Weekly Concert Round-up: September 16 – 22

Posted on by September 19, 2013
Vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth (Photo: Stephen Spinelli)

Vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth (Photo: Stephen Spinelli)

This week’s featured concerts:

Sep. 19 — The Town Music concert series kicks off the 2013-14 season with a performance by vocal octet Roomful of Teeth, a unique ensemble dedicated to 21st century repertoire. Come to Town Hall early for a happy hour and season preview with Town Music artistic director, cellist Joshua Roman.

Sep. 19 & 21 — Bask in the Impressionistic sounds of Ravel at the Seattle Symphony‘s tribute to this beloved French composer. The action-packed lineup includes Ravel’s two piano concertos (featuring pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet) and a performance of the infamous Bolero.

Sep. 20 – 22 — Contemporary choral ensemble The Esoterics perform a medley of new works for a cappella choir. The program features the three winners of the ensemble’s Polyphonos choral competition, which drew entries from across the country.

Sep. 21 & 26 — Seattle composer John Teske and the 26-member Broken Bow Ensemble premiere a new work inspired by the ocean. Teske’s mer incorporates local tide measurements into the score, using the data to guide performers through the piece.

Sep. 22 — Hear sounds from around the globe at the Seattle Symphony‘s Day of Music. This free celebration fills Benaroya Hall with performances to suit every taste, including appearances by the orchestra and music director Ludovic Morlot.

This Month in Seattle: Classical Music Picks for September

Posted on by January 15, 2014
The Byrd Ensemble (Photo: Charleen Cadelina)

The Byrd Ensemble (Photo: Charleen Cadelina)

As the summer sun sets and fall begins, Seattle’s musicians are returning to the city’s halls and auditoriums for the start of a new concert season. The Seattle Symphony is always one of the first to kick things off with their annual opening night concert and gala in mid-September. Several other early-bird ensembles will follow suit, though many local groups don’t begin their concert season until next month.

Still, September might be one of the best months to catch a concert in Seattle. Crowds are smaller, programming is adventurous, and there’s a palpable sense of excitement in the air about the season ahead.

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Weekly Concert Round-up: September 9 – 15

Posted on by September 9, 2013
Pianist Lang Lang brings his energetic style to Seattle on September 15

Pianist Lang Lang brings his energetic style to Seattle on September 15

This week’s featured concerts:

Sep. 11 — The Cornish Music Series begins its 2013-14 lineup with a masterclass featuring improvisational cellist Rushad Eggleston. Students from Cornish College of the Arts will collaborate with Eggleston at this session, which is free and open to the public.

Sep. 12 — Gamers, this one’s for you! Gather at Benaroya Hall for Seattle Symphony‘s tribute to The Legend of Zelda. The orchestra will play music from the popular video game series while scenes from the game are projected onto a giant screen overhead.

Sep. 13 — Hear music for violin and piano by no fewer than seven Russian composers. The Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle begins the concert season with this “Russian Kaleidoscope” program, featuring favorites by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, and others.

Sep. 15 — The Auburn Symphony Orchestra kicks off the 2013-14 concert season with a program of audience favorites, including Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, Handel’s Water Music, and selections from Bernstein’s West Side Story.

Sep. 15 — Pianist Lang Lang returns to Benaroya Hall for the Seattle Symphony‘s Opening Night Concert and Gala. The ebullient pianist will perform Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Also on the program is a medley of folk dances by Brahms, Dvořák, Bartók, and others.

Weekly Concert Round-up: August 19 – 25

Posted on by August 19, 2013
The Sammamish Symphony Orchestra performs at Pine Lake Park (Photo: The Issaquah Press)

The Sammamish Symphony Orchestra performs at Pine Lake Park (Photo: The Issaquah Press)

This week’s featured concerts:

Aug. 20 – 25 — This is your last chance to experience Wagner’s Ring cycle at Seattle Opera until 2017. Dubbed the “green” Ring because of its lush, forested sets, this particular production was conceived in 2001 and has been revived every four years since. This year marks the final run for the “green” Ring, so catch it while you can.

Aug. 20 – 21 — Escape the weekend crowds and head to the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival mid-week for a performance of Mendelssohn’s beloved Octet for Strings in E-flat Major. You’ll also hear a collection of favorite encore pieces by Paganini, Gershwin, Smetana, and others.

Aug. 22 — Summer’s not over yet! The Sammamish Symphony Orchestra performs a medley of pops at Pine Lake Park, just east of Lake Sammamish. Bring a picnic dinner and your lawn chairs for this free, kid-friendly concert.

Aug. 24 — Music Northwest kicks off their 2013-14 concert season with a program of vocal music from the British Isles. Enjoy songs by Purcell, Vaughan Williams, Britten, and others performed by soprano Jordan McClellan, tenor Matthew Richardson, and pianist Jane Harty.

Aug. 25 — Head to Mercer Island’s Luther Burbank Park for an outdoor concert presented by the Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle. The program features works by Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Borodin, and Glinka.

Weekly Concert Round-up: August 12 – 18

Posted on by August 12, 2013
Seattle Opera's 2009 production of Wagner's "Das Rheingold" (Photo: Rosarii Lynch)

Seattle Opera’s 2009 production of Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” (Photo: Rosarii Lynch)

This week’s featured concerts:

Aug. 12 – 17 — It’s not to late to jump on the Ring bandwagon. Tickets are still available for Seattle Opera‘s second cycle of Wagner’s beloved four-opera masterpiece. Can’t make it this week? All four operas will be performed again next week for Seattle Opera’s third (and final) cycle.

Aug. 15 — Pianist Hai-Kyung Suh performs a solo recital at Benaroya Hall hosted by the Korean Music Association. Known for her interpretations of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky, the former child prodigy has played with major orchestras around the world.

Aug. 15 — Head down to the farm for a whimsical evening of music about animals. Musicians of the Auburn Symphony perform Saint-Saëns’ beloved Carnival of the Animals at this family-friendly outdoor concert on the grounds of Auburn’s Mary Olson Farm.

Aug. 16 — Wallingford’s Wayward Music Series hosts Oakland-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Peck for an evening of improvisatory avant-garde music. He’ll be joined onstage by Derek M. Johnson, a musician and visual artist from Olympia.

Aug. 16 – 17 — This weekend’s offerings at the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival include a cheeky “César Salad” concert featuring works by Romantic Era composers César Franck and César Cui. The festival continues until August 24 with four more programs of exciting chamber music.

Weekly Concert Round-up: August 5 – 11

Posted on by August 6, 2013
Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival artistic director Aloysia Friedmann and artistic advisor Jon Kimura Parker (Photo: OICMF)

Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival artistic director Aloysia Friedmann and artistic advisor Jon Kimura Parker (Photo: OICMF)

This week’s featured concerts:

Aug. 9 — Bask in all things clarinet at this Friday’s Wayward Music Series concert. The musicians of the Amplified Clarinet Trio bring live improvisations for clarinet and electronics to Wallingford’s Chapel Performance Space. Also, hear improvisatory tunes by clarinetist Beth Fleenor and percussionist Ryan Oslance.

Aug. 9 – 11 — The Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival begins this weekend, bringing three weekends of performances to the picturesque San Juan Islands. Saturday and Sunday’s program features piano trios by Mozart and Ravel and a Brahms piano quartet. On Sunday, head to the idyllic Lopez Island for more music.

Aug. 10 – 11 — “Concerts in the barn” continue at the Olympic Music Festival. Explore the Olympic Peninsula with a trip to Quilcene for one of Washington State’s most beloved chamber music events, which hosts concerts throughout the summer. This weekend’s concert includes music by Beethoven, Dvořák, and others.

Spectacular Shostakovich Lights Up Summer Chamber Music Fest

Posted on by August 19, 2013
Violinists James Ehnes and Amy Schwartz Moretti, violist Richard O’Neill, and cellist Robert deMaine (Photo: SCMS)

Violinists James Ehnes and Amy Schwartz Moretti, violist Richard O’Neill, and cellist Robert deMaine (Photo: SCMS)

The temperature rose as a buzzing crowd filled Benaroya Hall’s Nordstrom Recital Hall on July 24. The muggy atmosphere in the typically-breezy auditorium was deliberate for the penultimate evening of the Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s Summer Festival. The whirring air conditioning system was shut off for part of the performance, which included a live recording session of two of Shostakovich’s most celebrated string quartets. The audience in the packed hall didn’t seem to mind the heat. Instead, a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation filled the room in the minutes before the start of the show.

Each SCMS concert is preceded by a 30-minute recital presented by artists on the evening’s main program. The recitals are always free and open to the public, making these pint-sized performances a fantastic deal. The July 24 pre-concert event featured the live recording of Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 — an especially sweet bargain that turned out to be the highlight of the entire evening.

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Weekly Concert Round-up: July 29 – August 4

Posted on by July 29, 2013
Greer Grimsley in Seattle Opera’s production of Wagner’s “Das Rheingold.” (Photo: Rozari Lynch)

Greer Grimsley in Seattle Opera’s production of Wagner’s “Das Rheingold.” (Photo: Rozari Lynch)

This week’s featured concerts:

Jul. 30 — Head to the grizzled Blue Moon Tavern to cheer on a new crop of divas as they audition to perform in this year’s Opera on Tap concerts. The group of professional singers is devoted to bringing opera to new and unusual venues around the city.

Aug. 2 – 4 — Whidbey Island Music Festival brings early music to the island’s idyllic forests and fields. Hear Handel arias and Bach cantatas during the three-day festival, which features performances on period instruments.

Aug. 3 — Join Seattle Opera for a free, family-oriented open house celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary. Happenings include tours of McCaw Hall, hands-on activities, art and music events, and a special performance of the Our Earth opera trilogy by the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Aug. 3 — Wayward Music Series brings cellists Gretchen Yanover and Paul Rucker to the Chapel Performance Space stage. The duo will perform an eclectic program of music ranging from tonal compositions to experimental improvisation.

Aug. 4 -25 — The valkyries are coming! Seattle Opera‘s legendary productions of Wagner’s Ring Cycle begin this weekend. Opera-goers from far and wide will flock to Seattle in August for the sixteen-hour, four opera saga, which will be performed three times throughout the month.

Weekly Concert Round-up: July 22 – 28

Posted on by July 22, 2013
Pianist Girma Yifrashewa

Pianist Girma Yifrashewa

This week’s featured concerts:

Jul. 22 — Seattle composers John Teske and Nat Evans debut new works at “New Music From the Deep North”, a concert hosted by Wayward Music Series. The event features performances by cellist Karl Knapp and percussionist Bonnie Whiting, both hailing from Alaska.

Jul. 24 — It’s the last week of Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s 2013 Summer Festival. The month-long event culminates with a live recording of Shostakovich’s String Quartets #7 and #8, two of the composer’s most celebrated works. SCMS Artistic Director James Ehnes and three other musical luminaries join forces for the session.

Jul. 25 — The Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival‘s opening night concert features a veritable potpourri of pieces that span from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. Hear music by Paul Hindemith, David Popper, Sergey Taneyev, and Fritz Kreisler alongside a beloved Mozart Piano Quartet.

Jul. 26 — Wayward Music Series presents a recital by Ethiopian pianist and composer Girma Yifrashewa, whose music blends African and European traditions. The concert opens with a performance by Seattle-based pianist and composer Amy Rubin.

Jul. 26 — Tucked away in the Magnolia neighborhood’s residential district, Our Lady of Fatima Church is becoming a new hub for early music in Seattle. The church’s summer Bach Festival concludes with a performance by Our Lady of Fatima Baroque Orchestra playing on period instruments.

Jul. 27 — Are you a fan of new, local music? Head up to Lynnwood for the Octava Chamber Orchestra Summer Chamber Music Extravaganza. The concert presents ten new works by living composers, many of whom reside in the Seattle area.

Classical Seattle’s Midsummer Chamber Music Guide

Posted on by July 19, 2013
The picturesque view from Canyon Wren Recital Hall, home of the Icicle Creek International Chamber Music Festival (Photo: Reed Carlson)

The picturesque view from Canyon Wren Recital Hall, home of the Icicle Creek International Chamber Music Festival (Photo: Reed Carlson)

When the sun comes out in Seattle, it’s time for chamber music! Washington State is blessed with a bounty of annual summer chamber music festivals and events, giving concertgoers plenty of options during the months of July and August. While several festivals are already underway, there are still many more performances on the calendar for next month. Here’s the lowdown on upcoming listening opportunities.

Jun. 29 – Jul. 26 — Now in its 32nd year, the Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival is the big game in town. Each year, SCMS gathers an impressive roster of performers from around the country for several weeks of concerts at Benaroya Hall’s Nordstrom Recital Hall.
Upcoming highlights: Next week’s offerings include a live recording of Shostakovich’s String Quartets No. 7 and 8 (July 24) and a performance of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring for piano four hands (July 26).

Jun. 29 – Sep. 1 — The OIympic Music Festival is the perfect destination for a weekend getaway. Concerts are held in a rustic barn in the farm community of Quilcene, which neighbors Olympic National Park. With performances every Saturday and Sunday through July and August, this is Washington State’s longest summer chamber music festival.
Upcoming highlights: The “Beethoven Festival” program (July 27 and 28) features some of the composer’s most beloved chamber works, including his “Ghost” Piano Trio.

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