Pianist

The recent passing of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho ended a brilliant career in the highest echelons of the music world. Aure, a work for violin and viola, demonstrates her mastery and originality. Danny Elfman, prolific film composer (Spider-Man, Good Will Hunting), singer, and percussionist, turns his protean talents to the Piano Quartet, with amazing results. The ravishing renegade Rebecca Clarke explores both modern concepts and ancient styles with her duo-concertante Dumka. Lastly, the autobiographical String Quartet No. 1 (“From My Life”) of Bedřich Smetana, father of Czech nationalist music, closes our season with one of the most beloved works in the chamber repertoire. 

Banquet

St Peter's Episcopal Church

St Gabriel's Church

**Event Description:**

Join us for an unforgettable musical journey with the Cape Ann Symphony's "Known and Unknown Greats" concert, a celebration of classical music's luminaries and hidden gems. This captivating event took place on Sunday, March 17, 2024, at 2:00 pm, hosted at the Manchester Essex RHS, offering an afternoon of exquisite compositions and breathtaking performances.

The concert featured the extraordinary talents of pianist Janice Weber, who took center stage with Beethoven's magnificent Emperor Piano Concerto. The program also shone a spotlight on the works of Louise Farrenc and William Grant Still, showcasing a blend of well-known masterpieces and lesser-known treasures that delighted the audience.

**Program Highlights:**
- Louise Farrenc: Overture No. 1
- William Grant Still: Woodnotes
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, with Janice Weber on piano

Janice Weber, a summa cum laude graduate of the Eastman School of Music, has graced stages worldwide, from the White House to Carnegie Hall, and has collaborated with numerous prestigious orchestras. Known for her eclectic repertoire and masterful interpretations, Weber's performance at the "Known and Unknown Greats" concert was a testament to her virtuosity and passion for music.

The Cape Ann Symphony, renowned for its dedication to presenting high-caliber musical experiences, continues to enrich the cultural landscape with its diverse programming and commitment to community engagement. This concert was a celebration of the symphony's mission to explore both the familiar and the frontier of classical music, inviting audiences to discover the depth and breadth of the orchestral repertoire.

For those who missed this remarkable event or wish to relive the magic, details of past concerts and information on future performances can be found on the Cape Ann Symphony's website. Join us in supporting the arts and experience the transformative power of music with one of the premier regional orchestras in the country.

Known (and Unknown) Greats Concert

Manchester Essex Regional Middle High School

One of America’s most eminent black composers of the early twentieth century, H. T. Burleigh wrote hundreds of art songs and introduced Antonin Dvořák to the spiritual. Southland Sketches, his suite for violin and piano, illustrates the American style that Burleigh did much to promulgate. By contrast, Dohnányi’s C minor Piano Quintet radiates high drama from first note to last. Britten’s second String Quartet, commissioned in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Henry Purcell’s death, was coincidentally composed following Britten’s recital tour of the newly-liberated concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. Britten’s admiration for Purcell’s “clarity, brilliance, tenderness, and strangeness” as well as his horror of war’s depravity find voice in this deeply emotional work.

Trifecta

Illustrious members of the NBSO brass ring in the holiday season with a spectacular program of classic and contemporary works. Handel’s Water Music, commissioned by King George I in 1717, delights the listener three centuries later. Two popular quintets by Malcolm Arnold and Viktor Ewald display the amazing range of this infrequently heard genre. Keyboard joins the mix with Charles Knox’s buoyant Music for Brass Quintet and Piano. Finally, John Cheetham’s cheeky Scherzo calls the quintet back for a sassy, brassy encore.

Top Brass

Brazilian composer Clarice Assad draws on the rain-making rituals of the Tupi and Gurana tribes of the Amazon basin to create a piece of music that is both prayerful and delightful, including that beautiful moment when you feel light raindrops falling on your uplifted face. Composer Dimitri Shostakovich might not typically be associated with the idea of pure beauty, but the second movement of his Piano Concerto No. 2 is truly mesmerizing in its gentle beauty, and the rest of the piece is infused with a celebratory joy, which is fitting since Shostakovich wrote it as a gift to his piano-playing son on his 19th birthday.

EPSG:4326

Beautiful Moments

New Bedford High School

South Coast Chamber Music opens its season with a pair of virtuoso duos: Paul Wiancko’s American Haiku, a riveting fusion of Appalachian and Japanese folk idioms, and Grazyna Bacewicz’s timeless Suite on Folk Tunes. Beethoven makes an All Hallow’s Eve appearance with the remarkable “Ghost” Trio. Our program closes with an American gem that deserves serious reappraisal. Arthur Foote, born in Salem, a distinguished member of the “Boston Six”, was noted for many fine chamber works. His Piano Quintet, a feast of romantic Americana, rounds out a rich autumn cornucopia.

Janice Weber

Pianist

Events

27 - 28 Apr, 2024

Banquet · New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

Mar 17, 2024

Known (and Unknown) Greats Concert · Cape Ann Symphony

9 - 10 Mar, 2024

Trifecta · New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

2 - 3 Dec, 2023

Top Brass · New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

Nov 18, 2023

Beautiful Moments · New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

Future and recently performed repertoire

Piano in Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor) by Beethoven

Cape Ann Symphony

Piano in Piano Trio No. 1 by Beethoven

New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

Piano in Piano Quartet by Elfman

New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

Piano in Piano Quintet in A minor by Foote

New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

Piano in Piano Quintet No.1 by Dohnányi

New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

About

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