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| From Classical to Klezmer to Rock, the Sixth Floor Trio Performs on the Curtis Presents Series November 1
Alumni with thriving orchestral careers return to Curtis for a genre-crossing recital showcasing their versatility and imaginative programming PHILADELPHIA, PA—October 31, 2014—Passionate innovators and stunning musicians, the Sixth Floor Trio performs on the Curtis Presents series Saturday, November 1 at 3 p.m. at the Curtis Institute of Music’s Field Concert Hall. A talented ensemble of 2008 Curtis graduates, the Sixth Floor Trio has performed extensively throughout the United States in venues including traditional concert halls, grunge bars, and experimental spaces, among others. The Sixth Floor Trio’s members include Johnny Teyssier (’08), principal clarinet of the Malmö Symphony in Sweden; Harrison Hollingsworth (’08), principal bassoon of the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center; and Teddy Abrams (Conducting ’08), piano, newly appointed music director of the Louisville Orchestra. The trio frequently plays multiple instruments, improvises, and joins with guest artists from many different genres to bring music to the widest possible audience. The November 1 recital also features fellow 2008 Curtis graduate and percussionist Gabriel Globus-Hoenich, who has been featured on drum-set with Philly Pops and the Curtis, Detroit, and Illinois symphonies.Known for their spontaneous concerts, the Sixth Floor Trio will perform classical works spanning Beethoven, Bernstein, and beyond; compositions adapted from the bluegrass, klezmer, rock, and latin traditions; and the trio’s own arrangement of the “Dance of the Seven Veils” from Richard Strauss’s opera Salome. The recital takes place in Field Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music, 1726 Locust Street, Philadelphia. Tickets are $25 and are available from the Curtis Patron Services Office at (215) 893-7902 or www.curtis.edu/Tickets. ; Curtis Presents highlights the school’s unparalleled artistry with four recitals curated by Curtis alumni and faculty. Leading musicians present a unique musical portrait featuring their choice of repertoire and guest artists. With an extraordinary group of musicians to draw from, including student, alumni, and faculty colleagues, innumerable programs are possible. All proceeds from these benefit concerts support current Curtis students, with the hope of inspiring and supporting future generations of great artists. The Curtis Presents season is sponsored by Blank Rome LLP. The Sixth Floor Trio is a chamber group dedicated to the creation and performance of music that connects different musical styles, communities, and artistic disciplines. The trio’s debut performance took place in 2009, when the group opened for and collaborated with Marvin Hamlisch in Western North Carolina. Following this very successful beginning, the trio performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center in 2010 with two return engagements in 2011 and 2012, the Kravis Center (Palm Beach) in 2011, World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, the Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival, the FUZE! Series at the Akron Art Museum, the Living Room in New York City, and numerous other locations during the trio’s annual summer, fall, and winter residencies. In addition to presenting performances, the Sixth Floor Trio has created and directed several exciting projects inspired by the group’s mission to bring music to the widest audiences and to connect with artists from many different genres. The trio received a substantial grant in 2011 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to present “Random Acts of Culture” across the United States. These “Random Acts” led the trio to collaborate with organizations such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Stanford University, the Akron Public Library, Philadelphia’s National Museum of American Jewish History, Greyhound, and the Ferry Terminal Marketplace in San Francisco in addition to showcasing the trio at numerous malls, markets, transit centers, and airports around the country. Montreal native Gabriel Globus-Hoenich‘s career reflects forays into the worlds of jazz, classical music, and world music as a drummer, percussionist, composer, and teaching artist. A busy jazz drummer, Mr. Globus-Hoenich has performed with a multitude of jazz greats, and has been featured on drum-set with the Philly Pops and the Curtis, Detroit, Louisville, and Illinois symphonies. He is a co-founder of Drumming for Social Change, an organization dedicated to developing world percussion-based educational programming. He has studied Afro-Brazilian percussion in Salvador, Bahia and Cuban music in Havana; and is a 2008 graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. One of the world’s finest and most selective conservatories, the Curtis Institute of Music offers a tuition-free, performance-inspired learning culture to 175 students from all corners of the world. Nurtured by a celebrated faculty, its extraordinary young musicians graduate to join 4,000 alumni who have long made music history. From Leonard Bernstein to Alan Gilbert, Samuel Barber to Jennifer Higdon, Anna Moffo to Eric Owens, Richard Goode to Jonathan Biss, Curtis alumni personify the school’s commitment to excellence—onstage and in their communities—inventing careers with impact. Recent graduates forging 21st-century careers include Stanford Thompson, CEO of Play On, Philly!; the musicians of genre-crossing trio Time for Three (Zach De Pue, Nick Kendall, and Ranaan Meyer); and Yvonne Lam, violinist in groundbreaking contemporary music ensemble eighth blackbird. A busy schedule of performances, including more than 200 a year in Philadelphia and around the world, is at the heart of Curtis’s distinctive “learn by doing” approach. Dedicated to a tradition of excellence and innovation since its founding in 1924, Curtis is looking toward its centenary in a flexible and forward-thinking way, evolving strategically to serve its time-honored mission. Curtis Presents: Sixth Floor Trio Johnny Teyssier (Clarinet’08) Tickets: $25, available from the Curtis Patron Services Office at (215) 893-7902 or www.curtis.edu. The Curtis Presents season is sponsored by Blank Rome LLP. # # # |
