The Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter from Southern California
No.1047 - Friday, December 27, 2024 - Sunday, January 12, 2025
Next issue: Friday, January 10, 2025
The latest issue is always posted on the website of Classical Crossroads:
http://www.palosverdes.com/ClassicalCrossroads/CCMN.html
The Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter focuses exclusively on concerts with a streaming option. If you’re not already a subscriber, subscribe (it’s free) and have the newsletter delivered via Mailchimp to your email inbox by clicking:
https://mailchi.mp/8009648a48f8/clickable-chamber-music-newsletter
For a comprehensive listing of all chamber music concerts — both live-audience and streamed — visit Mike Napoli’s website, PerformingArtsLIVE.com:
http://bit.ly/PerformingArtsLIVE-ChamberMusic
Performing artists and concert presenters: Upload your concert announcements to PerformingArtsLIVE - it’s easy and free! Get started by clicking:
https://www.performingartslive.com/?p=AL&M=PE
I N T H I S I S S U E
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Table of Contents
Quickly Scan Newsletter Contents in This Section
Scroll down to the body of the newsletter for complete information
I. Highlights and Hidden Gems
Select Live-Audience & Streamed Concerts
1. Reprise from Classical Crossroads’ Pandemic Archive
“Second Sundays at Two”
Stars of Tomorrow from the USC Thornton School of Music
2021 USC Ofiesh String Quartet Competition Winners
The Gateway Quartet
Olena Kaspersky and Albert Yamamoto violins
David Kang viola, Quenton Blanche cello
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943): String Quartet No.1 (1890), Mvts.1&2
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): String Quartet in F Major (1903)
Originally streamed on Sunday, February 13, 2022
from Rolling Hills United Methodist Church
2. Organ Prelude Concert - Every Sunday at 10:30 AM Pacific
UCLA Professor & First Church Organist Christoph Bull
— Donald Brown guest organist on Sunday, December 29, 2024 —
on the Great Organs of First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
Every Sunday - 10:30-11:00 AM Pacific
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
3. Music at St Mary’s Perivale
Perivale, West London UK
Thursday, January 2, 2025 - 2:00 PM London - 6:00 AM Pacific
Finn Mannion cello, Ke Ma piano
Beethoven: Seven Variations on “Bei Männern welche Liebe fühlen”
Schumann: Fantasiestücke, Op.73
Franck: Cello Sonata in A Major
Sunday, January 5, 2025 - 3:00 PM London - 7:00 AM Pacific
Ashley Fripp piano
Schubert: Four Impromptus, D899
Beethoven: Piano Sonata in A-flat Major,
Tuesday, January 7, 2025 - 2:00 PM London - 6:00 AM Pacific
Neo Hung piano
Selections by Shostakovich, Clementi, Liszt, Schubert/Liszt, and Scriabin
Sunday, January 12, 2025 - 3:00 PM London - 7:00 AM Pacific
The Bridge Quartet & Christopher Kent actor present
“Dear Father...” with Mozart Quartets Nos. 4, 15 & 23
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
https://www.youtube.com/@stmarysperivale2842/streams
4. Classical Crossroads’
“Classical Interludes”
Pianist Steven Vanhauwaert
Violinist Andrew McIntosh
Cellist Eva Lymenstull
Saturday, January 4, 2025 - 3:00 PM
First Lutheran Church & School - Torrance CA
Historical Performances of Masterpieces
by Schubert, Schumann, and Mendelssohn
on a Fortepiano and with Gut Strings
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
https://vimeo.com/event/4030680
5. The Rose & Edward Engel Music Commission presents
Adat Ari El’s 31st Annual Engel Chamber Music Concert
New Hollywood String Quartet and Guests
Tereza Stanislav violin, Rafael Rishik violin,
Robert Brophy viola, Andrew Shulman cello
Sunday, January 5, 2025 - 2:00 PM
Adat Ari El - Valley Village CA
Hugo Wolf: Italian Serenade for String Quartet
Alexander Borodin: String Quartet No.2 in D Major
Arnold Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht for string sextet, Op.4
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
https://adatariel.livecontrol.tv/eb51727c
6. Great Music At St. James
Classical Sundays at Six
Liv Redpath soprano
Michele Zukovsky clarinet
David Kaplan piano
Sunday, January 5, 2025 - 6:00 PM Pacific
St. James’ In-The-City Episcopal Church
Wilshire Blvd (near Western) - Los Angeles CA
Schubert: The Shepherd on the Rock) and
selections by Schubert, Grieg, Wolf, and Richard Strauss
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
At concert time, find the livestream link at the top of the webpage:
7. London’s Wigmore Hall Livestreamed Concerts
Pianist Alim Beisembayev
Thursday, January 9, 2025 - 7:30 PM London (in-person)
The livestream starts at 8:00 PM London - 12:00 PM Pacific
Selections by Haydn, Beethoven, Domenico Scarlatti,
Robert Schumann, and Brahms
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
https://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/202501091930
8. Classical Crossroads’
“Second Sundays at Two”
~ presents ~
A Concert Dedicated to African-Americans’ Contributions
to Classical Music in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Fiato Quartet
Carrie Kennedy and Joel Pargman violins
Aaron Oltman viola, Ryan Sweeney cello
~ and ~
Camila Lima soprano and host
Sunday, January 12, 2025 at 2:00 PM Pacific
Rolling Hills United Methodist Church - Rolling Hills Estates CA
Selections by Florence Price, Antonín Dvorák, and Jessie Montgomery
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
https://vimeo.com/event/4030680
9. UCLA Milken Center Chamber Music Series presents
Composer Portrait: The Music of Paul Schoenfield (1947-2024)
Performed by UCLA students, faculty and alumni.
Sunday, January 12, 2025 - 4:00 PM Pacific
Lani Hall, Schoenberg Music Building, UCLA
The Milken Center Chamber Music Series is curated by Neal Stulberg,
who writes: “Paul Schoenfield was a unique and brilliant musician of decidedly
American Jewish Experience. A virtuoso concert pianist and hugely gifted
composer who retired from the University of Michigan in 2021.
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
https://bit.ly/UCLAlivestreams-LaniHall
II. Reviews and Other Items of High Interest
on the Southland Chamber Music Scene
A. Music Critic Henry Schlinger’s review on Culture Spot LA
“Piano Spheres’ tribute to Susan Svrcek and Frederick Lesemann”
https://bit.ly/CultureSpotLA-HenrySchlinger013
B. Renaud and Gauthier Capuçon's performance of
Johan Halvorsen’s Passacaglia on a theme by Handel
at Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony
N E W S L E T T E R B E G I N S
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Greetings, Chamber Music Aficionados
I. Highlights and Hidden Gems
Select Live-Audience & Streamed Concerts
for Chamber Music Aficionados
Here, I give some concerts I’ve watched or would like to watch or attend. I promise not to overwhelm you with too many. Mostly local.
“ . . . live-streamed events have generated moments of startling power. . . . One could instead sample archived professional-quality videos that opera houses, orchestras, and other organizations have placed online. For me, though, the live or freshly recorded happenings matter more. They document, with the oblique power that the arts possess, an extraordinary human phase in history. Their mere existence is bracing. . . .” ~ Alex Ross, The New Yorker
Recommended:
1. Reprise from Classical Crossroads’ Pandemic Archive
“Second Sundays at Two”
Stars of Tomorrow from the USC Thornton School of Music
2021 USC Ofiesh String Quartet Competition Winners
The Gateway Quartet
Olena Kaspersky and Albert Yamamoto violins
David Kang viola, Quenton Blanche cello
Originally streamed on Sunday, February 13, 2022
from Rolling Hills United Methodist Church
Watch the reprise by clicking:
The Program
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943): String Quartet No.1 (1890)
1. Romance. Andante espressivo
2. Scherzo. Allegro
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): String Quartet in F Major (1903)
1. Allegro moderato - Très doux
2. Assez vif - Très rythmé
3. Très lent
4. Vif et agité
The Gateway Quartet was formed in August 2020 at the USC Thornton School of Music. Although there were limited performances during the pandemic, the quartet was fortunate to work with esteemed faculty from USC, including Professors Yura Lee and Marcy Rosen. They played in a masterclass exchange between USC and the Paris Conservatory, where they performed for viola professor Michel Michalakakos. Shortly after, they won USC’s Christine Marie Ofiesh Honors Quartet Competition.
As part of winning, they will be performing several concerts throughout Los Angeles and will travel to France to perform and participate in Franco-American Chamber Music Encounters, a music festival dedicated to the exchange of culture and musical ideas worldwide.
Classical Crossroads’ February “Second Sundays at Two” concert is awarded annually to the top chamber music ensemble from the acclaimed USC Thornton School of Music. The ensembles are selected by renowned Associate Professor of Strings and Chamber Coordinator Yura Lee.
2. Organ Prelude Concert - Every Sunday at 10:30 AM Pacific
UCLA Professor & First Church Organist Christoph Bull
on the Great Organs of First Congregational Church
of Los Angeles
Every Sunday - 10:30-11:00 AM Pacific
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
540 S. Commonwealth Ave. (at Sixth St.), Los Angeles CA
For a Google map, click:
The Program for Sunday, December 29, 2024
Donald Brown guest organist
Helmut Walcha (1907-1991):
Shepherds came, their Praises bringing
Helmut Walcha:
In Bethlehem’s lowly stable
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897):
Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness, Op.122 No.5
Franz Liszt (1811-1886), arr. Willard Nevins (1890-1962):
Good Christian friends, rejoice from Weihnachtsbaum
Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706):
Partita on Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her
Postlude
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750):
Herr Christ, der ein’ge Gottes Sohn from Orgelbuechlein
The programs are posted a few days ahead. Check by clicking:
Organist Christoph Bull’s half-hour, live-audience & live-streamed Prelude Concerts on Sunday mornings, beginning at 10:30 AM on the Great Organs of First Church, are an inspiring way to start your week of amazing musical offerings. Attend in person or stay tuned in for the live stream of the First Church Sunday Service, with its superb professional chamber choir Laude and Cathedral Choir, directed by David Harris, and for the organ Postlude. Donations appreciated. Read about organist Christoph Bull by clicking:
https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/people/christoph-bull/
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
The technical quality of the livestream is among the finest on the internet. Click at concert time to watch the livestream and find the program:
3. Music at St Mary’s Perivale
Chamber Music and Recitals
St Mary’s Perivale
Perivale Lane, Perivale, West London UK
For a Google map, click:
https://goo.gl/maps/KdaP2qduGyv8ccYV7
Find the links to the upcoming and past livestreamed concerts by clicking:
https://www.youtube.com/@stmarysperivale2842/streams
The Upcoming Concerts
Thursday, January 2, 2025 - 2:00 PM London - 6:00 AM Pacific
Finn Mannion cello, Ke Ma piano
Beethoven:
Seven Variations on “Bei Männern welche Liebe fühlen”
Schumann: Fantasiestücke, Op.73
Franck: Cello Sonata in A Major
https://st-marys-perivale.org.uk/events-2025-01-02.shtml
Sunday, January 5, 2025 - 3:00 PM London - 7:00 AM Pacific
Ashley Fripp piano
Schubert: Four Impromptus, D899
Beethoven: Piano Sonata in A-flat Major, Op.110
https://st-marys-perivale.org.uk/events-2025-01-05.shtml
Tuesday, January 7, 2025 - 2:00 PM London - 6:00 AM Pacific
Neo Hung piano
Shostakovich: Prelude and Fugue No.3 in G Major, Op.87
Clementi: Piano Sonata in F-sharp Minor, Op.25 No.5
Liszt: Dante Sonata
Schubert/Liszt: Six Lieder transcriptions
Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.4 in F-sharp Major, Op.30
https://st-marys-perivale.org.uk/events-2025-01-07.shtml
Sunday, January 12, 2025 - 3:00 PM London - 7:00 AM Pacific
The Bridge Quartet & Christopher Kent actor present
“Dear Father...” with Mozart Quartets No.4 in C Major, K157,
No.15 in D Minor, K421, and No.23 in F Major, K590 (Finale)
https://st-marys-perivale.org.uk/events-2025-01-12.shtml
Find artist and program information for these and other upcoming concerts by clicking:
https://st-marys-perivale.org.uk/events-001.shtml
St Mary’s Perivale is a small church dating back to the 12th century, which was active until being declared redundant in 1972. Since then, it has been operated by Friends of St Mary’s Perivale as a concert venue and arts center. The U.K. and Europe’s top-drawer classical artists typically appear in three in-person & livestreamed concerts a week. Since 2006, the ancient venue has been transformed into a high-quality broadcasting center. Explore and discover concert gems by clicking:
https://st-marys-perivale.org.uk/
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
Available afterward to stream-on-demand
Find the links to the upcoming and past livestreamed concerts by clicking:
https://www.youtube.com/@stmarysperivale2842/streams
4. Classical Crossroads’
“Classical Interludes”
~ presents ~
Historical Performances of Masterpieces
by Schubert, Schumann, and Mendelssohn
on a Fortepiano and with Gut Strings
Pianist Steven Vanhauwaert
Violinist Andrew McIntosh
Cellist Eva Lymenstull
Saturday, January 4, 2025 - 3:00 PM
First Lutheran Church & School - Torrance
2900 W. Carson Street, Torrance CA
For a Google map, click:
The Program
Robert Schumann (1810-1856):
Humoreske from Fantasiestücke, Op.88
Franz Schubert (1797-1828):
Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op.148, D897, “Notturno”
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847):
Piano Trio in D Minor, Op.49
The fortepiano for the concert is a replica of an 1836 Graf fortepiano built by Paul McNulty in Divisov, Czech Republic. See:
https://www.fortepiano.eu/conrad-graf/
The Artists
Hailed by the Los Angeles Times for his “impressive clarity, sense of structure and monster technique,” Steven Vanhauwaert has appeared as a soloist at the National Center of the Performing Arts in Beijing, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, and the Concertgebouw. He has recorded on the Hortus, Sonarti, ECM, and Bridge labels; several of his albums have received 5 Diapasons in France. Mr. Vanhauwaert is a Steinway Artist, the Artistic Director of Classical Crossroads’ Second Sundays at Two series, and Assistant Professor on the faculty at the University of Utah’s School of Music. Read about Steven Vanhauwaert by clicking:
Violinist, violist, composer, and Baroque violinist Andrew McIntosh has a wide swath of musical interests ranging from historical performance practice of the Baroque Era to improvisation, microtonal tuning systems, and the 20th-century avant-garde. As a Baroque performer, he is a member of Tesserae, Bach Collegium San Diego, and Musica Angelica. He holds degrees in violin performance, composition, and Early Music performance from the University of Nevada, Reno, California Institute of the Arts, and the University of Southern California. Andrew teaches at the California Institute of the Arts. Read about Andrew McIntosh by clicking:
https://www.septimalcomma.com/
Los Angeles-based baroque cellist and violist da gamba Eva Lymenstull performs as a soloist, chamber musician, continuo player, and orchestral musician with the world’s leading Early Music ensembles and orchestras. She holds degrees from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Rice University, and University of Michigan, and a doctorate in historical performance practice from Case Western Reserve University. Read about Eva Lymenstull by clicking:
If this is your first time attending a Classical Crossroads concert,
kindly request a reservation for yourself and your guests by emailing
Watch the Livestream
The concert will be simultaneously livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. Watch at concert time by clicking:
https://vimeo.com/event/4030680
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
Free. Donations appreciated. For concert series information and online donations, click:
https://palosverdes.com/ClassicalCrossroads/ClassicalInterludes.htm
5. The Rose & Edward Engel Music Commission presents
Adat Ari El’s 31st Annual Engel Chamber Music Concert
New Hollywood String Quartet and Guests
Tereza Stanislav violin, Rafael Rishik violin,
Robert Brophy viola, Andrew Shulman cello
Sunday, January 5, 2025 - 2:00 PM
Adat Ari El
12020 Burbank Blvd, Valley Village CA
(at Laurel Canyon Blvd)
For a Google map, click:
https://goo.gl/maps/jy7SwsWJUxJFYcYW8
The Program
Hugo Wolf: Italian Serenade for String Quartet
Alexander Borodin: String Quartet No.2 in D Major
Arnold Schoenberg:
Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) for string sextet, Op.4
The New Hollywood String Quartet comprises three of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s top string players: Tereza Stanislav (Assistant Concertmaster), violist Robert Brophy, and Principal Cellist Andrew Shulman; alongside NHSQ founding violinist Rafael Rishik. Inspired by the great Hollywood String Quartet from over half a century ago, the current NHSQ members are likewise premier performers of their generation. Read about the New Hollywood String Quartet and its members by clicking:
https://www.newhollywoodstringquartet.com/about
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
Free to the public. Reception following the concert.
RSVP requested. For information and to RSVP, click:
https://www.adatariel.org/engel
Watch the livestream by clicking:
https://adatariel.livecontrol.tv/eb51727c
6. Great Music At St. James
Classical Sundays at Six
Liv Redpath soprano
Michele Zukovsky clarinet
David Kaplan piano
Sunday, January 5, 2025 - 6:00 PM Pacific
St. James’ In-The-City Episcopal Church
3903 Wilshire Blvd (near Western)
Los Angeles CA
For a Google map, click:
https://goo.gl/maps/8LVFMmdU65tsHA9a9
For parking directions, click:
The Program
Schubert:
Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (The Shepherd on the Rock), D965
Other selections by Schubert, Grieg, Wolf, and Richard Strauss
The Artists
A graduate of Harvard University and The Juilliard School, soprano LIV REDPATH debuted with Los Angeles Opera in the 2018-19 season as Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel. She has sung with leading opera houses worldwide. Read about Liv Redpath by clicking:
Clarinetist Michele Zukovsky is proud to have served under five conductors of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. They were, in order, Zubin Mehta, Carlo Maria Giulini, Andre Previn, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and finally, Gustavo Dudamel. Read about Michee at her new website by clicking:
A member of the UCLA piano faculty and a Yamaha/Bösendorfer Artist, David Kaplan has been called “excellent and adventurous” by The New York Times, and praised by the Boston Globe for “grace and fire” at the keyboard. Read about David Kaplan by clicking:
http://www.davidkaplanpiano.com/
Beginning in 1948 at Exposition Park and continuing at LACMA, Sundays Live is now presented at St. James in-the-City as Classical Sundays at Six, part of the broader musical offerings of Great Music at Saint James. It is Southern California’s oldest broadcast chamber music series and continues under Bill Vestal’s leadership as Artistic Director.
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
Free admission. At concert time, find the livestream link at the top of the concert series webpage by clicking:
7. London’s Wigmore Hall Livestreamed Concerts
Pianist Alim Beisembayev
Thursday, January 9, 2025 - 7:30 PM London (in-person)
The livestream starts at 8:00 PM London - 12:00 PM Pacific
Wigmore Hall
36 Wigmore St, London, UK
https://goo.gl/maps/yWjtaiJfc3MCJk4m8
The Program
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809):
Variations in F Minor HXVII/6
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827):
Piano Sonata No.7 in D Major, Op.10 No.3
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757):
Sonata in D Minor, Kk213
Sonata in A Major, Kk24
Sonata in D Minor, Kk77
Sonata in G Major, Kk455
Robert Schumann (1810-1856): Kinderszenen, Op.15
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897):
Variations on a Theme by Paganini (Book I), Op.35
The Artist
Alim Beisembayev won First Prize at The Leeds International Piano Competition in September 2021, performing Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, with The Guardian praising him as a “worthy winner” with a “real musical personality.” Announced as a BBC New Generation Artist 2023-25, in the summer of 2023, Alim made his Royal Albert Hall BBC Proms debut performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.2 with the Sinfonia of London broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and recorded for BBC Television. Read about Alim Beisembayev by clicking:
https://www.alimbeisembayev.co.uk/
Some of the world’s finest chamber music and recitals happen at Wigmore Hall. Many prior Wigmore concerts are available On Demand for varying periods of time. See the line-up of upcoming livestream offerings by clicking:
https://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/forthcoming-live-streams
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
In-Person: £18 - £40
Free to Livestream. Stream-on-Demand for 30 days after the date of the broadcast. Watch the livestream or order live-audience tickets by clicking:
https://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/202501091930
8. Classical Crossroads’
“Second Sundays at Two”
~ presents ~
A Concert Dedicated to African-Americans’ Contributions
to Classical Music in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Fiato Quartet
Carrie Kennedy and Joel Pargman violins
Aaron Oltman viola, Ryan Sweeney cello
~ and ~
Camila Lima soprano and host
Sunday, January 12, 2025 at 2:00 PM Pacific
Rolling Hills United Methodist Church
26438 Crenshaw Blvd, Rolling Hills Estates CA
For a Google map, click:
https://goo.gl/maps/EMqwtwiN3mGozzX3A
The Program
Florence Price (1887-1953):
African-American Folksongs in Counterpoint
I. Go Down, Moses
II. Somebody’s Knockin’ At Yo’ Do’
III. Little David, Play On Yo’ Harp
IV. Joshua Fit de Battle ob Jericho
Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904):
String Quartet No.12 in F Major, Op.96, “American”
I. Allegro ma non troppo
II. Lento
III. Molto vivace
IV. Vivace ma non troppo
Jessie Montgomery (1981– ):
“I Want to Go Home,” for soprano and string quartet
The Artists
Formed in 2008, the Fiato Quartet is a winner of the 2022 Beverly Hills National Auditions. Its members hold degrees in music performance from the University of Southern California, Rice University, Northwestern University, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. They are members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pasadena Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, New West Symphony, and Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra. As studio musicians in Los Angeles, they also record music for motion pictures, television, and records. Read about the Fiato Quartet by clicking:
Argentinean-American soprano Camila Lima has performed in Europe, Argentina, and the United States, in venues such as the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Carnegie Hall. She has starred in traditional, beloved operas such as Gounod’s Romeo and Juliette and Verdi’s La Traviata, among many others; in contemporary operas such as Spanish composer Juan Colomer’s Dulcinea XL world premiere performed at Zipper Hall of the Colburn School. Ms. Lima is a winner of the Beverly Hills National Auditions and alternate First Prize winner of the New York Lyric Opera Competition. Read about Camila Lima by clicking:
https://camilalimasinger.com/start
If this is your first time attending a Classical Crossroads concert,
kindly request a reservation for yourself and your guests by emailing
Watch the Livestream
The concert will be simultaneously livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. Watch at concert time by clicking:
https://vimeo.com/event/4030680
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
Free admission. Donations appreciated. For concert series information and online donations, click:
http://www.palosverdes.com/ClassicalCrossroads/SecondSundays.htm
9. UCLA Milken Center Chamber Music Series presents
Composer Portrait: The Music of Paul Schoenfield
Sunday, January 12, 2025 - 4:00 PM Pacific
Lani Hall, Schoenberg Music Building, UCLA
For directions and parking, click:
https://map.ucla.edu/?k=false&id=83901
The Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience presents the Milken Center Chamber Music Series, concerts of uplifting and distinctive chamber music curated by Neal Stulberg, Artistic Director, who writes:
“Paul Schoenfield (1947-2024) was a unique and brilliant musician of decidedly American Jewish Experience. A virtuoso concert pianist and hugely gifted composer who wrote for first-class performers and ensembles, Paul was a devoutly orthodox Jew and a remarkable person. Retiring as professor of composition at the University of Michigan in 2021, he split his time between the U.S. and Israel. His music — a fascinating mashup of klezmer/Hasidic, liturgical, jazz, bluegrass, blues, and Americana, and by turns intimate, frenetic, devotional, sardonic, and terrifying — is well represented in the Milken Archive.
“Paul and I both grew up in Detroit, and I intersected with him professionally through the years. One chamber concert is hardly enough to do justice to his range and brilliance, but we’re going to try. Performed by UCLA students, faculty and alumni, the concert concludes with his 2001 Pulitzer Prize-nominated song cycle, ‘Camp Songs’ for mezzo-soprano, baritone and instrumental ensemble.”
Read about UCLA Professor of Conducting, Director of Orchestral Studies, and Milken Center Artistic Director Neal Stulberg by clicking:
https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/people/neal-stulberg/
Free in-person admission and free to livestream. Register for either and find concert information, including a Paul Schoenfield Video Sampler, by clicking:
https://bit.ly/UCLA-PaulSchoenfield
Live-Audience & Simultaneously Livestreamed
Watch the livestream by clicking:
https://bit.ly/UCLAlivestreams-LaniHall
II. Reviews and Other Items of High Interest
on the Southland Chamber Music Scene
A. Music Critic Henry Schlinger’s review on Culture Spot LA
“Piano Spheres’ tribute to Susan Svrcek and Frederick Lesemann”
https://bit.ly/CultureSpotLA-HenrySchlinger013
Henry Schlinger writes, “On a cool Monday evening in Downtown Los Angeles at Zipper Hall on the campus of the Colburn School, Piano Spheres presented a tribute to husband and wife Frederick (Rick) Lesemann and Susan Svrcek — two individuals who contributed greatly not only to Piano Spheres but to the music scene in Los Angeles and generations of students. The couple died within a year of each other, Svrcek in 2022 and Lesemann in 2023. . . .”
B. Renaud and Gauthier Capuçon's performance of
Johan Halvorsen’s Passacaglia on a theme by Handel
at Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony
Simply magnificent. Many thanks to George Clark recommending this video.
Happy New Year! and take care,
Jim Eninger, Editor-in-Chief
Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter from Southern California
“... invaluable ...” ~ Mark Swed, The Los Angeles Times