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Concerts
Stephen Hough |
Concerts Honor Yaddo Composers On Centenary Of Artists' CommunityNew York (April 14, 2000) — World premieres of new compositions by distinguished former residents of Yaddo highlight the first programs of The Yaddo Centennial Arts Festival, a four-month series of concerts and other events commemorating the centenary of the renowned artists' community in Saratoga Springs, New York. The concerts, featuring pianist Stephen Hough, performing at Alice Tully Hall, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, performing at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, are scheduled for the first and second weeks of May, 2000.Incorporated in 1900 by Spencer and Katrina Trask, Yaddo provides professional creative artists the opportunity to work without interruption in a supportive community. The Yaddo Centennial Arts Festival celebrates the inspired philanthropy of the Trasks, the accomplishments of the artists who have been their guests during the past century, and the creative vitality of the arts in America today. In an evening featuring works by Yaddo composers on May 4 at Lincoln Center, pianist Hough presents "Celebrating Yaddo," including world premieres of works by David Del Tredici and Lowell Liebermann, and the New York premiere of George Tsontakis' Ghost Variations, composed at Yaddo in 1991 in honor of Hough. At the Society for Ethical Culture, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra presents "Orpheus Celebrates Yaddo," a series of concerts with world premieres on each of three nights, with new works by Daron Hagen, Angels, on May 7, Dan Coleman's Music for a Cold Night and George Tsontakis' Fanfare on May 11, and Steven Burke's Shakedown on May 13. These premiering works by Yaddo composers were written especially for the occasion of The Yaddo Centennial Arts Festival. Such concerts are emblematic of Yaddo's rich tradition of commitment to the arts, and its distinguished history of music festivals. Stephen Hough has performed Aaron Copland's Piano Variations on the Steinway grand on which Copland had played the work, two years earlier at Yaddo, in 1932, where much of the Variations had been composed. In 1932, Copland designed the first of his festivals of new music at Yaddo, in the manner of the Copland-Sessions Concerts that were presented in New York City from 1928 to 1931. According to Yaddo's President Michael Sundell, the concerts were planned in the spirit of Copland's festivals of new music. "Like Copland's concerts," he said, "they have been designed to demonstrate the quality of American music‹and especially of American music being created today." Sundell added that Hough's commitment to new music and the daring communal spirit of Orpheus made them the obvious artists to invite to perform. "They were the first choice of all the composers we asked," he said. Hough begins the May 4 evening with Aaron Copland's first major composition for piano, Piano Variations, composed largely at Yaddo in 1930, and concludes with Franz Liszt's Sonata in B Minor. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra also includes works by Copland and Del Tridici, as well as others by David Diamond, Daniel Brewbaker, Chen Yi, Chou Wen-chung, Aaron Jay Kernis, George Perle, Wallingford Riegger, Virgil Thomson, Leonard Bernstein, Sebastian Currier, Barbara Kolb, Ned Rorem, and Michael Torke, without exception, Yaddo former Yaddo guests. The program for the series was determined collaboratively by a committee of Yaddo composers and Orpheus performers. Stephen Hough is an acclaimed presence on the international concert scene, and frequently performs as guest at such festivals as Aspen, Tanglewood, Edinburgh, and Salzburg. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, and Toronto Symphony. His 1998 recording New York Variations, chosen Best Classical CD of the Year by Time magazine, includes Tsontakis' Ghosts Variations and the Copland Piano Variations. The 27-member Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has performed in more than 400 cities in 40 countries around the world, including an annual subscription series at Carnegie Hall. The Orchestra performs without a conductor, rotating leadership roles as members determine the concertmaster for each piece and principal players for each section. The Orchestra was voted 1998 Ensemble of the Year by Musical America, the international directory of the performing arts. With its focus on the work of Yaddo composers, the Centennial program pays special attention to the work of young composers. Yaddo composers have one thing in common with approximately 5,500 other creative artists. They have all been guests, some of them frequently, at the international artists' community located on a 400-acre estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Their colleagues in the arts from past years have included Milton Avery, James Baldwin, Elizabeth Bishop, Paul Bowles, Truman Capote, John Cheever, Philip Guston, Patricia Highsmith, Langston Hughes, Ted Hughes, Ulysses Kay, Carson McCullers, Sylvia Plath, Katherine Anne Porter, Mario Puzo, Clyfford Still, and William Carlos Williams. An institution that provides professional artists with a supportive environment and uninterrupted time to think, experiment and create, Yaddo offers residencies of from two weeks to two months in choreography, film, literature, musical composition, painting, performance art, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video. Residents are chosen by panels of their peers without regard to fashion, commerce, or personal means. While the work made at Yaddo reflects contemporary sensibilities, styles, and forms, the fundamental mission that sustains this achievement remains constant. Yaddo celebrates its history of fostering the work of creative artists with a variety of artistic presentations scheduled throughout much of this centennial year, including performances, lectures, readings, screenings, open studios, roundtable discussions, and exhibitions, including ongoing installations of art in public places. For a complete listing of Festival events, please visit the Yaddo web site at http://yaddo.org. The direct link to the full festival schedule is here: Festival Schedule. You can find additional information at the Art And Culture web site at http://www.artandculture.com. ###
Contact: Lesley Leduc Public Affairs Coordinator Telephone: (518) 584-0746 Fax: (518) 584-1312 E-mail: lleduc@yaddo.org
LISTING FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Section: Classical Music
The Yaddo Centennial Arts Festival celebrates 100 years of creativity in America. Incorporated in 1900 by Spencer and Katrina Trask, Yaddo provides professional creative artists the opportunity to work without interruption in a supportive community. The Yaddo Centennial Arts Festival celebrates the inspired philanthropy of the Trasks, the accomplishments of the artists who have been their guests during the past century, and the creative vitality of the arts in America today.
Celebrating Yaddo
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
May 4, 2000 The performance will begin at 8:00 p.m. Admission: $15-35, discounts for senior citizens and students. To purchase tickets by telephone call (212) 721-6500 or to purchase tickets via the Internet visit http://www.lincolncenter.org. ###
Orpheus Celebrates Yaddo
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
The New York Society for Ethical Culture
Two West 64th Street at Central Park West
New York, NY 10023
May 7, 11 & 13, 2000
This three-concert series by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra will feature
works by Yaddo composers, with an emphasis on young composers and world
premieres of four pieces written especially for the occasion. These events
are part of the Yaddo Centennial Arts Festival.
The performances will begin at 8:00 p.m. Admission: $15 per concert, with
$10 discounted tickets for students and senior citizens, or $37.50 and
$22.50 respectively for a series of three tickets for all programs. Please
call (212) 592-4156 to purchase tickets.
Sunday, May 7, 2000
Works by Aaron Copland, David Del Tredici and David Diamond
World premiere of Angels by Daron Hagen
Thursday, May 11, 2000
Works by Daniel Brewbaker, Chen Yi, Chou Wen-chung, Aaron Jay Kernis, George
Perle, Wallingford Riegger and Virgil Thomson
World premieres of new works Music for a Cold Night by Dan Coleman and
Fanfare by George Tsontakis
Saturday, May 13, 2000
Works by Leonard Bernstein, Sebastian Currier, Barbara Kolb, Ned Rorem and
Michael Torke
World premiere of Shakedown by Steven Burke
Stephen Hough Program
Aaron Copland Piano Variations (1930)
David Del Tredici Wedding Song (2000) First Performance
George Tsontakis Ghost Variations (1991) New York Premiere
Ad libitum-Strictly-Languid-Tempo Primo-
Mozart Variations
Scherzo I
Scherzo II
Intermission
Lowell Liebermann Three Impromptus, op. 68 (2000) First Performance
Franz Liszt Sonata in B Minor, S. 178 (1852-1853)
Lento assai-
Allegro energico-
Grandioso-
Andante sostenuo quasi adagio-
Allegro energico
Mr. Hough appears by arrangement with IMG Artists, New York.
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Series Programs
Concert 1 - Sunday, May 7, 2000
David Diamond Rounds for string orchestra (12 minutes)
David Del Tredici Haddock's Eyes for solo soprano, flute, clarinet, trumpet,
horn, piano and strings (20 minutes)
Daron Hagen New Work (10 minutes)
Aaron Copland Short Symphony (15 minutes)
Concert 2 - Thursday, May 11, 2000
George Tsontakis New Work (fanfare) (3 minutes)
Dan Coleman New Work (7 minutes)
Chen Yi Sparkle for flute, clarinet, 2 percussion, piano, violin, cello,
bass (10 minutes)
Chou Wen-Chung Clouds (Movements 2&3) (9 minutes)
Aaron Jay Kernis 100 Greatest Hits for guitar and string quartet (15
minutes)
Daniel Brewbaker La Serenissima (one movement) for flute, oboe, piano, cello
(7 minutes)
Virgil Thomson Serenade for flute and violin
George Perle Critical Moments for flute, violin, cello, clarinet, piano, 1
percussion (8 minutes)
Wallingford Riegger Romanza for string quartet (5 minutes)
Concert 3 - Saturday, May 13, 2000
Steven Burke New Work (7-10 minutes)
Sebastian Currier Whispers for flute, cello, piano, 1 percussion (14
minutes)
Michael Torke Yellow Pages for clarinet, flute, violin, cello, piano (7
minutes)
Leonard Bernstein Sonata for clarinet and piano (10 minutes)
Barbara Kolb Turnabout for flute and piano (7 minutes)
Ned Rorem Bright Music for flute, 2 violins, cello, piano (22 minutes)
###
Contact: Lesley Leduc Public Affairs Coordinator Telephone: (518) 584-0746 Fax: (518) 584-1312 E-mail: lleduc@yaddo.org |
