The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music review: Pianist Alexandre Tharaud excels in Scarlatti sonatas

By Jacob Stockinger

I have waited many years for the new CD of 18 Scarlatti sonatas, played by the young French pianist Alexandre Tharaud.

That is because I admire Tharaud’s playing of Baroque music on the modern piano as I have heard it in works by J.S. Bach, Rameau and Couperin. And yes, I much prefer the piano to the harpsichord in that repertoire, especially when the player is Tharaud, who has also proven adept at Chopin and Ravel, who share certain traits such as transparency and precision with the baroque masters.

I particularly like his clarity and crisp articulation as well as his songful legato phrasing, all captured with fine sonic engineering. For my money, Tharaud is way ahead of ahead of Angela Hewitt, Jeremy Denk and Simone Dinnerstein to name a few of his Baroque-playing contemporaries.

I also like this album because I think Scarlatti is underestimated for much the same reason that Chopin – who, unlike his contemporaries, respected Scarlatti and played and taught his music — is often taken for granted: With a few exceptions, Scarlatti wrote for the keyboard and wrote miniatures. So he remains in the shadow of his exact and more prolific and varied contemporaries, J.S. Bach and Handel.

But what gems you find among the 550 keyboard sonatas – “exercises,” as he called them – that Scarlatti (below) wrote.

One of the virtues of the new album – Tharaud’s debut on Virgin, to where he moved from Harmonia Mundi – is that only a few of the sonatas belong to the often played, and often heard, variety. Instead you find unusual novelties here, works that only enhance your opinion of Tharaud and of Scarlatti.

Other things to single out for praise are the musicality and inventiveness of his ornamentation, which he varies with repeats, and his sparing or judicious use of the sustaining pedal. The mix of fast and slow, easy and virtuosic, sonatas is also good. Tharaud captures the droning percussiveness of jaunty Spanish dance music, and the lyricism of meditative love songs or even prayer.

I will be listening to this album a lot, always with the hope that Tharaud will record a sequel with more Scarlatti sonatas. He has the making of great Scarlatti player, a rival of Horowitz (the great Scarlatti pioneer), Andras Schiff, Robert Casadesus and Mikhail Pletnev. And I would like to hear him in some of the more commonly heard sonatas and hear how he does them compared to those others.

But once again Tharaud has proven he is master of performing old music on new instruments.

If you don’t yet know him, you should remedy that loss. Much enjoyment awaits you.

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Classical music news: The Wisconsin Union Theater announces its 2011-12 Concert Series

By Jacob Stockinger

The Wisconsin Union Theater’s 92^nd Annual Concert Series will be announced tonight, Thursday, February 17, during the recital by violinist  Hilary Hahn and pianist Valentina Lisitsa. (Some tickets still remain. Call 608 262-2201. For details about tickets and the program , see postings on this blog for Monday and Wednesday.)

Four performances are scheduled for the 2011-2012 season. The theater will also hold one of four free concerts celebrating the UW Pro Arte String Quartet’s 100th anniversary.

New this year, early concert series subscriptions with significant savings will be available until April 1.

Wisconsin Union members and UW-Madison faculty and staff receive reduced ticket price sand UW-Madison students will continue paying only $10 for any Concert Series events. More details are available following the season schedule.

The 2011-2012 Concert Series is:

The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble (bel0w), which will perform on Friday, September 30, 2011, 7:30 p.m. The group’s program includes Brahms’s String  Sextet in G Major, Op 36; Shostakovich’s Prelude and Scherzo for String Octet, Op. 11; and Mendelssohn’s Octet.

Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (below top) with the San Francisco-based New Century Chamber Orchestra (below bottom). They will perform on Sunday, November 20, 2011, 7:30 p.m. The tentative program includes a String Symphony by Felix Mendelssohn, Samuel Barber‘s famous “Adagio for Strings”; a 2010 violin concerto by William Bolcom called “Romanza”; and Richard Strauss’ “Metamorphosen.”

Cellist David Finckel, pianist Wu Han and violinist Philip Setzer (below) will perform on Friday, February 24, 2012,  at 7:30 p.m. (Finckel and Han co-direct the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Finckel and Setzer are members of the Emerson String Quartet.) The trio’s tentative program is an all-Mendelssohn program that includes the Sonata for Cello and Piano in D Major, Op. 58; the Trio No. 1 for Piano, Violin and Cello in D Minor, Op. 49; and the Trio No. 2 for Piano, Violin and Cello in C Minor, Op. 66.

Pianist Peter Serkin (below) will give a recital on Saturday, May 5, 2012, 7:30 p.m. His tentative program features pre-baroque works and Beethoven’s massive “Diabelli” Variations.

SAVINGS AND OTHER INFORMATION: Patrons may take advantage of a special offer, good only for orders received by April 1, 2011. Subscribe early and receive a special price for a limited time, as well as ensure priority seating and parking.

Early subscription prices are: for Union members, UW-Madison faculty and staff:  $130; for the general public: $145

To take advantage of this offer, download the order form from the website, www.uniontheater.wisc.edu, and send it to: Wisconsin Union Theater Box, 800 Langdon St., Madison, WI 53706, or call the box office at 608-265-ARTS (2787).

Single tickets and UW-Madison student tickets will be available later. Other 2011-2012 events will be announced on April 8, at the Dianne Reeves concert.

The Wisconsin Union Theater is also offering:

Ticket Exchange Flexibility: Should conflicts arise, you can exchange your tickets at either of box offices up to 24 hours before your event for any upcoming season event. Or trade in your tickets for a gift certificate of equal value to use later or give to a friend.

Missed Performance Insurance: Just because you missed one of the season events does not mean you need to miss out. Return your unused season tickets within three business days of the event for a gift certificate of equal value, good for any remaining season event in 2010-11.

Free Pre-Concert Lectures featuring John W. Barker and Perry Allaire are offered at 6:30 p.m. before each Concert Series events. See Today in the Union for location.

The 2011-2012 season listings and order forms will be available online starting April 9, 2011.

What do you think of the Wisconsin Union Theater’s new season?

The Ear wants to hear.

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Classical music datebook: Violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist Simone Dinnerstein highlight a busy week.

By Jacob Stockinger

This week brings two best-selling AND highly respected classical musicians to Madison: violinist Hilary Hahn to the Wisconsin Union Theater in Thursday and pianist Simone Dinnerstein to the Overture Center with the Madison Symphony Orchestra on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Moreover, the two will perform some great masterworks of the repertoire: a solo Bach partita, Beethoven’s “Spring” Sonata and Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto.

But you will also see a lot of chamber music listed – much of it free — and an open rehearsal for the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra,  something that should be both enlightening and encouraging.

THURSDAY

At 7:30 p.m. at the Wisconsin Union Theater, violinist Hiliary Hahn (below bottom) and pianist Valentina Lisitsa (below top) – who will be the guest on Wisconsin Public Radio‘s The Midday on Thursday at 11 a.m. — perform a terrific recital.

The program includes “Variations on a Theme by Corelli” by Giuseppe Tartini, arranged by Fritz Kreisler; Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major (“Spring”) by Beethoven; Violin Sonata No. 4 by Charles Ives; Violin Partita No. 1 by J.S. Bach; and Violin Sonata No. 1 by George Antheil.

It’s a great program by two great performers, and ranks as a MUST-HEAR for The Ear.

Tickets, which reportedly are selling briskly, are $14 (youth 6-17), $20, $42 and $46 with $10 for UW students. Parking passes are also available.

To purchase tickets, call the Wisconsin Union Theater at 265-ARTS or 608 262-2201 or visit their website at uniontheater.wisc.edu.

FRIDAY

The weekly free Friday Musicale at the First Unitarian Society Meeting House, 900 University Bay Drive, from 12:15 to 1 p.m. features soprano Melissa Hinz, soprano and pianist Joe Chrisman in music of the Bach family.

Admission and coffee are free. For information, call (608) 233-9774.

At 7:30 p.m. in Overture Hall, pianist Simone Dinnerstein (below) joins the Madison Symphony Orchestra under John DeMain in a program that features Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto, Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 and Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance March N0. 5 (NOT the one we all graduated to, which is No. 1).

Other performances are Saturday night at 8 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 to $75. Call the Overture Center box office at (608) 258-4141.

Dinnerstein will appear live on WPR’s Midday at noon on Thursday.

SATURDAY

Starting at 10:30 a.m., the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras twill hold an Open Rehearsal. Music students, families, and teachers are invited to come and see what WYSO has to offer at the Winter Open Rehearsal.

The event will begin at 10:30 with a meet and greet featuring breakfast snacks in the Strelow Lounge of the UW Humanities building. Guests will be able to talk with WYSO staff and parents of current members, and will get a chance to tour WYSO’s four orchestras in rehearsal. After the tour, guests will have an opportunity to speak with current WYSO members in a Q&A session.

This session will provide a special focus on the audition process for young musicians. Auditions for the 2011-2012 season begin in April, and membership applications are available on the WYSO website.

Following the Open Rehearsal, guests are invited to attend the 1:30 p.m. “Percussion Extravaganza,” a free event featuring WYSO’s Percussion Ensemble and a variety of guest artists. A reception will follow the performance.

SUNDAY

Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Sunday Afternoon Live From the Chazen,” from 12:30 to 3  2 p.m. will feature faculty members from the UW-Green Bay.

The performance will feature a wide range of music including pieces like David Drexler’s Tiny Cheesehead Fanfare, “Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro” from LE NOZZE di FIGARO, ACT II, and Antonin Dvorak’s “Rusalka’s Aria” from RUSALKA.  We welcome UW Green Bay faculty members Courtney Sherman soprano, David Severtsen on piano, Eric Hansen on clarinet, Michael Hall on viola, Michelle McQuade Dewhirst on French horn, Adam Gaines on trumpet, Sarah Meredith mezzo-soprano and Kevin Collins on trombone.

Sunday, February 20 at 2 p.m., Mills Hall: Concert Band, directed by Michael Leckrone (below). Free admission.

At 2:30 p.m. in the St. Joseph Chapel, 1000 Edgewood College Drive, the Edgewood Chamber Orchestra Concert will take place. Blake Walter (below) will conduct the program that features the winners of the Edgewood Chamber Orchestra Annual Concerto Competition; Brendan Franklin, guitar, and Lauren Welch, soprano. Both are Edgewood College students.

Welch will perform “Va gogendo” from Handel’s “Serse”s and “E, Amore un Ladroncello” from Mozart’s “Cosi fan Tutte.”  Franklin will perform the Vivaldi Guitar Concerto in D. Other works to be performed include the “Donna Diana” Overture by Reznicek and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4.

Admission is $5, free with Edgewood ID.

Then at 7:30 p.m. in Morphy Hall, Linda Strommen (below), oboe, and Kathleen McLean, bassoon wlll perform on the guest Artist Series. Strommen and McLean are members of the faculty at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University.

The program features “Piece V” for oboe and piano by Cesar Franck; “Concerto for oboe and wind ensemble” by Eric Ewazen; “Concerto for bassoon and wind ensemble” by Frigyes Hidas; “Bassango” for bassoon and piano by Matthieu Lussier; “La muerte del Angel” by Astor Piazzolla; and “Trio for piano, oboe and bassoon” by Francis Poulenc.

Admission is free and open to the public.

MONDAY

At 7:30 p.m. in Morphy Hall, the UW Guest Artist Series presents flutist Mary Stolper and pianist Kuang-Hao Huang in a program that includes music by Saint-Saens, Gabriela Lena Frank, UW composer Laura Elise Schwendinger, Shulamit Ran and others.

Mary Stolper (below) was the principal substitute flutist with the Chicago Symphony for more than a decade and currently is principal flutist of the Grant Park Symphony, Chicago Opera Theater, Music of the Baroque orchestra and the new music ensemble Fulcrum Point.  She is a member of the faculty of DePaul University.

Kuang-Hao Huang (B.A. 1993, UW-Madison) has performed in concert and on radio broadcast with Chicago’s finest musicians, including members of the Chicago Symphony and vocalists with Lyric Opera. He serves on the faculties of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, Concordia University-Chicago and the Merit School of Music.

Admission is free and open to the public.

TUESDAY

At 6:30 p.m. in Morphy Hall, guest flutist Mary Stolper (see Monday night) will give a master class that is free and open to the public.

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Here are the 2011 Grammy winners for classical music. Contemporary classical music scores big.

By Jacob Stockinger

Here is a complete list of the classical music recordings that were nominated for this year’s Grammys along with the winners.

Among the winners and nominees, you will find some tried and true classics, the “old” classics such as Mozart and Verdi. But what stands out this year is how many winners are works by 20^th century and contemporary composers. Critic Alex Ross should be pleased.

The list, which is a good way to build your library or collection,  is also interesting for how many releases came from the house labels of orchestras.

And for those of you who still think of Naxos as a budget label, think again. The label won big in several different categories and with original recordings.

Are there other trends you see in the nominees and winners? The Ear wants to hear.

Here is the list. For more information, visit:

http://www.grammy.com/NOMINEES

95. Best Engineered Album, Classical

WINNER TIE: Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina, Mark Donahue, John Hill & Dirk Sobotka, engineers (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony Orchestra) [Naxos] AND

Porter, Quincy: Complete Viola Works, Leslie Ann Jones, Kory Kruckenberg, Brandie Lane & David Sabee, engineers (Eliesha Nelson & John McLaughlin Williams) [Dorian Sono Luminus]

Have You Ever Been…? Robert Friedrich, engineer (Turtle Island Quartet, Stefon Harris & Mike Marshall) [Telarc]

Mackey, Steven: Dreamhouse Mark Donahue, David Frost, Tom Lazarus, Steven Mackey & Dirk Sobotka, engineers (Gil Rose, Rinde Eckert, Catch Electric Guitar Quartet, Synergy Vocals & Boston Modern Orchestra Project) [BMOP/sound]

Vocabularies. Steven Miller, Allen Sides & Roger Treece, engineers (Bobby McFerrin) [Emarcy]

96. Producer Of The Year, Classical

WINNER: David Frost

• Britten’s Orchestra (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)
• Chambers, Evan: The Old Burying Ground (Kenneth Kiesler & The University Of Michigan Symphony Orchestra)
• Dorman, Avner: Concertos For Mandolin, Piccolo, Piano And Concerto Grosso (Andrew Cyr, Eliran Avni, Mindy Kaufman, Avi Avital & Metropolis Ensemble)
• The 5 Browns In Hollywood (5 Browns)
• Mackey, Steven: Dreamhouse (Gil Rose, Rinde Eckert, Catch Electric Guitar Quartet, Synergy Vocals & Boston Modern Orchestra Project)
• Meeting Of The Spirits (Matt Haimovitz)
• Two Roads To Exile (ARC Ensemble)
• 

Blanton Alspaugh

• Corigliano: Violin Concerto ‘The Red Violin’ (Michael Ludwig, JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)
• Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 (Leonard Slatkin & Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
• Tower Of The Eight Winds – Music For Violin & Piano By Judith Shatin (Borup-Ernst Duo)
• Tyberg: Symphony No. 3; Piano Trio (JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Wind Serenades (Gregory Wolynec & Gateway Chamber Ensemble)

Tim Handley

• Adams: Nixon In China (Marin Alsop, Tracy Dahl, Marc Heller, Thomas Hammons, Maria Kanyova, Robert Orth, Chen-Ye Yan, Opera Colorado Chorus & Colorado Symphony Orchestra)
• Debussy: Le Martyre De Saint Sébastien (Jun Märkl & Orchestre National De Lyon)
• Dohnányi: Variations On A Nursery Song (JoAnn Falletta, Eldar Nebolsin & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Harris: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6 (Marin Alsop & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra)
• Hubay: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 And 2 (Chloë Hanslip, Andrew Mogrelia & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra)
• Messiaen: Poèmes Pour Mi (Anne Schwanewilms, Jun Märkl & Orchestre National De Lyon)
• Piazzolla: Sinfonía Buenos Aires (Daniel Binelli, Tianwa Yang, Giancarlo Guerro & Nashville Symphony Orchestra)
• Ries: Works For Flute And Piano (Uwe Grodd & Matteo Napoli)
• Roussel: Symphony No. 1 (Stéphane Denève & Royal Scottish National Orchestra)
• Shchedrin: Concertos For Orchestra Nos. 4 & 5 (Kirill Karabits & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra)
• Stamitz: Flute Concertos (Robert Aitken, Donatas Katkus & St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra)
• Strauss, R: Josephs-Legende; Rosenkavalier; Die Frau Ohne Schatten (Orchestral Suites) (JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)

Marina A. Ledin, Victor Ledin

• Brubeck: Songs Of Praise (Lynne Morrow, Richard Grant, Quartet San Francisco & The Pacific Mozart Ensemble)
• Cascade Of Roses (Janice Weber)
• Gnattali: Solo & Chamber Works For Guitar (Marc Regnier)
• If I Were A Bird (Michael Lewin)
• Kletzki: Piano Concerto (Joseph Banowetz, Thomas Sanderling & Russian Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Porter, Quincy: Complete Viola Works (Eliesha Nelson & John McLaughlin Williams)
• Rubinstein: Piano Music (1852-1894) (Joseph Banowetz)
• Rubinstein: Piano Music (1871-1890) (Joseph Banowetz)
• 20th Century Harp Sonatas (Sarah Schuster Ericsson)

James Mallinson

• Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (Bernard Haitink, Duain Wolfe, Miah Persson, Christianne Stotijn, Chicago Symphony Chorus & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
• Prokofiev: Romeo And Juliet (Valery Gergiev & London Symphony Orchestra)
• Shchedrin: The Enchanted Wanderer (Valery Gergiev, Evgeny Akimov, Sergei Aleksashkin, Kristina Kapustinskaya, Mariinsky Chorus & Mariinsky Orchestra)
• Strauss, R: Ein Heldenleben; Webern: Im Sommerwind (Bernard Haitink & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
• Strauss, R: Eine Alpensinfonie (Bernard Haitink & London Symphony Orchestra)
• Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations; Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante (Gautier Capuçon, Valery Gergiev & Orchestra Of The Mariinsky Theatre)
• Wagner: Parsifal (Valery Gergiev, Gary Lehman, Violeta Urmana, René Pape, Evgeny Nikitin, Alexei Tanovitski, Nikolai Putilin, Mariinsky Chorus & Mariinsky Orchestra)

97. Best Classical Album

WINNER: Verdi: Requiem. Riccardo Muti, conductor; Duain Wolfe, chorus master; Christopher Alder, producer; David Frost, Tom Lazarus & Christopher Willis, engineers/mixers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Ildar Abdrazakov, Olga Borodina, Barbara Frittoli & Mario Zeffiri; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus) [CSO Resound]

Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4. Mariss Jansons, conductor; Everett Porter, producer; Everett Porter, mastering engineer (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) [RCO Live]

Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina. Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer; Mark Donahue, John Hill & Dirk Sobotka, engineers/mixers (Terrence Wilson; Nashville Symphony Orchestra) [Naxos]

Gil Rose, Rinde Eckert, Mark Donahue, David Frost, David Frost, Tom Lazarus, Steven Mackey & Dirk Sobotka, Silas Brown; Mackey, Steven: Dreamhouse. Gil Rose, conductor; Rinde Eckert; Catch Electric Guitar Quartet; Mark Donahue, David Frost, producer; David Frost, Tom Lazarus, Steven Mackey & Dirk Sobotka, engineers/mixers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer; Mackey, Steven: Dreamhouse. [BMOP/sound]

Sacrificium. Giovanni Antonini, conductor; Cecilia Bartoli; Arend Prohmann, producer; Philip Siney, engineer/mixer (Il Giardino Armonico) [Decca]

98. Best Orchestral Performance

WINNER: Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina. Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Terrence Wilson; Nashville Symphony) [Naxos]

Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4. Mariss Jansons, conductor (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) [RCO Live]

Mackey, Steven: Dreamhouse. Gil Rose, conductor; Rinde Eckert (Catch Electric Guitar Quartet; Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Synergy Vocals) [BMOP/sound]

Salieri: Overtures & Stage Music. Thomas Fey, conductor (Mannheimer Mozartorchester) [Haenssler Classic]

Stravinsky: Pulcinella; Symphony In Three Movements; Four Études. Pierre Boulez, conductor (Roxana Constantinescu, Kyle Ketelsen & Nicholas Phan; Chicago Symphony Orchestra) [CSO Resound]

99. Best Opera Recording

WINNER: Saariaho: L’Amour De Loin. Kent Nagano, conductor; Daniel Belcher, Ekaterina Lekhina & Marie-Ange. Todorovitch; Martin Sauer, producer (Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Rundfunkchor Berlin). [Harmonia Mundi]

Berg: Lulu. Antonio Pappano, conductor; Agneta Eichenholz, Jennifer Larmore, Klaus Florian Vogt & Michael Volle; David Groves, producer (Orchestra Of The Royal Opera House) [Opus Arte]

Hasse: Marc’ Antonio E Cleopatra. Matthew Dirst, conductor; Jamie Barton & Ava Pine; Keith Weber, producer (Ars Lyrica Houston) [Dorian Sono Luminus]

Shchedrin: The Enchanted Wanderer. Valery Gergiev, conductor; Evgeny Akimov, Sergei Aleksashkin & Kristina. Kapustinskaya; James Mallinson, producer (Orchestra Of The Mariinsky Theatre; Chorus Of The Mariinsky Theatre). [Mariinsky]

Sullivan: Ivanhoe. David Lloyd-Jones, conductor; Neal Davies, Geraldine McGreevy, James Rutherford, Toby Spence & Janice Watson; Brian Pidgeon, producer (BBC National Orchestra Of Wales; Adrian Partington Singers) [Chandos]

100. Best Choral Performance

WINNER: Verdi: Requiem. Riccardo Muti, conductor; Duain Wolfe, chorus master (Ildar Abdrazakov, Olga Borodina, Barbara Frittoli & Mario Zeffiri; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus) [CSO Resound]

Bach: Cantatas. Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor; Erwin Ortner, chorus master (Bernarda Fink, Gerald Finley, Christian Gerhaher, Werner Güra, Julia Kleiter, Christine Schäfer, Anton Scharinger & Kurt Streit; Concentus Musicau Wien; Arnold Schoenberg Chor) [Deutsche Harmonia Mundi]

Baltic Runes. Paul Hillier, conductor (Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir). [Harmonia Mundi]

Haydn: The Creation. René Jacobs, conductor; Hans-Christoph Rademann, choir director (Julia Kleiter, Maximilian Schmitt & Johannes Weisser; Freiburger Barockorchester; RIAS Kammerchor) [Harmonia Mundi]

Martin: Golgotha. Daniel Reuss, conductor (Judith Gauthier, Marianne Beate Kielland, Adrian Thompson, Mattijs Van De Woerd & Konstantin Wolff; Estonian National Symphony Orchestra; Cappella Amsterdam & Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir) [Harmonia Mundi]

101. Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra)

WINNER: Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 23 & 24. Mitsuko Uchida (The Cleveland Orchestra). [Decca]

Daugherty: Deus Ex Machina. Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Terrence Wilson (Nashville Symphony) Track from: Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony [Naxos]

Dorman, Avner: Mandolin Concerto. Andrew Cyr, conductor; Avi Avital (Metropolis Ensemble). Track from: Dorman, Avner: Mandolin Concerto; Piccolo Concerto; Concerto Grosso; Piano Concerto [Naxos]

Kletzki: Piano Concerto In D Minor, Op. 22. Thomas Sanderling, conductor; Joseph Banowetz (Russian Philharmonic Orchestra) Track from: Kletzki: Piano Concerto [Naxos]

Porter, Quincy: Concerto For Viola & Orchestra. John McLaughlin Williams, conductor; Eliesha Nelson (Northwest Sinfonia) Track from: Porter, Quincy: Complete Viola Works [Dorian Sono Luminus]

102. Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra)

WINNER: Messiaen: Livre Du Saint-Sacrement. Paul Jacobs [Naxos]

Chopin: The Nocturnes. Nelson Freire [Decca]

Hamelin: Études. Marc-André Hamelin [Hyperion Records]

Paganini: 24 Caprices. Julia Fischer [Decca]

20th Century Harp Sonatas. Sarah Schuster Ericsson [Dorian Sono Luminus]

103. Best Chamber Music Performance

WINNER: Ligeti: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2. Parker Quartet. [Naxos]

Beethoven: Complete Sonatas For Violin & Piano. Isabelle Faust & Alexander Melnikov. [Harmonia Mundi]

Gnattali: Solo & Chamber Works For Guitar. Marc Regnier (Tacy Edwards, Natalia Khoma & Marco Sartor) [Dorian Sono Luminus]

Porter, Quincy: Complete Viola Works. Eliesha Nelson & John McLaughlin Williams (Douglas Rioth; Northwest Sinfonia) [Dorian Sono Luminus]

Schoenberg: String Quartets Nos. 3 & 4. Fred Sherry String Quartet (Christopher Oldfather & Rolf Schulte) [Naxos]

104. Best Small Ensemble Performance

WINNER: Dinastia Borja. Jordi Savall, conductor; Hespèrion XXI & La Capella Reial De Catalunya (Pascal Bertin, Daniele Carnovich, Lior Elmalich, Montserrat Figueras, Driss El Maloumi, Marc Mauillon, Lluís Vilamajó & Furio Zanasi; Pascal Bertin, Daniele Carnovich, Josep Piera & Francisco Rojas) [Alia Vox]

Ceremony And Devotion – Music For The Tudors. Harry Christophers, conductor; The Sixteen [CORO]

Trondheimsolistene – In Folk Style. Øyvind Gimse & Geir Inge Lotsberg, conductors (Emilia Amper & Gjermund Larsen; Trondheim Solistene) [2L (Lindberg Lyd)]

Victoria: Lamentations Of Jeremiah. Peter Phillips, conductor; The Tallis Scholars [Gimell]

Whitacre, Eric: Choral Music. Noel Edison, conductor; Elora Festival Singers (Carol Bauman & Leslie De’Ath) [Naxos]

105. Best Classical Vocal Performance

WINNER:  Sacrificium. Cecilia Bartoli (Giovanni Antonini; Il Giardino Armonico). [Decca]

Ombre De Mon Amant – French Baroque Arias. Anne Sofie Von Otter (William Christie; Les Arts Florissants) [Deutsche Grammophon]

Turina: Canto A Sevilla. Lucia Duchonová (Celso Antunes; NDR Radiophilharmonie) [Haenssler Classic]

Vivaldi: Opera Arias – Pyrotechnics. Vivica Genaux (Fabio Biondi; Europa Galante) [Virgin Classics]

Wagner: Wesendonck-Lieder. Measha Brueggergosman (Franz Welser-Möst; The Cleveland Orchestra) Track from: Wagner: Wesendonck-Lieder; Preludes & Overtures [Deutsche Grammophon]

106. Best Classical Contemporary Composition

WINNER: Daugherty, Michael: Deus Ex Machina. Michael Daugherty (Giancarlo Guerrero). Track from: Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony [Naxos]

Henze, Hans Werner: Appassionatamente Plus. Hans Werner Henze (Stefan Soltesz) Track from: Appassionatamente Plus Lulu-Suite [Cybele Records]

Lindberg, Magnus: Graffiti. Magnus Lindberg (Sakari Oramo). Track from: Lindberg: Graffiti; Seht Die Sonne. [Ondine]

Pärt, Arvo: Symphony No. 4. Arvo Pärt (Esa-Pekka Salonen). Track from: Pärt: Symphony No. 4 [ECM New Series]

Shchedrin, Rodion Konstantinovich: The Enchanted Wanderer. Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin (Valery Gergiev) Track from: Shchedrin: The Enchanted Wanderer. [Mariinsky]

107. Best Classical Crossover Album

WINNER: Tin, Christopher: Calling All Dawns. Lucas Richman, conductor (Sussan Deyhim, Lia, Kaori Omura, Dulce Pontes, Jia Ruhan, Aoi Tada & Frederica von Stade; Anonymous 4 & Soweto Gospel Choir; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) [Tin Works Publishing]

Meeting Of The Spirits. Matt Haimovitz (Amaryllis Jarczyk, Jan Jarczyk, John McLaughlin, Dominic Painchaud, Leanna Rutt & Matt Wilson) [Oxingale Records]

Off The Map. The Silk Road Ensemble [World Village]

Roots – My Life, My Song. Jessye Norman (Ira Coleman, Steve Johns, Mike Lovatt, Mark Markham & Martin Williams) [Sony Classical]

Vocabularies. Bobby McFerrin. [Emarcy/Universal]

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Classical music interview: Violinist Hilary Hahn to play Bach, Beethoven and Ives this Thursday, and has commissioned 27 short, encore-like pieces.

By Jacob Stockinger

This Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Wisconsin Union Theater, the young and acclaimed American violinist Hilary Hahn (below) and pianist Valentina Lisitsa will perform a recital.

It promises to be a highlight of the season – perhaps of many seasons. Certainly the last time the same two performers were here, at the same venue, they delivered an unforgettable recital. For me, this is a MUST-HEAR concert.

The eclectic program includes J.S. Bach’s Sonata No. 1 for solo violin; Beethoven’s famous “Spring” Sonata; a work by Tartini arranged by Fritz Kreisler; Charles Ives’ Sonata No. 4; and Antheil’s Sonata No. 1.

Tickets are $20, $42 and $46 with $10 for UW students. Call (608) 262-2201. (A free pre-concert lecture at 6:30 by Isthmus critic and The Ear’s guest blogger John W. Barker is at 6:30 p.m.)

For more information, visit:

http://www.uniontheater.wisc.edu/Season10_11/hahn.html

http://www.hilaryhahn.com/

Hahn (below) is a very busy musician. She tours globally, records constantly and f gives premieres of works she has commissioned. (Her recording of the Jennifer Higdon Pulitzer Prize-winning Violin Concerto, paired with the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, has been a bestseller.) On top of that she blogs and wires an e-journal and e-postcards when she is touring.

She recently gave the Ear an e-mail interview about the upcoming Wisconsin Union Theater program:

Was there a turning point – a particular piece or performance or performer  – when you knew or decided you were going to be a professional violinist?

If there was, I don’t recall it. When you start playing an instrument at 4, it’s hard to say when these things happen. I do remember meeting many professional musicians early on, initially through my teacher Klara Berkovich, and listening to old recordings of violinists, and learning about their lives and working pretty hard at violin.

When I started at the Curtis Institute of Music, I was suddenly in an environment where all of my fellow students were aiming towards careers in music and an extremely high percentage of them would go on to become professional musicians. Mr. Brodsky, my teacher from when I was 10 until I was 17, prepared me for that path as well – so I guess one thing led into another, and here I am!

Can you comment on individual pieces on your Madison program and how you build it or on the unity that runs through it?

There’s something to each of these works.

The Tartini/Corelli was a piece I saw performed in a recital when my age was still in the single digits, and I learned it shortly thereafter. I love the recording by Fritz Kreisler (below) of it; I’ve been listening to that for years so it’s gotten into my ear.

The Bach -– well, I’ve been playing Bach for a very long time now, but I haven’t played this sonata in recital in quite a while, so it will be nice to return to it. Its form is unusual, with the movements paired, seemingly in theme and single-variation mode. I once performed it with mandolinist Chris Thile, and we experimented with the possibilities of these “doubles” by first taking turns and then playing both base movement and “double” movement simultaneously. The form opens up a range of interpretive possibilities for me as a solo performer, so I will work on exploring those as this tour progresses.

The sonata by George Antheil (below) is rock-and-roll meets minimalism within a classical form. Antheil wrote a page-turner of an autobiography that I read in my mid-20s, and that made me curious to play one of his sonatas. We’re having fun with this one, though the patterns it contains are a mind-bender to memorize.

(Pianist) Valentina (Lisitsa, below top) and I spent several days last year recording all four sonatas by Ives (below bottom). It was an intense experience to live closely with that music in such a concentrated way. Every time you play it or hear it, something new comes to the fore. That album is in post-production now, and I’m looking forward to touring Ives No. 4 after our studio experience. Delving that deeply into a work changes your perspective on it.

Beethoven’s “Spring” sonata is probably the best-known piece on this program. Although I sight-read it while I was a student, I didn’t learn and perform it until last summer. Its melodies will sound familiar; it is a beautiful piece.

Does the Bach mean you are about to complete your recorded cycle of solo Bach (see below)?

The Bach means that I am continuing to perform the solo sonata/partita cycle, and it is still an active part of my repertoire!

Do you have any comments about Madison or Madison audiences you want to share?

The first time I went to Madison, about half my life ago, it was winter time and I was impressed by the stacks of sweaters and knit hats on tables in the snow. The air was crystal clear. I had also never seen a noodle shop before, so I went a little nuts with noodle soups every day. I loved it. I felt like I was in a fairy tale! I always look forward to returning.

Your success with the concerto by Jennifer Higdon (below, on right with Hahn) ) shows that new music can be accessible, even best-selling. Do you have other commissions and premieres in the making and can you elaborate?

I do -– 27 new short-form pieces are in the works! This project (titled, “In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores”) has been more involving than I ever imagined. It is challenging to learn 27 composers’ musical language. But I also feel that I have become closer to a specific world of creativity and artists. I know and work with many performers. Now I’m getting to know composers from all sorts of different backgrounds, and I feel honored for the experience.

You blog and do a lot of interviews and YouTube videos.

I do not consider it blogging, actually; I write postcards for my site and journal entries from the road. To me, blogging is more about the writer, whereas what I put online is focused on the experience of being on the road as a performer – it’s more of a professional travelogue. I try to provide a resource for young musicians and concertgoers who are curious what this lifestyle is like.

How can classical music reach young people better and build younger audiences?

As for building younger audiences, I don’t know what the best approach is. It’s not a particular goal of mine, but then again, I cross paths with young audience members almost every day. I appreciate the first-time concertgoers as well as the ones who have been attending for over 50 years. They all have pretty interesting things to say about what they experience in the concert hall.

What we can do is just encourage performers to do what they enjoy and are good at. My website is one of my creative outlets, I learn a lot from interviewing my colleagues, and I like meeting the audience after concerts. Other musicians organize festivals and educational programs or create Apps or music group websites. Together, I think we can cover nearly everything people are interested in.

What is the role of music education today, especially in tough economic times and with so many other competing art forms?

That’s hard to say. We will not know for sure until kids now are grown up. I think teaching any art encourages creativity, which is a skill useful for grownups in all situations. Providing a range of artistic choices for students means that more will find creative pursuits that speak to them, and more will have constructive ways to communicate their experiences and frustrations and everything else.

I am actually more for broad-spectrum arts education in general than for music education specifically; not everyone finds music to be the most engrossing activity, but it is perfect for some. For others, other performing arts or visual arts or craft might be the magic key.

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Here is my classical music Valentine for 2011. What piece would you choose?

By Jacob Stockinger

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. But of course it falls on a Monday – a weekday when people are busy with everyday jobs and errands.

So, as I did last year – when I posted three small solo piano romances by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms and Gabriel Faure (you can check it I out via the link below or through this blogs search engine) — I am posting a musical Valentine.

https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2010/02/14/classical-music-survey-what-is-the-best-classical-music-for-valentine’s-day/

This time my choice is a movement from a single larger work. But what a movement! The whole piece – the Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47, by the  Romantic composer Robert Schumann — is great, but this part is especially gorgeous and poignant, a dance of the heart.

Isn’t Schumann, with his deep and ultimately fulfilled longing for Clara Wieck (below, with Robert) that he expressed in his piano work, songs, chamber music and other works, the quintessential Valentine composer?

It is also a work that I first heard with my Valentine sitting next to me at the Wisconsin Union Theater. The pianist was our favorite, Emanuel Ax (below), playing with the Cleveland Quartet – the same artists in the video/audio below.

We first heard this lovely work together sitting in the front rows of the Wisconsin Union Theater in a live performance. So it is a piece I closely identify with my Valentine and with all the experiences we have shared since then, including so many years of loving and caring for each other and listening to music together. I love you Valentine, always have and always will.

I hope you, reader, enjoy it too, especially if it is new to you.

And maybe you can forward this post and share it with your special Valentine.

Also, be sure to tell me and other readers: What piece of classical music would you post or play for your Valentine?

Or what piece would you want others to post or play for you?

The Ear wants to hear.

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Classical music Alert: Tonight’s Pro Arte Quartet concert is CANCELLED

By Jacob Stockinger

It is Saturday about 4:30 p.m. and  The Ear just got word:

TONIGHT’S CONCERT BY THE PRO ARTE STRING QUARTET (below) HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

The cause for the cancellation is illness.

I have not been given word about the group’s “Sunday Live From the Chazen” appearance topmorrow, but that would seem doutbful.

Let me know if you hear otherwise.

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Classical music news: Lyric Opera of Chicago announces new season. Tenor Ben Heppner drops out of the Met’s “Ring” cycle. New York Philharmonic opens Leonard Bernstein archives. Maestro Riccardo Muti recovers from a broken jaw. Arts education draws strong reactions.

By Jacob Stockinger

Some of the big news this week happened right nearby in Chicago, where events in the symphony and opera worlds will interest many.

ITEM: Lyric Opera of Chicago announces its new season:

http://www.lyricopera.org/

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-02-01/entertainment/ct-live-0202-classical-lyric-20110201_1_lyric-opera-series-of-four-operas-civic-opera-house

ITEM: Tenor Ben Heppner (below), a friend of UW tenor James Doing who gave a master class here in Madison while he was performing in Chicago, has dropped out of the Metroplitan Opera’s new and acclaimed , if controversial, “Ring” cycle by Wagner. See the story and some really snarky comments here:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/ben-heppner-drops-out-of-the-mets-ring/

ITEM:  The New York Philharmonic has launched its digital archives on line, with Leonard Bernstein’s annotated scores, plans for his first season, and other memorabilia including images of composers used for young people:

http://archives.nyphil.org/

ITEM: Deutsche Grammophon signs Austrian pianist Ingolf Wunder, who many thought should have taken first prize, not second, at the recent Chopin Competition:

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/deutsche-grammophon-signs-ingolf-wunder

Could this also signal a trend toward signing more young classical artists? That would be welcome.

ITEM: How important is arts education?

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/how-important-is-arts-education/?src=twrhp

ITEM: Italian maestro Riccardo Muti (below), 69, has had nothing but trouble since he started his tenure with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

First, it was gastric problems that caused him to withdraw right after he began; then he recently fainted on the podium and fell and broke his jaw, which required surgery and being wired shut.

Here’s an update:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g4O6Q2ZBJfeSnE-UZcAR3CMzjNkA?docId=cd6104eb976d4cb0b91d001367c9caf9

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Classical music: What makes “Nixon in China” so appealing?

By Jacob Stockinger

My crystal ball has a lot of cracks in it, including two very large ones left over from the George McGovern presidential campaign and the reelection campaign of former Wisconsin Governor Tony Earl.

But I’m still willing to predict that this Saturday, tomorrow, will see large houses, if not sellouts, for the Metropolitan Opera’s “Live in HD” broadcast of “Nixon in China” by the American composer John Adams (below).

And I am not just talking about Madison, where “Nixon in China” will be broadcast at the westside Point Cinemas and the eastside Eastgate cinemas where the 4-hour production starts at noon, but people will be getting seats a lot sooner. (There is also an encore screening on March 2. Tickets are $24 with discounts for seniors over 60 and children.)

The “Met Live in HD” productions have been phenomenally popular, one of the bright spots in an often bleak world of classical music. Even so, I don’t think I have ever heard so much excitement and word of mouth about a single Met HD production from both opera fans and non-opera fans.

Could it be because of the political and cultural content that seems more relevant to today than most operas?

Could it be because, as a celebrity culture, we are fascinated with presidents and dictators?

Could it be because Richard Nixon himself in an engaging figure, one perhaps as enigmatic, secretive and criminal – though not any where near as criminal — as China and Chairman Mao?

Could it be because the work itself seems like the opera version of reality TV, a fusion of fiction and non-fiction – “docu-opera,” to use a label that the composer rejects?

Could it because of all the economic and political news about China in the media these days?

Could it be because the music is so good?

Could it also be because two local figures—the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s music director John DeMain (below top) and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Edo de Waart (below bottom) who lives in Middleton — both played seminal roles in the live and recorded premieres of the work 25 years ago,  the former at the Houston Grand Opera and the latter at the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra?

Whatever the reason, “Nixon in China” does indeed seem to be entering the mainstream repertoire – no small feat for a minimalist work – and people are talking. There must be a good reason why it is FINALLY making its debut at the iconic but largely conservative Met.

So for today’s post I thought I would provide some links to inform the discussions and pique or even satisfy curiosities. They include purely informational entries as well as background pieces and a review.

I’m sure there is a lot more, and I hope readers will leave replies with links to more reviews and background pieces as well as with their own reactions to the HD broadcast and why they went to it.

For background:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/arts/music/30nixon.html

Also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon_in_China_(opera)

For a review of the Met production by The New York Times’ chief critic Anthony Tommasini:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/arts/music/04nixon.html

Did you go to “Nixon in China”?

What did you think?

What do you think is the big draw of the opera?

The Ear wants to hear.

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Madison group NEW MUSE performs this Friday at MMOCA, aims to reinvent classical music for today

By Jacob Stockinger

These days, whenever the tenuous future of classical music is discussed, inevitably you hear a discussion of the importance of performing in unusual or less traditional venues; of performing contemporary classical music and new works; of fusing classical music with other music and forms of art; and of reaching new audiences.

In Madison, the group NEW MUSE aims to do all of that and more.

This Friday night the group will perform at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMOCA) in the Overture Center.

One of the members, pianist Jonathan Kuuskoski, recently spoke to The Ear about the group and its upcoming concerts:

What are the specifics about the “concert” this Friday night?

This event will take place on Friday, Feb 11, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, as part of their February MMoCA Night.

The music and reception will begin in the beautiful glass foyer known as the “Icon” (below), and proceed up to the 2/F main gallery at 7 p.m., when members of the UW First Wave Spoken Word and Hip Hop Arts Learning Community will perform among the installation art of artist Shinique Smith.

Music will continue afterwards in the gallery until just after 8 p.m. — performers will be “installed” among Smith’s visual art pieces — and then in lobby until 9 p.m.

This event is free for MMoCA members, $5 (at the door) for the general public.

What is NEW MUSE?

NEW MUSE is an ensemble of Madison-area musicians composed of top University of Wisconsin School of Music students and area professionals who are dedicated to performing contemporary music.

Our program for Feb. 11 will complement the art of Shinique Smith (below), whose work freely combines influences from Western academics, Eastern calligraphy, pop-art and the street. Likewise, NEW MUSE’s selection includes works whose style defies boundaries.

Our ensemble includes: Jerry Hui, conductor/baritone; Jonathan Kuuskoski and Paola Savvidou, pianists; soprano Jennifer Lien; Dawn Lawler, flute; Rosemary Brumbelow, clarinet; Clayton Tillotson, violin; Andrea Kleesattel, cello; and Tim Patterson, percussion. This Friday our special guests include: Jennifer Sams, mezzo-soprano; Beth Larson, violin; Chia-Chien Goh, violin; Kerry Smith, viola; Ben Willis, string bass; Theresa Koenig, bassoon; Brian Ellingboe, bassoon; and Sean Kleve, percussion.

What is the program for Friday’s performance?

Some of the highlights include Nicholas Roussakis’ “Night Speech”, where a speaking chorus utters sounds over sparse percussion, evoking a Zen-like picture of the night hours.

Gabriel Prokofiev’s String Quartet, No. 1 (Gabriel, below, is a London-based composer, DJ, and the grandson of famed composer Sergei Prokofiev) takes the sound of a familiar classical ensemble and mixes it with the rhythm and energy of pop and hip-hop music.

Madison-based composer Jerry Hui’s “White Tiger: Evil Star” draws on the mystery and menace behind the Cantonese tradition of “Banishing the Little People,” a folk witchcraft performed at the beginning of spring to curse away one’s enemies.

The selected “Tone Clock Pieces” for solo piano, by New Zealand composer Jenny McLeod (below), are a post-Messiaen mosaic of colors and unpredictably driving rhythms. This will be the work’s Wisconsin premiere.

The rest of our program includes an eclectic mix of styles and instrumentation, from Yiannis Constantinides elegantly forlorn “Five Songs of Love” (for mezzo-soprano and piano), to Tom Johnson’s humorous yet virtuosic “Failing: A Very Difficult Piece for String Bass,” featuring special guest Ben Willis (of The Weather Duo). Lutoslawski’s “Subito” (for violin and piano) and Freddy Mercury’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” (arranged for bassoon quartet) will cap the evening.

Why was NEW MUSE founded?

Contemporary music has largely become disconnected and irrelevant to the public. As Madison’s first professional contemporary music ensemble, we seek to rebuild this connection, to change the generally held assumption that classical music of the 20th and 21st centuries is unapproachable.

To do so, we organize events in creative collaboration with other arts organizations; combining visual art, dance, storytelling and all other forms to bring vibrant, engaging, and fun musical experiences to new audiences.

What do you plan to do at upcoming events?

“The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant” will take place on Tuesday, March 29, at 2 p.m., at the Madison Children’s Museum. We’ll be performing “The Story of Babar” for piano by Francois Poulenc, who composed it for his daughter when she asked him to play something from Jean de Brunhoff’s cartoon storybook “Histoire de Babar” (below).

In this event, we are adding another layer of interaction by collaborating directly with the audience, who will be invited to act out the “story” of the music during the performance, or to write down a story, picture, or use the space to move as the music compels them. In other words, we will offer a chance to re-connect music with the other creative processes that give wonder to the experiences of childhood.

We are also planning a one-of-a-kind cabaret night at Plan B, a local night club, where we will bring together cabaret, contemporary chamber music, DJ, dance and live poetry to create an entertaining and unforgettable musical evening. That date will be announced in late April or early May.

Future plans include a street music festival and a concert series highlighting little-known Madison landmarks.

If we can keep things local, connecting our various arts communities towards a common goal, we believe our programs will continue to grow and diversify.

How did NEW MUSE get started?

New Music Everywhere (abbreviated as NEW MUSE) began as a dream among four graduate students in music at the UW-Madison: Paola Savvidou and Jonathan Kuuskoski (both pianists), Ching-Chun Lai (conductor) and Jerry Hui (composer/conductor/performer).

We are all advocates of new music, and though our individual career paths have been diverse, we converge on the idea that artists can and should do something for society through their art-making.

As socially driven entrepreneurs, we all realized that the Madison music scene could benefit from a professional ensemble focused on contemporary music. And while there are many opportunities to hear music in traditional venues here, we don’t always recognize the power of music to enrich our lives when it occurs in everyday places.

In August, Ching had to leave Madison for a job opportunity on the East Coast, but Jerry, Paola and I (below, Jerry on right)) decided to plow ahead. After much brainstorming, we settled on the concept of prioritizing music-making in non-conventional venues, and to construct each program for the specific location, time and space of the venue.

Around the same time, were very fortunate to be selected as one of five projects to receive the nationally competitive Yamaha In-Service Fellowship from College Music Society, a starter grant for socially conscious arts ventures.

Have you done other projects or performances?

We launched with a surprise flash-mob on 9/11/2010 to commemorate the victims of the 9/11 attacks at the Dane County Farmers Market. A 60-singer chorus, string orchestra, and dance trio performed Samuel Barber‘s “Adagio for Strings” spontaneously among the crowd at exactly 8:45 a.m. when the Twin Towers were first struck.

It was a success, reaching hundreds of community members and garnering local media coverage with WKOW-ABC 27 and Madison.com. Long story short, we were off and running!

In December 2010 we were awarded another project grant from the Dane County Cultural Arts Commission to fund our inaugural season.

Why are projects like this important in reaching new audiences?

These events are exciting opportunities to directly engage a diverse community in spaces that don’t normally see contemporary music combined with visual art, dance, and the spoken word.

For us, the audience should always be considered part of a community of participants; our events will combine dancing, musical installations, and storytelling in such a way that these participants can move, react, and respond within each musical experience. This idea has the potential for changing the way people view classical music, making it refreshing and fun for all ages.

NEW MUSE is but one example of a larger movement sweeping across the nation, where aspiring artists are tapping into the entrepreneurial spirit to find innovative means towards enriching their communities. These sorts of ventures often start small, and must be unique to each locale, but we firmly believe that our adventures are planting the seeds for the future of our field.

The precarious situation that all the arts face today can and must be addressed by those who practice that art; in other words, we are challenged with the task of renegotiating the contract with our audiences (to borrow from Andrew Taylor’s wise words).

Live art comes at a premium, and artists are now more than ever considering what they have to offer. Is it good enough? Do people want art in their lives, and in what form? How could it be better? By creating fresh perspectives on what a live musical experience can be, and by building connections with other local arts organizations, we intend to reinvigorate the experience of live music performances (even the contemporary classical variety) and to broaden the circle of participation – ultimately to evidence the special power of art, and its potential to add value to the lives of people everywhere.

For more information about our group, mission, and upcoming concerts, you can visit: www.newmusiceverywhere.com

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