http://kaufman-center.org/ Kaufman Center News and Articles from the In Harmony Newsletter en info@kaufman-center.org Copyright 2009 2009-07-02T14:18:00-05:00 #When:14:18:00Z During the 2009-2010 season Merkin Concert Hall continues to spotlight contemporary composers with world premieres and specially commissioned works representing the diversity and vitality of 21st century new music. The new CONTEMPORARY CONTEXTS series begins with the world premiere of Jake Heggie’s Fury of Light, which he will perform with America’s pre-eminent flute soloist, Carol Wincenc. The eclectic young composer Nico Muhly shares the bill with one of the most prominent figures in European contemporary music: Sir Harrison Birtwistle. The SIGNAL ensemble will perform the world premiere of a specially commissioned work by Muhly and the American premiere of Birtwistle’s The Corridor. The world premiere of a new work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec rounds out the series in a concert featuring the brilliant Lark Chamber Artists and piano virtuoso Jeremy Denk.The premieres continue when NEW SOUNDS® LIVE, hosted by WNYC’s John Schaefer, returns to Merkin Concert Hall for another adventurous season offering new ways to hear the ancient language of song. The Bang on a Can All-Stars’ 2010 People’s Commissioning Fund Concert features three world premieres of new works commissioned by the people from Nik Bärtsch, Oscar Bettison and Christine Southworth. The nation’s premier postclassical string quartet ETHEL collaborates with Dutch multi-media composer Jacob TV on a program sure to surprise and inspire. New Sounds® Live concludes with a commissioned work from Elizabeth and the Catapult and a set by singer/pianist Ed Pastorini exploring how the art song is being reshaped by rock, jazz and minimalism. The NEW YORK GUITAR FESTIVAL celebrates its 10th anniversary season with a lively program at Merkin pairing classic silent films by Charlie Chaplin with world premieres of original NYGF scores by groundbreaking guitarists celebrated in the classical and contemporary musical worlds: David Bromberg, Marc Ribot, Bon Iver, Alex de Grassi, Gyan Riley and James Blackshaw. We’ll welcome back several long-running favorites, including the TUESDAY MATINEES series, which showcases some of today’s best young classical artists on the verge of stardom. BROADWAY CLOSE UP returns with an expanded lineup. In addition to three concerts featuring legendary Broadway composers and lyricists John Kander and Gerard Alessandrini and the annual Bound for Broadway show hosted by Liz Callaway, next season’s series includes an evening of songs by Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon performed by a stellar cast of Broadway stars as well as a special New Year’s Eve treat: the critically acclaimed musical Striking 12. Broadway Close Up performers this season include David Hyde Pierce, Karen Ziemba, Jessica Mulaskey, Barbara Walsh, Capathia Jenkins, Debra Monk and Ann Hampton Callaway. And finally, Merkin’s Family Matinees for children ages four to 10 continue with six more productions of BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE, concerts celebrating Broadway’s greatest shows with sing-alongs, fun facts, games, medleys and mini-musicals, and MUSICAL ADVENTURES WITH THE POPPY SEED PLAYERS, musical plays for children about the Jewish heritage and life in New York City. Series/performances (a chronological list of performances is below): CONTEMPORARY CONTEXTS: THREE PREMIERES 3-concert subscription: $60 Contemporary Contexts subscribers receive $20 additional tickets to any New Sounds Live concerts Single tickets: $25, $30 premium seating Come hear what’s going on right now! Merkin Concert Hall continues to spotlight the diversity and vitality of 21st century new music with world premieres and specially commissioned works. Mon 11/09/09 at 7:30 pm Carol Wincenc Ruby Anniversary: “Deepest Desires” America’s pre-eminent flute soloist, Carol Wincenc, performs the WORLD PREMIERE of a commissioned work by Jake Heggie, Fury of Light for flute and piano, as well as Heggie’s song cycle The Deepest Desire, with settings of texts by Sister Helen Prejean (a protagonist in Heggie’s opera Dead Man Walking) for voice, flute and piano. The program also features Lukas Foss’s Three American Pieces arranged for flute and piano; Paul Schoenfield’s Six Chassidic Songs and George Crumb’s famous 1971 work Voice of the Whale for electric flute, electric piano, electric cello and cymbals (in commemoration of Crumb’s 80th birthday year). Jake Heggie and Stephen Gosling are the program’s pianists, soprano Elise Quagliata sings The Deepest Desire, and cellist Rafael Figueroa is featured in Voice of the Whale. Thu 03/04/10 at 7:30 pm SIGNAL Brad Lubman, Conductor SIGNAL, a large ensemble comprised of some of New York’s most gifted and innovative musicians, will perform the WORLD PREMIERE of a new work by Nico Muhly—celebrated as “one of the next great hopes for the future of classical music” by New York Magazine—commissioned by Merkin Concert Hall. The program also includes the AMERICAN PREMIERE of The Corridor by Sir Harrison Birtwistle, one of the most prominent figures in European contemporary music. This piece for two singers and an ensemble explores the climax of the Orpheus myth: his fatal glance back at Eurydice. Thu 04/22/10 at 7:30 pm Lark Portraits in 4x5 The boldly brilliant Lark Chamber Artists and piano virtuoso Jeremy Denk perform two quintets (including Schumann’s titanic Piano Quintet, Opus 22), two quartets and the WORLD PREMIERE of a new work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec and. "A polished and warmly communicative ensemble [that delivers] a performance of grace, proportion and burnished brilliance" (The Washington Post), Lark Chamber Artists takes a global perspective, encompassing a variety of musical genres spanning World Music from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East as well as jazz, minimalism, traditional Western chamber music and the baroque. The New York Times calls acclaimed pianist Jeremy Denk’s playing "bracing, effortlessly virtuosic and utterly joyous." NEW SOUNDS® LIVE hosted by WNYC’s John Schaefer 3-concert subscription: $60 New Sounds Live subscribers receive $20 additional tickets to any Contemporary Contexts concerts Single tickets: $25, $30 premium seating Cited by New York Magazine as one of “the people whose ideas, power and sheer will are changing New York,” host John Schaefer has for 20 years been offering new ways to hear the ancient language of song. The New Sounds® Live series returns to Merkin Hall in 2010 for another season of adventurous new work. Wed 02/24/10 at 7:30 pm Bang on a Can All-Stars The 2010 People’s Commissioning Fund (PCF) Concert Three world premieres commissioned by the people! New York’s electric chamber ensemble Bang on a Can All-Stars take on new works by Nik Bärtsch, Oscar Bettison and Christine Southworth, plus more in their highly anticipated annual celebration at Merkin Hall. The PCF is a radical partnership between artists and audiences to commission works from adventurous composers. A special edition of WNYC’s New Sounds® Live with host John Schaefer. Thu 03/11/10 at 7:30 pm ETHEL Plays Jacob TV New York's high-octane ETHEL teams up with Dutch avant-pop composer Jacob TV for an adventurous evening sure to surprise and inspire. Acclaimed as the nation's premier postclassical string quartet, ETHEL boldly infuses contemporary concert music with fierce intensity, questioning the boundaries between performer and audience, tradition and technology. Formed in 1998, ETHEL is comprised of Juilliard-trained composer/performers: Cornelius Dufallo (violin), Ralph Farris (viola), Dorothy Lawson (cello) and Mary Rowell (violin). Quickly gaining renown outside his native Netherlands, Jacob TV draws raw material for his multi-media compositions from American media and world events, creating work possessing an explosive strength and raw energy combined with extraordinarily intricate architectural design. Thu 05/20/10 at 7:30 pm New Songs A program of new approaches to the art song, a form perfected by Schubert and usually restricted to piano and voice. Today, the art song is being stretched and reshaped by rock, jazz and minimalism. Featuring a commissioned work from Elizabeth and the Catapult (pianist Elizabeth Ziman and her band) and a set by singer/pianist Ed Pastorini. NEW YORK GUITAR FESTIVAL: SILENT FILMS / LIVE GUITARS 4-concert series subscription: $120 Single tickets: $40, $45 premium seating The New York Guitar Festival returns to Merkin Concert Hall in 2010 for its 10th anniversary season. This year’s festival celebrates one of the most creative and influential personalities of the silent film era. Each night an artist or ensemble will give the world premiere of a New York Guitar Festival commissioned score for early silent classic films by Charlie Chaplin including The Immigrant, Modern Times, City Lights, The Gold Rush and The Kid. They’ll be shown along with short films by Buster Keaton and others. The festival is curated by New York Guitar Festival founder and artistic director David Spelman and features artists David Bromberg, Marc Ribot, Bon Iver, Alex de Grassi, Gyan Riley, James Blackshaw and others. Thu 01/14/10 at 8 pm David Bromberg & Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant (1917, 20 minutes) Marc Ribot & Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid (1921, 68 minutes) 2008 Grammy nominee David Bromberg is known for his eclectic combination of blues, bluegrass, jazz, folk, country & western and rock & roll. He has recorded and performed with country blues master Reverend Gary Davis, Jorma Kaukonen, Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan and George Harrison among others and is a master of several stringed instruments. Style-morphing icon Marc Ribot has lent his mercurial guitar sounds to collaborations including Robert Plant and Alison Kraus, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and John Zorn. Thu 01/21/10 at 8 pm Bon Iver & Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush (1925, 82 minutes) Steve Kimock & Buster Keaton’s Cops (18 minutes) Bon Iver is the nom-de-guerre of musician Justin Vernon. His album For Emma, Forever Ago was a critical and commercial hit, making him one of the most talked-about indie artists of 2008. For this performance he will be joined by Chris Rosenau of indie rock band Collection of Colonies of Bees, whom Justin calls his “guitar mentor.” Steve Kimock is best known as co-founder and guitarist for the San Francisco jazz/rock/funk band Zero and is a veteran when it comes to performing American roots music. He’s recorded and performed with many members of the Grateful Dead family (Jerry Garcia once hailed him as his favorite guitarist), Bruce Hornsby, Pete Sears and Hammond B3 master Melvin Seals. He currently records and tours with his band Crazy Engine. Thu 01/28/10 at 8 pm Alex de Grassi & Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times (1936, 87 minutes) James Blackshaw & Fall of the House of Usher (Directed by James Sibley Watson and Melville Webber, 1928, 14 minutes) Often cited as one of the top fingerstyle, steel-string acoustic guitarists, Grammy nominee Alex de Grassi is renowned for his impeccable technique, innovative artistry and compelling compositions. Over the years, de Grassi has explored a variety of world music influences and stretched his repertoire to include interpretations of jazz classics and folk melodies from around the world. He has drawn acclaim for his 14 recordings released by Windham Hill, RCA Novus, Tropo Records, 33rd Street and other labels, as well as for his live performances as a soloist and within ensemble settings. James Blackshaw is a London-based guitar prodigy who has released seven albums' worth of mesmerizing instrumental 12-string compositions since 2004. His style is often described as "American primitive guitar" because he has been influenced by the likes of John Fahey and Robbie Basho. He incorporates elements of Indian raga music, improvisation, drone and psychedelia to create extended pieces of immense depth and pristine melody. Thu 02/04/10 at 8 pm Chicha Libre & Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights (1931, 86 minutes) Gyan Riley & shorts by Harry Smith Chicha Libre is a Brooklyn-based group that plays a psychedelic brand of cumbia music invented by the Indians in the Peruvian leg of the Amazon rainforest in the late ‘60s. Chicha mashes up the melodies of Peru’s Native American population, Columbia’s cumbia, Afro-Peruvian guitar styles, Cuban guajiras, garage band Farfisa funk and the twangy resonance of American surf and spaghetti Western guitar. It’s a hybrid that sounds at once familiar and alien to American ears. Gyan Riley is an equally strong presence in the worlds of classical guitar and contemporary music. He has received commissions from Carnegie Hall, the New York Guitar Festival and the Paul Dresher Ensemble. He has performed throughout 10 European countries and across the U.S., both as a soloist and in ensemble with various artists such as Zakir Hussain, Michael Manring, Dawn Upshaw, the San Francisco Symphony, the Falla Guitar Trio, the World Guitar Ensemble and his father, the composer/pianist/vocalist Terry Riley. TUESDAY MATINEES: TOMORROW’S STARS TODAY Series subscription (7 concerts+ bonus concert): $84 Single tickets: $15 Kaufman Center’s longest-running series showcases tomorrow’s stars today, presenting young classical artists in the early stages of what are sure to be long and successful careers. With pianists, violinists, string quartets, cellists and everyone in between, these afternoon concerts highlight the best new talents throughout the classical music world. The 2009-10 concerts celebrate the anniversaries of important composers including Mendelssohn, Haydn, Schumann, Antheil, Albeniz, Bloch and Villa Lobos. Tues 10/06/09 at 2 pm Daria Rabotkina, piano Winner of the 2007 Concert Artists Guild International Competition and numerous international prizes, Rabotkina has been lauded as “a young pianist with clearly prodigious musical gifts” by The Washington Post. This young Russian virtuoso has made solo appearances with the San Francisco and New World Symphonies under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas and with the Kirov Orchestra and Valery Gergiev in a North American tour. Works by J.S. Bach, Feruccio Busoni and Sergei Prokofiev. Tues 11/10/09 at 2 pm Jennifer Stumm, viola: Six Degrees of Inspiration With pianist Elizabeth Pridgen Hailed as "outstanding" by The Strad, Stumm is the winner of the 2006 Concert Artists Guild Competition, where she took First Prize as the first solo violist in the nearly 60-year history of the competition. Recent appearances of note include debuts at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the famed "Grachten" Festival in Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall in London, the Kennedy Center and Alice Tully Hall. The program consists of three pairs of works by composers who inspired one another, including Schumann & Brahms, Britten & Bridge and Rolla & Paganini. Tues 12/08/09 at 2 pm Lidia Kaminska, accordion/bandoneon Kaminska “transforms the accordion into a massive force,” says Philadelphia Magazine. The recipient of numerous prestigious awards, she became at age 25 the first (and only) person in the U.S. to receive a Doctorate in Accordion Performance. She has been a featured soloist with the Kielce Philharmonic Orchestra of Poland, the Strings of Lodz, the Concord Chamber Orchestra and the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. Works by J.S. Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Isaac Albéniz, Aram Khachaturian, Niccolò Paganini, Sofia Gubaidulina, Vladislav Zolotariev and Felix Mendelssohn. Tues 01/19/10 at 2 pm Dodd String Quartet The Dodd String Quartet is one of the rare quartets today performing on period instruments. Focusing on the 100 years that saw the birth and subsequent evolution of the string quartet, they enjoy exploring rarely performed works alongside the glorious mainstays of the quartet repertoire—from the late Baroque through early Romanticism. Works by W.A. Mozart, Le Chevalier de St.-Georges and Juan Crisostomo de Arriaga. Tues 02/09/10 at 2 pm Gleb Ivanov, piano Russian pianist Gleb Ivanov is “eerily like the ghost of Horowitz,” says The Washington Times. “His talent is larger than life.” Winner of the 2005 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and other international prizes, Ivanov has won critical praise for his debut recitals at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Mentored by the late Mstislav Rostropovich, Mr. Ivanov performed with the famous maestro as soloist with the Nizhny Novgorod Philharmonic. Works by Sergei Prokofiev, Frédéric Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Franz Schubert. Tues 03/09/10 at 2:15 pm Tuesday Matinees FREE bonus concert: Henry Schneider Scholarship Concert Featuring young artists from Kaufman Center’s Lucy Moses School. Tue 04/13/10 at 2 pm Musicians from Ravinia’s Steans Institute The members of this chamber ensemble are selected each year from the most promising young musicians to attend the Institute’s summer session at Ravinia. The 2010 ensemble includes David McCarroll and Miriam Fried, violin; Emily Deans, viola; Nicholas Canellakis, cello; Roman Rabinovich, piano and Mary Elizabeth Mackenzie, soprano. Works by Beethoven, Schoenberg and Franck. Tue 05/04/10 at 2 pm La Catrina Quartet “How wonderful to hear four young musicians be such good ambassadors for music,” says cellist Yo-Yo Ma of La Catrina Quartet, which promotes new music by living composers and Mexican and Latin-American art music as well as performing the masterworks of the string quartet repertoire. Currently the Quartet-in-Residence of the Western Piedmont Symphony and the Chamber Music Festival of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, the quartet is Daniel Vega-Albela and Blake Espy, violin; Jorge Martínez, viola and Alan Daowz, cello. Works by Emmanuel Arias y Luna, Joseph Haydn, Astor Piazzolla, Javier Alvarez, Felix Mendelssohn and Jose Pablo Moncayo.   BROADWAY CLOSE UP “ALL 5” subscription: $150 (Girls Like Us, John Kander, Gerard Alessandrini, Bound For Broadway, Striking 12) “ALL 4” subscription: $124 (John Kander, Gerard Alessandrini, Bound For Broadway PLUS Girls Like Us OR Striking 12) 3-concert Broadway Close Up subscription: $96 (John Kander, Gerard Alessandrini, Bound for Broadway) Single tickets: $40 Merkin Concert Hall’s Broadway Close Up series celebrates American musical theater old and new, offering backstage insights from some of the theater’s top professionals. The fall 2009 season will feature an inside look at musical theater from Broadway legends John Kander (Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman) and Gerard Alessandrini (Forbidden Broadway), who will each spend an evening presenting and discussing their work and welcoming some of their favorite singers. Bound for Broadway host Liz Callaway will present sneak previews of a handful of new musicals in various stages of development. The 2009 series also includes two special additions: Girls Like Us, featuring the music of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon as performed by Liz Callaway, Barbara Walsh, Capathia Jenkins, Jessica Mulaskey and Ann Hampton Callaway, and the brilliantly funny and critically-acclaimed musical Striking 12. Mon 10/05/09 at 8 pm Girls Like Us Girls Like Us is based on the bestselling book by Sheila Weller and features the music of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon. If you grew up listening to these songs, you’ll love the unique interpretations of Merkin’s stellar cast, which includes Liz Callaway, Barbara Walsh, Capathia Jenkins, Jessica Mulaskey and Ann Hampton Callaway. Weller will read from her book and discuss the three artists, whose music influenced and reflects the women’s revolution in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Come take an eye-opening tour through the songs that have become ingrained in America's soul. Bring your mother or your daughter! Mon 10/26/09 at 8 pm Broadway Close Up: John Kander John Kander, of Kander and Ebb—composer of Cabaret, Chicago, New York, New York and Kiss of the Spider Woman—is a warm, funny and articulate man whose melodies you never forget. A stellar cast including David Hyde Pierce, who won a Tony Award for his performance in Kander’s Curtains, along with fellow Tony winners and Kander veterans Karen Ziemba and Debra Monk, will sing his songs and his praises. Kander’s signature tunes include “Cabaret,” “New York, New York,” “Maybe This Time” and “All That Jazz.” Mon 11/16/09 at 8 pm Broadway Close Up: Gerard Alessandrini and “Forbidden Broadway” Gerard Alessandrini is the comic genius behind Forbidden Broadway, a satirical cabaret revue spoofing show tunes, characters and plots of contemporary and current Broadway musicals, including popular shows like The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Les Misérables, Annie Get Your Gun, Hairspray, The Lion King, The Music Man, Miss Saigon and Rent, to name a few. While revisiting some of the gems from that show’s 25 years of inspired spoofery, you’ll find out how he really feels about Broadway’s past and future, and some of the non-Forbidden shows he’s written, too. Mon 12/07/09 at 8 pm Broadway Close Up: Bound for Broadway with Liz Callaway The 9th annual Bound for Broadway concert, hosted by Liz Callaway, will be something special. There are lots of surprises in store, plus sneak peeks at five new shows written by some of the most inspiring and adventurous writers in town. The singers are always great! Thurs 12/31/09 at 8 pm Striking 12 Striking 12 is a unique, brilliant, funny and loveable musical performed by its writers, the band GrooveLily. Described as “a cross between a rock concert and a holiday show for people who don’t like holiday shows,” Striking 12 is about a grumpy guy who stays at home on New Year’s Eve, until reading “The Little Match Girl” changes his life. Charles Isherwood of The New York Times praised the show as “artfully crafted and engaging.” “The story is touching and poignant while at the same time lighthearted and funny,” he wrote. “I went for the theater but found the music as engrossing as the story.” The show is 90 minutes of exhilaration you’ll never forget, and you’ll be out of the theater in plenty of time for New Year’s Eve parties.   FAMILY MATINEES 6-concert series subscription: $90 3-concert subscription (Poppy Seed Players OR Broadway Playhouse): $48 Single tickets: $20 Merkin Concert Hall presents two critically-acclaimed annual matinee series for families: Broadway Playhouse, which introduces a new generation to classic Broadway musicals, and Musical Adventures with the Poppy Seed Players. Intended for children age 4–10 and adults, each show is kid-friendly, interactive, educational—and lots of fun! Musical Adventures with the Poppy Seed Players Now celebrating its 20th season, the popular Poppy Seed Players perform musical plays for children about the Jewish heritage and life in New York City. They’re joined by the Kaufman Kids, a troupe of young performers from Kaufman Center’s Lucy Moses and Special Music Schools. Sun 12/13/09 at 11 am Latkes & Applesauce Join us for a revised edition of our popular Hanukkah revue, with songs and scenes celebrating Hanukkah in the city. This joyous, family-friendly musical play includes songs and scenes by some of New York's funniest writers, including a Hanukkah version of A Christmas Carol, a mother and daughter making latkes together, a parody of American Idol, the story of "Thomas, the Shammus" and the rousing klezmer-inspired title tune. Sun 02/21/10 at 11 am A Poppy Seed Purim Help! Haman has convinced the King to have the Jews of Shushan put to death. Good thing Queen Esther is around to save the day! Join us for a revival of this old favorite with singable songs, colorful costumes and a hissable villain. Sun 03/21/10 at 11 am Sunshine In this tuneful and touching musical based on the beloved book by Madeline author Ludwig Bemelmans, a grumpy landlord wants to evict Miss Moore and her music school. But the resourceful students save the day! Book, music and lyrics by Jennifer Draganski, Sean Hartley and John O’Neill.   Broadway Playhouse Love musicals? So do we! Broadway Playhouse is the perfect place to share your passion with the next generation of musical theater fans. Celebrating Broadway’s greatest composers and lyricists, these kid-friendly concerts are adult-friendly, too, with sing-alongs, fun facts, games, medleys and mini-musicals. Join host Sean Hartley and the zany Broadway Playhouse Players for another captivating season of music and comedy as they celebrate the work of Jule Styne, Alan Menken and Leonard Bernstein! For information about special Monday morning Broadway Playhouse performances for school groups, please call Faye Menken Schneier at 212 501 3357. Sun 01/10/10 at 11 am Jule Styne Jule Styne has written more than 20 Broadway musicals, including what many consider the greatest ever: Gypsy. Other hit shows include Funny Girl, Bells Are Ringing, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and the children’s classic Peter Pan. Working with lyricists like Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Stephen Sondheim, his shows are filled with such unforgettable hit songs as “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “The Party’s Over” and “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Sun 02/07/10 at 11 am Alan Menken A generation of Americans has grown up singing Alan Menken’s songs from such animated Disney films as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. His Broadway triumphs include stage adaptations of Mermaid and Beauty, plus Little Shop of Horrors and the upcoming Sister Act. Among his numerous honors are eight Academy Awards including four for Best Song. Mr. Menken will join us for the February 7 concert! Sun 03/07/10 at 11 am Leonard Bernstein Composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein is one of the most brilliant and innovative composers ever to write for the musical theater. His hits include two delightful comedies written with Betty Comden and Adolph Green (On the Town and Wonderful Town), the classically inspired operetta Candide and the immortal West Side Story, with lyrics by the young Stephen Sondheim. CHRONOLOGICAL EVENT LISTING October 2009 05 Mon    Broadway Close Up: Girls Like Us 06 Tues  Tuesday Matinees: Daria Rabotkina 26 Mon    Broadway Close Up: John Kander November 2009 09 Mon   Contemporary Contexts: Carol Wincenc 10 Tues  Tuesday Matinees: Jennifer Stumm 16 Mon   Broadway Close Up: Gerard Alessandrini December 2009 07 Mon   Broadway Close Up: Bound for Broadway 08 Tues Tuesday Matinees: Lidia Kaminska 13 Sun   Poppy Seed Players: Latkes & Applesauce 31 Thu   Broadway Close Up: Striking 12 January 2010 10 Sun  Broadway Playhouse: Jule Styne 14 Thu  New York Guitar Festival: David Bromberg & Marc Ribot 19 Tue  Tuesday Matinees: Dodd String Quartet 21 Thu  New York Guitar Festival: Bon Iver & Steve Kimock 28 Thu  New York Guitar Festival: Alex de Grassi & James Blackshaw February 2010 04 Thu   New York Guitar Festival: Chicha Libre & Gyan Riley 07 Sun   Broadway Playhouse: Alan Menken 09 Tues Tuesday Matinees: Gleb Ivanov 21 Sun   Musical Adventures with the Poppy Seed Players: A Poppy Seed Purim 24 Wed  New Sounds Live: Bang on a Can All-Stars March 2010 04 Thu  Contemporary Contexts: SIGNAL 07 Sun  Broadway Playhouse: Leonard Bernstein 09 Tue  Tuesday Matinees: Henry Schneider Scholarship Concert 11 Thu  New Sounds Live: ETHEL Plays Jacob TV 21 Sun  Musical Adventures with the Poppy Seed Players: Sunshine April 2010 13 Tue Tuesday Matinees: Musicians from Ravinia’s Steans Institute 22 Thu Contemporary Contexts: Lark Chamber Artists May 2010 04 Tue Tuesday Matinees: La Catrina Quartet 20 Thu New Sounds Live: New Songs (Elizabeth & the Catapult) Listings Information: Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center 129 West 67th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam) Tickets at 212 501 3330 or www.kaufman-center.org Press Only: Hi-res photos for download at http://kaufman-center.org/press/image-library About Merkin Concert Hall Renowned for its acoustics, accessibility and innovative programming, Merkin Concert Hall is the recipient of multiple awards for adventurous programming, most recently from ASCAP/Chamber Music America in 2002–03. The hall is a division of Kaufman Center, the creative community for listeners, learners and performers—people who want music in their lives. Kaufman Center is also home to Lucy Moses School (New York’s largest community arts school) and the Special Music School (a New York City public school for musically gifted children). Kaufman center brings together music education and performance for students and audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, combining the finest music education for children and adults with boldly innovative yet intimate concert experiences spanning a wide range of music. Kaufman Center presentations in Merkin Concert Hall are made possible, in part, by institutional support from the Amphion Foundation, The BMI Foundation, The Mary Flagler Cary Trust, The Edward T. Cone Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Barbara Bell Cumming Foundation, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, The Phyllis Fox and George Sternlieb Foundation, Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Edith Meiser Foundation, Rodgers and Hammerstein Foundation, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, and public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency. KIM SMITH Public Relations 718 858 2557 ksmithpr@earthlink.net 2009-07-02T14:18:00-05:00 http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/photos-sms-choral-concert/ http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/photos-sms-choral-concert/#When:15:33:00Z What's New at Kaufman Center, Home Page Headlines, News Blog, Special Music School News 2009-06-17T15:33:00-05:00 http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/photos-from-suzuki-spring-festival/ http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/photos-from-suzuki-spring-festival/#When:15:34:00Z What's New at Kaufman Center, Home Page Headlines, News Blog, Lucy Moses School News 2009-06-16T15:34:00-05:00 http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/photos-kaufman-centers-gala/ http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/photos-kaufman-centers-gala/#When:21:03:00Z What's New at Kaufman Center, Home Page Headlines, News Blog, Lucy Moses School News, Merkin Concert Hall News, Special Music School News 2009-06-01T21:03:00-05:00 #When:15:20:00Z Repertoire from noted composers including: Kurt Weill, William Billings, Shulamit Ran, Elliot Z. Levine & Salamone Rossi Kaufman Center presents Nashir!, one of New York's finest amateur vocal ensembles focusing specifically on Jewish repertoire. Praised by The New York Times for the professional quality of its performers, Nashir! brings a sense of joy and passion to Jewish choral music and encompasses a repertoire that is both spiritual and whimsical, and that spans both continents and centuries. Directed by Benjamin Gruder since 2003, Nashir! has been in residence at Kaufman Center since 1975. The group was originally founded as the Hebrew Arts Chorale and was renamed in 1990 in honor of Reba and Marc Rottenberg.This season’s concert, From Colonial to Contemporary: 400 Years of Jewish-American Music, includes “Kiddush” by Kurt Weill; “David's Lament” and “I Charge You O Ye Daughters of Jerusalem” by William Billings; “Shirim L'yom Tov” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and Mannes alumnus Shulamit Ran; “Hineh Ma Tov” by Elliot Z. Levine, composer and founding member of Western Wind; a piece by the Renaissance Jewish composer Salamone Rossi; and the popular Yiddish classic “Bei Mir Bisti Sheyn.” Nashir!, which means “Let’s Sing!” in Hebrew, specializes in the music of the Jewish people in its many languages, including English, Hebrew, Yiddish and Ladino. The ensemble’s repertoire has included works by Salamone Rossi, Tzipora Jochsberger, Ben Steinberg, Samuel Adler, David Burger, Louis Lewandowski, Solomon Sulzer, Robert Applebaum, Yehezkel Braun, Handel, Schubert, Moshe Wilensky, Gil Aldema, Debbie Friedman, Charles Osborne, Joshua Jacobson, Matthew Lazar and others. Styles have included classical, Renaissance, folk, Sephardic, jazz, rock and gospel and ranged from a capella to pieces with thick instrumental accompaniment (including drums, guitar, trumpet, clarinet, flute, dumbek, saxophone, piano and bass). Nashir! Artistic Director and Conductor Benjamin Gruder is also the founding and current director of Kol Rinah, a community choir in Westchester County, and the High Holy Day conductor at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism in Manhattan. A trumpet player and bassist, he studied conducting at the University of Memphis and has performed in symphonic, jazz, ethnic and punk rock ensembles. In addition to arranging and composing choral and instrumental pieces, he created and produced Jonah! A Rock Musical and recently delivered a workshop at the North American Jewish Choral Festival on the use of the actor’s craft in choral performance. For information about Nashir! and other classes and programs at Kaufman Center’s Lucy Moses School, please call 212 501 3360 or visit kaufmancenter. org. Listings Information: Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center presents NASHIR! THE ROTTENBERG CHORALE Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 8pm 129 West 67th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam) Tickets at 212 501 3330 or www.kaufman-center.org Single tickets are $24 / $21 / $17 About Merkin Concert Hall Renowned for its acoustics, accessibility and innovative programming, Merkin Concert Hall is the recipient of multiple awards for adventurous programming, most recently from ASCAP/Chamber Music America in 2002– 03. The hall is a division of Kaufman Center, the creative community for listeners, learners and performers— people who want music in their lives. Kaufman Center is also home to Lucy Moses School (New York’s largest community arts school) and the Special Music School (a New York City public school for musically gifted children). Kaufman center brings together music education and performance for students and audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, combining the finest music education for children and adults with boldly innovative yet intimate concert experiences spanning a wide range of music. Nashir! The Rottenberg Chorale performances are made possible, in part, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. Kaufman Center’s presentations in Merkin Concert Hall are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.   2009-05-28T15:20:00-05:00 #When:17:07:00Z Pre-Concert Lecture with Gunther Schuller World Premiere of David Rakowski’s “Stolen Moments” Merkin Concert Hall’s Musically Speaking series concludes with Writing Jazz: An Epilogue on Influence. From the early 20th century to the present day, classical composers have responded to the jazz sounds that are so much a part of American culture. Lark Chamber Artists, Zéphyros Winds and the genre-bending pianist Anthony de Mare will explore this fascinating interaction, culminating in the premier of “Stolen Moments” by David Rakowski, commissioned for Merkin Hall by the National Endowment for the Arts.A pre-concert on-stage lecture will be given at 7:30pm by composer, musician, MacArthur Foundation "genius" and Pulitzer prize-winning scholar Gunther Schuller. “Scholar, composer, conductor, teacher, author, music publisher, indefatigable advocate—Gunther Schuller isn't merely a musician, he's a monopoly," says The New Yorker. The program for the evening includes works by Aaron Copeland, George Antheil, Darius Milhaud, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and William Bolcom, among others. Lark Chamber Artists (LCA) performing this evening include Deborah Buck (violin), Harumi Rhodes (violin), Kathryn Lockwood (viola) and Astrid Schween (cello). LCA is comprised of a core group of musicians representing strings, piano, woodwinds and percussion and features programs scored for a wide variety of instrumental combinations ranging from soloist to small chamber orchestra and encompassing repertoire from the Baroque to the present. Exciting new projects are putting the Lark at the forefront of current musical activity and include their new, highly acclaimed CD release on Endeavor Classics, "Klap Ur Handz," featuring a commission by Daniel Bernard Roumain ("DBR"), whose fusion of classical elements with jazz and hip-hop is igniting a fire around the country and appeals to audiences young and old. In a ground-breaking new venture, the Lark is co-creating a new genre in an adventurous collaboration with the celebrated Ethos Percussion Group in which they commission various composers (most recently Giovanni Sollima) for original works as well as arrangements of rock, folk and traditional world music for a new twist on the traditional octet. The Lark has always been very active in commissioning and premiering new music. Many of these works have become mainstays of the chamber music repertoire and include Qt. No. 1 Musica celestis and Qt. No.2 Musica instrumentalis by Aaron Jay Kernis (1997 Pulitzer Prize winning commission by Merkin Concert Hall), Qt. No.2 In memoriam and Piano Quintet No.2 by Peter Schickele, "A Poet's Dream” by Jennifer Higdon, “Early That Summer” by Julia Wolfe and “Viaggio in Italia” by Giovanni Sollima. In addition, The Lark has commissioned 2004 Pulitzer winner Paul Moravec, hailed by critics as one of the leading "New Tonalists," to write a work for piano and strings. One of the youngest composers ever to win a Pulitzer, Moravec will complete his commission for the Lark in 2009, when they will be joined by renowned pianist Jeremy Denk for the premiere at Merkin Concert Hall Praised by audiences and critics alike for its brilliant virtuosity and expressive depth, Zéphyros Winds is recognized as one of the nation’s leading chamber ensembles. The group is Jennifer Grim (flute), James Roe (oboe), Jo-Ann Sternberg (clarinet), Douglas Quint (bassoon) and Zohar Schondorf (horn). With appearances across the country at major concert venues including Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, The Library of Congress, Wolf Trap and the “Great Performers Series” at Lincoln Center, Zéphyros made its concerto debut with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra and Louis Langrée conducting the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante, K. 297b, to open the festival’s 2004 season. During the 2003-2004 season, The Philadelphia Museum of Art engaged the Zéphyros Winds to create a program complimenting their recent exhibition, “Manet and the Sea.” They have toured with the renowned pianist and chamber musician Charles Wadsworth, and have performed as guests of the New York Woodwind Quintet at Alice Tully Hall and at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. At the invitation of the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., Zéphyros performed a gala concert celebrating the centenary of Francis Poulenc’s birth. Radio broadcasts include “Performance Today” for National Public Radio, Public Radio International’s “Music from Chautauqua,” and WNYC’s “Around New York.” The Zéphyros Winds have performed residencies at colleges and universities around the country and have given master classes at The Juilliard School and The Yale School of Music. Their recording of Irving Fine’s “Partita for Woodwind Quintet” is on Bridge Records. Anthony de Mare’s virtuosic performances of contemporary music have earned him superlative critical acclaim, as well as a loyal following in the U.S. and abroad. From traditional solo concerts to his pioneering achievements in concert theater, he has revolutionized the genre and transformed the recital format, creating projects that arouse attention. Supporting new work by composers of all generations and styles has been central to de Mare’s career, and he has commissioned and collaborated with many of the world’s most esteemed musical artists. As evidence of his inspiring effect on composers, he has been honored with a number of text-based and/or multi-media works created especially for him (Frederic Rzewski’s “De Profundis” and Jerome Kitzke’s “Sunflower Sutra” among many others). This year marks the launch of de Mare’s most ambitious project to date, the much anticipated Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano to premiere in the 2010-11 season as part of Sondheim’s 80th birthday celebration. As creative director and performer of this landmark three-concert series, the project will feature the work of 30 commissioned composers creating solo piano pieces based on the music of Stephen Sondheim. Currently in development, the project includes distinguished artists ranging from Milton Babbitt and William Bolcom to Steve Reich and Daniel Bernard Roumain. Also in the coming season, Mr. de Mare will record once again for the KOCH Entertainment label to be released in 2009. Speak ! will be the first disc devoted completely to the speaking/singing pianist genre he created 20 years ago; it will feature works by Frederic Rzewski, Jerome Kitzke, Meredith Monk, Laurie Anderson, Derek Bermel and Rodney Sharman. Currently on the faculties of Manhattan School of Music and New York University, his commitment to education is evidenced by his residency work at universities across North America, in which he has inspired a whole new generation of pianists and contemporary music advocates. Listings Information: Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center presents Musically Speaking Writing Jazz: An Epilogue on Influence Lark Chamber Artists / Zéphyros Winds / Anthony de Mare Saturday, May 30, 2009 at 8:30pm 129 West 67th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam) Tickets at 212 501 3330 or www.kaufman-center.org Single tickets are $30 (members $20) EDITORS: Please refer to the series by its name, MUSICALLY SPEAKING, and its location, Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center Press Only: Hi-res photos for download at http://kaufman-center.org/press/image-library About Merkin Concert Hall Renowned for its acoustics, accessibility and innovative programming, Merkin Concert Hall is the recipient of multiple awards for adventurous programming, most recently from ASCAP/Chamber Music America in 2002– 03. The hall is a division of Kaufman Center, the creative community for listeners, learners and performers— people who want music in their lives. Kaufman Center is also home to Lucy Moses School (New York’s largest community arts school) and the Special Music School (a New York City public school for musically gifted children). Kaufman center brings together music education and performance for students and audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, combining the finest music education for children and adults with boldly innovative yet intimate concert experiences spanning a wide range of music. Kaufman Center’s presentations in Merkin Concert Hall are made possible, in part, by support from The Amphion Foundation, the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, the Edward T. Cone Foundation, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, the Barbara Bell Cumming Foundation, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. 2009-05-14T17:07:00-05:00 #When:13:41:01Z Hosted by Award-Winning Writer and Jazz Critic Howard Mandel Merkin Concert Hall’s Musically Speaking series continues as a group of today’s top artists gathers to revisit On the Corner, Miles Davis’ epochal freestyle, improvisational LP. The group features the innovative trumpet of Graham Haynes as well as the album’s original saxophonist, Dave Liebman, and tabla player, Badal Roy, paying homage to a sound so radical and electrifying that at the time it sent shock waves through the jazz establishment. Award-winning writer and jazz critic Howard Mandel will host the evening.Besides Dave Liebman, tabla player Badal Roy performed on the original On The Corner— just a few weeks after his recording debut on John McLaughlin's My Goal's Beyond—and continued to tour with Davis until the mid 1970s. Trumpeter Graham Haynes is well known for both acoustic and electronic innovative music projects. Pianist and vibist Karl Berger, founder of the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY, has recently led a Don Cherry memorial project in which Haynes has played alongside electric guitarist Kenny Wessel, who may be best recognized for his years in Ornette Coleman's electric ensemble Prime Time (in which Badal Roy was also a member). Drummer Tim McLafferty co-leads a quintet with Karl Berger, in which Wessel is also featured. Keyboardist-percussionist (and composer) Mick Rossi, a regular member of the Philip Glass Ensemble, is a long-time genre-defying contributor to New York's downtown scene. Bassist Dick Sarpola is a graduate of New England Conservatory who has been recently been playing in the orchestra of The Little Mermaid on Broadway. Host Howard Mandel describes Davis’ On the Corner in his most recent book, Miles Ornette Cecil, Jazz Beyond Jazz (Routledge, 2008): On the Corner is Miles' most extraordinarily rhythm-charged album; it was and remains gloriously confrontational. It opens with what seems on first encounter an undifferentiated clatter of percussion, a distorted guitar strum reverberating repeatedly, a presentiment of melody instruments far off but coming closer, one stick slapping a half-opened hi-hat, another hitting a cowbell every so often, a bump of electric bass, a slithering lick of guitar, Miles' muted trumpet sneers erupting now and then and a soprano sax adding a serpentine squiggle. One may be hard-pressed to define a theme or melody, and there may be no harmonic movement but there's plenty of harmonic contrast. Sounds rebound as if mirrors are reflecting them; an electric piano trills at impossible speed, a sitar drones throughout and the tablas are at the bottom of everything—including weird whistling, syncopated handclaps, sleigh bells, rusty springs and perhaps a portion of mix running backwards. It bears resemblances to Indonesian gamelan, if one of those percussion ensembles took up residence in a New York City subway and was mixed down to a distorted blare through a Pignose amp. Mindless hedonists with sufficient stamina will dance to it. Howard Mandel is an award-winning writer, editor, professor at New York University, NPR arts reporter, president of the Jazz Journalists Association and author most recently of Miles Ornette Cecil, Jazz Beyond Jazz (Routledge, 2008). As described in his book, Mandel first heard Miles Davis on record in 1965, first heard him live and electric in 1969 (and thereafter, on many occasions up to 1990) and interviewed him for Down Beat in 1984. Through his articles in major international arts magazines and published interviews with significant Davis collaborators—including Gil Evans, Teo Macero, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, Robert Irving III, Marcus Miller, Foley, Kenny Garrett and Dave Liebman—he has been instrumental in the contemporary celebration of Miles Davis' music from In A Silent Way through doo-bop, including On The Corner. Mandel blogs at www.artsjournal.com/jazzbeyondjazz. Listings Information: Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center presents Musically Speaking Street Talk: Miles Davis’ On the Corner featuring: Dave Liebman / Karl Berger / Tim McLafferty / Mick Rossi / Dick Sarpola / Graham Haynes / Kenny Wessel / Badal Roy Monday, May 25, 2009 at 8:00pm 129 West 67th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam) Tickets at 212 501 3330 or www.kaufman-center.org Single tickets are $30 (members $20) EDITORS: Please refer to the series by its name, MUSICALLY SPEAKING, and its location, Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center Press Only: Hi-res photos for download at http://kaufman-center.org/press/image-library About Merkin Concert Hall Renowned for its acoustics, accessibility and innovative programming, Merkin Concert Hall is the recipient of multiple awards for adventurous programming, most recently from ASCAP/Chamber Music America in 2002– 03. The hall is a division of Kaufman Center, the creative community for listeners, learners and performers— people who want music in their lives. Kaufman Center is also home to Lucy Moses School (New York’s largest community arts school) and the Special Music School (a New York City public school for musically gifted children). Kaufman center brings together music education and performance for students and audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, combining the finest music education for children and adults with boldly innovative yet intimate concert experiences spanning a wide range of music. Kaufman Center’s presentations in Merkin Concert Hall are made possible, in part, by support from The Amphion Foundation, the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, the Edward T. Cone Foundation, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, the Barbara Bell Cumming Foundation, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. 2009-05-12T13:41:01-05:00 http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/turtle-island-string-quartets-translation-of-ema-love-supreme-em-on-npr/ http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/turtle-island-string-quartets-translation-of-ema-love-supreme-em-on-npr/#When:14:30:00Z Did you miss Turtle Island String Quartet doing Coltrane's A Love Supreme? It's not too late to catch the critically-acclaimed show. Click here. What's New at Kaufman Center, Home Page Headlines, News Blog, Merkin Concert Hall News 2009-05-08T14:30:00-05:00 #When:19:10:00Z For more information, please call the individual contacts for each concert. Box Office: 212 501 3330 Hours: Sun.–Thu., 12 noon–7 pm; Fri., 12 noon–4 pm; (November 1–January 12, 12 noon–3 pm) Sat., 7–9 pm (performance days only) www.kaufman-center.org. 2009-05-07T19:10:00-05:00 #When:18:56:00Z For more information, please call the individual contacts for each concert. Box Office: 212 501 3330 Hours: Sun.–Thu., 12 noon–7 pm; Fri., 12 noon–4 pm; (November 1–January 12, 12 noon–3 pm) Sat., 7–9 pm (performance days only) www.kaufman-center.org. 2009-05-07T18:56:00-05:00