3 PM this (Sunday) afternoon at Spectrum: Carolyn Enger will be presenting the concert premiere of Sean Hickey’s “Reckoning”, dedicated to the memory of one of Sean’s dearest friends, Peter Moss. The piece has been given to his children, Lucy and Gideon, in honor of their father. Continuing with “The Birds of Barclay Street” also by Hickey, dedicated to all those who lost their lives on the 11th of September, this is Sean’s most performed work. As The New York Times selected Ms. Enger’s CD on Naxos Records, of Ned Rorem’s Piano Album l and Six Friends, as one of their “Best in Classical Recordings for 2013”, she will include a selection of pieces from this quiet celebration of love and friendship. Celebrating Arvo Part’s birthday, which falls on September 11th , the program concludes with a set of solo and chamber pieces by the most performed living composer in the world today. Carolyn Enger will be joined by violinist, Josh HEnderson. Lauded for her sensitive, nuanced playing, American pianist Carolyn Enger is a musician who consistently entrances her audiences. Anthony Tommasini – Chief Music Critic of The New York Times wrote “This year the classical music critics of The New York Times had plenty of options when selecting their favorite recordings of 2013….Among the 90th Birthday tributes this year to the essential American composer Ned Rorem, this recording especially stands out. The fine pianist Carolyn Enger plays Mr. Rorem’s complete Piano Album l, a collection of tender yet pungent miniatures written for friends, intimates and personal occasions from 1978-2001.” MusicWeb International praised her playing as “thoughtful and sensitive… expressive… She plays with fine nuance and tone shading.” Fanfare wrote, “Enger’s dynamic control and emotional sensitivity complement her keen sense of timing and proportion.” She is “a musician of rare quality.” In the New York area she has delivered her distinctly personal concerts at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, Spectrum and the Tenri Cultural Center. Ms. Enger’s debut album, In Evening Air, included music of Beethoven, Scriabin, Hanson, Copland, Liebermann and of Ned Rorem. Recording In Evening Air inspired her to delve deeper into Rorem’s pieces for piano; she instantly fell in love with these miniatures. Committed to creating compelling programming, Ms. Enger performs concert repertoire ranging from European masterworks to fresh discoveries. With a keen interest in performing new works by American and Israeli composers, Ms. Enger’s recital programs often feature music by Ned Rorem, Lowell Liebermann, Betty Olivero, Avner Dorman and Lior Navok. Her interest in distinctive concert experiences has led Ms. Enger to explore a multimedia concert program about World War II, combining music, literature, and imaging that focus on the lives of Mischlinge – half-Jews, in Germany, before, during and after the Holocaust. Her dedication for bringing music to new audiences has led Ms. Enger to perform in settings such as Israel’s Bet Yad Lebanim in Nahariya, the Feilja Blumenthal Centre in Tel Aviv and, in New York City, at St. Peter’s Church and the Donnell Library Center. Ms. Enger’s community engagement performances have left presenters and audiences “in complete awe of her passion, skill and genuine warmth,” according to Cheryl Wylen, Program Director, Backstage at the Y Concert Series. Ms. Enger is a Steinway Concert Artist. Josh Henderson is enjoying a multi-faceted career as a cross-genre violinist, violist, and composer. As a Classical musician, he has performed as soloist with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, China Performing Arts Broadcasting Troupe, The Starling Chamber Orchestra, Accent X Festival Orchestra, Contemporaneous, Bard Conductor Festival Orchestra, the CCM Showcase Orchestra, Ensemble Du Monde, Colour of Music Festival Orchestra and in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Munichs Gasteig, and The Forbidden City Concert Hall of Beijing. He has additionally built a reputation for his high-energy electric violin performances in genres such as Rock, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Country-Fiddle. A member of several nationally and internationally touring groups, he regularly tours with The Mayhem Poets, performing with the performance poets in major performing arts venues across the country, the indie-rock outfit Whale Belly, Chassidic Reggae group, The Moshe Hecht Band, contemporary Classical music ensemble, Contemporaneous, and the newly formed string ensemble, Alkali. Recently, Josh became music director for the Emmy award-winning Damien Escobar (of Nuttin But Stringz) and has performed at a number of events across the globe including a performance at the 2013 Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball honoring Barack Obama. Other band-leader positions include serving as music director to pop singer Zahra Universe on her South Korean tour, and to the rapper Likwuid Stylez. A sought after freelance musician in New York City, Josh has performed, recorded, and collaborated with popular artists such as Chris Brown, The Sugar Hill Gang, Sufjan Stevens, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Palmer, Jherek Bischoff, and members of bands such as Deer Hoof, Beirut, and The Eagles. Currently a PhD candidate at New York University, Josh is an adjunct instructor of violin and chamber music at NYU and additionally teaches a course on improvisation for classical string payers. He is also on the chamber music faculty at the Kaufman Center’s Face the Music program, an intensive program designed to foster education of contemporary classical music to talented high school students. A new music enthusiast and composer himself, Josh has collaborated with members of the Bang on a Can All Stars, composed a full-length ballet (“Marie”, premiered by Caliince Dance at Alvin Ailey Theater), and recently a viola concerto (to be premiered in early 2014 by the Chelsea Symphony). He has also premiered several new works including two world premiers for solo violin and orchestra, the David Bloom violin concerto, and Trevor Weston’s “The People Could Fly”. Josh studied at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with Prof. Kurt Sassmannshaus, and at New York University with Prof. Naoko Tanaka. For more on Josh, please find him online at joshhendersonviolin.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 12:35:02 +0000