The Well-Tempered Ear
Classical music: The Ancora String Quartet plays in Spring Green this Monday, then tours Germany during August. It will perform the same tour program in several Wisconsin cities, including Madison, in early September
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By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following announcement about another Madison group – in addition to the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra’s tour of Peru and the Scotland concerts by the Madison Youth Choirs – that is bringing its music to international audiences.
The group is the Ancora String Quartet (below, in a photo by Barry Lewis), which will leave for a tour of Germany next week. From left are: violinists Wes Luke and Robin Ryan; violist Marika Fischer Hoyt and cellist Benjamin Whitcomb.
A sort of send-off concert is this Monday night in Spring Green. Here are the details:
The concert is for the Rural Musicians Forum and will take place on this coming Monday night, Aug. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Unity Chapel, located at 6597 County Hwy T, in Spring Green.
The program features works by Joaquin Turina, Franz Joseph Haydn and Samuel Barber.
Admission is by free will offering, with a suggested donation of $15.
Soon to start its 18th season, the Ancora String Quartet has an impressive and extensive resume. The four players have well-established individual musical careers as soloists, chamber musicians and orchestral players. They perform regularly in Madison and beyond, appearing in such ensembles as the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Madison Bach Musicians, the Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble, and the Bach Collegium of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Here is what violist Marika Fischer Hoyt says about the upcoming tour to Germany:
“The Ancora String Quartet looks forward with eager anticipation to our first overseas tour.
“We are partnering with a fabulous mezzo-soprano, Melinda Paulsen (below), who serves on the voice faculty at the Musikhochschule in Frankfurt.
“Together, we have selected a program of works by German and American composers, for mezzo-soprano and quartet, and for string quartet alone.
“The program includes: the beautiful Wesendonck Lieder by Richard Wagner; Melancholie by Paul Hindemith, Drei Lieder (Three Songs) by Victor Ullmann; and Dover Beach by Samuel Barber, as well as the iconic Barber String Quartet with the slow movement that was re-orchestrated as the “Adagio for Strings.” (You can hear Samuel Barber’s “Dover Beach” with a mezzo-soprano in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
“The quartet will be in Germany (map is below) from August 17 to August 26, performing at the Rathaus in Nieder-Olm; the Musikschule Chroma in Vellmar (north of Kassel); the Lutheran Church in Schlitz (halfway between Frankfurt and Kassel); and at Phillipsburg in Braubach, as part of the festival in St. Goar. The concert at the music school in Vellmar will be a lecture-concert for students, so we’re brushing up on our German!
“Following our performances in Germany, we will all return to Wisconsin to perform this same program Sept. 4-9 in Germantown, Whitewater, Janesville, Beloit and Madison. That includes an interview with radio host Norman Gilliland on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “The Midday” at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 5.
“We have secured funding from several German organizations, and received a generous grant from the Kassel County-Dane County Sister County Taskforce.
“Melinda and the members of this quartet are thrilled beyond words that this project has taken shape. We look forward to sharing with our audiences a program exploring the intersections between two cultures that are quite distinct today, but which share deep, common roots.”
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Classical music: String quartets, African-American spirituals and a farewell faculty flute recital plus many graduate student recitals are FREE highlights this week at the UW-Madison
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By Jacob Stockinger
Only about a month of classes remains in the academic year, so concerts by faculty members, guest artists and students are backing up at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music.
But quantity does NOT preclude quality — or variety.
Just take a look at the highlights this week:
TUESDAY
At 8:30 p.m. in Morphy Recital Hall, the Hunt Quartet will perform its spring concert.
Members of the graduate student ensemble are (below, from left, in a photo by Katrin Talbot): Kyle Price, cello; Vinicius “Vinny” Sant’Ana, violin; Blakeley Menghini, viola; and Chang-En Lu, violin.
The program is: String Quartet in G Major, Op. 77, No. 1 by Franz Joseph Haydn; String Quartet in F minor “Serioso,” Op. 95, by Ludwig van Beethoven; and the String Quartet No. 2, Op. 90, by Sergei Prokofiev. (You can hear the riveting Prokofiev quartet in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The Hunt Quartet is sponsored by Dr. Kato Perlman and the Madison Symphony Orchestra.
For more information about the quartet and its individual members, as well as a SoundCloud audio sample of the Hunt Quartet playing a 1924 piece by Joaquin Turina, go to:
http://www.music.wisc.edu/event/the-hunt-quartet-spring-concert/
WEDNESDAY
At 7:30 p.m. in Morphy Recital Hall, guest artist Emery Stephens (below), faculty collaborative pianist Martha Fischer and UW students will perform African-American spirituals, songs and instrumental works.
For more about the visit by scholar-performer Stephens, see this blog posting done just before he cancelled the last date, which fell on a Tuesday rather than a Wednesday:
THURSDAY
At 7:30 p.m. in Mills Hall, retiring professor of flute Stephanie Jutt (below) will perform her farewell faculty recital.
Jutt will be joined by faculty colleagues violist Sally Chisholm, clarinetist Amy McCann and pianist Christopher Taylor.
Sorry, no word about the program.
Jutt (below), who has been teaching and performing at the UW-Madison for 28 years, is also the principal flutist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the co-founder and co-artistic director of the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society. Jutt says she will continue with MSO and BDDS after she retires.
This week also features a plethora of degree recitals by students, most held in Morphy Recital Hall (below). The Ear counts 11 in fields from voice to percussion. For more information, check out these links:
http://www.music.wisc.edu/events/
And for the full lineup for April, visit:
https://uwmadisonschoolofmusic.wordpress.com
Tags: academic, African American, Arts, Audio, Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, BDDS, Beethoven, Cello, Chamber music, Christopher Taylor, clarinet, Classical music, collaborative, collaborative piano, dancing, dynamite, Emery Stephens, faculty, guest artist, Haydn, Hunt Quartet, instrumental, Jacob Stockinger, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Opera, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Music, Orchestra, percussion, Piano, Prokofiev, retire, Retirement, Sally Chisholm, sample, Serioso, society, Sonata, song, SoundCloud, spirituals, Stephanie Jutt, String quartet, Student, Turina, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, variety, Viola, Violin, vocal music, voice, Wisconsin, YouTube
Classical music: Madison’s Ancora String Quartet will give FREE concerts at public libraries as part of the Green Lake Festival of Music.
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By Jacob Stockinger
The Green Lake Festival of Music sent the following news to The Ear:
ANCORA STRING QUARTET AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES THIS SUMMER
“Get Read, Set, Play!” is the theme of Green Lake Festival of Music’s 10th Thomas E. Caestecker Free Family Concert Series at the Ripon Public Library (Tuesday, June 14), Caestecker Public Library (Tuesday, June 21), and the Princeton Public Library (Tuesday, June 19).
These family-friendly concerts are appropriate for ages 5 to 95—virtually anyone who desires a lively introduction to fine music presented in an entertaining format by the Festival’s outstanding artists, the Ancora String Quartet (below top).
Members of the critically acclaimed string quartet are Robin Ryan and Leanne Kelso League, violins; Marika Fischer Hoyt, viola; and Benjamin Whitcomb, cello. Wes Luke (below bottom) is substituting for League, who is participating in an out-of-state festival. Some of the members teach at the UW-Whitewater and perform with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Willy Street Chamber Players and other ensembles.
For more information about the Ancora, visit: http://ancoraquartet.com/about-us/
A special feature of this series is the coordinated programs that the libraries of Green Lake, Princeton and Ripon are offering in conjunction with the concerts. These three free 45-minute concerts start at 2 p.m. All children must be accompanied by an adult. No tickets are required, and seating begins at 1:30 p.m.
The 45-minute program includes short works and excerpts by Franz Schubert (the Quartettsatz or Quartet Movement); Felix Mendelssohn; Peter Tchaikovsky (Andante Cantabile); Dmitri Shostakovich; Sir Arthur Sullivan (Romance); Joaquin Turina (“Bullfighter’s Prayer”); and Joachim Raff.
The Ancora String Quartet will perform on Ripon College’s quartet of stringed instruments built by Madison Luthier Lawrence LaMay in the 1960’s. The late Ripon College conductor Ray Stahura acquired these notable instruments in the late 1990’s.
Teaming up with the National Library theme, “Wholeness, fitness, sports,” the Ancora String Quartet will talk about the physicality, discipline, and sheer fun of playing a stringed instrument. And we will share stories about Lawrence LaMay from people who knew him and play his instruments. The audience is encouraged to bring their own stringed instruments to show the quartet.”
This series is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Tom Caestecker (below) as a free service to the community. The concerts and related library programs are designed to reach out to parents, kids and seniors. They offer a brief, lighthearted introduction to music with an up close and personal experience with the performers. Tom Caestecker said, “I can’t think of a better pairing than music and books.”
Other free sponsored community concerts include the Ancora String Quartet at the Berlin Public Library (Tuesday, June 28), Oshkosh Public Library (Tuesday, July 12), and the Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac (Tuesday, July 26).
The Green Lake Chamber Music Camp and concert series is funded in part by the Arts Midwest Touring Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional funding from the Wisconsin Arts Board, the Crane Group and General Mills Foundations. Other funding comes from the Horicon Bank, Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, and private/corporate donations. Wisconsin Public Radio provides promotional support.
Please visit www.greenlakefestival.org for the most current calendar of events or to purchase tickets. Tickets to other Festival concerts are also available by calling the office at 920-748-9398. You can also stop by one of the following ticket outlets: Green Lake Bank (Green Lake) and Ripon Drug (Ripon).
Discount packages and single tickets can also be purchased in person at the new Green Lake Festival of Music office in the Thrasher Opera House (below) at 506 Mill St. in Green Lake. The Festival entrance is the left door off the parking lot, and the reception area is down the hall. Tickets bought in advance will save the $5 surcharge added to a ticket bought at the concert.
Tags: Ancora String Quartet, Arthur Sullivan, Arts, Arts Midwest, bank, Berlin, bullfighter, Cello, Chamber music, children, Classical music, Family, festival, Fond du Lac, Franz Schubert, General Mills, Green Lake, Green Lake Festival of Music, Horicon, Jacob Stockinger, library, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn, Music, National Endowment for the Arts, NEA, Oshkosh, prayer, Princeton, public library, Raff, Ripon, Romance, Shostakovich, Sir Arthur Sullivan, Tchaikovsky, Turina, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, UW-Whitewater, Viola, Violin, Willy Street Chamber Players, Wisconsin Arts Board, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, wisconsin public radio
Classical music: The acclaimed Kronos Quartet performs an eclectic program of classical, rock, jazz and blues music on Saturday night at the Wisconsin Union Theater. Plus, a free art song recital takes place on Friday at noon. But pianist Marco Greco’s recital at Farley’s House of Pianos on Friday night has been CANCELLED due to visa problems.
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ALERTS:
This week’s FREE Friday Noon Musicale – which takes places from 12:15 to 1 p.m. in the Landmark Auditorium of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed First Unitarian Society of Madison at 900 University Bay Drive – features tenor J. Adam Shelton (below) and pianist Rayna Slavova in music by George Bizet, Benjamin Britten, Joaquin Turina and Richard Strauss.
Plus, the Friday night recital by pianist Marco Grieco at Farley’s House of Pianos has been CANCELLED due to visa problems.
By Jacob Stockinger
This is another “train wreck” weekend for classical music, as the Wise Critic likes to say.
Saturday night especially has a lot of competing events. They include:
At 7:30 p.m. in Old Music Hall, a performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” by University Opera.
And a FREE cello recital in Mills Hall at 8 p.m. by UW-Madison professor Parry Karp – with pianist mother Frances and pianist brother Christopher — that features music by Benjamin Britten, George Crumb and Ludwig van Beethoven (two violin sonatas as transcribed for cello by Parry Karp.)
But one non-local event stands out.
The San Francisco-based, Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet (below top) — which since 1973 has pioneered crossover genres and in so doing popularized chamber music — performs on Saturday night at 8 p.m. in Shannon Hall (below bottom) at the Wisconsin Union Theater.
The program features the typical eclectic mix of the Kronos Quartet, which plays string quartet versions of jazz, rock and blues music as well as contemporary classical music. (At bottom, in a historic YouTube video, is the classic Kronos performance of “Purple Haze” by rocker Jimi Hendrix.)
Included is music by Laurie Anderson, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonius Monk and Charles Mingus as well as works by Maru Kouyoumdjian, Vladimir Martynov, Komitas, Michael Daugherty and Dan Becker.
Here is a link with the program, ticket prices, biographies of the players, critical reviews and videos.
http://www.uniontheater.wisc.edu/season14-15/kronos-quartet.html
MASTER CLASS: Violist Hank Dutt of the Kronos Quartet will be giving a master class in Mills Hall, on Friday, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. It is open to the public. The menu includes J.S. Bach’s Suite No. 6 and Chaconne for four violas, Elliott Carter’s “Figment IV” and the String Quartet by Maurice Ravel.
Tags: art song, Arts, Bach, Beethoven, Benjamin Britten, Bizet, blues, Busoni, Cello, Chamber music, Charles Mingus, Chopin, Classical music, Elliott Carter, Frank Lloyd Wright, George Crumb, Grammy, J. Adam Shelton, Jacob Stockinger, Jazz, Jimi Hendrix, Johann Sebastian Bach, Kronos Quartet, Laurie Anderson, Liszt, Ludwig van Beethoven, Mozart, Music, opera, Piano, Purple Haze, Ravel, Richard Strauss, rock music, San Francisco, song, String quartet, tenor, Thelonious Monk, Turina, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Wisconsin Union Theater, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, YouTube
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