Several years ago, my friend LaDeanne told me about her son, who as a child would try any new food thinking it might be his new favorite. As the 2007-08 Cultural Affairs season draws near, I invite you to take the same approach when deciding which performances you’ll attend.
This year, we’ll explore new traditions and new takes on old traditions, with everything from flamenco to timba, to chamber music to a unique Israeli musical collaborative. We’ll bring new faces and old friends to Ogden. We’ll spice up the downtown area by presenting our world music series at Peery’s Egyptian Theater. And, we’ll offer our menu of classical and jazz performances at the Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts.
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble was created in 1967 to perform larger chamber works—from quintets to octets—with players who customarily work together, instead of the usual string quartet with additional guests. The ensemble, which draws from the principal players of the larger academy orchestra, has extensive touring commitments, with annual visits to France, Germany and Spain, and frequent tours to North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan.
The ensemble gave a stellar performance at Weber State University in 2003, and this performance promises no less.
PROGRAM
Joachim Raff’s Octet for strings in C Major, Op. 176 Shostakovich’s Prelude and Scherzo for String Octet, Op. 11 Mendelssohn’s Octet for strings in E-flat Major, Op. 20
The Calder Quartet takes its name from great American sculptor and mobile artist Alexander Calder, about whom French playwright Jean-Paul Sartre wrote, “His one aim is to create chords and cadences of unknown movements. His mobiles are at once lyrical inventions, technical, almost mathematical combinations, and the perceptible symbol of nature.” Emulating the work of its namesake, the quartet creates a sensation with elegant chamber music and a touch of the avant-garde.
Pictured left to right:Jonathan Moerschel, viola; Eric Byers, cello Benjamin Jacobson, violin; Andrew Bulbrook, violin
PROGRAM
Rouse’s String Quartet No. 1
Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Minor, Op. 138
Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13
The Idan Raichel Project is an Israeli musical collaborative that has achieved success by looking beyond intercultural differences and celebrating the value of diversity. Led by keyboardist, composer and producer Idan Raichel, the project blends traditional Ethiopian folk music, Arabic poetry, Yemenite chants, Biblical psalms and Caribbean rhythms with sophisticated production techniques, resulting in an unparalleled musical phenomenon. While recent headlines have been dominated by news of conflict and war in the Middle East, the Idan Raichel Project offers a message of love and tolerance that resonates strongly in a world in turmoil.
The Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet joins forces with iconic, acoustic fingerstyle guitarist Leo Kottke in a joyous voyage through world holiday music. The collaboration
honors the musicians’ ancestral roots by showcasing the Jewish music and Hindu traditions of the Festival of Lights. From the songs of Chanukah, to the music of India’s Diwali, to the old English carols and Scottish reels of the 16th century, the concert explores, with a hip, modern twist, the timeless music that has been an integral part of winter holiday celebrations for centuries. Also included are new takes on seasonal classics by Vince Guaraldi, Miles Davis and others. Leo Kottke appears by special arrangement with Monterey Peninsula Artists/Paradigm.
Listen to the Turtle Island Quartet and Leo Kottke on YouTube!
The richly rendered performances and superb musicianship of Interpreti Veneziani have garnered the ensemble international acclaim and made the group one of the major attractions in Venice, Italy. Playing original instruments and specializing in Vivaldi and other Baroque composers, Interpreti Veneziani is praised by audiences and critics alike, who hail the ensemble’s spectacular performances and the individual and combined talents of the musicians. Even though it is difficult to reproduce the Venetian atmosphere and Vivaldi’s music in concert halls, Interpreti Veneziani musicians unfold the romanticism of the city wherever they go, feeling that no other composer renders Venice better than Vivaldi.
“A COMPÁS!”
Paco Peña, through “A Compás!” brings the true spirit of flamenco to Ogden and audiences all over the world. As guitarist, composer, dramatist and mentor, Peña builds inventively
on the deep foundations of flamenco. His imagination, dedication and skill constantly renew this archetypal Spanish art form. He expands its horizons yet never loses touch with its visceral emotion. A New York Times dance critic hailed “A Compás!” for “the range and depth of artistry on display, from Mr. Peña’s quiet but fierce leadership at the guitar to the regal, smoldering dancing of Ángel Muñoz.”
Grammy Award-nominated Tiempo Libre is one the hottest young Latin bands today. Equally at home in concert halls, jazz clubs and dance venues, the Miami-based band has become known for its incendiary, joyful performances of timba, an irresistible, dance-inducing mix of high-voltage Latin jazz and the seductive rhythms of son. Tiempo Libre musicians are true modern heirs to the rich tradition of the music of their native Cuba.
“Traditional Cuban classics meet soaring joyful vocals and an impressive horn and percussion section, driving a booty-shaking party guaranteed to pick up your mood.”
—San Francisco Spectrum
Born to a Palestinian father and an American mother, renowned author Naomi Shihab Nye grew up in St. Louis, Mo., Jerusalem and San Antonio, Texas. Drawing on her heritage and her extensive traveling experiences, she uses her writing to attest to our shared humanity.
Nye has earned numerous awards, including four Pushcart Prizes, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, the Paterson Poetry Prize and many others. Her collection, 19 Varieties of azelle, was a finalist for the National Book Award. She has been a Lannan Fellow, a Guggenheim Fellow and a Witter Bynner Fellow.
A regular columnist for Organica, Nye is also the poetry editor for the Texas Observer. Her work has been presented on National Public Radio on “A Prairie Home Companion” and “The Writers Almanac.” She has been featured on two PBS poetry specials and has also appeared on “NOW with Bill Moyers.” In addition, she has been a visiting writer at the James A. Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Austin, and the University of Hawaii.
Designed to supplement all of the departments in the College of Arts & Humanities, the Hurst Artist-in-Residence program is made possible through a generous donation by Dean W. and Carol W. Hurst, two WSU alumni who share a strong interest in the arts and humanities.