Archive of past concerts
2010-2011
September 20: Claremont Trio
Emily Bruskin, violin | Julia Bruskin, cello | Donna Kwong, piano
www.claremonttrio.com
Praised for their "inspired, forceful performance" by the Los Angeles Times for which "Beethoven would have beamed" (Washington Post), the Claremont Trio kicks off Music Mondays’ 2010-11 season. Now in their twelfth year of acclaimed performances throughout the country, the Claremonts return to their namesake neighborhood (Claremont Ave of the Upper West Side) with "the kind of fresh approach that keeps chamber music alive" (Cincinnati Enquirer).
October 18: Trio Hotteterre
Immanuel Davis, baroque flute | Motomi Igarashi, viola da gamba | Dongsok Shin, harpsichord
The new early music ensemble "Trio Hotteterre" brings the splendor of 18th century France to Music Mondays with the luscious sonority of music by F. Couperin, Hotteterre, Morel, and d'Hervelois. The French-style flute, gamba, and Franco/Flemish harpsichord will all be tuned at French pitch (a whole tone below modern pitch) and performed by three of the country's most acclaimed Baroque soloists.
November 8: Borromeo Quartet
Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Kristopher Tong, violin | Mai Motobuchi, viola | Yeesun Kim, cello
www.borromeoquartet.org
Winner of the 2007 Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Borromeo Quartet is one of this nation's preeminent string quartets. Heard from Tokyo to Amsterdam, Paris to London, critical praise has been immense: "through its poise and its passion, the Borromeos are recreating the quartet medium anew and we are lucky to be here to hear it" (Boston Globe).
December 13: Györgi Ligeti: Music for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Jasper String Quartet | Sospiro Winds | Miranda Cuckson, violin | Julia Bruskin, cello | Angela Cordell, horn | Jacob Greenberg, piano | Aaron Wunsch, piano
PROGRAM
1. Sonata for Cello Solo
2. Sonatina for Piano 4 Hands
3. Trio for Violin, Horn, and Piano
4. String Quartet No. 1
5. Bagatelles for Wind Quintet
Györgi Ligeti, whose opera La Grande Macabre was a sold-out sensation at the New York Philharmonic this past spring, is an undisputed musical giant of the last century. This exciting exploration of his solo and chamber music — both the lyrical and the propulsive — will feature Sospiro Winds ("superb ensemble," New Music Connoisseur), violinist Miranda Cuckson ("striking", New York Times), and Music Mondays Artistic Director Aaron Wunsch ("masterful," Hartford Courant).
January 24: ECCO
www.eastcoastchamberorchestra.com
Fresh from a new CD recording project, the fiery, conductor-less East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO) brings its signature sonic exuberance back to Music Mondays. Each player is an accomplished soloist in his or her own right, and the combined effect produces a unique and astonishing alchemy. A Music Mondays favorite, "these youthful players are helping form classical music’s future" (Washington Post).
February 21: Enso Quartet
Maureen Nelson, violin | John Marcus, violin | Melissa Reardon, viola | Richard Belcher, cello
www.ensoquartet.com
With a 2010 Grammy nomination in hand for "Best Chamber Music Performance," the Enso Quartet is emerging as a string quartet of international stature. Lauded for their "glorious sonorities" (Washington Post) and "jaw-dropping prowess" (MusicWeb International), the Enso Quartet has held residencies at Rice University and with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.(Washington Post).
March 28: Jasper Quartet
J Freivogel, violin | Sae Niwa, violin | Sam Quintal, viola | Rachel Henderson Freivogel, cello
www.jasperquartet.com
Hailed as "sonically delightful and expressively compelling" (Strad), the Jasper Quartet is one of the most promising new quartets of their generation. Displaying both maturity in the classics and innovative spunk (their "guerilla chamber music" project brought performances to unusual settings in Canada), they are currently Quartet in Residence at Oberlin University in Ohio.
April 18: QNG
Susanne Fröhlich, recorder | Andrea Guttmann, recorder | Hannah Pape, recorder | Heide Schwarz, recorder
www.quartetnewgeneration.com
Germany’s "mind-blowing" recorder quartet (L A Times) is redefining how the public views the instrument. Performing on upwards of 30 different recorders of varying sizes and shapes during the course of a typical performance, QNG (Quartet New Generation) is constantly searching out new possibilities of sound and expression in both early and contemporary music. You won’t want to miss these "four recorder virtuosos" (New York Times) in one of their only U S appearances this year.
May 23: Paul Woodiel and Christopher Layer Duo
Paul Woodiel, fiddles | Christopher Layer, flutes and bagpipes
Three-time New England fiddle contest champion Paul Woodiel ("a first-class performer," Leonard Bernstein) is joined by Christopher Layer, a "jaw-dropping virtuoso" (Washington Post) on several varieties of flutes and bagpipes who has appeared with the National, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis Symphonies, among others. Their program, Gaels and Gauls, will feature folk music from the Scando-Celtic North Sea isles of Shetland, from the musette pipers and the vielle a roué players in the villages of central France, and from the Appalachian Trail.
2009-2010
September 21: Music Mondays Showcase
Aaron Wunsch, piano | Douglas Drake, organ | Special guest musicians
Join Music Mondays’ artistic directors and performers from past and current seasons as they kick off Music Mondays 09-10 with a selection of vibrant and energetic ensemble music: Flor Peeters’ thrilling Concerto for Piano and Organ, a mind-bending arrangement of J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations for string trio and Johannes Brahms’s hair-raising Piano Quartet in G Minor.
October 19: Sospiro Winds
Kelli Kathman, flute | James Austin Smith, oboe | Romie de Guise-Langlois, clarinet | Alana Vegter, french horn | Adrian Morejon, bassoon
www.sospirowinds.com
Since their Carnegie Hall (Zankel) debut last year, the Sospiro Winds are drawing attention across the country for their sonic fireworks and richly sculpted tone. This “superb ensemble” (New Music Connoisseur) recently garnered the Silver Prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
November 16: SONYC
www.sonyc.org
The “feisty” String Orchestra of New York City (SONYC) plays “with an appealing deftness” says the New York Times. Come hear some of New York’s own finest string players join forces in this dynamic conductor-less ensemble.
December 14: Timetable Percussion
Alex Lipowski, percussion | Matthew Gold, percussion |
Matt Ward, percussion
www.timetablepercussion.com
Known for its riveting performances, TimeTable invites audiences to experience percussion up close. The iO String Quartet (www.ioquartet.com) joins TimeTable for a fascinating program of exotic works by Maurice Ravel and Greek composer Iannis Xenakis, as well as the US premiere of French composer George Aperghis’ theatrical Triangle Carré for percussion trio and string quartet.
January 25: Tessera Quartet
Stefan Jackiw, violin | Emily Daggett Smith, violin | Edward Klorman, violin | Michael Haas, cello
www.tesseraquartet.com
One of the most exciting currently emerging ensembles, the Tessera Quartet is captivating audiences with its glowing sound and bold interpretations. Later this year it will record all of Lowell Lieberman’s string quartets for Koch Records.
February 15: ECCO
www.eastcoastchamberorchestra.com
The passionate and joyous string players of ECCO (the East Coast Chamber Orchestra) return to Music Mondays. Find out why these extraordinary musicians have enraptured audiences across the globe, creating &lduo;a kind of heat that took the music-making to a higher or deeper place.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
March 22: Daedalus Quartet
Min-Young Kim, violin | Kyu-Young Kim, violin | Jessica Thompson, viola | Raman Ramakrishnan, cello
www.daedalusquartet.com
One of the most widely respected string quartets in the nation, the Daedalus Quartet plays with “a riveting focus.” (New York Times) Having performed in many of the world’s major concert halls, the quartet brings its “jet-propelled rockets of blistering virtuosity” (Washington Post) to Music Mondays with an all-Beethoven program.
April 26: Loki Ensemble
Abigail Fischer, mezzo-soprano |
Noah Kaplan, saxophone |
Wes Matthews, piano |
Christopher Otto, violin |
Kevin McFarland, cello
www.myspace.com/lokiensemble
Bringing together their experiences in jazz, classical performance and composition, the innovative and accomplished musicians of Loki are expanding the boundaries of vocal chamber music. Their Music Mondays program will blend new works, classics and improvisations into a unique and dramatic presentation.
May 31: Brentano Quartet
Mark Steinberg, violin |
Serena Canin, violin |
Misha Amory, viola |
Nina Lee, cello
www.brentanoquartet.com
The season closes with an ensemble audiences across the world agree is one of the finest of its kind: the Brentano String Quartet. Renowned for performances at once passionate and intimate, refined and intense, come hear “the instruments almost burst into flames....Make no mistake: the Brentanos are a magnificent string quartet.” (London Times)
2008-2009
September 22: Biava Quartet
Austin Hartman and Hyunsu Ko, violin | Mary Persin, viola | Jason Calloway, cello
www.biavaquartet.com
Winner of numerous awards, the Biava Quartet is one of the premiere young string quartets in the nation. Known for its sensitive artistry and communicative powers, the quartet has held residencies at Juilliard and Yale and has recently engaged audiences everywhere from London, England to Seoul, Korea.
October 20: Rolf Schulte, violin; Alexander Fiterstein, clarinet; Aaron Wunsch, piano
www.fiterstein.com
www.aaronwunsch.com
The maverick violinist Rolf Schulte, whom the New Yorker has called “one of the most distinguished violinists of our day,” and consummate clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein (“dazzling” says the Washington Post) join Music Mondays artistic director Aaron Wunsch for a high-energy evening of chamber music masterworks.
November 3: CELLO
Julie Albers, cello | Laura Bontrager, cello | Denise Djokic, cello | Caroline Stinson, cello
www.celloquartet.com
From jazz clubs in New York to concert halls abroad, CELLO has captivated audiences with its dynamic and surprising performances. Their wide-ranging repertoire includes works based in jazz, hip hop beats, world and contemporary classical musics, and composers as diverse as jazz great Ron Carter and Peter Schickele (PDQ Bach) have composed works for the group.
December 15: Momenta Quartet
www.momentaquartet.com
The bold performances of the Momenta Quartet are well known to audiences in New York and in places as far away as Indonesia, where they skillfully blend their programs from works of all past eras with new works of their contemporaries. The quartet is in residence at Temple University in Philadelphia.
January 12: Janus
Beth Meyers, viola | Amanda Baker, flute | Nuiko Wadden, harp
www.janustrio.org
Hailed as “a gem made in heaven and polished to perfection,” (Cleveland Plain Dealer), Janus is named after the Greek god whose double-faced image looks both to the past and to the future. The trio presents both new and established works for the exciting and unique combination of flute, harp and viola.
February 9: Classical JAM
Marco Granados, flute | Jennifer Choi, violin | Amadi Hummings, viola | Wendy Law, cello | Justin Hines, percussion
www.classicaljam.org
Classical Jam's engaging and lively presentations are captivating audiences across the country. This versatile ensemble mixes its own arrangements of Gershwin and Piazzolla with traditional classical and even Renaissance works, and their concert promises to be a great ride!
March 23: ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble)
www.iceorg.org
The New York Times calls this uniquely structured chamber ensemble “adventurous and accomplished,” and its astonishing performances range from multimedia collaborations to the Mostly Mozart Festival. ICE has crafted a special program for Music Mondays: transcriptions of Bach's music by contemporary composers.
April 27: ECCO (East Coast Chamber Orchestra)
www.eastcoastchamberorchestra.com
Beloved by audiences around the country, the incredible conductor-less string orchestra brings its high-octane sound and communal inspiration back to Music Mondays. The Washington Post speaks the truth: “These youthful players are helping form classical music's future.”
May 18: Claremont Trio
Donna Kwong, piano | Emily Bruskin, violin | Julia Bruskin, cello
www.claremonttrio.com
Hailed for their “passion and precision” (Boston Globe), the Claremont Trio is now in its tenth anniversary season. Join them for this exciting conclusion to the Music Mondays season, where they will be joined by some special guest musicians.
2007-2008
October 15: The Claremont Trio
Emily Bruskin, violin | Julia Bruskin, cello | Donna Kwong, piano
www.claremonttrio.com
The award-winning Claremont Trio is “positively spellbinding” (Palm Beach Daily News). Last season the New York Times declared their performance on the Prism Concert Series a “highlight”, and this season their busy performance schedule includes the Mostly Mozart and Saratoga Music Festivals and tours of the Midwest and Hawaii. The '07–'08 Music Mondays season starts up with their exciting performance — join them immediately afterwards for a special opening night reception!
November 19: The Ikarus Chamber Players
The versatile American, Canadian, and British members of Ikarus are internationally acclaimed soloists and chamber musicians who have performed at many of the world's most prestigious concert halls and festivals as well as with folk, indie, and jazz bands. Their Music Mondays concert brings together wind, brass, and string instruments for a varied program of old and new masterworks.
December 17: argento
www.argentomusic.org
Applauded by the New York Times for their “dynamic and charged” playing, the Argento Chamber Ensemble has established a reputation for delivering unforgettable performances of new music from every part of the world. Argento tours widely, with past performances in Ireland, Turkey, and China. Their first recording, released in the fall of 2007 on the AEON label, received worldwide critical acclaim.
January 7: ECCO
www.eastcoastchamberorchestra.com
Music Mondays is thrilled to welcome back ECCO (East Coast Chamber Orchestra), whose previous concert on the series drew standing ovations. A hot ticket, ECCO performed at the Kennedy Center in 2006; the Washington Post declared: “The youthful vigor of the group created a kind of heat that took the music-making to a higher or deeper place.” You have to hear them to believe it!
February 18: So Percussion
Josh Quillen, percussion | Adam Sliwinski, percussion | Jason Treuting, percussion |
Lawson White, percussion
www.sopercussion.com
Called “astonishing and entrancing” by Billboard, and “brilliant” by the New York Times, members of So Percussion will play a special program exploring the music and influence of mind-bender John Cage. With a following comprised of “both kinds of blue hair... elderly matron here, arty punk there” (as the Boston Globe described it), the members of So Percussion make a rare and wonderful breed of music that both compels instantly and offers vast rewards for engaged listening.
March 10: The Jupiter String Quartet
Nelson Lee, violin | Meg Freivogel, violin | Liz Freivogel, viola | Daniel McDonough, cello
www.jupiterquartet.com
Lauded for their “energetic firmness and fine nuance” by the New York Times, the Boston-based Jupiter Quartet has quickly defined itself as one of the finest, most exuberant quartets in the country. This season they begin a prestigious three-year residency at the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society Two, and they will perform a tour of the Netherlands this spring amidst a busy season of concerts across the nation.
April 14: Trio Cavatina
Ieva Jokubaviciute, piano | Harumi Rhodes, violin | Priscilla Lee, cello
The three consummate chamber musicians of Trio Cavatina showed great promise during their first performing season last year, which included appearances at the New School and in Merkin Concert Hall. Other engagements this season will take the trio to Maine, Vermont, and Vilnius, Lithuania.
May 12: The Young Eight
Mariana Green-Hill, violin | Monica Davis, violin | Chala Yancy, violin |
Quinton I. Morris, violin | Amber Archibald, viola | Dawn Michelle Smith, viola |
Caleb Jones, cello | Tahira Whittington, cello
www.theyoungeight.com
The Young Eight, a group of eight accomplished African-American string players, has established itself as one of the next generation's most dynamic and energetic chamber ensembles. Their busy touring schedule includes performances in New York City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Austin, yet they also find time for a series of residency programs, seminars and workshops geared towards exposing children and communities around the country to classical music.
June 16: Baroque Orchestra of North Jersey
www.baroqueorchestra.org
The final season concert represents a truly special event. On Monday, June 16, 2008, Music Mondays will present the modern-day premiere of the complete version of Alessandro Scarlatti's 1693 oratorio La Giuditta (Judith), edited by Maestro Robert W. Butts from the original manuscript in the collection of the National Park Service in Morristown, NJ, and performed by the ensemble and soloists of BONJ.
2006-2007
September 18: The Claremont Trio
Emily Bruskin, violin | Julia Bruskin, cello | Donna Kwong, piano
www.claremonttrio.com
The Claremont Trio is one of the most exciting young groups performing today. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, “Their exuberant performance and gutsy repertoire ... was the kind of fresh approach that keeps chamber music alive.” Music Mondays kicks off with their performance &emdash; join them immediately afterwards for an opening night reception.
October 16: Athabasca String Trio
Jane Chung, violin | Tawnya Popoff, viola | Caroline Stinson, cello
The newly formed Athabasca String Trio comes together from a shared history of chamber music collaboration to champion the lush and varied string trio repertoire. Committed to the gems of the literature, the Athabasca String Trio is also working with composers today to create a lasting repertoire for the medium. In the '07-'08 season, the Athabasca String Trio will be Bowdoin College's chamber ensemble in residence.
November 20: Valhalla Horns
Hailing from New York's top orchestras and Broadway shows, this unique horn ensemble is sure to provide an evening of rich sounds and exciting music. Chad Yarbrough, Patrick Pridemore, Theo Primis, Michael Atkinson, and Brad Gemeinhardt are some of the most talented horn players performing today.
December 18: Arete Ensemble
The versatile, New York-based Arete ensemble is dedicated to exploring and promoting new and exciting American chamber music. Its innovative and colorful concerts have included improvisation, multimedia presentations, and dance.
January 22: Opera Noire
Robert Mack, Kenneth Overton, Barron Coleman, founders
www.operanoirenewyork.org
Opera Noire members have entertained audiences from Milan's La Scala to New York City's Metropolitan Opera. The premiere opera company of African-American artists returns to Music Mondays, bringing their virtuosity and dramatic flair to a more intimate chamber music setting.
February 19: Paul Woodiel, fiddle and Christopher Layer, flutes & bagpipes
www.christopherlayer.com
Leonard Bernstein described three-time New England fiddle contest champion Paul Woodiel as “a first-class performer &emdash; one who combines spirituality with intellect.” He is joined by Chris Layer, a versatile virtuoso on several varieties of flutes and bagpipes who has appeared with the National, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis Symphonies, among others. Join them for a lively evening of folk music inspired improvisation.
March 19: Percussia
Ingrid Gordon, Artistic Director
www.percussia.org
Percussia boldly places percussion front and center in search of new and intriguing sounds. By combining percussion with a variety of melodic instruments, Percussia produces a visually and sonically dynamic experience. Percussia seamlessly combines global influences with the virtuosity of classical music to create a world of sound that defies boundaries and styles.
April 30: ECCO
www.eastcoastchamberorchestra.com
In 2001, a group of exciting young string players envisioned the creation of a conductor-less chamber orchestra, based upon democratic principles, whose focus is to be purely on musicmaking. This organic approach, passion, and commitment resulted in the creation of ECCO (East Coast Chamber Orchestra), which combines the strength and power of an orchestral ensemble with the personal, intimate nature of chamber music. Their Town Hall (NYC) debut in February of 2004 confirmed ECCO's position as the most exceptional ensemble of the new generation whose fresh interpretations of new and old works coupled with highly nuanced and joyous playing earned them standing ovations.
May 21: Mosaik Two
Annaliesa Place, violin | Svet Stoyanov, marimba
www.svetstoslav.com
www.annaliesaplace.com
Svet Stoyanov has been praised for his “unmistakable virtuosity” (New York Times) and Annaliesa Place for her “poise and intelligence” (Cleveland Plain Dealer) &emdash; together they fuse to become Mosaik Two. Since their debut at the Jazz and Classics Festival in Juneau, Alaska, Mosaik Two has been a rising force on the music scene &emdash; the '06-'07 season includes a tour throughout Holland, performances in Princeton and Baltimore, and a residency at the Peabody Conservatory.