Chatham Baroque:

“Españoleta”

Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 PM

Prallsville Mills, Stockton

Returning by popular demand to open the 2005 festival, Chatham Baroque continues to excite audiences with their dazzling technique and artful interpretations.  Named Breakthrough Artist of the Year by National Public Radio, Chatham Baroque’s virtuosic baroque violin pyrotechnics, soulful, fluid lines of the viola da gamba, and allure of the baroque guitar and theorbo mesmerize and inspire audiences from coast to coast.  Chatham Baroque has released six best-selling CDs to critical acclaim.  Their Españoleta CD spent four weeks on Amazon.com’s Top-20 list.  Chatham Baroque will be joined by special guest percussionist Danny Mallon, who has performed at major festivals worldwide, such as Mexico , France , Bolivia , New York , and Spoleto.

 www.chathambaroque.org

 “These outstanding musicians achieve a full, rich, harmonious sound, playing with energy and finesse.”  -American Record Guide

The Mannes Trio

Saturday, May 14 at 7:30 PM

Old Greenwich Presbyterian Church, Bloomsbury

The Mannes Trio (violin, cello, piano) is one of this country’s oldest chamber-music ensembles, founded in the 1920s by David Mannes (Mannes College of Music).  Now comprising three of America ’s most prominent young musicians and serving as Ensemble-in-Residence at New York ’s Mannes College of Music, the trio won the Naumberg International Award in 1986 and have performed in America ’s major cities.  The program for their festival return engagement will feature masterpieces by Beethoven and Arensky, along with a riveting new work by composer Bright Sheng—recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Genius Award—inspired by traditional Chinese themes.

“Violinist Hiroko Yajima, cellist Wilhelmina Smith, and pianist Thomas Sauer work together with astonishing togetherness, especially in matters of dynamics and color.  It was a flawless performance.”  -The Star-Ledger

The Zvi Migdal Tango Ensemble

Saturday, May 21 at 7:30 PM

Stanton Reformed Church, Stanton

The Zvi Migdal Tango Ensemble, led by the charismatic Argentine vocalist Pablo “The Pulpo” Pereyra, is acclaimed for their bold performances and exciting new arrangements of classic tangos.  Based in New York , this virtuoso quintet (three guitars and contrabass with voice) offers a new take on Argentine Tango, infusing the traditional sound of Tango with jazz harmony and classical precision.  Bridging the worlds of the cabaret and the recital hall, Zvi Migdal’s relish for the bitterness of Tango is old fashioned, yet their attitude, charm, and presence are decidedly modern.

www.thezvimigdal.com

“Pereyra sings with gusto, dramatic intensity, and a larger-than-life charm.”  -Backstage Magazine

American Music Celebration Featuring:

The Verdehr Trio

The Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo

Augusta Read Thomas

Saturday, May 28 at 7:30 PM

Clinton Presbyterian Church, Clinton

A major force in the field of new music, The Verdehr Trio has created over thirty years an extensive repertoire for the violin-clarinet-piano trio by commissioning nearly 200 new works from some of the world’s most prominent and exciting composers.  Ensemble-in-Residence at Michigan State University , the trio has performed throughout the world: in 17 European countries, the former Soviet Union , Asia , Australia , and North, South and Central America .  Major concert hall appearances include: Kennedy Center , Lincoln Center , Vienna ’s Brahmssall, and Sydney Opera House.  They have recorded two dozen CDs of new works written for their trio.

The internationally-acclaimed Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo marches on toward their fourth decade of world-wide concert tours, recording, and teaching new generations.  Recent travels for this Ensemble-in-Residence at Mannes College include the Grand Canyon Music Festival, Navajo and Hopi Nations, Chile , Uruguay , Argentina , England , and Scotland , often in collaboration with such artists as Riverdance violinist Eileen Ivers and Pulitzer-Prize winning author Frank McCourt.

Augusta Read Thomas is one of the world’s most highly praised young composers.  Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony, Thomas’s music has been performed by all the major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Berlin Philharmonic.  Her new guitar duet, memory:SWELLS, was commissioned by Raritan River Music with the generous support of The Augustine Foundation, and will receive its world-premiere performance at this concert.

The Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo at Maria Kirke, Bergen, Norway

Listen 

Augusta Read Thomas