Jennifer Johnson Cano ft. Gwyneth Wentink at Merkin Hall

Monday, May 2, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Center - New York, NY
For tickets

Introducing Jennifer Johnson, mezzo-soprano, Winner of the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the Peter Marino Debut Prize, the Princeton University Concerts Prize, the Saint Vincent College Concert Prize, and member of the Lindemann Young Artists Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera. Tonight, Jennifer will perform together with Gwyneth Wentink, alumna of Young Concert Artists.

Jennifer Johnson Cano (Schumann Mezzo-Soprano, He/She) St. Louis, Missouri. Equally at home in the worlds of opera, lieder and chamber music, Jennifer Johnson Cano made her principal role debut as The Muse/Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffman with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. She went on to appear on the Chicago Opera Theater stage as Kate Julian in Britten’s Owen Wingrave in 2009. Other roles include Bridesmaid in Le nozze di Figaro and Sandman in Hansel and Gretel at the Metropolitan Opera. She was a 2009 recipient of the Sullivan Foundation Award and a 2008 Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition Winner. As First Prize winner in the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, Ms. Johnson Cano appears in her recital debuts this season, as well as singing Ludmila in the Bartered Bride, and Wellgunde in Das Rheingold at the Metropolitan Opera; upcoming engagements include a recital at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and a tour with Musicians from Marlboro.

As a daughter of Dutch-Hungarian musicians, Gwyneth Wentink started playing the harp at the age of five and had her first performances at the age of six. Her extraordinary talent was discovered soon and she received her lessons from Erika Waardenburg at the age of eight till she completed her studies with highest possible marks and was awarded a distinction ate the age of nineteen.
Gwyneth is reknowed for her passionate performances, amazing range of colours and incredible technique. At 28 years old, she has performed solo recitals and solo concertos with top ochestras all over the world. In addition to her concerto performances, Gwyneth is a dedicated chamber musician.
Gwyneth played solo recitals all over the world. She performed extensively in Europe and throughout the USA in more than 16 states and has won numerous first prices.

Louis Andriessen and Han Bennink at 16th Other Minds Festival of New Music

Louis Andriessen

Thursday, March 3, 2011 - Saturday, March 5, 2011

Panel discussion at 7:00 PM

Concert at 8:00 PM

Kanbar Hall, Jewish Community Center of San Francisco - San Francisco, CA

For tickets

For Andriessen's interview with Joshua Kosma, Chronicle Music Critic in the San Fransico Chronicle (March 3, 2011)
For a review of Andriessen of Joshua Kosma, Chronicle Music Critic in the San Fransisco Chronicle (March 7, 2011)

Other Minds 16 features nine maverick composers from around the world in concerts and panel discussions. Other Minds 16 is a festival of new music featuring eight maverick composers from around the world in concerts and panel discussions. Including two legendary Dutch musicians, composer Louis Andriessen and the radical improvising drummer Han Bennink.

Louis Andriessen's music will be performed by performers including Monica Germino (US/Netherlands), Cristina Zavalloni, the Seattle Chamber Players, and some of the best musicians residing in the SF Bay Area. The composer will participate in pre-concert panel discussions and also perform at the piano on both evenings.

Jazz and improv pioneer Han Bennink, co-founder of the Instant Composers Pool, will join forces with noise-making guitarist Fred Frith for a raucous set.  

Han Bennink

Commission prize for Carlos Micháns in New York

Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 8:00 PM

St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church - New York, NY
Admission: $10
Saturday, March 5, 2011 at 8:00 PM

Church of St. Luke in the Fields - New York, NY
Admission: $10

Carlos Micháns - born, raised and educated in Argentina - is one of the five composers who have been selected (out of over 200 entries) by the "C4 Comissioning Competition", sponsored by the "David and Minnie Berk Foundation" and the "Yale School of Music Alumni Ventures Program", to compose a choral piece for the "Choral Composer/Conductor Collective" (C4). All five new pieces (which must be completed by November 2010) will be premiered by C4 on March 3 and 5 2011 in New York City. 

Micháns extensive catalogue comprises works in almost every genre, among which five ‘sinfonie concertante’, two overtures, several compositions for choir and orchestra (including a symphony for double choir and large orchestra), a harp concerto, a saxophone concerto, quartets and quintets for a variety of combinations (strings, saxophones, clarinets and mixed ensembles), countless solo pieces and for small and large chamber groups. Most of them are commissioned by the Dutch Fund for Performing Arts for distinguished Dutch and international soloists and ensembles, such as Ronald Brautigam, Isabelle van Keulen, Liza and Dmitry Ferschtman, Arno Bornkamp, Lavinia Meijer, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio Chamber Orchestra, Holland Symfonia, etc. They are published in Amsterdam by Muziek Centrum Nederland (Donemus). He is also active in the field of literature.

PIANO GUITAR DUO

 


Tuesday, February 22 - Monday, February 28, 2011

Robert Bekkers concerts & lessons - Phoenix, AZ

Robert Bekkers concerts & lessons - Tucson, AZ

For more info

The piano and guitar, two of the most popular instruments, once accompanied each other in 19th century chamber music. Nowadays it is a rare but special occasion to see this unusual combination in the classical music scene.

Anne Ku and Robert Bekkers formed their PIANO GUITAR DUO in 2001, reviving this almost forgotten tradition of music making. This once favourite pastime of bringing together performers, composers and enthusiastic audiences has left a largely untapped legacy of published music specifically written for the piano and guitar.Using modern instruments, the duo has rekindled music from earlier periods. Just as importantly, Ku and Bekkers’ performances are encouraging contemporary composers to write for this deserving combination. Their collaboration has already inspired original music for piano and guitar, expanding the existing repertoire with exciting new possibilities. 

This husband-wife team have performed in London, North Cyprus, Cape Town, Italy, Belgium, Spain and throughout the Netherlands. Their first visit to the USA in December 2007 included two house concerts in Houston and a live radio appearance on Houston Public Radio followed by live radio broadcast on Manao Radio Wailuku and a sponsored public concert in Maui, Hawaii.

Utrecht String Quartet US mini Tour

Friday, February 11, 2011 at 8:00 PM
The Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium - Washington, DC
For tickets
Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Ukranian Institute of America - New York, NY
For tickets: 212-288-8660
Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 8:00 PM
Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts - Cambridge, MA
For tickets: 617-876-5160

The Utrecht String Quartet is one of the most renowned chamber-music ensembles, known internationally for its versatile and dynamic approach. Resident in the Netherlands, the musical world of the Utrecht String Quartet is borderless and boundless, and whichever work its musicians choose to play in the genre of string-quartet music, it is their general policy to avoid any hint of treating them like museum exhibits. Even when it comes to traditional works, the musicians succeed, time and again, in discovering elements that can be interpreted anew, or in finding unusual concert locations in which to perform them. However, it is mainly because of their search for lost or forgotten repertoire and for their collaboration with contemporary composers that the members of the Utrecht String Quartet have gained their excellent reputation in the music world.

Their mini tour in the US will be started off with the String Quartet no. 1 by Auerbach, a Washington premier!

Calefax Reed Quintet US Tour

Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 9:30 PM
Chamber Music Corvallis - Corvallis, OR
For tickets
Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM
Bradbury Building - Los Angeles, CA
For tickets
Monday, January 24, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Reinhardt University - Atlanta, GA 

For tickets

The Amsterdam based reet ensemble has won a number of prestigious prizes and can be heard frequently throughout Europe and further afield in Russia, China, India,Turkey, Japan and the USA. Calefax, established 25 years ago and are now in great demand worldwide, not least because of their unique instrumentation. The quintet performs standing up, plays some pieces from memory, and always introduces itself and the programme to the audience. Most importantly, the five musicians arrange, recompose and interpret music from eight centuries to suit their unique constellation: from early music to classical and jazz to world premières; in the hands of Calefax it all sounds fresh and new.

Amstel Quartet

October 20 - October 29, 2010

October 20         - Laramie, WY
October 21         - Laramie, WY
October 25         - Los Angeles, CA
October 26         - Los Angeles, CA
October 27         - Los Angeles, CA
October 29         - Anchorage, AK

The repertoire of the Amstel Quartet is original, its performances personal. From the mystery of Bach’s Second Cello Suite in D to Michael Nyman’s theme for the film, The Piano, the four saxophones unleash a new energy with each arrangement. The Amstel Quartet has the technical confidence to tackle the most difficult piece from Iannis Xenakis and the versatility to collaborate with artists from other disciplines – such as dance, musical theatre, mime and cinema.