Classical Seattle

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Weekly Concert Round-up: April 14 – 20

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Dana WenApril 14, 2014

Pianist André Watts (Photo: Steve J. Sherman)

This week’s featured concerts:

Apr. 15 — Pianist André Watts plays Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin, and more in a solo recital at the UW World Series. The decorated pianist has been performing and touring the world since his debut as a teenager in the early 1960’s.

Apr. 17 — Electronic noisemakers and homemade gadgets take the stage at Chapel Performance Space. Composer and tinkerer Mark Hosler performs on his musical inventions in a concert presented by the Wayward Music Series. Seattle-based electronic keyboardist Noel Brass, Jr. opens.

Apr. 17 – 19 — Seattle Symphony premieres The Death of Oscar, a new work by Scottish composer James MacMillan. Also, hear pianist Paul Lewis perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 rounds out the evening’s musical medley.

Apr. 13 — Music Northwest presents a program of 20th and 21st century chamber music. The unique program features two works that draw inspiration from literature: Ned Rorem’s Last Poems of Wallace Stevens and André Previn’s Four Songs, based on the writings of Toni Morrison.

Apr. 20 — Two Portland-based ensembles roll into town for an Easter Sunday concert at the Triple Door. The cellists of Portland Cello Project team up with the Alialujah Choir for an adventurous program of music that’s sure to be full of surprises.

Weekly Concert Round-up: April 7 – 13

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Dana WenApril 7, 2014

Trio con Brio Copenhagen (Photo: Nikolaj Lund)

This week’s featured concerts:

Apr. 8 — Trio con Brio Copenhagen takes the stage at UW World Series for a program of Danish chamber music and piano trio favorites. Comprised of two Korean sisters and a Danish pianist, the ensemble performs music by Danish composer Per Nørgård alongside works by Beethoven and Mendelssohn.

Apr. 10 — Vocalist Harry van der Kamp joins Pacific Musicworks for 17th century cantatas for bass voice. This landmark concert brings together violinist Monica Huggett (artistic director of Portland Baroque Orchestra), lutenist Stephen Stubbs (artistic director of Pacific Musicworks), and musicians from both ensembles.

Apr. 11 – 19 — Shakespeare comes to life in Pacific Northwest Ballet production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Choreography by George Balanchine illuminates Mendelssohn’s beloved score; a treasure trove of sparkling costumes and sets completes the magic. Now’s your chance to hear that ubiquitous Wedding March in its original context.

Apr. 12 — Hear the world premiere of a lost work from Communist Russia. The singers of Cappella Romana debut Maximilian Steinberg’s Passion Week just in time for the Easter holiday. Steinberg composed his choral masterpiece in 1927, right before Stalin’s regime began to suppress religious music and expression.

Apr. 13 — Cornish Music Series hosts Seattle Symphony violist Mara Gearman in an exploration of Women in Music. Gearman and a cast of local luminaries perform chamber music and works for solo viola by composers Rebecca Clarke, Emily Doolittle, Janice Giteck, and Sofia Gubaidulina.

This Month In Seattle: Classical Music Picks For April

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Dana WenApril 10, 2014

Portland Cello Project (Photo: Tarina Westlund)

Spring is in full bloom around Seattle, from the University of Washington’s famed cherry trees to the patches of tulips poking up in home gardens around town. With these seasonal transitions come musical changes as well; local ensembles and concert venues look towards warmer weather this month with music of growth, rebirth, and summer sunshine.
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Seattle Symphony Cellist Efe Baltacigil Delights With Dvořák

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Dana WenMay 7, 2014

Seattle Symphony music director Ludovic Morlot leads the orchestra (Photo: Ben VanHouten)

Seattle Symphony showcased the talents of one of their own this past weekend, featuring principal cellist Efe Baltacıgil in a performance of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B Minor. A bustling Thursday night crowd at Benaroya Hall greeted the charismatic cellist, who has won many fans among Seattle audiences since his arrival in 2011. Though the Dvořák concerto seemed to be the highlight of the evening for many symphony-goers, the March 27 concert included two 20th century gems: Claude Debussy’s La Mer (“The Sea”) and Edgard Varèse’s Déserts.

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Weekly Concert Round-up: March 24 – 30

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Dana WenMarch 25, 2014

Cellist Lori Goldston (Photo: Kelly O.)

This week’s featured concerts:

Mar. 24 – 31 — Salish Sea Early Music Festival honors the celebrated concerts held at the court of France’s King Louis XIV with a program of works that may have been performed at these 18th century royal recitals. The festival’s ambitious 7-concert tour includes stops in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellingham, and the San Juan Islands.

Mar. 27 — Wayward Music Series hosts an evening of music for solo cello performed by Lori Goldston. The Seattle-based cellist has shared the stage with Nirvana and was the recipient of a Stranger Genius Award in 2012. Her description for this week’s concert simply reads, “Lori Goldston plays solo cello, amplified and/or acoustic, improvised and not.” Expect an evening of surprises.

Mar. 28 – 29 — Choral Arts celebrates the choral music of Johannes Brahms with two days of festivities. On March 28, the choir performs Ein deutsches Requiem (“A German Requiem”), one of the composer’s most challenging choral works. The next day, join the ensemble at the UW School of Music for a day-long Brahms Symposium filled with performances, lectures, and masterclasses.

Mar. 29 — New music community The Box is Empty presents world premieres by Seattle-based composer Nat Evans and New York’s Leaha Villarreal, artistic director of the contemporary music ensemble Hotel Elefant. The two composers showcase compositions that combine live performance with video, spoken text, and field recordings.

Mar. 30 — Five local ensembles unite at Benaroya Hall for a performance of Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, originally written by the composer in honor of his wife Constanze. For this landmark collaboration, the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra is joined by singers from the Northwest Chamber Chorus, Cantaré Vocal Ensemble, Sacred Music Chorale, and Vashon Island Chorale.

Weekly Concert Round-up: March 17 – 23

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Dana WenMarch 18, 2014

Violinist Karl-Ove Mannberg (Photo: Tomas Larsson)

This week’s featured concerts:

Mar. 20 — Pianist Richard Goode returns to Seattle for a solo recital as part of the UW World Series. Known for his interpretations of Bach, Beethoven, and Schubert, Goode branches out in this performance with a program of music by Schumann, Debussy, and Janáček.

Mar. 21 — Seattle Symphony‘s annual Celebrate Asia concert brings together performers, composers, and musical traditions from both sides of the Pacific. This year’s event includes music by Chinese, Japanese, and Norwegian composers and features a new work for traditional Vietnamese instruments by local composer Richard Karpen.

Mar. 22 — Wayward Music Series hosts an evening of music about navigating space, with chamber works by local composers John Teske and Andrew C. Smith. For Teske’s piece, performers read from musical scores based on topographical maps, while Smith’s work involves four guitarists and a roving violist.

Mar. 22 — Seattle Choral Company brings a little bit of Norway to town with “Folk, Fiddle, and Fjord”, a program of choral works by Edvard Grieg and other Norwegian composers. Guest violinist Rachel Nesvig accompanies the choir on the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle.

Mar. 23 — The weekend of Scandinavian music continues with the latest installment in the Nordic Heritage Museum‘s Mostly Nordic concert series. This month’s event explores the music of Sweden with performances by Swedish violinist Karl-Ove Mannberg and local pianist Lisa Bergman. Don’t miss the delicious smörgåsbord after the show!

Weekly Concert Round-up: March 10 – 16

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Dana WenMarch 10, 2014

JACK Quartet (Photo: Stephen Poff)

This week’s featured concerts:

Mar. 13 – 15 — Violinist James Ehnes (artistic director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society) joins the Seattle Symphony for Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2.

Mar. 14 – 16 — There’s been no shortage of Bach choral works on the calendar this year. Northwest Sinfonietta presents the St. John Passion this weekend, with performances in Seattle, Puyallup, and Tacoma.

Mar. 14 – 23 — Pacific Northwest Ballet‘s Director’s Choice brings four modern works to the McCaw Hall stage, including a world premiere by Chicago-based choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo.

Mar. 15 — New York-based JACK Quartet performs new music by University of Washington composers Richard Karpen and Juan Pampin as part of the UW World Series.

Mar. 15 – 16 — The Medieval Women’s Choir sings ancient and contemporary vocal works in a program inspired by the sun, moon, and stars.

Mar. 16 — Experience Baroque gems by French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau performed by early music experts Byron Schenkman (harpsichord), Ingrid Matthews (violin), and Elisabeth Reed (viola da gamba).

Weekly Concert Round-up: March 3 – 9

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Dana WenMarch 3, 2014

Black Violin (courtesy photo)

This week’s featured concerts:

Mar. 6 – 7 — The dynamic musicians of Black Violin bring their blend of classical, jazz, and hip-hop to the Seattle area. Violinists Wilner “Wil B” Baptiste and Kevin “Kev Marcus” Sylvester perform with an ensemble of cello, turntables, and drums at Kirkland Performance Center (March 6) and Tacoma’s Broadway Center for the Performing Arts (March 7).

Mar. 7 – 9 — The Esoterics celebrate the natural power of rivers and oceans with a program of contemporary choral works. Hear sea-inspired pieces by Swedish and Argentinean composers alongside founding director Eric Banks’ These oceans vast, a setting of nautical poetry by Herman Melville.

Mar. 8 — The Tudor Choir sings chant and devotional music from 16th century England at the University District’s Blessed Sacrament Church. Many of the pieces on the program were composed for the Sarum Rite, an ancient Christian mass service.

Mar. 8 – 9 — Gallery Concerts hosts Belgian viola da gamba master Wieland Kuijken in a concert of baroque works by Bach, Telemann, and others. Kuijken will be joined by local luminaries Eva Legêne on recorder and Jillon Stoppels Dupree on harpsichord.

Mar. 9 — After a three-year absence, the Bellevue Philharmonic returns to the stage under a new moniker, the Lake Washington Symphony. The orchestra’s inaugural concert features music by Rimsky-Korsakov, Bizet, and Johann Strauss.

Weekly Concert Round-up: February 24 – March 2

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Dana WenFebruary 26, 2014

Sarah Larsen (the Secretary) and Marcy Stonikas (Magda Sorel) in Menotti’s “The Consul”

This week’s featured concerts:

Feb. 26 – Mar. 7 — Winner of the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Music, Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Consul tells the story of a family struggling to obtain an exit visa in order to flee an oppressive government. Seattle Opera‘s first production of the mid-century masterpiece opened on February 22 and runs for another week.

Feb. 28 — The Early Music Guild hosts early music ensemble Hespèrion XXI. Founded in 1974, the international group of musicians specializes in the music of the Spanish renaissance. Their Seattle performance features songs from colonial South America, performed in collaboration with Mexican folklore group Tembembe Ensamble Continuo.

Mar. 1 — Wayward Music Series presents an evening of new chamber music by local composer Tom Baker. A host of Seattle musical luminaries will perform three of Baker’s recent works, including pieces for string quartet, percussion, woodwinds, and piano.

Mar. 1 – 2 — You heard Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at the Seattle Symphony last weekend. Next up, Pacific MusicWorks performs the St. John Passion with the same group of soloists, a rare chance to hear one of the composer’s greatest choral works sung by renowned Bach experts.

Weekly Concert Round-up: February 17 – 23

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Dana WenFebruary 17, 2014

Pianist Joyce Yang (Photo: Joyce Yang)

This week’s featured concerts:

Feb. 18 — Hear tango favorites by Piazzolla alongside pieces by Bach, Brahms, and Bartók. Classical violinist Karen Gomyo teams up with the Pablo Ziegler Tango Quartet for this eclectic concert in Town Hall’s Town Music series.

Feb. 19 — Korean-born pianist Joyce Yang makes her Seattle debut at the UW’s President’s Piano Series, where she’ll perform Rachmaninoff, Schumann, and Bartók.

Feb. 20 – 21 — Seattle Modern Orchestra and French cellist Séverine Ballon celebrate cello music of the 21st century with two different programs featuring contemporary composers from around the world.

Feb. 21 – 22 — Seattle Symphony & Chorale join forces with the Northwest Boychoir and an army of nine vocal soloists for Bach’s legendary St. Matthew Passion.

Feb. 22 – 23 — Explore the legacy of the Bach musical dynasty with Gallery Concerts‘ tribute to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, one of Johann Sebastian’s most famous sons. A trio of guest artists from Holland joins local musicians to commemorate the 300th anniversary of C.P.E.’s birth.