Concert on the Farm This Weekend (Updated)

Seats are still available this Friday, Saturday, or Sunday at the Gastler Farm (on the Durham/Middlefield borderline) for the Kalmia Garden Farmhouse Concert. 

The series is in its fourth season and features young musicians, all of whom recently graduated from prestigious music programs at schools such as Yale, Rice, and Juilliard.  They have been in residency on the farm for the past few months and finish their stay with two weekends of concerts, two different programs. This weekend, various combinations of the resident ensemble will perform music composed by Schubert, Schumann, Shostakovich, and Xenakis.  These musicians include Tim Krippner (piano), Max Geissler (cello), Will Overcash (violin), Dian Zhanf (violin), and Kalmia Foundation originator and artistic director Leah Gastler (viola, pictured below).

Concerts are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. as well as Sunday at 3 p.m.  If you arrive at least an hour before the concert, you will get a guided tour of the delightful gardens. To purchase tickets, you can call 860-349-8415 or email farmhouseconcerts@gmail.com. To find out more about the farm, the concert series, and the Kalmia Foundation, go to www.farmhouseconcerts.com.  

(UPDATE Friday):

We just arrived home from the concert. The music was delightful, the musicians engaging, and the surroundings comfortable and quite impressive.  Due to the absence of violinist Dian Zhanf, the program for the weekend ha been altered.  The three string players opened the concert with "Serenade (Trio) in C major, Opus 10" by Ernst von Dohnanyi (1877-1960), the Hungarian-born composer who spent the last 11 years of life living and teaching in the United States.  Next up was "Trio No. 1 in C minor, Opus 8" for violin, cello, and piano composed by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) when he was 17 years old.  After a short break, all four musicians returned to perform the "Piano Quartet in E-flat major, K.493" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).  A joyous piece of music, the musicians had a delightful time negotiating the occasional flurry of notes, especially the knuckle-busting phrases pianist Krippner had to play - he did so with aplomb!

Tickets are still available for Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.  Classical music comes alive in this lovely setting and the musicians not only love to perform, they also love to inform so that the music is not as mysterious.

New Haven New Music at The Buttonwood Tree tonight, Bach on Saturday

Guitarist Bob Gorry, founder of the New Haven Improvisers Collective, returns to The Buttonwood Tree tonight (May 6) with the Erasmus Quintet.  Composed of guitarists Gorry and Jeff Cedrone, Adam Matlock (clarinet, accordion), Paul McGuire (alto and soprano saxophones) and Steve Zieminski (percussion), EQ creates music that is funky, free, occasionally noisy, and does not take itself too seriously (although these musicians can really play, they do not create music that is concerned with technical prowess.)

Erasmus Quintet is in town celebrating the release of its new CD, "Serious Folly" - you can find out more by going to the show or checking the group out online at www.nhic-records.com.  

Opening the show at 8 p.m. will be the Zero Dollar Trio, an improvisational ensemble featuring Nick Di Maria (flugelhorn, cornet, melodica), Jaime Paul Lamb (acoustic bass) and Mike Rasimas (percussion).

Tomorrow night, the focus shifts from "new" music to baroque when pianist Ronald Hawkins sits down at the new piano in The Buttonwood Tree to perform Johann Sebastian Bach's "The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1."

Hailing from North Carolina but now a resident of Connecticut, Hawkins has performed in concert halls and spaces around the world, with a concentration on Bach, Chopin, Cesar Franck and many others. 

Ronald Hawkins begins at 8 p.m.  For more information, call 860-347-4957 or go to www.buttonwood.org. 

Jazz, John & Charles: A Reminder

It's shaping up to be a busy Arts week here in town. Tonight (January 27), Tuesday Jazz at Public, 337 Main Street, wraps up a month focussed on vocalists with Raphaelle Brochet fronting an ensemble featuring Kris Jensen (saxophone), Doug Schlink (piano), Ben Belillo (drums) and Brian Jenkins (bass.) Ms. Brochet has studied and performed music in Paris, India, Iran and Montreal with interests that range from South Indian Carnatic music to Iranian traditional music to classic jazz. Her website, www.raphaellebrochet.com, has several examples of her ability to sing in different styles. The music starts at 5 p.m. Fort more information, call 343-8850.

Composer John Luther Adams comes to Wesleyan this week for a lecture, panel discussion, demonstrations and sound installation. The last item takes place first; "Veils" is a series of electronic "soundscapes" installed in the World Music Hall, Wyllys Avenue, that takes 6 hours to unfold. One can "walk into the piece" at any time and experience its many different sonic "colors." The event begins at 5 p.m.

Tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. in the CFA Cinema, Adams delivers a lecture titled "A Personal Journey into the Music of the Arctic." The Alaskan citizen has become well-known for his music built on the solitude of his adopted landscape. Both events are free and open to the public.

Adams will take part in one of the panel discussions surrounding the "Ives Vocal Marathon" that runs from Thursday through Sunday. Professor/composer/pianist Neely Bruce has done a tremendous amount of work on this project, bringing teachers, researchers and performers from throughout the country (and beyond) to Middletown. Composer Kyle Gann gets the ball rolling Thursday evening at 8 p.m. in Fayerweather Beckham Hall, Wyllys Avenue, with his keynote address "Must a Songs Always be a Song." For all the pertinent information, go to www.ivesvocalmarathon.com. For tickets to the concerts, call the Box Office at 685-3355.

Arts on Campus Spring 09 (Part 2)

Originally, playwright Tony Kushner ("Angels in America", "Caroline, Or Change" "Brundibar", co-author of the screenplay for "Munich") was scheduled to come to Wesleyan right before the Presidential election. That event was postponed and he's going to be in town on Friday January 23 at 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel (campus front, High Street.)

Billed as "A Conversation with Tony Kushner", the playwright will talk with his long-time friend and collaborator Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater in New York City. In the wake of the Inauguration and the possibility that the country will begin to move in new directions, Kushner's views on the role of theater in social movements and what we might expect in the coming years should be fascinating. The event is free and open to the public.

Composer John Luther Adams creates music that is very much his own. It's spacious, warm, ethereal, at times electronic, other times acoustic, and often inspired by the environment. Writers believe it's because he lives in Alaska and spends much of his time alone, separated from the hustle-and-bustle of city life. Yet, Adams says that he "...loves the energy of New York, Amsterdam and other great cities.." (read the entire interview here) but can only compose at home.

He's coming to Wesleyan on Wednesday January 28 to give a lecture/demonstration in the CFA Cinema titled "A Personal Journey into the Music of the Arctic." He'll be reading from his upcoming book "The Place Where You Go To Listen" (Wesleyan University Press) much of which is concerned with what Adams call the "ideal of musical ecology." The evening prior to his talk, you should go to the World Music Hall on Wyllys Avenue where, from 5 - 11 p.m., you can experience "Veils", an electronic soundscape installation that is haunting and beautiful, rising and falling at very slow pace. Admission to both events is free.

Wesleyan Professor of Music Neely Bruce (also a fine composer) created a project several years ago in whuch he and an ensemble of singers would perform the 185 songs of Charles Ives. Most Connecticut residents know of Ives, know of his symphonies that quote 19th Century American songs, often 2 or 3 at a time. He also was a prolific creator of short songs, sung by one or 2 people. His pieces ranged from comic to tragic, quite melodic to experimental. Over the past 4 years, Bruce and company have performed these songs in concerts but never all of them in one weekend.

That's about to change. Starting at 3 p.m. Friday January 30 and culminating at 7 p.m. on Sunday February 1, there will be 6 concerts (2 each day) and all 185 songs will be heard. The vocal ensemble, pictured above, features Johana Arnold (soprano), Elizabeth Saunders (mezzo-soprano), Gary Harger (tenor) and David Barron (baritone.) Professor Bruce will accompany the vocalists on piano and other instrumentalists will be involved. Besides music, there will be a keynote address on Thursday at 8 p.m. in Fayerweather Beckham Hall (next to the Usdan Center on Wyllys Avenue) delivered by composer and music scholar Kyle Gann. Prior to the evening concert on Saturday (6:15 p.m.. in Crowell Concert Hall), legendary soprano and vocal teacher Helen Boatwright will talk about her experiences performing and recording the songs of Ives. For a listing of all the events and the history of the project, go to www.ivesvocalmarathon.com. For ticket information, call the University Box Office at 685-3355.

Arts on Campus Spring 09 - The Crowell Concert Series

One of the bright spots of every January is the arrival of the Wesleyan Center for the Arts Spring offerings. This semester's catalogue does not disappoint.

The Crowell Concert Series, in its 34th season, presents 3 shows this season. Saxophonist-flautist-composer Henry Threadgill (pictured) makes a rare Connecticut appearance on Friday February 6 with Ensemble Zooid. Threadgill, a contemporary of and sometime collaborator with Wesleyan Professor Anthony Braxton (when both resided in Chicago and were members of the AACM - Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians),, creates music that comes from many traditions. It's truly an amalgam of all he has heard, from gospel to marching band to blues to avant-garde jazz. He first came to critical notice in the mid-1970s with Air, a trio that also included the great percussionist Steve McCall and bassist Fred Hopkins. In the 1980s, he formed the Threadgill Sextett, a 7-member band that, at different times, featured former Wesleyan music Professor Bill Lowe and current Private Lessons Instructor in drums Pheroan ak Laff. Next came the Very Very Circus, Make a Move, Flute Force Four and Zooid. The 8 p.m. concert will be preceded at 7:15 by a Pre-concert talk featuring Professor Braxton.

The series continues on Saturday February 28 with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The ensemble, in existence since 1969, will perform music by Dvorak and Bartok. Assistant Professor of Music Yonatan Malin will present the Pre-concert Talk at 7:15 p.m. followed by the 8 p.m. performance.

The series concludes at 8 p.m. on Saturday May 2 with internationally-acclaimed kora master Toumani Diabate and his Symmetric Orchestra. The kora is a 21-string harp with its origins in West Africa. For this project, Diabete blends voices, traditional dress, percussion, guitars and more into a world music stew that is hypnotic and irresistible. The music of Mali comes alive when this ensemble hits the stage. Associate Professor of Music Eric Charry will give an overview of the music and artists at 7:15 p.m. For more information about the Crowell Concert Series, go to www.wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Crowell will also be the home to the Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra Weekend Friday and Saturday April 24-25. The first night, a free performance at 8 p.m., features the WJO, conducted by Adjunct Professor of Music Jay Hoggard, and the Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble, directed by Noah Baerman. On Saturday, Dr.Lonnie Smith, an organist who has been on the scene since 1969, performs his fusion of jazz and groove-based music at 8 p.m. Call the number above for more information.

In subsequent postings, I'll write about Ives Vocal Marathon taking place Thursday January 29 - Sunday February 1, the Breaking Ground Dance Series, and other fascinating arts events on campus.

Great Music at Crowell November 13 & 15

One of the nicest ways to help a graduate student composer gets his or her work heard is to have a major string quartet come and play that work. That's just what FLUX Quartet has done for the past 5 or 6 years. Each autumn, they return to Wesleyan and perform a concert of new works by the young composers. It was professor-composer Alvin Lucier who helped bring the Quartet to campus and it's the quality of the music that brings them back each year.

FLUX members include founder Tom Chiu (violin), Conrad Harris (violin), Max Mandel (viola) and Ha Yang-Kim (cello.) Since its inception in the early '90s, the quartet has championed new music, recording and performing major works by Morton Feldman, Annie Gosfield and Matthew Welch.

At Wesleyan this Thursday, they'll be performing pieces by Sally Norris, Max Heath, Ivan Naranjo and Brian Parks. The concert takes place at 8 p.m. in Crowell Concert Hall. It's free and well worth your time.

3 masters of their respective instruments are coming to the Crowell Concert Series on Saturday at 8 p.m. Eugene Friesen (cello), Howard Levy (harmonica, piano) and Glen Velez (percussion) have performed in ensembles ranging from the Paul Winter Consort to Bela Fleck & The Flecktones to Dolly Parton to the Steve Reich Ensemble. When they get together to play their own music, they become Trio Globo.

How best to describe the experience? One will hear fiery rhythms, soft ballads, songs that blend elements of classical music with jazz as well as works that mix Asian-Indian melodies and percussion with the lilt of Brazilian music. In other words, go with an open mind and enjoy. Levy, well-known for his impressive harmonica playing, is a fine pianist and Friesen's cello work, both bowed and plucked, gives the music great depth. Velez's percussion is subtle and graceful but can also bring one right out of their seat with its power.

For ticket information, call 860-685-3355 or go to www.wesleyan.edu/cfa.

G.I Joes, "Jazzy" Joe, and Classy Bluegrass

The Veterans Memorial Theater Company, based in South Windsor, comes to Middletown for its inaugural production. "Pvt. Wars", a 1979 play written by James McLure, tells the story of 3 soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders. They are in the recreation room of a V.A.Hospital and, through a series of short scenes, come to know each other and begin to trust themselves.

Despite the "heaviness" of the topic, the play actually has many lighter moments. Starring Dana O'Neal, Foster Reese, and Phil Godeck, performances take place at 8 p.m. the next 2 Fridays and Saturdays (11/7, 8, 14, and 15) in the Green Street Arts Center. There is also a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday November 16. Directing the show is Kathy Keena with the Middletown-based Connecticut Heritage Productions serving as co-producers. For ticket information, call 347-7771.

Bassist, composer, former Middletown resident, and world traveler Joe Fonda returns to The Buttonwood Tree this Friday night with a new ensemble. He's heading a trio featuring saxophonist Cliff White and special guest Jacek Kochan on drums. The Polish-born Kochan spent 15 years in the United States and Canada before returning to Warsaw. He's a skillful player who really likes to push the music so he should be an excellent companion for the rhythmical style of Fonda. The music begins at 8 p.m.

On Saturday, the Buttonwood presents the Grass Routes Bluegrass quintet at 7 p.m. Led by Bill Reverley (mandolin, fiddle, vocals) and his wife Marilyn Toback-Reverley (guitar,vocals), the ensemble blends traditional material with modern folk and country tunes. All the members sings and their harmonies can be quite nice. They've been performing in the area since the early 1980s and have a loyal following. For more information about The Buttonwood's offerings, call 347-4957 or go to www.buttonwood.org.

Also, don't forget that violinist/violist Anthea Kreston plays a free concert this Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Hubbard Room of The Russell Library. An afternoon of French Sonatas should be just the cure for the November doldrums.

Young, Gifted and Free

Sorry for the late notice but here's a free concert one should really try and get to. Saturday November 2, the Russell Library presents the Carducci Quartet at 2 p.m. in the Hubbard Room.

Based in Great Britain, the group has been playing together since the turn of the 21st Century and have built a repertoire from likely sources as Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich and Ravel. In recent years, they have become champions of "newer" composers such as Joseph Horowitz, Graham Whettam, Joby Talbot and Michael Zev Gordon. They are also involved in education of young students in Ireland and France.

Composed of violinists Matthew Denton and Michelle Fleming, violist Eoin Schmidt-Martin and cellist Emma Denton, the Carduccis are in the midst of a US tour that began in California and ends up here in the Northeast.

Take a break from raking leaves or tossing out political flyers and spend 75 minutes with this fine up-and-coming ensemble - you won't regret it. Seating is limited so be there a bit early (20-30 minutes.)

For a generous sample of the Carducci String Quartet's varied repertoire, go to www.myspace.com/carducciquartet.