TSO season opening concert features works by Copland, Gershwin, Rodrigo

The Tacoma Symphony Orchestra opens the 2010-2011 season with a globetrotting musical adventure that includes works 

evoking Paris, Spain, and the American West.  Music Director Harvey Felder opens his 17th season with Chabrier’s España 

and Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. Joining him for the second piece will be Croatian guitarist Ana Vidovic, whose playing 

was called “nuanced and intensely personal” by The Washington Post.  Copland’s Billy the Kid and Gershwin’s An American in Paris 

will round out the second half of the program.  The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 23 in the Pantages Theater, 

at the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tacoma.  For tickets, $24 to $77, call (253) 591-5894 or (800) 291-7593 

or visit www.tacomasymphony.org.  The program is sponsored by Gordon Thomas Honeywell, Odom Corporation, and Marine Floats.

Ana Vidovic last appeared regionally as a recitalist at the 2006 Northwest Guitar Festival in Bellingham in 2006, but her concert with 

the TSO marks her orchestral solo debut both in Washington and the Pacific Northwest. Her extensive 2010-2011 tour also includes 

performances in Japan, the Netherlands, France, Poland, Scotland, and throughout the U.S.  The young musician is developing a 

growing reputation for captivating audiences with “an unmatched phrasing ability and an understanding of the soul of music” 

(Knoxville News Sentinel).  Ms. Vidovic’s appearance with the TSO is underwritten by the Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Foundation.

            

Concierto de Aranjuez, the first work ever written for guitar and orchestra, represented a daring leap in instrumentation – posing the 

relatively quiet classical guitar against the full force of a symphony orchestra.  The work stemmed from a 1939 meeting between the 

composer and Spanish guitarist Regino Sainz de la Maza in Paris. Its 1940 premiere in Barcelona was an instant sensation; the work’s 

resulting popularity gave Rodrigo the financial security that had hitherto eluded him.  Its prominence came to overshadow his other work 

(similar to Ravel’s experience with his Bolero) and left him with ambivalent feelings about the piece.  Nevertheless, it remains seminal in 

the repertory of Spanish music, artfully capturing the “fragrance of magnolias, the singing of birds, and the gushing of fountains" 

in the gardens of Aranjuez.  

Aaron Copland’s music, more than any other composer’s, is reflective of wide-open landscapes and the fierceness and opportunity of 

the American frontier. He once said his mission was to express “the deepest reactions of the American consciousness to the American scene.” 

That dedication has made him the most beloved and popular of classical American composers.  Billy the Kid, the first major orchestral work Copland 

wrote in the style that came to define him, captures the spirit of the Wild West through its distinctive use of actual cowboy and folk tunes.  The open 

chordal spacing and use of simple, direct harmonies spoke to audiences immediately – as it still does today.  These techniques contributed to 

the development of a distinctly American style of music.

Taking a step back in time to the latter half of the 1800s, the popular showpiece España marked a turning point in the career of French Romantic 

composer Emmanuel Chabrier.  The work’s immediate appeal prompted various transcriptions and arrangements, earning Chabrier sufficient clout 

to compose his grander scale works.  Though his body of work is limited, it was highly influential on early 20th century composers such as Debussy 

and Ravel.

An American in Paris was the third in a series of orchestral works by George Gershwin that began with Rhapsody in Blue and continued with 

Piano Concerto in F.  Rather than focusing on the piano in the manner of the first two pieces, An American in Paris is a lush and colorful tone poem 

for orchestra that illustrates the experience of an American tourist visiting Paris.  In order to evoke the bustling streets of Paris, with its endless braying 

taxis, the score calls for the use of four car horns.  While visiting Paris in 1928 just prior to the work’s composition, Gershwin had a now-legendary 

meeting with composer Igor Stravinsky, during which he asked the famous Russian for composition lessons.  Stravinsky asked Gershwin about his 

level of income, to which Gershwin replied, “About $100,000 a year.” Stravinsky paused, and then remarked, “In that case, I should study with you.”

Dr. Gregory Youtz will lead a pre-concert talk about the music being performed beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the hall.  Patrons are invited to come early 

to enhance their appreciation and enjoyment of the concert.  They are also encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item with them.  

The TSO is collaborating with the Emergency Food Network to provide collection bins at every concert this season for distribution to the area needy.

Tacoma Concert Band + Harp

The Tacoma Concert Band is an icon in community music.  Not only is it one of the best bands in Tacoma, but it is an award winning, nationally recognized wind band.  Robert Musser is the founder and conductor of this great ensemble.  You can hear their next performance this weekend in the Pantages theater this Saturday (10/8) at 7:30 pm.

The program includes two works that feature a guest soloist, Elizabeth Blakeslee on harp.  Blakeslee is the solo harpist from the National Symphony Orchestra, in Washington D.C.

The program also includes the Barnes Fantasy Variations on a Theme of Paganini.  This is a virtuosic work often performed by the U.S. Marine Band.  It uses a familiar melody in 20 variations, many of which feature soloists within the band.  It is a wonderfully crafted composition, and a fantastic showpiece for bands.

For more information and tickets:  http://www.tacomaconcertband.org/

Here is the entire program:

Dunedin March…………………….Kenneth Alford

Fantasia in G Major…………………….J. S. Bach

Fantasy Variations on a Theme of Paganini…………..James Barnes

Fantasia for Harp and Concert Band……………..James Bingham

The Golden Age of Broadway……………………..Richard Rodgers

Greensleeves: A Fantasia for Band……………….Robert Smith

Nocturn for Harp………………….Clare Grundman

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice……………..Paul Dukas

Washington Grays March…………………Claudio Grafula

Music of Israel, here in Tacoma

Second City Chamber Series is offering a really interesting program of Israeli music.  I really think this organization is a gem in our community.  They have been offering chamber music concerts in our community for 34 years!  Besides great music and musicians, many of their concerts are held in the Annie Wright School's Great Hall.  It is a neat location for chamber music.  Big enough to let the music breathe, but small enough to feel intimate and like the audience is a part of the performance.  For more information go to:  http://www.scchamberseries.org

NW Sinfonietta Celebrates 20 Years

The Northwest Sinfonietta is a premiere chamber orchestra in the Northwest.  Conducted by Christophe Chagnard, this ensemble has become know for it's detailed and exciting performances.  NW Sinfonietta has a devoted following, and in recent years has expanded its concert series to include performances in Seattle and other northern communities.

This year is the 20th Anniversary for NWS, and they have an outstanding season of classic and contemporary works.  The first Tacoma performance is this Saturday (10/2) in the Rialto theater in downtown Tacoma.  For ticket information :  http://www.nwsinfonietta.org/season.html

Wonderful Variety on One Recital

This looks like a really cool program of chamber and solo recital music - featuring horn, clarinet, and piano.  Additionally, Gina Gillie (horn) is also singing on the recital.  Wow!  What fantastic variety and talent.  This PLU Faculty Concert also features Craig Rine (clarinet), and Amy Grinsteiner (piano).

Tickets: $8, $5, $3

This program has a lot of variety: in music styles, in instrumentation, in musical form.  Check out the program:

Romatic Sonata for Clarinet, Horn and Piano,  Gunther Schuller (b. 1925)

I. Adagietto II. Adagio III. Vivace, jauntily

Quartet for the End of Time,  Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)

III. Abyss of Birds

En Fôret,  Eugène Bozza (1905-1991)

Etude-Tableau in C minor, Op. 33, No. 3,  Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)

Trio in B flat, Op. 274,  Carl Reinecke (1824-1910)

I. Allegro II. Andante – A Tale III. Allegro – Scherzo IV. Allegro – Finale

Der Hirt auf dem Felsen,  Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Here are the program notes and artist information:

The versatile Gunther Schuller is well-known as a composer of both jazz and classical music, as a conductor, and also as a horn player. It comes as no surprise then that the writing for horn in his Romantic Sonata for Clarinet, Horn and Piano is effective and idiomatic. The current revision of this piece was completed in 1983, but the composition was originally written in 1941 when Schuller was only 16 years old. Even as a young man, he was skilled at creative rhythmic and instrumental combinations, and this early piece also shows the influence of jazz on his compositions.

In the opening of the adagietto first movement, the horn plays the exact same ascending four-note pattern six times, while the added sonorities of the clarinet and piano develop the theme into different and interesting textures. The remainder of the movement embodies a slow and dramatic Neo-Romantic character. The second movement contains a precariously high, haunting melody first presented by the clarinet, then the horn, then the horn and clarinet in a unison which has an ethereal and beautiful quality. Agitation and tempest stir the middle section before the music relaxes back into a restatement of the original melody. The last movement begins with a march- like tune in the horn and punctuated jazzy chords in the piano. A brooding tone overtakes a short middle section, and the light-hearted march returns to round everything off.

In 1940, composer Olivier Messiaen, a Roman Catholic and spiritual mystic, was captured and held as a prisoner of war in a German war camp. It was there that he wrote his Quartet for the End of Time. Himself a pianist, he found among the other prisoners a clarinetist, a violinist, and a cellist. On January 15, 1941, Messiaen’s group of musicians debuted his quartet for about 400 fellow prisoners. The music is based on chapter 10 from the Book of Revelation in which the seventh angel descends to announce that there will be time no longer. Messiaen musically builds on this idea by doing away with the standard time signatures of Western classical music and instead developing a varied and flexible rhythmic system, based in part on ancient Hindu rhythms. In a preface to the score, he describes the third movement for solo clarinet in this way: “Abyss of the birds. Clarinet alone. The abyss is Time with its sadness, its weariness. The birds are the opposite to Time; they are our desire for light, for stars, for rainbows, and for jubilant songs.”

En Fôret was written in 1941 as a final exam piece for Paris Conservatory graduate students by composer, conductor and violinist, Eugène Bozza. Exam pieces, by design, contained a variety of playing styles and effects to test the competency of the students. Such exams provided composers like Bozza with a unique outlet for the creation of virtuosic and ingenious showpieces for solo instruments. In En Fôret, Bozza borrows from Ottorino Respighi’s Feste Romane and incorporates quotations from St. Hubert’s hunting call as well as the Gregorian chant “Victimae paschali laudes.” Along with these melodic themes he includes many technical aspects of horn playing such as trills, glissandi, muted and stopped passages. The title means “in the forest,” and the music provides the listener with a vivid journey through a wooded setting in which one comes upon various scenes and characters ranging from hunters to monks.

The great Russian musician Sergei Rachmaninov, masterful and lush composer for the piano, frequently performed his own works, the recordings of which give modern performers valuable insight into the interpretation of his own works. His Etude-Tableau in C minor, Op. 33, No. 3 is one of two piano solos that was written in 1911 to be a “picture piece” or a musical manifestation of visual stimuli. The writing of these etudes is rather advanced and less predictable than some of his earlier preludes, while Rachmaninoff biographer Max Harrison calls the études-tableaux "studies in composition" that "investigate the transformation of rather specific climates of feeling via piano textures and sonorities.” Although Rachmaninoff wrote nine pieces for Op. 33, he only published six in 1914. No. 3 is one that was published posthumously but is often inserted, along with No. 5, among the first six.

Carl Reinecke was a celebrated concert pianist, conductor, director of the Leipzig Conservatory and composer whose many works were frequently performed during his lifetime. An impressive list of his students includes Edvard Grieg, Christian Sinding, Leoš Janáček, Isaac Albéniz, Johan Svendsen, Richard Franck, Felix Weingartner, and Max Bruch. For his accomplishments, it is surprising that his fame has faded in modern society. His Trio in B flat, Op. 274, composed in 1905, is written in a style similar to Brahms’ Horn Trio. The piano writing is thick and lushly Romantic while the horn and clarinet frequently trade off statements of the melodies and sometimes play in unison to create a unique texture.

The piece opens with an octave statement from the horn which serves as the thematic material for the rest of the first movement. A slow second movement allows the listener’s ear to take in the rich harmonies, while the third movement is a fast paced Scherzo and Trio written in 3/4 time. The final movement frequently displaces the beat using ties over the barlines which elongates the melody and delays its resolution. As a whole, the Romantic style of the trio make for pleasing melodic and harmonic listening.

Franz Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, which translates to The Shepherd on the Rock, was composed in 1828 during the last few months of the composer’s life. It was written for soprano Anna Milder-Hauptmann who wanted a work that expressed a wide range of emotions. While the piece is characterized as a lied, it can also be thought of as chamber music for a trio, the voice and the clarinet having equally challenging parts. The song is in three sections, each containing a contrasting mood echoing the sentiments of the text. The first section speaks of a lonely shepherd standing on a rock and singing down into the valley which echoes back to him. The solitude of the echoes cause him grief, and the music of the second section turns dark and mournful. But he does not remain in misery forever and is cheered by the idea of the coming of Spring which signifies new life and is characterized by rapidly ascending scales in the voice and clarinet.

-Notes by Gina Gillie

About the Performers

Dr. Gina Gillie is an Assistant Professor of Music at Pacific Lutheran University where she teaches horn and aural skills, conducts a horn choir, and performs frequently with faculty groups and in solo and chamber recitals. As an orchestral player, she is currently Assistant Principal with the Tacoma Symphony and has also played with the Northwest Sinfonietta, the LaCrosse Symphony Orchestra, the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra and the Beloit-Janesville Symphony Orchestra. She is a member of two faculty chamber ensembles at PLU, the Camas Wind Quintet and the Lyric Brass Quintet. Dr. Gillie studied horn performance with Douglas Hill at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she received her Masters degree in 2006 and her Doctorate of Musical Arts in 2009. She completed her Bachelors degree at Pacific Lutheran University in 2004 studying with Kathleen Vaught Farner. As a vocalist, Dr. Gillie has participated in many choirs including the Choir of the West at PLU and PLU’s Choral Union. She frequently incorporates vocal chamber music into her yearly horn recitals as an outlet for vocal performance.

Craig Rine is an Affiliate Artist and Lecturer at Pacific Lutheran University. Mr. Rine is currently principal clarinet of the Tacoma Symphony and the Northwest Sinfonietta. Since moving to the Pacific Northwest in 1988 he has worked extensively with the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Northwest Chamber Orchestra and the Auburn Symphony. In addition, Mr. Rine teaches band at Curtis Junior High School.

Amy Grinsteiner holds a Diploma of Postgraduate Performance and L.R.A.M. Teaching Certificate from the Royal Academy of Music in London, a Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music, and Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her primary teachers were Dennis Alexander, Angela Cheng, Nelita True and Christopher Elton, with additional studies with Paul Lewis. Ms. Grinsteiner is on the piano faculty at Pacific Lutheran University and performs regularly at PLU as an Affiliate Artist in addition to performances on the Second City Chamber Series and the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. This past summer she served as the Faculty Program Coordinator for the first University of Washington Summer Piano Institute, and traveled to London on a Student-Faculty Wang Center Grant. The research grant project, "Music as a hub in the London community," involved studying audience development and the impact of community outreach work. Since 2007, Ms. Grinsteiner has also been Director of the Young Chamber Players, the educational arm of the Second City Chamber Series. She is currently a D.M.A. candidate at the University of Washington in Seattle where she studies with Dr. Robin McCabe.

Lots to do at U.P.S.

This week there are several events happening in the Tacoma area.  I highly recommend you attend some of these opportunities to experience classical music in our community:

Flute Recital and Master Class by Molly Barth - Tuesday, Sept. 21
Recital: 7-7:45 p.m., Master Class 8-9:30 p.m.
Schneebeck Concert Hall, University of Puget Sound
Free

Grammy Award-winning flutist Molly Barth is an active solo, chamber and orchestra musician, specializing in the music of today. Barth is assistant professor of flute at University of Oregon.  This is a great opportunity to hear a great performer in recital, and also hear instructions on being a better performer from her!  Masterclasses are like lessons, but in front of an audience.  They are common in university music programs, and offer music majors a chance to share their learning experience with their fellow students.  Ms. Barth's recital and masterclass are open to the public, and its free!

Friday, Sept. 24
Schneebeck Concert Hall, University of Puget Sound
Duane Hulbert, professor of piano at University of Puget Sound will present a program including Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Opus 28, and Sonata No. 3 in b minor, Opus 58.
Tickets: $12.50 general; $8.50 sr. citizens, students. Tickets available at Wheelock Information Center, 253.879.3419, or at the door.

In honor of the 200th anniversary of Frédéric Chopin’s birth, Duane Hulbert will present a solo piano recital of the composer’s works in the fall program of University of Puget Sound’s 2010–11 Jacobsen Series. The Chopin Bicentennial evening will begin at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 24 in Schneebeck Concert Hall on campus. The public is welcome to attend. Ticket information is below.
The concert will feature two of the Polish master’s greatest works: the complete set of 24 Preludes and the Piano Sonata No. 3 in b minor. The Preludes were written during Chopin’s stay on the island of Majorca, Spain, with the writer George Sand during the winter of 1838–39. The constant rain and Chopin’s illness set the backdrop for these marvelous miniatures, many of them reflecting the stormy conditions of that winter.

Chopin, born March 1, 1810, was one of many composers influenced by J. S. Bach’s own Preludes and Fugues in the Well-Tempered Clavier, writing the 24 short works in all of the major and minor keys. Chopin’s final Piano Sonata No. 3 in b minor was written in 1844, while he was living in Nohant, France. The four-movement work represents the culmination of the composer’s virtuoso writing, from the lyrical passion in the first movement to the unabated virtuosity of the brilliant finale. It is a recital not to be missed.  

Duane Hulbert, distinguished professor in the School of Music, is beginning his 25th year at University of Puget Sound. He has established himself as a frequent performer in many venues throughout the Pacific Northwest, and as a successful piano teacher both at the collegiate and high school level. His current and former students have won major competitions and hold prestigious positions in colleges and conservatories throughout the United States. His recording of piano works by Alexander Glazunov was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2002.  

The Jacobsen Series, named in honor of Leonard Jacobsen, former chair of the piano department at Puget Sound, has been running since 1984. The Jacobsen Series Scholarship Fund awards annual music scholarships to outstanding student performers and scholars. The fund is sustained entirely by season subscribers and ticket sales.

Admission is $12.50 for the general public; $8.50 for seniors (55+), non-Puget Sound students, and Puget Sound faculty and staff. It is free for current Puget Sound students. For tickets contact Wheelock Information Center, or order by credit card by calling 253.879.3419. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door.

For directions and a map of the campus: www.pugetsound.edu/directions.xml

String Quartet Concert

Here's a great opportunity for some wonderful string quartet repertoire.  This string quartet is made up of PLU music faculty.  It is a fantastic ensemble, and they're performing great music.  Don't miss this opportunity to support musicians and music education in our community.

Regency Concert Series: Regency String Quartet

September 14, 2010 at 8:00pm — 10:00pm

PLU's Regency String Quartet performs Bartok's String Quartet No. 1 and is joined by faculty bassist, Maurice Clubb, to perform Dvorak's Quintet for Strings in G Major.

Location: Mary Baker Russell Music Center Lagerquist Concert Hall

Contact Information

Music Department
253-535-7787
music@plu.edu

More Info

$8 General Admission, $5, Senior Citizens, $3 Alumni, Free 18 and under

University of Puget Sound String Orchestra

Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010

7:30 p.m., Schneebeck Concert Hall

Free

Dvorak: Slavonic Dance No. 8, Opus 43

Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony No. 5

Havhaness: Talin Concerto for viola and string orchestra, Opus 93

Joyce Ramee, soloist

Christophe Chagnard, conductor

University of Puget Sound Brassworks Workshop and Concert

Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010

Workshop: 1-4 p.m. $20 Regester at door

Concert: 4 p.m. free

University of Puget Sound School of Music

University of Puget Sound invites brass enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels to attend a day of special events, featuring internationally renowned clinician Matthew Guilford, bass trombone. Workshop will include sessions by Matt, Judson Scott, and Ryan Schulz..

Concert will feature performances by guest ensemble Puget Brass, John Falskow, conductor; guest soloist Matt Guilford,; Brass Ensemble, Judson Scott, conductor; and Wind Ensemble and Wind Ensemble Brass, Gerard Morris, conductor

www.pugetsound.edu/brassworks

Jacobsen Series: Wind and Voice

Friday, Oct. 22, 2010

7:30 p.m.

Schneebeck Concert Hall

Tickets: $12.50-$8.50 available at 213.879.3419 or at the door

A program featuring University of Puget Sound wind faculty and voice faculty. Recital will include works by Brahms', Ravel, and Strauss. Performers will include Rodger Burnett, French horn; Jennifer Nelson, clarinet; Karla Flygare, flute; Keith Ward and Duane Hulbert, piano; Patricia Wooster, harp; and voice faculty: Dawn Padula, Christina Kowalski, and Michael Delos.

University of Puget Sound Wind Ensemble

"Over the Hills and Far Away"

Gerard Morris, conductor

Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010

7:30 p.m.

Schneebeck Concert Hall

Free

University of Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra

Friday, Oct. 8

Schneebeck Concert Hall

Free

Bernstein: Overture to “Candide”
Debussy: Prélude à l’aprés-midi d’un faune
Ravel: Alborada del gracioso
Christophe Chagnard, conductor

Organ at Noon

Joseph Adam, organist, will play works by Bruhns, Schumann, Buck, and Merkel

12:05 p.m., Kilworth Memorial Chapel, University of Puget Sound

Free

UPS Chamber Music Concert

Tonight features some great local musicians in a great program of chamber music.  College campus concerts seem to go "under the radar" for much of the public, and this is a shame.  These great performers and teachers are gems of our local music community.  They help train and inspire young musicians - and model their expectations from the stage.  Tonight's concert should be a fantastic start of music events at UPS this academic year.  Check it out!

Program:
Schumann: Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Opus 47
Dvorák: Romance for violin and piano, Opus 11
Shostakovich: Romance (from the Gadfly)

Performances by Maria Sampen, violin; Timothy Christie, viola; Sally Singer, cello; and Tanya Stambuk, piano

Tickets: $12.50 general; $8.50 seniors, students, Puget Sound faculty/staff; free for Puget Sound students, available at Wheelock Information Center.

For more information:
http://www.pugetsound.edu/news-and-events/events-calendar/details/929/2010-09-10/

Tuesday, Sept. 21

Recital: 7-7:45 p.m., Master Class 8-9:30 p.m.

Schneebeck Concert Hall, University of Puget Sound

Free

Flute Recital and Master Class by Molly Barth

Grammy Award-winning flutist Molly Barth is an active solo, chamber and orchestra musician, specializing in the music of today. Barth is assistant professor of flute at University of Oregon.

Jacobsen Series: Chopin Bicentennial

Friday, Sept. 24

7:30 p.m.

Schneebeck Concert Hall, University of Puget Sound

Duane Hulbert, professor of piano at University of Puget Sound will present a program including Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Opus 28, and Sonata No. 3 in b minor, Opus 58.

Tickets: $12.50 general; $8.50 sr. citizens, students. Tickets available at Wheelock Information Center, 253.879.3419, or at the door.

TCC Summer Orchestra

Come hear fantastic classical music!  The TCC Summer Orchestra is an ensemble made up of student, community, and professional musicians.  We have two rehearsals, and give a casual outdoor concert for the community to enjoy.  This is a lot of fun, and a great way to experience classical music on the campus of Tacoma Community College.

We will be performing two Russian masterworks:  Ippolitov-Ivanov’s Procession of the Sardar, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2.

Bring a blanket or lawn chairs, a picnic lunch, and your entire family.

Concert Information:
11:00 am, August 7
In the green quad area in the middle of the TCC campus (between buildings 27 and 11)
(rain location is in building 3 of TCC)
FREE (donations accepted)


For more inflrmation, contact me.
John Falskow - 253-460-4374, jfalskow@tacomacc.edu

Great Young Musicians

The Tacoma Philharmonic presents the 2010 winners recital for the Beatrice Hermann Young Artist Recital Competition.  This is a great opportunity to witness the future of music perfomance, and support these talented young people.  They are all from the greater Puget Sound region, and represent some of the finest young musicians in the area.  Click the graphic above for a larger version, with all the details.

TCC Performs Beethoven 7

I have had the pleasure to work on Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 for the past 2 months, with the Tacoma Community College Chamber Orchestra.  We are happy to share our hard work with the public in a concert this Wednesday, May 19.  The concert begins at 7:30 PM in Building 3 on the TCC campus.  It is FREE, but we do accept donations.

The program also includes Sibelius' Valse Triste - a dark introverted work for orchestra.  It is a very expressive and mysterious work, contrasting dance-like rhythms with tragic melodies.

We will also perform the light-hearted Oboe Concerto in E-flat by Bellini.  We are happy to welcome Noelle Burns to the stage as our oboe soloist.  She is a native Tacoman, a product of the Tacoma Youth Symphony - and an outstanding musician!

But it is the Beethoven that gets me most excited.  It is one of my most favorite works for orchestra.  In many ways I imagine that out of all nine of his symphonies, the seventh has the most of Beethoven's personality in it.  It is heroic.  It is tragic.  It is furious. It is defeated.  It is vulgar.  And it is witty.  It has been such a pleasure to work on this music, and share ideas about it's performance.  We are very excited to perform it for you.

See you on Wednesday?

Enjoy this Jazz Inspired Chamber Music

I remember when this album came out.  I had never heard anything quite like it.  My parents always listened to jazz, but this was something different.  It had jazz elements, but it sounded like classical music - in a Gershwin kind of way.  I remember hearing this album played many times, again and again...  My parents and brother loved it.  Later, a similar album with trumpet came out and I got hooked.


You can hear some of this album performed live as part of the Second City Chamber Series.  This Friday the chamber series will play a program titled, "Let's Party!"  It includes music by Haydn and Bolling.  It should be a fantastic performance of great music.  I would recommend this concert to any listener - experienced or new to classical music.


Here's the information from the SCCS website:
"Classical and Jazz genres combine in this concert of "divertimenti"—that is, music designed for an evening of delightful entertainment! So many of Haydn's chamber works were designed as "an evening's entertainment" for his various patrons, and French jazz pianist Claude Bolling gives us a similarly delightful "divertimenti" from a 20th century genre—hot jazz."


Haydn: "London" Trios
Bolling: Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano
Bolling: Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano


What a great program to end their concert season, and for us to start thinking about the joys spring and summer.


The concert is at 7:30 in the Great Hall at Annie Wright, this Friday (5/14/2010).  Click the link above to get information on tickets.

Telephone253-572-TUNE (8863).  Recorded message, information, ticket orders.

E-mailscmail@scchamberseries.org

Great Chamber Music

Second City Chamber Series is a great organization that brings thoughtful chamber music programs to Tacoma.  They also perform their masterworks series in the Great Hall at Annie Wright.  I think this is one of the most perfect settings for chamber music.  It is like a large living room.  I love this intimate setting, where you can really see the musicians looking at each other, getting up close and feeling their energy and efforts.


Here is the information from their website:


Stravinsky: "Suite Italienne" for Violin and Piano
Schoenfield: Café Music
Piazzolla: The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires


Artistic Director Svend Rønning and friends perform a concert featuring "urban legends" of the world depicted in music. The Commedia dell'arte character of Pulcinella inspired Stravinsky to compose his famous ballet, transcribed here for violin and piano by the composer. Israeli/American composer Paul Schoenfield gives us a glimpse of the street musicians of Vienna, and Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla takes us on a meteorological journey of his home city of Buenos Aires...inspired by Vivaldi, of course!
Artists: Svend Rønning, violin; Richard Treat, cello; Jairo Geronymo, piano


For tickets and information:

253-572-TUNE (8863)   

scmail@scchamberseries.org

"American Salute"

University of Puget Sound Concert Band and Wind Ensemble

Friday, April 23, 7:30 p.m., Schneebeck Concert Hall, free

Concert features different genres of works by American composers past and present

Gerard Morris, conductor

“Schumann’s 200th Anniversary”

University of Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra, Friday, April 30, 7:30 p.m., Schneebeck Concert Hall, free

Program includes: Schumann: Symphony No. 1, and Manfred, Overture

Christophe Chagnard, conductor

Jacobsen Series: Schumann Centennial Celebration and Tribute to Retiring Faculty Member Cordelia Wikarski-Miedel

Friday, April 9, 7:30 p.m., Schneebeck Concert Hall, University of Puget Sound. Tickets: $12.50 general; $8.50 sr. citizens, students. Tickets available at Wheelock Information Center, 253.879.3419, and at the door.

Program will include:

Liederkreis, Opus 39 for voice and piano

Adagio and Allegro, Opus 70 for cello and piano

Marchenbilder, Opus 113 for viola and piano

Andante and Variations in B-flat Major, Opus 45 for two pianos, two cellos, and horn

Guitar Recital by Alex Komodore

Alex Komodore will present a guest artist recital on Wed., April 7, Kilworth Memorial Chapel, University of Puget Sound. Recital is free.

As a performer Komodore’s powerful interpretations, formidable technique, and natural musicianship have won unanimous praise from critics, audiences, and many of the world’s finest guitarists.

Contact: Office of Public Events, 253.879.3555, University of Puget Sound.

March Madness

Wow.  What can I say?  This quarter has been really busy.  Since the end of January I have been slammed with concerts, music education presentations, TCC business, and many performances.  All of this on top of the normal routine:  daily classes, 3 ensembles rehearsals a weeks, and teaching several classes.

I knew it would be a challenge to keep up with managing a blog.  Thanks for your patience.

There are a couple events to highlight this week in the Tacoma area:

• On Friday, 3/12 at 7:30 PM, I will conduct the TCC Chamber Orchestra and TCC Singers in an exciting program of vocal and instrumental works.  The program includes the Overture and selected arias from Mozart's Magic Flute.  I am pleased to feature two great local soloists with the orchestra.  We are also performing Schubert's Mass in G.  It will be a wonderful performance - and it's FREE.  Come to TCC Building 3, 7:30 PM, Friday (3/12).

• The 5 Browns are also appearing in Tacoma.  The Tacoma Philharmonic is presenting this wonderful team of pianistic brothers and sisters.  It should be a fantastic, entertaining, and musical spectacle.  Read the post below for more details.

The 5 Browns: In Tacoma

Have you ever heard Beethoven's Rhapsody in Blue performed on 5 grand pianos?

Me either, but I'm certainly looking forward to it! The 5 Browns, the superstar siblings who are Juilliard-trained and concert hall tested, bring their sensational 5-piano showcase to Tacoma's Pantages Theater on Saturday, March 13.

They've been featured on 60 Minutes, The Today Show, Oprah & many other television shows, and this month their brand new PBS special The 5 Browns: In Concert begins airing nationwide (watch it locally on KBTC on March 7 @ 7:30pm).

Tickets & Information: http://www.tacomaphilharmonic.org/

Charge-By-Phone: 253-272-0809

Sounds of Brass

I am fortunate to be conducting and playing trumpet with a great group here in Tacoma.  Brass Unlimited is a wonderful brass quartet (2 trumpets, 2 trombones), and has been performing in the South Sound for over 10 years.  Every January they give a recital and invite other local brass player to form a large brass ensemble.  This year is going to be a lot of fun.  I get to play a couple of solos as a featured trumpet, and I also get to conduct a majority of the large ensemble stuff.  My wife, Cindy Renander, is also performing a couple of clarinet solos.

More information is here:
http://www.brassunlimited.org/events.html

Concerts for Kids

Whew!  What a crazy couple of months.  I have had a ton of concerts - both conducting and playing trumpet.  And then getting Fall quarter shut down, and Winter quarter up and running.  It's been busy.  I hope you have been out listening to many of the concerts in the Tacoma area.  Tons of great music to experience, and I try to keep it listed on the calendar for this website.  Please check back frequently to see what performances you might want to attend in the Tacoma area.

This weekend (1/23 and 1/24) have some great opportunities for listeners of all ages.  First, there are several concerts on 1/23 for kids and families.

The Tacoma Philharmonic is hosting two concerts for young families, listeners can be as young as 3 months old!  These are great concerts designed for very young listeners, with lots of physical motion to respond to the music.  They are also nice and short - just 45 minutes long.  And did I mention tickets are just $5?  A great opportunity for families to experience classical music. More information here:  www.tacomaphilharmonic.org

That same day(1/23) the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association is hosting family concerts at the University of Puget Sound.  They will be performing Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, a favorite for young and older listeners.  This is great music to introduce young listeners to instruments of the orchestra.  It is also so inspiring to hear this music played so well, by a young and talented youth orchestra.  More information:  www.tysamusic.org