Jewish Music Festival: Ariel Quartet soars in Auerbach and Golijov

The Ariel Quartet with clarinetist Pavel Vinnitsky on Tuesday at the Skirball Museum in Clifton.

Maybe you’ve seen brief mentions of the Jewish Music Festival, with musical performances, lectures and sometimes art exhibitions taking place throughout the area. The festival is brand new, and organized by Aik Khai Pung, associate professor at CCM, where he is music director of the CCM Concert Orchestra. I noticed in an online listing that the Ariel String Quartet was playing last night at Hebrew Union College, and by luck, I was able to go.

The concert, which was co-presented by concert:nova and the Cincinnati Cultural Exchange, was held in Mayerson Auditorium in the Skirball Museum on the HUC campus. Curator Abby Schwartz provided commentary about the art by Jewish artists that surrounded us, and the paintings’ relationships to the music.

The musical artists for this program were sensational. The Ariel Quartet, quartet-in-residence at CCM, opened with Lera Auerbach’s “Frozen Dreams” and “Cetera Desunt” for string quartet. Both works were a revelation. “Frozen Dreams” was haunting and deeply personal. Auerbach’s music is simply astonishing; it is both searing and lyrical. In “Cetera Desunt” Auerbach took her cue from Shostakovich, and the listener could detect the repeating motive signifying Shostakovich’s signature. The superb performers — violinists Alexandra Kazovsky and Gershon Gerchikov, Jan Grüning, viola, and Amit-Even-Tov, cello — soared through this treacherous score with exciting precision and passion. In the frenzied passages, they dug into their strings with bows flying. I plan to try to hear more of Auerbach’s music.

Vinnitsky was serenaded with “happy birthday” after the performance.

They joined with clarinetist Pavel Vinnitsky for Osvaldo Golijov’s “The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind.” It is named for a blind, mystical rabbi who lived centuries ago, but is also a tribute to Golijov’s great-grandfather. This piece blends liturgical prayers in its outer movements with raucous Klezmer music. There could not have been a better champion for both styles than Vinnitsky, who wailed and almost danced in his seat as he performed Golijov’s riveting music, using three different clarinets.

Read the program notes for this program here.

Vinnitsky joined CCM’s clarinet faculty about two years ago. He and the Ariel Quartet will perform the Brahms Clarinet Quintet on March 26 at CCM, 7:30 p.m. in Werner Recital Hall. It’s not-to-be missed!

The Jewish Foundation is sponsor of the inaugural festival, a total of nine concerts and events. Other participants have included the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, composer Anna Vinnitsky, saxophonist Rick VanMatre and others.

Several more events are coming up:

David Klingshirn, founder of the American Classical Music Hall of Fame, dies at 84

David Klingshirn, board member Trish Bryan, right, and Nina Perlove, former Hall of Fame Executive Director, presenting Philip Glass his medallion during a Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concert in 2014. Photo provided.

David Allan Klingshirn was one of Cincinnati’s biggest boosters, who loved the city and its arts. He was the founder of the Cincinnati-based American Classical Music Hall of Fame, which has recognized 165 individuals and institutions across the nation. Anxious to shine a light on classical music, which he believed received less recognition than sports, Mr. Klingshirn was fond of saying, “Cincinnati has major-league sports and major-league classical music.”

Mr. Klingshirn died at his home in Cincinnati on June 20. He was 84.

“David was a visionary who loved classical music and its ability to touch our souls and enrich our lives,” Gary Ingle, president of the Hall of Fame’s board of directors and CEO of the Music Teachers National Association. “He was a passionate advocate for classical music and guided the Hall of Fame tirelessly for these 27 years. The death of our founder is a deeply felt loss for all of us. Our hearts are heavy but filled with gratitude for David and the great legacy he leaves. His legacy will live on through the work we will continue to do together to advance the mission and goals of this very special organization.”

The Cincinnati businessman was the owner of Tischbein Pharmacies for 30 years. In 2004, he was ordained a Deacon for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and served at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral and St. Margaret’s Hall.

CCM professor makes unexpected Cincinnati recital debut

Baritone Elliot Madore performing at Memorial Hall on Sunday/ Photos provided by Gayna Bassin

When soprano Valerie Eickhoff canceled her debut with Matinée Musicale on about three days notice last week due to illness, it was sheer luck that another singer was available to step in. And conveniently, he lives in Cincinnati. Baritone Elliot Madore wowed the audience on Sunday evening in Memorial Hall with a wide-ranging program that opened with the Liederkreis Op. 39 by Schumann and ended with Rogers and Hammerstein’s “My Boy Bill.”

Madore is a star who is busy singing in opera houses around the world while he is also teaching the stars of the future at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His collaborative pianist was CCM professor Donna Loewy, who had never played with him before. Madore joined the faculty in August of 2021, and we learned later that this was his Cincinnati recital debut.

Ryan Speedo Green to make Cincy debut Sunday

Ryan Speedo Green, photo by jiyang chen

Last week, I had the privilege of talking to opera star Ryan Speedo Green about his upcoming appearance, 3 p.m. Sunday March 27 at the First Unitarian Church in Avondale, presented by Matinee Musicale.

Currently, he is singing his fifth production this season at the Metropolitan Opera, “Ariadne auf Naxos.”

He told me this inspiring story about his 4th-grade teacher, Elizabeth Hughes, who encouraged and believed in him and stayed in touch through thick and thin. I’ve been reading the excellent book about his life, “Sing For Your Life” by Daniel Bergner, and it’s detailed there.

But we touched on many other topics. He has been to Cincinnati before — to audition for graduate studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. (He ended up going to Florida State University.) He’ll be giving a free master class at CCM on Saturday. And he has a brother in Dayton.

But he has never set foot in Music Hall.

Here’s a bit about Sunday’s program. He’s opening with the spiritual, “Deep River.” Besides some German lieder by Hugo Wolf and opera arias, he will be singing African American art songs.

“I love showcasing African-American music in a classical style. I will throw in spiritual because, obviously, it’s part of my history and part of African-American history,” he said.

“Then, German is sort of my lifeblood at the moment. It’s where I became a man and a musician in the opera world, living in Vienna. I been living in Europe for almost eight going on nine years, and (singing at) one of the greatest opera houses in Europe at the Wiener Staatsoper for five of those years. I learned so much from there, being immersed amongst the Austrian and German culture and really got to hone my German.”

Green will be singing Mahler, Wagner (an aria from “Der fliegende Holländer”) and one his favorite Verdi arias from “MacBeth.” And, we can expect a piece from one of his favorite oratorios, Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.”

“I consider myself operatically a Verdi – Wagner singer,” he said. “I love Mozart. I love all of these composers. I’m going to give you a little bit of a taste of my future.

“I’m excited to showcase my gambit of musical styles.”

Tickets, $25, at matineemusicalecincinnati.org or call 513-977-8838. Green also performs a free master class, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Saturday March 26 in Werner Hall at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Cincinnati native Megan Moore is 2022 George London Award winner

Mezzo-soprano Megan Moore. Photo by Jennifer Taylor

Megan Moore, a 31-year-old mezzo-soprano from West Chester Township, has won a 2022 George London Award, which includes a prize of $10,000. She was one of five winners recently announced of the 50th George London Foundation Competition.

The final round with 12 finalists took place at Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City on Feb. 25. Susanna Phillips, international opera star and 2005 George London Award winner, was the livestream host. (Watch it here.) Megan’s performance begins at 1:01:50 in the video.

The other 2022 George London Award winners are Erik Grendahl, Timothy Murray, Blake Denson and Eric Ferring.

Megan recently completed an Artist Diploma at The Juilliard School.

Last summer, she created the role of Ino in the world premiere of John Corigliano & Mark Adamo’s Lord of Cries at Santa Fe Opera. Megan looks forward to her Metropolitan Opera debut in Brett Dean’s Hamlet, opening May 13. Among her many awards, she has won top honors from Young Concert Artist International Auditions. She’ll make her Kennedy Center debut on April 11, presented by Young Concert Artists — followed by Merkin Hall on April 20 and Carnegie Hall on May 2.

The competition for young American and Canadian opera singers has many winners who have gone on to international stardom – the list of past winners includes Christine Brewer, Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Christine Goerke, Catherine Malfitano, James Morris, Matthew Polenzani, Sondra Radvanovsky, Neil Shicoff, and Dawn Upshaw.

In the production of Terence Blanchard’s opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones that opened the Metropolitan Opera’s 2021-22 season, six George London Award winners were featured in the cast: Will Liverman, Latonia Moore, Ryan Speedo Green, Norman Garrett, Donovan Singletary, and Errin Duane Brooks.

So far, Megan hasn’t appeared lately on Cincinnati stages, but we hope that is in her future!

My November picks in classical music

CSO on opening night/photo provided by Hannah Kenney

Since the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra officially opened its subscription season this weekend (here’s the review), I decided to look at the arts calendar to see what musical performances I want to get on my November calendar.

Wow! I was pleasantly surprised to see that most of our performing arts are ramping up. My November calendar looks almost normal, which in Cincinnati means that you can be out every night of the week. So here are some of my picks.

Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. – At CCM, renowned Russian pianist and pedagogue Boris Berman performs a guest recital performance in Robert J. Werner Recital Hall. Admission: FREE.

Note: Find all CCM events and the calendar here.

Nov. 7, 4 p.m. — Linton Music Series “Pure Bach,” featuring violinist Jennifer Koh performing the solo violin works of Bach. First Unitarian Church. For tickets and program, click here.

Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m. – Ariel Quartet, CCM String-Quartet-in-Residence, continues its concert series with Lera Auerbach’s “Frozen Dreams,” which premiered in 2020, and Béla Bartók’s penultimate quartet, String Quartet No. 5.  Robert J. Werner Recital Hall
Tickets: Prices start at $29.50.

Daniil Trifonov in recital

Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m., Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov performs a recital at Music Hall, presented by the CSO. His program includes music by Karol Szymanowski, Debussy, Prokofiev and Brahms.

Note: For all CSO events and concerts, click here.

Nov. 11, 8 p.m. —Stephen Hough recital at Xavier. Hough is a longtime visitor to the Xavier Piano Series, and is something of a Renaissance man. This month, he graces the cover of BBC Music magazine. His program includes Schumann’s Kreisleriana, Chopin’s Ballade No. 3 and Hough’s own “Partitia.” It’s in Xavier’s Gallagher Center Theater on the XU campus. For tickets and info about the entire Xavier Music Series, click here.

CCM welcomes new performing faculty members

Kristin Lee; photo by Sophie Zhai

The College-Conservatory of Music at UC has been busy adding faculty members recently. Dean Stanley Romanstein announced these prominent new profs this week:

Kristin Lee has been appointed Assistant Professor of Violin beginning Aug. 15, 2021. She is a recipient of the 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant, as well as a top prizewinner of the 2012 Walter W. Naumburg Competition and the Astral Artists’ 2010 National Auditions.

Star tenor Pene Pati to reopen Matinée Musicale in June

 

Pene Pati performing as Romeo in San Francisco Opera’s production of Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette. Cory Weaver/provided by Matinée Musicale.

Matinée Musicale has announced that the renowned Samoan tenor Pene Pati is returning to the Memorial Hall stage, with pianist Ronny Michael Greenberg, for not one, but two, long-awaited live performances:  7:30 p.m. Friday, June 4 and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 6.

Local fans are still talking about his Cincinnati debut in March of 2019. His trip from his home in Auckland, New Zealand, to Cincinnati took two full days, and was complicated by last-minute visa problems and a spring snowstorm in Cincinnati. Pati’s impressive performance resulted in standing ovations, encore after encore, and an outcry for his rapid return.

However, due to Covid, his return engagement had to be postponed.

Pati will be performing the same program for both performances (to be announced). If his last recital is any indication, audiences are in for a rare treat. Here’s the review from that concert.

After recent debuts as Roméo in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at San Francisco Opera — with Cincinnati favorite Nadine Sierra as Juliet — and Alfredo in Verdi’s La traviata at Moscow’s historic Bolshoi Theatre, Pati has been hailed ​“the most exceptional tenor discovery of the last decade” (Opéra-Online). In the upcoming seasons, Pati will make debuts at Staatsoper Berlin, Wiener Staatsoper, Teatro San Carlo di Napoli and Opéra National de Paris.

Here’s what I wrote after I was privileged to hear Pati and Nadine Sierra in San Francisco:

“Pati’s singing was the picture of elegance, and he remained fresh until his dying breath in Act V. Romeo’s famous cavatina, “Ah! Lève-toi, soleil” (“Arise, oh sun”) was deeply felt, a feat that combined both beauty of line and ardent, exciting top notes.”

See the full review here on my blog.

This marks the return of live recitals presented by Matinée Musicale after more than a year. The 107-year-old music series is one of the first small performing arts organizations in our city to return to live, in-person performances.

Covid safety measures at Memorial Hall include wearing of masks and social distancing.

For more information, including purchasing tickets, visit matineemusicalecincinnati.org.

CCM’s Moveable Feast is virtual this year

Students of CCM’s Musical Theatre Class of 2022 and alumni guest artists Noah J. Ricketts, John Riddle, Nikki René Daniels, Leslie Kritzer and Stephanie Jae Park. (Screen grab provided by CCM)

If you’ve ever attended a Moveable Feast, the imaginative fundraising event at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, you’ve probably never forgotten it. The idea is to stroll from theater to theater, classroom to classroom, and sample the amazing talent of students in every discipline — from ballet to jazz to scenic design and media arts. You do this while also sampling “dinner by the bite” in wonderful food stations throughout the building.

This year, with Covid, Moveable Feast is re-imagined as a virtual event on Jan. 22. Although there won’t be the thrill of rushing down hallways with dozens of other people to make it in time to a see some Broadway hits before you dash away to catch ballet students in a scene from “Swan Lake” — the event will be able to involve viewers around the country.

It’s presented by CCM Power, a volunteer group of friends, advocates and alumni. The event provides essential support for student scholarships, projects and travel opportunities.  This year, COVID-19 cancelled paid work that students rely on and drastically changed students’ family financial circumstances. Scholarship and emergency funds are needed now more than ever.

CCM has produced major stars of stage and screen — from Broadway and Carnegie Hall to Hollywood. Alumni guest artists for the show will include stars of Hamilton, Frozen, Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Netflix’s Dead to Me and much more.

Edward Nelson Highlight Screen – This image features CCM alumnus Edward Nelson performing “Someone to Watch Over Me” for CCM’s virtual Moveable Feast. He is Accompanied by San Francisco Opera guest artist Ronny Michael Greenberg, piano. (Screen grab provided by CCM)

Opera alumnus Edward Nelson (BM, ’11; MM, ‘13) wanted to participate because, he says, “At every step further into my career, I have found myself drawing on my experiences and education from CCM. When the opportunity arose this year to give back to the institution that has given me so much, I jumped on board without hesitation.”

What I’m watching to ring in 2021

A lot of us would like to say good riddance to 2020. To celebrate, I’m planning to drink in some lavish performances on PBS and streaming media to ring in the New Year.

At 4 p.m. tomorrow, New Year’s Eve, the Metropolitan Opera is continuing its annual New Year’s Eve gala concert — but this year it’s virtual. The Met rings in 2021 with opera stars Javier Camarena, Angel Blue (who just sang so brilliantly with the CSO this fall), Pretty Yende, and Matthew Polenzani, in a livestream a pay-per-view performance. It is being broadcast from the historic Baroque-style Parktheater, ca. 1886, in Augsburg, Germany.

The New Year’s Eve Gala program will include arias, duets, and ensembles from Donizetti to Puccini, as well as arrangements of operetta and Neapolitan songs.

The concert, part of the Met Stars Live in Concert series, will be streamed live on the Met’s website at 4 pm EST/10 pm CET, and then be available on demand for 14 days. It costs $20.

The gala will be shot with multiple cameras, and linked by satellite to a control room in New York City, where host Christine Goerke will be situated. Gary Halvorson, the Met’s award-winning director of the company’s Live in HD cinema transmissions, will direct.

Tickets can be purchased on the Met’s website at metopera.org. Gala Committee tickets, with enhanced benefits, are also available at a range of donation levels. The gala supports the company.

The performances will be available for on-demand viewing for 14 days following the live event. The programs can be viewed on a computer, mobile device, or home entertainment system (via Chromecast or AirPlay).

The Vienna Philharmonic performs its annual New Year’s Concert in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein

On New Year’s Day, it’s the annual Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert with Riccardo Muti, in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, which airs over PBS locally on CET Channel 48 and nationwide. The 2021 New Year’s Concert will be broadcast in over 90 countries and followed by millions of television viewers around the world. Due to Covid-19, the 2021 New Year’s Concert will take place without an audience.

Of course, you can expect lots of Strauss waltzes, galops, polkas and marches. Here are the local times for From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2021 on CET (Channel 48). It continues on CETARTs Jan. 4-6 at various times.

Friday, January 1, 9:00 pm on CET HD

Saturday, January 2, 1:00 am on CET HD

Monday, January 4, 3:00 am on CET HD