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Pro Musica Colorado - Women Among Men with Violinist Yumi Hwang-Williams

Posted by Shoshana Fanizza on September 19, 2018 at 6:15pm

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PRO MUSICA COLORADO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA'S SEASON OPENING CONCERT

Celebrating Women Among Men in the Classical Music World with violinist Yumi Hwang-Williams.

Boulder and Denver, Colorado—Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra (PMC) opens their Classical Evolution season with a concert that celebrates the ever-evolving addition of women in classical music, as artists, conductors, and composers.

Women Among Men, takes place on Saturday, September 22nd, 7:30 pm at Central Presbyterian Church (1660 Sherman St, Denver, CO), and on Sunday, September 23rd, 2:00 pm at Mountain View United Methodist Church (355 Ponca Place, Boulder, CO). The concert features violinist Yumi Hwang-Williams, concertmaster of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, in Haydn’s Violin Concerto in C Major.

“Yumi Hwang-Williams, concertmaster of the Colorado Symphony, is a musician of perfectly balanced intelligence and passion. This is ideal for Haydn and we look forward to our third collaboration, ” says Cynthia Katsarelis, Music Director and Conductor of PMC, and the only woman conductor of a professional orchestra in the Front Range area.

Also on the program is Bach’s Die Schätzbarkeit der weiten Erde. PMC teams up with Yumi and local favorite, soprano Amanda Balestrieri, for this gorgeous Bach aria for soprano and solo violin. The program opens with Mozart’s Serenade No. 6 for Orchestra in D major K. 239, Serenata notturna, which was written for two orchestras. A quartet of the principal strings joins the PMC smaller string orchestra, along with timpani. To round out the celebration, Polish composer and violin virtuoso Grayżna Bacewicz’s Concerto for String Orchestra (1948) provides a Neo-Classical elements and further recognition of women composers in classical music.

"She wrote this just after World War II as her work was beginning to evolve beyond neoclassicism," says Katsarelis.

Ticket prices for Classical Evolution – 2018-2019 Season: $35 General, $25 Seniors, $5 Students, $55 Supporters. Subscriptions for the three concerts save 20% off the regular prices. Groups save 15% when you purchase 10 or more Adult tickets for the performance. Tickets are available online at: www.promusicacolorado.org. For more information, or to purchase tickets by phone, call: 720-443-0565.

Concert at a Glance - Photos and Full Bios available upon request

Photos and bios of guest artists provided at: http://www.promusicacolorado.org/press-kit/

Women Among Men
 Saturday, September 22, 7:30 pm – Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St, Denver, CO 80203

Sunday, September 23, 2:00 pm – Mountain View United Methodist Church, 355 Ponca Place, Boulder, CO 80303

Yumi Hwang-Williams, violinist
Amanda Balestrieri, soprano
Cynthia Katsarelis, conductor

Program:
Wolfgang A. Mozart Serenade No. 6 for Orchestra in D major K. 239, Serenata notturna

Grażyna Bacewicz Concerto for String Orchestra

Franz Joseph Haydn Violin Concerto in C Major

Johann Sebastian Bach Die Schätzbarkeit der weiten Erde

Ticket prices to for the Classical Evolution - 2018-2019 Season: $35 General, $5 Students, $55 (supporter ticket). Subscriptions for the three concerts save 20% off the regular prices. Groups save 15% when you purchase 10 or more Adult tickets for the performance. Tickets and subscriptions are available online at: www.promusicacolorado.org. For more information, or to purchase tickets by phone, call: 720-443-0565.

About Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra and Cynthia Katsarelis, Music Director and Conductor

Now in its sixth season, Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra has many of Colorado’s finest musicians, and is committed to impassioned performances of repertoire ranging from the classic to the cutting edge.

Cynthia Katsarelis has conducted with the Cincinnati Symphony, Pops and May Festival, the Greensboro (N.C.) Symphony, and many professional, college, and youth orchestras. She has assisted James Conlon, Keith Lockhart, Erich Kunzel and Michael Christie. Most recently she conducted the Colorado Music Festival’s Young People’s Concerts. Katsarelis is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, with degrees in both violin and conducting. READ MORE

About Yumi Hwang-Williams, violin

Yumi Hwang-Williams made her debut at the age of fifteen as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, six years after emigrating from South Korea. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, she is known today both for her stylish performances of the classics and her commitment to the works of present-day composers. STRINGS magazine calls her ‘a modern Prometheus’ who has ‘emerged as a fiery champion of contemporary classical music.’ Her interpretations of concertos by Tomas Adès, Aaron Jay Kernis, Michael Daugherty, and Christopher Rouse have earned critical acclaim as well as enthusiastic approval from the composers. Yumi is a frequent soloist with the Colorado Symphony… READ MORE

About Amanda Balestrieri, soprano

Born in Harrogate, England, Amanda has an illustrious performance background in London, Europe and the United States, where her singing has been described in the press as “unusually versatile,” “gorgeous,” and “absolutely divine” (Washington Post, Times Union Saratoga NY, Washington Review). She began her music studies at the age of four, and enjoyed early success as a pianist, violinist, and soprano soloist. Balestrieri received her B.A./M.A. in Modern Languages from Oxford University and studied voice in London and Milan. She sang with the Academy Chorus of St. Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner and was a regular soloist in contemporary music with James Wood’s New London Chamber Choir… READ MORE

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Colorado Music Festival - Italian Influences

Posted by Shoshana Fanizza on July 18, 2016 at 7:46pm

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Violinist Vadim Gluzman will be joined by Boulder piano virtuoso David Korevaar for “Italian Influences,” part of the Presenting Series on Tuesday, July 19th. Gluzman and Korevaar will team up to perform César Franck’s familiar, canonic Violin Sonata – a prayerful, passionate tribute to love. In Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’sPiedigrotta 1924 for solo piano, Korevaar goes it alone to reveal the rhapsodic nuances of Neapolitan folk music. In turn, a sextet of Colorado Music Festival string players come together to show off the contrapuntal prowess of Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in his “Souvenir de Florence,” initially sketched by the composer while visiting Florence.

Zeitouni's thoughts, “ Let’s not forget that Vadim Gluzman is a Russian trained musician. He’s actually Ukrainian, but the music of Tchaikovsky that’s he’s going to play in this program is the music that is his bones, in his DNA. I think the program itself is very well balanced with the two of them performing the Franck, which is a short sonata but really poetic, really pure. It’s a true dialogue between two souls.”

Program: Franck Violin Sonata in A Major, Castelnuovo-Tedesco Piedigrotta 1924, Tchaikovsky Souvenir de Florence

Tickets for this concert are $12.00 - $45.00 ($9.00 - $42.00 Concert Member) for 7/19 and can be purchased online at www.comusic.org or www.chautauqua.com, in person at the Chautauqua Box Office (900 Baseline Road, Boulder, CO) or over the phone by calling 303-440-7666. Free Hop 2 Chautauqua shuttle is available for this concert.

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Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra and St. Martin's Chamber Choir - Bach's Christmas Oratorio

Posted by Shoshana Fanizza on November 4, 2011 at 2:55pm

PRO MUSICA COLORADO and ST. MARTIN'S CHAMBER CHOIR - THE CHRISTMAS ORATORIO

Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra and St. Martin's Chamber Choir collaborate
Critically acclaimed soloists for J.S.Bach's rarely performed Christmas Oratorio


Boulder, Colo.— Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra and St. Martin’s Chamber Choir are excited to present two rare performances of one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s greatest masterpieces, The Christmas Oratorio. The concerts take place on December 2 at the Saint Paul Lutheran Church (1600 Grant Street, Denver) and December 3 at the First United Methodist Church (1421 Spruce Street, Boulder), both starting at 7:30 pm (pre-concert talk at 6:30 pm).


“Bach's Christmas Oratorio is as popular in Germany as Handel’s Messiah is here. It is the least heard of Bach's 4-5 great choral/orchestral masterpieces,” said Timothy Krueger, Artistic Director of St. Martin's Chamber Choir. Bach's Christmas Oratorio tells the whole Nativity Story. Although most performances only include segments of this piece, this time the Oratorio will be performed in its entirety (only repeats are cut) by two of the region's finest professional ensembles.


“It’s a work with significant virtuoso and stylistic demands of the choir, soloists, and orchestra, said Cynthia Katsarelis, Music Director and Conductor of Pro Musica Colorado. “Bach used every resource at his disposal to convey the drama of story, along with personal responses and reflections on the ‘action.’” The work features an astonishing variety of styles, sometimes combining elements of the Italian concerto (like Vivaldi) and Italian opera. The story is told from various points of view, including that of the shepherds. “The music is truly awesome, and it is especially delightful to present it in the holiday season.”


The last complete performance in this region was 18 years ago. “We are very excited about this great masterpiece and the wonderful team of collaborators,” said Katsarelis. Both of the directors will share the podium. The two ensembles are pleased to present solo singers with national reputations in the performance of the music of Bach: Amanda Balestrieri, soprano; Marjorie Bunday, alto; Jacob Sentgeorge, tenor; Robert W. Tudor, bass.


Ticket prices to The Christmas Oratorio: $35 Premium (sold out in Denver), $24 General Admission, $5 Student. Tickets are available online at: www.promusicacolorado.org, or www.StMartinsChamberChoir.org. For further information, or to purchase tickets by phone, call: 720-443-0565.

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Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra - Bach and Beyond

Posted by Shoshana Fanizza on February 25, 2010 at 12:00pm
Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra (PMC) has your Bach and so much more. On March 27th, 7:30 pm at the Mountain View United Methodist Church (355 Ponca Place, Boulder, CO), Pro Musica Colorado will be presenting "Bach and Beyond," taking listeners from the beauty of Bach to the musical hybridity of Golijov. Edward Dusinberre, first violinist of the Grammy-award winning Takács String Quartet, joins PMC in Bach’s Concerto in E Major for Violin and Orchestra.

Edward Dusinberre was born in 1968 in Leamington Spa, England, and enjoyed playing and performing from a young age. At the Royal College of Music in London, Edward studied with Felix Andrievsky and members of the Chilingirian Quartet. In 1990 he won the British Violin Recital Prize and gave his debut recital in London at the Purcell Room, South Bank Centre. After graduating from the Royal College of Music, Edward continued his studies at the Juilliard School with Dorothy DeLay and Piotr Milewski. Edward's completion of his studies at Juilliard happily coincided with the opportunity to audition with the Takács Quartet which he joined in September 1993.

Also on the program is Haydn’s Symphony No. 44, the Trauer, a String Sinfonia by Mendelssohn, and Last Round, an evocative and poignant work by the two Grammy Award recipient, Argentinean composer Osvaldo Golijov.

“We were very thrilled to perform Golijov’s cantata, Oceana, with Ars Nova Singers two years ago, now we’re presenting a work of his that is perhaps more traditional,” says PMC Music Director, Cynthia Katsarelis.

This concert is the first of Pro Musica Colorado's brand new concert format called Far and Near. Each Far and Near concert will benefit other non-profit organizations close to home and far away. For the concert, PMC has teamed up with the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) and the Orchestras Feeding America campaign of the League of American Orchestras. PMC is encouraging their patrons to bring an item from the list on their website (www.promusicacolorado.org) to help support families in need in Boulder County. This is the near component.

For the far, they have partnered with Colorado Haiti Project, and will be asking for donations at the concert to give renewal, relief and hope to Haiti. In Haiti, Katsarelis, saw the power of music to bring people together while teaching at the Holy Trinity School of Music. 20% of all donations to Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra will go directly to the Colorado Haiti Project.

Tickets for this concert are $20 for adults, $15 for Seniors and $10 for Students, available online at www.promusicacolorado.org or by calling 303-776-5355.

For more information about Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra and their upcoming concerts, please visit www.promusicacolorado.org.
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Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra - "Mostly Mozart" Concert

Posted by Shoshana Fanizza on October 29, 2009 at 11:00am
Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra performs "Mostly Mozart" Saturday, November 7, 2009, 7:30 pm at Mountain View United Methodist Church at 355 Ponca Place in Boulder with a Pre-Concert Talk at 6:30 pm.CU faculty clarinetist Daniel Silver joins Pro Musica in the sublime Clarinet Concerto by Mozart. Also on the program are Mozart's Symphony No. 27, Jennifer Higdon's Celebration Fanfare, and Musica Celestis by Aaron Kernis.

Clarinet Concerto, K. 622

This is one of Mozart's last completed works and is one of his most sublime. It was written for his friend, Anton Stadler, who was a virtuoso of the clarinet and basset horn. Stadler was especially known for his beautiful playing in the lower register of the clarinet, and Mozart exploits that strength in his concerto.

Symphony No. 27, K. 199

Mozart had written many symphonies before this one was completed at the age of 17. This symphony is a synthesis of everything he had learned on his many travels to musical centers, such as Mannheim, Vienna, and Italy.

Musica Celestis

The composer writes that this work was inspired by the medieval conception of of the angels singing in heaven, praising God without end. He notes that he doesn't particularly believe in angels, but that the image was powerful for him. He had been inspired by listening to medieval music, especially that of Hildegard of Bingen. Writers have likened this work to Barber's Adagio for Strings.

Celebration Fanfare

Jennifer Higdon is on the composition faculty at the Curtis Institution of Music. She is one of America's most frequently performed composers who has been commissioned by many major orchestras. Celebration Fanfare is a jazzy work for string orchestra.

Ticket prices are: $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for students, and are available online at www.promusicacolorado.org, or by calling 303-776-5355.

Pro Musica Colorado is a professional chamber orchestra with some of Colorado's finest musicians, conducted by Cynthia Katsarelis.

CU Faculty Clarinetist, Daniel Silver
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Perish, The Thought - A Memorial Day Weekend Concert - David Harris, Composer

Posted by Shoshana Fanizza on April 28, 2009 at 1:30pm
Contact: David HarrisPhone: 303-803-4682E-mail: david@davidharrismusic.net

Friday, April 24, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PERISH, THE THOUGHT, A CLASSICAL CONCERT PREMIERE BY DAVID HARRIS
A Memorial Day weekend concert interpreting the meaning of death for life.

Lafayette, Colo.— “And as to you Death, it is idle to try to alarm me,” Walt Whitman exclaimed and inspired others to contemplate what death really means in regard to life. David Harris, Composer, has been pondering this question as of late diving deep into the worlds of poetry, prose, and art to formulate his own thoughts and feelings on this subject. The result is the world premiere of his latest musical compositions in a Memorial Day weekend concert entitled Perish, The Thought. The concert will premiere the cantata The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew, the choral cycle The Frail Stag and his first String Quartet.

On Friday, May 22nd at First Congregational Church of Boulder (1128 Pine Street, Boulder, CO), 7:30 pm and Saturday, May 23rd at Christ Church Episcopal Denver (2950 South University Avenue, Denver, CO). 7:30 pm, David Harris focuses on mortality and ways that people have attempted to reconcile life’s brevity. “I have collected ideas posited by poets, artists and religious treatises. The music acts as a vehicle for the concepts found in these documents, and through it, I intermingle my own reflections. Though a heavy topic, the outcome is one of hope, and the music contains energy and vibrancy,” says Harris.

Both The Frail Stag and The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew found their inspiration in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Upper West Side annex, The Cloisters. The cantata began in the chant “Apostolo Beato” found in The Florence Laurdario (book of chants) that The Cloisters has on display.

The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew explores the ubiquitous complexities surrounding death by juxtaposing texts from modern poets and ancient religious documents. Particularly, the texts wrestle with the nobility that humans often assign to death and the manner of one's dying. They reflect on what meaning these matters can ascribe to life, and they ponder the definition of life, whether one can be living and yet dead (a popular secular and religious sentiment). The music engages the audience through lyrical melody with rhythmic and harmonic layering. It is immediately accessible, but challenges the listener beyond the immediate, opening aural opportunities for novice and expert alike.

The Frail Stag was inspired by a 16th-century French tapestry bearing the allegory of a stag hunt, one that depicts human mortality. In the tapestry, Old Age hunts the stag (mankind) with the help of her hounds whose names are grief, anxiety, fear, cold, heat and toil.

The Frail Stag for chorus is in three movements. The first bears the tapestry's text that describes the activity in the foreground image that represents the end of life. The second movement is from the poem “Pense Morir” by Pablo Neruda and reflects adulthood’s principle challenge, the quest for meaning and love. “And a little child will lead them” from the Hebrew prophet Isaiah finishes the set. Harris explains,“Instead of a focus on loathing, the choral cycle, in contrast to the tapestry, suggests that life springs from death, and that perspective offers relief from the pain of aging.”

String Quartet, David Harris' first string quartet, takes its departure from the text printed on “The Hunt of the Frail Stag” tapestry, with each of the movements named for one of the dogs who attack the stag. By extension, the music stirs thoughts of mortality and time. Moments of untroubled beauty mingle with fast-paced textural conflict.

Perish, The Thought features the Rocky Mountain Chamber Singers, a string quartet of the Boulder Philharmonic (Gyongver Petheo, Annamaria Karacson, Matthew Dane and Marcelo Sanches), in addition to Elizabeth Caswell Dyer, soprano, Marta Burton, mezzo, Ryan Connell on organ and David Harris conducting.

Marta Burton, mezzo-soprano for Perish, The Thought, describes why she is delighted to be performing another David Harris composition, “David Harris’ settings are ravishing in their emotional impact--the complexities of harmony and rhythm serve the poetry, ultimately revealing the depth of the language through his sensitive and fearless renderings. He writes beautifully for the voice, allowing the singers to bring their own color and vitality to the work. It is an absolute joy to sing and hear his music.”

For tickets to see Perish, The Thought, $10 GA, purchase with a credit card at http://www.davidharrismusic.net or purchase with check or cash at the door.

For more information about David Harris, Composer/Conductor and Perish, The Thought, please view his website at http://www.davidharrismusic.net.

Perish, The Thought - Event Details
What: Perish, The Thought
When: Friday, May 22nd and Saturday, May 23rd, 7:30 pm for both performances
Where: Friday, May 22nd at First Congregational Church of Boulder (1128 Pine Street, Boulder, CO)
Saturday, May 23rd at Christ Church Episcopal Denver (2950 South University Avenue, Denver, CO)
General Admission Information: $10 GA
Purchase Tickets: Purchase with a credit card at http://www.davidharrismusic.net or purchase with check or cash at the door.
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