IN WEILL RECITAL HALL ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Meredith Monk Joins Ensemble ACJW for Week-Long Residency at Skidmore College and
World Premiere of Backlight at Ladd Concert Hall on Friday, February 13
Ensemble ACJW Also Plays Villa-Lobos, Bartók, Pärt, John Adams, and More
at SubCulture on Thursday, January 22
 On Monday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Weill Recital Hall, Ensemble ACJW—an inspirational collective of young professional musicians—performs the New York premiere of a new three-movement work Backlight by acclaimed composer Meredith Monk, holder of the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall this season. Backlight, which plays sonically with the idea of shadow and light and was commissioned by Carnegie Hall for Ensemble ACJW, receives its world premiere by the group in the Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall in Saratoga Springs, New York, on Friday, February 13 at 8:00 p.m., as part of a week-long residency at Skidmore College. Both concerts also include Roussel’s Trio for Flute, Viola, and Cello, and Ravel’s Piano Trio in A Minor.
Also, on Thursday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m., Ensemble ACJW performs at SubCulture, one of the East Village’s newest performance spaces. The program includes ensemble works by Gabrieli, and Frederic Rzewski, plus duos by Villa-Lobos, Bartók, Arvo Pärt, Erwin Schulhoff, John Adams, and Reena Esmail. Please see below for full program details. For eight consecutive years, Ensemble ACJW has returned to Saratoga Springs, New York for two five-day residencies at Skidmore College. These February concerts represent the culmination of the ensemble’s upcoming residency at the college from February 10–14 during which the fellows will work with Meredith Monk and the music department faculty and students, offering master classes, lessons, and class demonstrations. The fellows also play side by side with the students of the Skidmore College Orchestra and read student composers’ new works. In addition, the fellows offer collaborative demonstrations and informal performances beyond the music department in classes, dormitories, and libraries, as well as in schools and other community venues in Saratoga Springs. Ms. Monk’s residency as Carnegie Hall’s Debs Composer’s Chair continues on Friday, March 20 in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage when the St. Louis Symphony, led by David Robertson, performs the New York premiere of Monk’s Weave with guest vocal soloists Katie Geissinger and Theo Bleckmann. On Sunday, March 22 in Zankel Hall, Ms. Monk performs with her Vocal Ensemble and an all-star line-up of guest artists (including Bang on a Can All-Stars, Jessye Norman, Victoire, Don Byron, DJ Spooky, John Zorn, and many more), gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Monk’s creating new work in New York City. The residency concludes on Saturday, May 2 in Zankel Hall with Ms. Monk and Vocal Ensemble performing classic works of the composer’s from the ‘70s and ‘80s alongside selections from some of her more recent music. About the Artists Ensemble ACJW fellows—chosen for their musicianship, but also for their leadership qualities and commitment to music education—come from some of the best music schools in the country, including the Curtis Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, Peabody Institute, Stony Brook University, University of Southern California, and Yale School of Music. Ensemble ACJW has earned accolades from critics and audiences alike for the quality of its performances as well as its fresh and open-minded approach, performing a wide range of music—from centuries past to works written days before an event—in a variety of performance venues. The group performs its own series at Carnegie Hall and has regularly appeared at The Juilliard School’s Paul Hall and other venues throughout New York City, including (Le) Poisson Rouge nightclub in Greenwich Village, Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn, and SubCulture in NoHo. As part of a partnership with Skidmore College that began in 2007, Ensemble ACJW gives master classes for university students and performs for the Saratoga Springs community in both concert halls and in informal settings around town. Along with performance opportunities at premier venues in New York City and beyond, Ensemble ACJW fellows each partner with a New York City public school to share their artistry with—and become central resources for—music classrooms in the five boroughs. Ensemble ACJW fellows also take part in community work through the Weill Music Institute’s Musical Connections program, in which they perform at multiple non-traditional music venues across New York City, including healthcare settings, correctional facilities, and senior-service organizations. Throughout the two-year program, Ensemble ACJW fellows participate in rigorous, ongoing professional development to ensure that they gain the necessary skills to be successful in all areas of the program and to become leaders in their field. Areas of emphasis include artistic excellence, engagement strategies on and off the stage, advocacy, professional skills, and preparation for their in-school work. Moving on to the next stage of their careers, Ensemble ACJW’s 83 alumni are now making an impact on the national and international musical landscape in a wide variety of artistic and educational arenas. Continuing the strong bonds formed through the program, in 2011, the alumni formed the chamber music collective Decoda, which has been named an affiliate ensemble of Carnegie Hall. Exemplary performers, dedicated teachers, and advocates for music throughout the community, the forward-looking musicians of Ensemble ACJW are redefining what it means to be a musician in the 21st century. Visit acjw.org to learn more. Program Information GIOVANNI GABRIELI Sonata pian e forte from Sacrae symphoniae (arr. Ensemble ACJW) Friday, February 13, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. Monday, February 16, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. ALBERT ROUSSEL Trio for Flute, Viola, and Cello, Op. 40 Meredith Monk is the holder of the 2014-2015 Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall. Lead funding for Ensemble ACJW is provided by the Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund. Major funding has been provided by The Diller–von Furstenberg Family Foundation, Susan and Edward C. Forst and Goldman Sachs Gives, the Max H. Gluck Foundation, The Irving Harris Foundation, The Kovner Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Lester S. Morse Jr., Phyllis and Charles Rosenthal, and Ernst & Young LLP. Additional support has been provided by Mr. and Mrs. Nicola Bulgari, EGL Charitable Foundation, Leslie and Tom Maheras, Andrew and Margaret Paul, Park Hyatt hotels, UJA-Federation of New York, and The Wallace Foundation. Public support is provided, in part, by the New York City Department of Education and the New York State Council on the Arts. Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.
Image at top of release by Jennifer Taylor |
