The Boston Conservatory
CONTACT: Joyce Linehan 617- 282-2510, joyce@ashmontmedia.com
THE BOSTON CONSERVATORY
OFFERS AWARD-WINNING, HIGH-QUALITY, AFFORDABLE MUSIC, THEATER AND DANCE PERFORMANCES FOR FALL 2011 SEASON
(BOSTON–August 10, 2011)The Boston Conservatory offers award-winning, affordable, high-quality performances by students, faculty and guest artists throughout the school year. Among the offerings for the Fall 2011 season: new installments of the wildly popular "Piano Masters" and “String Masters” series; Fast Forward, the first dance program directed by new Dance Division Director Cathy Young; a festival of new music; the final concert in the Conservatory’s year-long Liszt celebration; The Balcony, directed by John Kuntz; and The Boston Conservatory Orchestra performing Bernstein’s “Kaddish,” plus performances of classical music, theater and opera, including programming specifically geared to children.
The Conservatory offers many free performances, as well as ticketed events ranging from $10-$25. In addition, there is a substantial student discount for all students from any institution, with ID. Unless free or otherwise noted, tickets are available beginning Sept.6 through The Boston Conservatory Box Office: 617-912-9222 and http://bostonconservatory.ticketforce.com. For more information, call The Boston Conservatory’s event line at (617) 912-9240 or visit www.bostonconservatory.edu. The Boston Conservatory also presents more than 200 free student performances and recitals every season. From staged to semi-staged theater, dance and opera performances to instrumental and voice recitals, there is something for everyone. For a complete schedule, visit www.bostonconservatory.edu/performances.
Performance location key:
At The Boston Conservatory:
Boston Conservatory Theater, 31 Hemenway Street
Seully Hall, 4th Floor, 8 The Fenway
Zack Box, Basement, 8 The Fenway
Concert Room, 1st Floor, 8 The Fenway
Studio 401, 4th Floor, 31 Hemenway Street
1260 Boylston Street, 2nd floor
Off campus:
Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy Street, Cambridge
Fenway Center, 77 Saint Stephen Street, Boston
All performance venues are handicapped accessible.
September
Sept. 1–4
8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday
2 p.m., Sunday
THEATER– Waiting for Godot
A sad but comic, existential play, Waiting for Godot is Samuel Beckett's seminal exploration of the futility of man's hope. Written by Samuel Beckett. Directed by Patsy Collins Bandes. The Zack Box, FREE
Saturday, Sept. 10, 8 p.m.
MUSIC (Ensemble-in-residence) – Juventas New Music Ensemble Presents Spark! New Music and its Origins
Lidiya Yankovskaya, music director, Juventas; Erin Huelskamp, executive director, Juventas.
Juventas New Music Ensemble, in its season opening concert, presents new works by young composers and the musical mentors who have “sparked” their imagination. Featuring Zach Jay (flute), Marguerite Levin (clarinet), Brian Calhoon (percussion), Julia Scott Carey (piano), Sara Matayoshi (violin), Emily Deans (viola) and Rachel Arnold (cello). Seully Hall, $10 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under).
JON BLUMHOFER: ...einfach/schwer...? (2007)
GYÖRGY LIGETI: Musica Ricercata (1951-1953)
RYAN CHASE: txts fm György (2010)
MARK OLIVEIRO: Thunor’s Gate (2010)
NICOLAS TZORTZIS: Amenable (2006/2008)
PHILIPPE LEROUX: AAA (1995-1996)
Thursday Sept. 15, 8 p.m.
MUSIC (Ensemble-in-residence) – Ludovico Ensemble
PIERLUIGI BILLONE: 1+1=1 (U.S. PREMIERE)
Rane Moore and Alicia Lee, bass clarinets
Studio 401—The Boston Conservatory Theater, $15 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under)
Sept. 16, 17, 21, 22, 24, 25
8 p.m., Friday, Saturday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday
MUSIC (Ensemble-in-residence) – Guerilla Opera Presents: Loose, Wet and Perforated, a World-Premiere Chamber Opera by Nicholas Vines
A tale of morality whose amorphous ethics are reflected by two characters—one who begins in a privileged position and descends to isolation and despair, and the other who begins in a lowly fashion and rises to fame and fortune by way of ruthlessness and violence. Directed by Jeremy Bloom. Scenic Design by Julia Noulin-Merat. Featuring Aliana de la Guardia as LOOSE, Jonathan Nussman as WET, Rebekah Alexander as PERFORATED, Jan Zimmerman as VARIOUS, as well as Rane Moore (clarinets), Kent O'Doherty (saxophone), Chris Reade (trombone) and Mike Williams (percussion). Zack Box Theater, $15 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under)
Saturday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m.
MUSIC (Faculty Recital) – Cellist Rhonda Rider Presents 11 Works inspired by the Grand Canyon
As 2010-2011 Grand Canyon Artist-in-Residence, Rhonda Rider commissioned 11 composers to write pieces for solo cello inspired by the natural wonder. She brings this encore performance to The Boston Conservatory in anticipation of a recording and the Grand Canyon National Park premiere in October. Featuring cellist Rhonda Rider in the performance of works by Yu-Hui Chang, Marti Epstein, Howard Frazin, Laura Kaminsky, John Kennedy, Emma Lively, Jeffrey Mumford, David Rakowski, Jan Swafford, Andy Vores and Dalit Warshaw.Studio 401—The Boston Conservatory Theater, FREE.
Sunday, Sept. 25, 4 p.m.
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory Orchestra, Bruce Hangen, conductor
SCHUMAN: New England Triptych
LEONARD: My Dearest Friend (WORLD PREMIERE)
Wendy Bryn Harmer, soprano
Jonathan Beyer, baritone
BERNSTEIN: Symphony No. 3 (“Kaddish”)
Wendy Bryn Harmer, soprano
New World Chorale (Holly Krafka, director)
Boston Children’s Chorus, Anthony-Trecet-King, director
3 p.m. Pre-concert lecture. Sanders Theatre at Harvard University, $15 general admission, $10 students and senior citizens.
Tuesday Sept. 27, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory String Ensemble, Andrew Mark, conductor
PURCELL: Chacony in g minor, Z. 730
TCHAIKOVSKY: Andante Cantabile for cello and strings
JANACEK: Suite for Strings
MENDELSSOHN: String Symphony in C Major
Studio 401, FREE.
October
Thursday Oct. 6, 6 pm.
MUSIC – Hemenway Strings, Lynn Chang, director
BARTOK: Rumanian Dances (arr. for string orchestra)
COPLAND: Two Pieces for String Orchestra
GRIEG: Two Elegiac melodies, op. 34 (arr. for string orchestra)
ZOU LONG: Three Chinese Folksongs
PART: Fratres
GEMINIANI (arr. Michi Wianko): Concerto Grosso, No. 12 in d minor after Corelli's op. 5, No. 12 (La Folia)
Studio 401, $15 general admission, $10 students and senior citizens. FREE.
Sunday Oct. 9, 5 p.m.
MUSIC – String Masters Series: Ilya Kaler, violin
Andrew Mark & Irina Muresanu, artistic directors
Violinist Ilya Kaler opens the 2011-2012 String Masters Series Seully Hall, $15 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under)
Sunday, Oct. 9, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble: Trombone Celebration, Eric Hewitt, conductor
STUCKEY: Funeral Music for Queen Mary
MCLOSKEY: Concerto for Brass Quintet and Wind Ensemble (WORLD PREMIERE)
Triton Brass Quintet
GILBERT: The Ringing of Golden Balconies
KRUSH: Concerto for Bass Trombone (WORLD PREMIERE)
Blair Bollinger, bass trombone
SUSATO: Selections from the Dansyere—O’Dunnigan
The Boston Conservatory Theater, FREE.
Tuesday, Oct. 11, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – Piano Masters Series: Peter Hill
Michael Lewin, artistic director
The eminent British pianist Peter Hill makes a rare Boston visit to perform the ecstatic piano music of Olivier Messiaen, his specialty. One of England’s most admired and wide-ranging pianists, he studied all the piano works with Messiaen himself, recorded the complete solo piano music to lasting acclaim and wrote a magnificent biography of the composer. He will begin each half with a Prelude and Fugue by Bach followed by Messiaen works including: La Colombe, Le Merle bleu, Le Traquet stapazin, Le Rouge-gorge (from Petites Esquisses d'oiseaux), Cantéyodjayâ and L'Alouette lululf. Seully Hall, $15 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under).
Wednesday Oct. 12, 3-4 p.m.
MUSIC (Master Class) – Piano Masters Series: Master Class with Peter Hill, piano
British pianist Peter Hill gives a master class to Boston Conservatory piano students. The class is open to the public. Seully Hall, FREE.
Thursday, Oct. 13, 8 p.m.
MUSIC (Faculty Recital) – Sharan Leventhal (violin) and Michael Norsworthy (clarinet) with guest artists Jing Li (cello) and Paulina Zamora (piano)
Join Boston Conservatory faculty members for a performance of the Quartet for the End of Time by Olivier Messiaen. Written during World War II while Messiaen was interred in a German concentration camp, the Quartet for the End of Time is a monumental expression of faith and redemption. Seully Hall, FREE.
Saturday Oct. 15, noon and 2 p.m.
OPERA – The Bremen Town Musicians, A Children's Opera
A children’s opera by John Davies based on the traditional children’s story, The Musicians of Bremen Town. Music by Rossini, Offenbach, Donizetti, Verdi and Sullivan. Directed by Nathan Troup. Seully Hall, FREE.
Oct. 20–23
8 p.m., Thursday–Saturday
2 p.m., Saturday–Sunday
THEATER – Curtains
It’s the brassy, bright and promising year of 1959. Boston’s Colonial Theater is host to the opening night performance of a new musical. When the leading lady mysteriously dies on stage, the entire cast and crew are suspects. Enter a local detective, who just happens to be a musical theater fan! Book by Rupert Holmes. Original Book and Concept by Peter Stone. Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Additional Lyrics by John Kander and Rupert Holmes. Directed by David Gram. Musical Direction by Bill Casey. Conducted by Reuben M. Reynolds, III. Choreographed by Michelle Chassé. The Boston Conservatory Theater, $25 general admission, $15 senior citizens, $10 students.
Saturday, Oct. 22, 4 p.m.,
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory Combined Choruses, Beth Willer and Dr. Michael McGaghie, conductors
Boston Conservatory Women’s Chorus
JEAN-BAOTISTE LULLY: Regina coeli
JOSEF RHEINBERGER: Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen
LILI BOULANGER: Les sirènes
FEODOISY RUBTSOV: Veñiki
Boston Conservatory Chorale
PART: Nunc dimittis
BRUCKNER: Os justi
MOZART: Ave verum corpus
SCHUTZ: Cantate Domino
JOSQUIN: Tu solus qui facis mirabilia
Seully Hall, FREE
Sunday Oct. 23, 5 p.m.
MUSIC – String Masters Series: Helen Callus, viola
Music for the Ages
Andrew Mark & Irina Muresanu, artistic directors
Violist Helen Callus performs with Boston Conservatory Piano Faculty Max Levinson. Seully Hall, $15 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under)
BACH:Gamba Sonata in D Major (Adagio; Allegro; Andante; Allegro)
MENDELSSOHN: Sonata in c minor (Adagio-Allegro; Minuetto:Allegro molto; Andante con variazioni; Allegro molto)
WIENIAWSKI: Reverie in f sharp minor
HINDEMITH: Sonata for Viola and Piano, op. 25, No. 4 (Sehr Lebhaft, markiert und kraftvoll; Sehr langsame Vietel; Finale, lebhafte Viertel)
Thursday Oct. 27, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory String Orchestra, Bruce Hangen, conductor
DVORAK: Serenade in E Major, op. 22
BACH: Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
ADAMS: Shaker Loops
Studio 401. FREE
Friday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory Brass Ensemble, Kenneth Amis, conductor
BACH: Contrapunctus IX
SUSATO: Suite
GRIEG: Funeral March in Memory of Rikard Nordraak
DI LASSO: Ola, o che bon eccho!
AMIS: The Reckoning
Fenway Center. FREE.
November
Nov. 3–6
8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday
2 p.m., Sunday
DANCE – Fast Forward
Cathy Young, artistic director
Featuring four reconstructions and one newly commissioned piece by internationally recognized contemporary dance artists, Fast Forward offers a wide range of styles and technical approaches, bringing viewers to the forefront of today’s dance scene. Works include Trey McIntyre’s Blue Until June Suite (created to the music of legendary vocalist Etta James), Ohad Naharin’s Three (excerpts), Paul Taylor’s masterwork Cloven Kingdom, Boston Conservatory faculty member Tommy Neblett’s La Giornata Omicida (The Deadly Day) and an original premiere by Naharin reconstructor Danielle Agami. The Boston Conservatory Theater, $25 general admission, $15 senior citizens, $10 students.
Tuesday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m.
MUSIC - Piano Masters Series: Mykola Suk in Homage to Liszt
Michael Lewin, artistic director
The great Ukranian pianist Mykola Suk presents Homage to Liszt, a program tailor-made for his dramatic intensity and passionate virtuosity. Suk gained international recognition as the First Prize Winner at the 1971 International Liszt-Bartok Competition in Budapest, Hungary. The fiery program combines works of Liszt: Funérailles, Les cloches de Genève, the Dante Sonata and the 12th Hungarian Rhapsody, along with the Boston premiere of Valentin Silvestrov’s Dedication to Franz Liszt (1998) and the Moses Fantasy of Thalberg, played at the famous piano duel between Liszt and Thalberg. Seully Hall, $15 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under)
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 3-4 p.m.
MUSIC (Master Class) – Piano Masters Series: Master Class with Mykola Suk, piano
The great Ukranian pianist Mykola Suk gives a master class to Boston Conservatory piano students. The class is open to the public. Seully Hall, FREE.
Nov. 10 – 13
8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday
2 p.m., Sunday
THEATER – Polaroid Stories
Inspired in part by Ovid's Metamorphoses, Polaroid Stories takes place on an abandoned pier on the outermost edge of a city, a way stop for dreamers, dealers and desperadoes—a no-man's land where runaways seek camaraderie, refuge and escape. Serpentine routes from the street to the heart characterize the interactions in this spellbinding tale of young people pushed to society's fringe. Informed, as well, by interviews with young prostitutes and street kids, Polaroid Stories conveys a whirlwind of psychic disturbance, confusion and longing. Like their mythic counterparts, these modem-day mortals are engulfed by needs that burn and consume.
Written by Naomi Iizuka. Directed by Christopher Webb. For mature audiences only. The Zack Box, FREE.
Sunday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m.
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory Orchestra, Bruce Hangen, conductor
BEETHOVEN: Egmont Overture
PROKOFIEV: Violin Concerto No. 2 in g minor, op. 63
Irina Muresanu, violin
BERLIOZ: Symphonie Fantastique, op. 14
1 p.m. Pre-concert Lecture, Sanders Theater at Harvard University. $15 general admission, $10 students and senior citizens.
Sunday, Nov. 13, 5 p.m.
MUSIC – String Masters Series: Steven Doane, cello
Andrew Mark & Irina Muresanu, artistic directors
Doane was a finalist in the Tchaikovsky Competition and a prize-winner of the Naumberg Chamber Music Award with the New Arts Trio.Seully Hall, $15 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under)
Monday Nov. 14, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – Boston Conservatory Saxophone Ensemble, Ken Radnofsky, conductor
Seully Hall, FREE.
Nov. 17–20
8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday
2 p.m., Sunday
THEATER – The Balcony
The setting is a brothel in the midst of a revolution that has wiped out all the real holders of power except the Chief of Police, who now enlists the regular customers to play out the fantasy roles that destiny has denied them. In macabre, climactic scenes, the playwright develops his mocking view of man and society. Written by Jean Genet. Translated by Bernard Frechtman. Directed by John Kuntz. For mature audiences only. The Boston Conservatory Theater, $25 general admission, $15 senior citizens, $10 students.
Nov. 18–19, 8 p.m.
OPERA – Fall Opera Scenes
Seully Hall, FREE
Friday, Nov. 18, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory Composer’s Orchestra, Eric Hewitt, conductor
Program TBA. 1260 Boylston Street, FREE
Sunday, Nov. 20, 3 p.m.
MUSIC (Ensemble-in-residence) – Juventas New Music Ensemble Presents Through the Looking Glass: Old Sounds Reinvented
Lidiya Yankovskaya, music director, Juventas; Erin Huelskamp, executive director, Juventas
Frederick Jodry, director, Schola Cantorum of Boston
Drawing inspiration from the Baroque and Renaissance periods, Juventas New Music Ensemble presents an evening of new works for voices and instruments. Special guest ensemble includes the conductorless, early music vocal ensemble, Schola Cantorum of Boston. Featuring Zach Jay (flute), Marguerite Levin (clarinet), Brian Calhoon (percussion), Julia Scott Carey (piano), Sara Matayoshi (violin), Emily Deans (viola) and Rachel Arnold (cello). Seully Hall, $15 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under)
Monday, Nov. 21, 8 p.m.
MUSIC (Ensemble-in-residence) Ludovico Ensemble
The Ludovico Ensemble presents two Stefan George settings by Arnold Schönberg from 1908, right as the composer was moving away from traditional tonality. Das Buch der Hängenden Gärten and the String Quartet No. 2 in F# minor represent a turning point in Schoenberg's output, written at a time a great personal turmoil. The delicate Das Buch der Hängenden Gärten is perhaps unfairly overshadowed by the more widely performed Pierrot lunaire. Milton Babbitt referred to the beginning of the fourth movement of the secondString Quartet as "one of the most revolutionary moments in musical history." Featuring sopranos Jennifer Ashe and Aliana de la Guardia. Seully Hall, $15 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under)
December
Dec. 1 – 4, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory New Music Festival
Eric Hewitt, artistic director
Held annually, The Boston Conservatory New Music Festival is a celebration of music evolution throughout the ages and is dedicated to recognizing exceptional compositions by modern composers. This year, the festival explores the musical development of the jazz genre and features works by renowned composers such as Bernard Lang, Edison Denisov, Robert Graettinger, Pierre Hurel, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane and Gunther Schuller, who will also make a special appearance as music director. The event will include performances by I/O Ensemble, Philipp Stäudlin, George Garzone, John Lockwood and Bob Gullotti and others. All performances take place in The Boston Conservatory Theater, and are FREE.
Thursday, Dec. 1, 8 p.m.
Improvisatoria
Opening night of the 2011-2012 Boston Conservatory New Music Festival provides an evening of spontaneously improvised compositions with Boston Conservatory composition faculty Pierre Hurel, renowned guests artists and Conservatory students.
Friday, Dec. 2, 8 p.m.
Across the Pond
Day two of The Boston Conservatory New Music Festival features currents in contemporary composition overseas, influenced by jazz. Guest Artists include the I/O Ensemble featuring saxophonist Philipp Stäudlin. Works include DW:16–Songbook 1 by Bernhard Lang, as well as works by Edison Denisov and others.
Saturday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m.
The Fringe—The Future of the Church of Coltrane
Tenor Saxophone legend, George Garzone, comes to the Conservatory with his famously interstellar troupe, The Fringe, to offer a night of music composed and inspired by the late Jazz Giant, John Coltrane. The Fringe is comprised of all-star musicians George Garzone (saxophone), John Lockwood (bass) and Bob Gullotti (drums).
Sunday, Dec. 4, 8 p.m.
Progressive Jazz Orchestra with Gunther Schuller — Jumpin’ into the Future
Gunther Schuller, music director
Boston’s best jazz freelancers join forces to offer a program of works for Jazz Orchestra that reach beyond the traditional scope of the Big Band. Led by American music icon Gunther Schuller, this performance features works of Robert Graettinger, Charles Mingus, Gunther Schuller and more.
Monday, Dec. 5, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory Percussion Ensemble, Keith Aleo & Samuel Z. Solomon, directors
Program TBA. The Boston Conservatory Theater, FREE
Tuesday, Dec. 6, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – Piano Masters Series: Michael Lewin in Liszt and his Circle
Michael Lewin, artistic director
Boston Conservatory piano faculty member and renowned Lisztian Michael Lewin, the only American prize-winner in the 25 year-old history of the International Liszt Competition, brings the composer’s 200th birthday year celebrations to a dazzling conclusion with a fascinating program, Liszt and his Circle. Liszt has always had a central place in Lewin’s repertoire, and his colorful and charismatic performances are celebrated. Among various etudes by Chopin, Gottschalk and Liszt, Lewin’s program will also include:
MENTER: Romance
TAUSIG: The Ghost Ship
LISZT: Vallée d’Obermann; Petrarch Sonnet 123; Le Rossignol; Sonnambula Fantasy
Seully Hall, $15 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under)
Wednesday, Dec. 7, 3 p.m.
MUSIC (Master Class) – Piano Masters Series: Master Class with Michael Lewin, piano
Boston Conservatory piano faculty member and renowned Lisztian Michael Lewin gives a master class to Boston Conservatory piano students. The class is open to the public. Seully Hall, FREE
Thursday, Dec. 8, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble: Gunther Schuller at 86!, Eric Hewitt, conductor
SCHULLER: Festive Music
SCHULLER: Nature’s Way
SCHULLER: Double Quintet
VARESE: Octandre
SCHULLER: Study in Textures
MCALLISTER: Black Dog
Jonathan Cohler, clarinet
SCHULLER: Blue Dawn into White Heat
The Boston Conservatory Theater, FREE
Friday, Dec. 9, 8 p.m.
MUSIC – The Boston Conservatory Combined Choruses, Dr. Michael McGaghie and Beth Willer, conductors
Featuring The Boston Conservatory Orchestra.
BEETHOVEN: Mass in C Major, op. 86
ther works TBA
Fenway Center, FREE
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About The Boston Conservatory
The Boston Conservatory trains exceptional young performing artists for careers that enrich and transform the human experience. Known for its intimate and supportive multi-disciplinary environment, The Boston Conservatory offers fully accredited graduate and undergraduate programs in music, dance and musical theater, and presents more than 200 performances each year by students, faculty and guest artists. Since its founding in 1867, The Boston Conservatory has shared its talent and creativity with the city of Boston, the region and the nation, and continues to grow today as a vibrant community of artists and educators. For more information, visit www.bostonconservatory.edu.
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