmen with Opera Roanoke. Her performance of Chausson’s Chanson perpétuelle at the Bard Music Festival was deemed “gorgeously sung” by The New York Times.
Baritone Stephen Lancaster has performed the Brahms Requiem, Fauré Requiem, and Carmina Burana; and the roles of Count Almaviva, Schaunard, and Morales, and was the central region winner in the 2012 NATS Artist Awards. He will record a CD of French mélodies with Martin Katz (Centaur Records) this fall.
A Gala Evening at the Rialto Theatre on Thursday, May 9 at 8:oopm
Celebrating Seven Extraordinary Years of a World of Musicians in Montreal with Special Guest Julie Lamontagne
Montreal’s unique and exuberant Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra celebrates 7 years of extraordinary music making with a Gala concert at the Rialto Theatre on Thursday, May 9 at 8:00pm, a tribute to the great jazz musicians of the 20th-Century with a symphonic twist and featuring pianist Julie Lamontagne. Music is the common language for this professional orchestra who come together under the baton of founder and Artistic Director Joseph Milo, hailing from and China, Russia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Romania and ten other countries from across the globe.
Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra (MWSO) was founded in 2006 when conductor Joseph Milo, along with his wife Lucy Ravinsky, discovered that a tremendous pool of professional musicians, recently immigrated to Montreal, had no opportunity to make use of their valuable talent in their new home. The MWSO has provided these new Quebecers with the opportunity to make beautiful music in an orchestral setting, sharing their talents with the music lovers of Montreal, and has given them back the professional dignity they had enjoyed in their homelands.
Seven years later, MWSO has performed almost 50 concerts, received numerous press accolades, and been the subject of four documentary films. With the collaboration of musicians from Quebec who help the newcomers to integrate into society, the musicians have found friendship, colleagues, students, and have formed their own chamber music groups. “The musicians all bring with them a special cultural spirit that exemplifies the music and energy of this orchestra,” says bassoonist Linda Rand, originally from Israel, “The love of music and the vibrancy of the musicians is contagious.
Julie Lamontagne, declared by La Presse to be “one of our most gifted jazz pianists,” in praising her “true artist’s sensibility” and “feats of virtuosity,” headlines a program featuring an exciting fusion of jazz and symphony. Lamontange joins the orchestra for It’s About Time, a medley of Dave Brubeck songs including “Take Five;” George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and a new original work by Lamontagne for piano and strings. Julie will also offer several solo selections, including Rachmania and Chopinries from her latest award-winning solo CD, as well as Trilogies Colorée (doré, violet, jaune), and the atmospheric L’Hymne de Mr. H. In addition, the MWSO will perform medleys of music by Duke Ellington, Cole Porter and a salute to Big Band favorites. Says Lamontagne: “The collaboration with musicians from across the world brings to the stage a richness worth its weight in gold.”
Taking place in the stunning, fully-restored Rialto Theatre, the Gala evening will also feature a silent auction, and art exhibitions by photographer Burney Lieberman, artist Lisabel, and others. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit The Montreal Children’s Hospital.
Christopher Tin’s richly varied and profoundly moving world music song cycle, Calling All Dawns, receives its New York premiere on Sunday, April 7 at 2pm at Avery Fisher Hall, presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY). The performance of the two-time Grammy-winning work (2010’s winner for Best Classical Crossover Album and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists) will feature original artists from the recording including Anonymous 4, Indian Classical singers Roopa Mahadevan and Misha Chowdhury, and singer Ron Ragin. The concert will also feature a selection of pieces by Anonymous 4, known for their “unearthly purity, perfect precision and inviting style” (NPR Music), and beloved classics of the choral repertoire, with works by Mozart, Haydn and John Rutter.
The afternoon’s concert will also feature three cherished works from the choral repertoire: Mozart’s Regina Coeli, K276; Haydn’s magnificent “Te Deum” for Empress Marie Therese; and John Rutter’s splendid Gloria. Eric Johnsonand Geoffrey Boers conduct.
Calling All Dawns is a powerful journey of twelve songs in twelve different languages—including Swahili, Mandarin, Hebrew, Irish, and Farsi—all dealing with the themes of life, death and rebirth and carrying a message of unity. Lyrics are drawn from a variety of sources, both sacred and secular: Japanese haiku, Maori proverbs, the Torah, the Bhagavad Gita, and many more, with each song flowing seamlessly into the next. Songs of sorrow, mystery, and hardship reflect the complexity of mortality, while songs of joy, triumph and exultation bring us roaring back to life, beginning the cycle anew.
Heralded by Time Magazine as a “rousing, anthemic theme song,” Calling All Dawns’ “Baba Yetu” made history as the first piece of music written for a video game ever to be nominated for—or win—a Grammy. Composed for the game Civilization IV, the song drew attention from technology sources like Wired.com, who called it “a standout piece of music … richly deserving of the award” and Higher Plain Music, who called the album “a masterpiece … pure and absolute musical hedonism.” Singer Ron Ragin performs the song, a Swahili language translation of the Lord’s Prayer.
Anonymous 4, who contribute the beautiful Irish lament “Caoineadh” to Calling All Dawns, combine historical scholarship with contemporary performance intuition to create their magical sound. Susan Hellauer, Ruth Cunningham, Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek and Marsha Genensky are renowned for their unearthly vocal blend and virtuosic ensemble singing. Anonymous 4 has performed for sold-out audiences throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and has made 19 best-selling recordings for Harmonia Mundi USA, selling over two million copies. The group recently celebrated their 25th anniversary with the special concert and recording, Anthology 25.
Christopher Tin’s work covers diverse terrain: from thrilling fusions of orchestral and world music, to brooding reinventions of 90s electronica, to award-winning scores for film, video games, and commercials. Following his undergraduate education at Stanford University, Tin won a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London where he earned a MMus with Distinction, winning the Horovitz Composition Prize. His music has been performed by orchestras including the National Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and Metropole Orchestra. His music for video games includes Civilization IV and Pirates Of The Caribbean Online, in addition to Hollywood blockbusters X2: X-Men United and Lilo and Stitch 2, and a host of independent features, documentaries and TV specials. Major advertising clients include Puma, Verizon, and The Gap, and others. His compositions can also be heard as the startup sound for Microsoft’s Surface operating system, and a demo song for Apple’s Garage Band software, now found on every new Mac computer.
Pianist and composer Matt Herskowitz has been stunning critics in Canada since his newest Justin Time release, Matt Herskowitz Upstairs, was released this past fall. Newly available in the US, Herskowitz will celebrate Upstairs at a launch event at DROM in New York City’s East Village on March 19. (Herskowitz will also be heard in the next several weeks in Toronto, Montreal and the Belgorod Music Festival in Russia.)
Uniquely skilled at authentic and original jazz – impressing the likes of Dave Brubeck – and possessing the superlative technique of a classical virtuoso, the Juilliard-trained Herskowitz, who makes his home in Montreal, astounds with this solo outing of favourite covers and original works, a follow-up to his acclaimed, world music fusion Jerusalem Trilogy.
“Herskowitz deploys his art with a rare passion, but without ever sacrificing musicality,” enthuses Le Devoir, “Exceptional technique, precise sense of nuance, Herskowitz here brilliantly fuses his mastery of jazz and classical.” World Jazz News calls the album “a beautifully captured recording of an intimate live performance by a distinguished performer in varied genres” while Criticaljazz.com concurs: “a solo piano for the ages … easily 5 stars.”
The eclectic program on Matt HerskowitzUpstairs encompasses a rhapsodic homage to Chopin, “Dziekuye (Thank You),” by the great Dave Brubeck, who was a supporter of and a profound influence on Herskowitz’s playing; Michel Petrucciani‘s uplifting, gospel-tinged “Cantabile”; and Schumann‘s “Traumerei” (Dreaming).
Works by the pianist include the brooding “Waltz in Moscow”, written by Herskowitz in 1994 when he participated in the legendary Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition; the melancholy “Bella’s Lament,” which tells the story of Russian-French painter Marc Chagall and his beloved wife and muse Bella; and the waltz-time “Bach à la Jazz,”a jazz arrangement of Bach’s Prelude in C Minor, which Herskowitz previously recorded for EMI’s Grammy-nominated soundtrack to The Triplets of Belleville.
Herskowitz closes the album with two popular Gershwin numbers—a spacious extrapolation on the ballad “But Not for Me” and a rousing, re-harmonized take on “I’ve Got Rhythm,” the latter serving as a dazzling chops showcase for the pianist.
Click here for a complete tracklisting and to stream selected tracks: Justin Time | Upstairs
The Alexander String Quartet, now in its 32nd season and ranked among the world’s premiere chamber ensembles, releases a monumental new recording pairing the complete string quartets of Hungarian friends and contemporaries, Béla Bartók and Zoltan Kodály, on three CDs. Bartók’s six quartets and Kodály’s rarely-recorded two comprise some of the most beautiful, beguiling and ultimately influential string quartet music of the 20th century. The new release on the Foghorn Classics label is available now from Allegro Classical.
“Now this is the way for an ensemble to celebrate an anniversary … It takes confidence for an ensemble to put the word ‘virtuoso’ in its name. The New York Virtuoso Singers have long earned it.” – Anthony Tommasini, 
