Pianist

Soloist friends of Esprit and outstanding soloists drawn from within Esprit are spotlighted in this program performing three exceptional concertos from different cultures. Reich’s minimalist, energized and infectious Runner sets the pace for this concert and leads to the contrasting, intense and distilled poetic moments of Abrahamsen’s Double Concerto with individual soloists relating to each other separately then alternatively playing in unison. Full attention will be on Erica Goodman in her performance of Music Director Pauk’s Harp Concerto, a work of virtuosity bringing the wide-ranging musical experiences of the composer’s background into play in a kind of musical self-portrait.

EPSG:4326

Runner

The Royal Conservatory of Music

The ARC Ensemble performs Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s extravagantly lush Piano Quintet, and works for string quartet and clarinet by his Viennese contemporary Ernest Kanitz. Both settled in Los Angeles during the 1930s, where Korngold became the most celebrated film composer of the day and Kanitz became a legendary teacher at the University of Southern California.

ARC Ensemble: The Viennese in Los Angeles

Traversing rich and varied musical landscapes, this concert laments the dramatic ecological loss of bees and the associated acoustic loss (referencing its musical predecessor Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee) and presents a tapestry of a thousand flowers in the constantly shimmering gestures of Martinaityte’s sonic garden. Silvestrov’s Postludium, rippling with nostalgia and swirling memories, belies Vladimir Putin’s contention that Ukraine doesn’t exist as a country with its own cultural identity. In memoriam, we honour the late Kaija Saariaho performing her fabulous musical voyage through evocative sound worlds guided by texts of the great Persian poet Rumi.

Esprit Orchestra presents: Circle Maps

The ARC Ensemble celebrates its 20th anniversary with Walter Braunfels's ravishing String Quintet, one of ARC’s early discoveries. The program also features the lush Romantic works of Frederick Block, whose thriving career was cut short in 1938 when he fled Vienna and moved to New York. Block's music has not been heard in over 75 years. ARC’s Artistic Director, Simon Wynberg, will introduce these two extraordinary composers.

ARC Ensemble: Celebrating 20 Years

Our Pops Concert features piano soloist Kevin Ahfat and a commissioned composition from Sam Paytosh.

Pianist

Kevin Ahfat

Events

Upcoming events

Apr 16, 2026

POPS CONCERT: Our Favorite Things · Magic Valley Symphony

Past events

Feb 23, 2025

Runner · Esprit Orchestra

Apr 7, 2024

ARC Ensemble: The Viennese in Los Angeles · The Royal Conservatory of Music

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