Chamber Music Series to Feature Three Concerts at Wadsworth’s Avery Court
HARTFORD, August 27, 2010 –The Hartford Symphony Orchestra announces the programming for the 2010-2011 Sunday Serenades series, which pairs exhibitions from the Atheneum Museum of Art with chamber music performed by HSO musicians. Under the artistic direction of HSO Concertmaster Leonid Sigal, this season will delight art and music lovers alike with three concerts inspired by the Atheneum Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibitions.
This season’s programming is inspired by two of the Wadsworth Atheneum’s coming exhibitions this year, American Moderns on Paper and Monet’s Water Lilies. The first celebrates American creativity with a program of music either by American composers or commissioned by American musicians. Monet’s Water Lilies inspired two different programs, the first a concert of music by Monet’s French contemporaries, and the second a program of Latin American music that was informed by the French classical tradition.
Leonid Sigal says, “Inspired by two of the Wadsworth Atheneum’s fascinating exhibits, this season celebrates imagination. We will open with masterpieces by iconic American composers – Bernstein, Copland and Carter, as well as the Benny Goodman – Bela Bartok brainchild, and a jazz inspired gem by Stravinsky. We’ll explore the quintessential works of Monet’s musical contemporaries in France, and take a fresh look at Piazzolla’s legacy, which was uniquely connected with the French musical tradition.”
2010-2011 SUNDAY SERENADES SERIES:
American Moderns: featuring Bernstein’s Clarinet Sonata and Copland’s Appalachian Spring
Sunday, October 24, 2010 │ 2:00 p.m.
Avery Court │ Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Performers: Leonid Sigal, violin; Curt Blood, clarinet; Margreet Francis, piano
Program to include: Leonard Bernstein: Clarinet Sonata; Elliott Carter: 4 Lauds; Béla Bartók: Contrasts; Aaron Copland (arr. Bryan Stanley): Appalachian Spring Suite for Violin & Piano; Igor Stravinsky: L’Histoire du Soldat Suite
Featured Artists: Georgia O’Keeffe, Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper, Charles H. Demuth, John Marin, and Arshile Gorky
Water Lilies: featuring Debussy’s Violin Sonata and Fauré’s Piano Quartet No. 2
Sunday, February 20, 2011 │ 2:00 p.m.
Avery Court │ Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Performers: Leonid Sigal, violin; Andruis Zlabys, piano; Other performers TBA
Program to include: Claude Debussy: Violin Sonata; Erik Satie: Choses Vues á Droite et á Gauche; Lili Boulanger: Deux Morceaux: Nocturne et Courtège; Gabriel Fauré: Piano Quartet No. 2
Featured Art: Claude Monet’s Water Lilies
Paris to Buenos Aires: featuring music by Piazzolla and many others
Sunday, April 10, 2011 │ 2:00 p.m.
Morgan Great Hall │ Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Performers: Leonid Sigal, violin; Tito Castro, bandoneon; Other performers TBA
Program to include: Astor Piazzolla: Le Grand Tango; Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas; Alberto Ginastera: Pampeana No.1; André Previn Tango Song & Dance
Featured Art: Claude Monet’s Water Lilies
HSO Concertmaster (Principal Violinist) and Sunday Serenades Artistic Director Leonid Sigal has enjoyed a multi-faceted career as recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestra leader. Born in Moscow, Russia, he began violin studies at age five. He moved to the US in 1995 when he was awarded a prestigious fellowship with the New World Symphony. A devoted chamber musician, Mr. Sigal frequently appears with the Miami Friends of Chamber Music and the Avery Ensemble, and has served as Artistic Director of the Miami Chamber Symphony.
Subscriptions to the 2010-2011 Sunday Serenades Series are $60. Single tickets to these performances are $30; $25 for Atheneum Members or HSO Subscribers. Ticket price includes general admission to the Wadsworth Atheneum on the days of the concerts. For more ticketing information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860)244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2010-2011 season is sponsored by St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center. The 2010-2011 Sunday Serenades Series is sponsored in part by the Helen M. Saunders Charitable Foundation Music Endowment at the Wadsworth Atheneum. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is located at 600 Main St. in Hartford, Connecticut. The Museum is open Wednesdays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please visit www.wadsworthatheneum.org for more information.