From the quiet lyricism of Grieg’s Elegiac Melodies to the haunting grace of Sibelius’s Valse triste, this program traces an emotional journey across Northern Europe and its diaspora. Arvo Pärt’s fearless First Symphony meets the deeply personal voice of Estonian-American composer Lembit Beecher, whose Tell Me Again—featuring acclaimed cellist Karen Ouzounian (Silk Road Ensemble, the Knights)—meditates on memory, identity, and the echoes of family stories.

EPSG:4326

Northern Lights

Ithaca College

Originally conceived for the formation of a cello quintet, the voicing is often spread wide over the ensemble, giving the music an expansive quality of sound. Within Strum I utilized texture motives, layers of rhythmic or harmonic ostinati that string together to form a bed of sound for melodies to weave in and out. The strumming pizzicato serves as a texture motive and the primary driving rhythmic underpinning of the piece. Drawing on American folk idioms and the spirit of dance and movement, the piece has a kind of narrative that begins with fleeting nostalgia and transforms into ecstatic celebration.— Jessie Montgomery

The Wonderous Bassoon

University of Redlands

Join Music on the Strait for an exciting program featuring Bach’s transcendent Goldberg Variations, arranged for violin, viola and cello. Artistic Directors Richard O’Neill and James Garlick perform with celebrated cellist Karen Ouzounian in an adaptation for strings described by someone important as “life-changing.”

Music on the Strait: Bach’s Goldberg Variations

Field Arts & Events Hall

The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music proudly announces its 2024 season, featuring an exhilarating lineup of world and West Coast premieres. Under the baton of Music Director Cristian Măcelaru, the festival continues its tradition of presenting groundbreaking works with a concert titled "Unbound," set to take place on Saturday, August 3, at 7 PM at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.

This season's highlight includes the West Coast premiere of "The Golden Spike" by Daniel Kellogg, a piece commemorating the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad and its profound impacts. The festival is also thrilled to present the world premiere of "unbound: Phase 1" by Nathaniel Heyder, a work that marks a significant moment in Heyder's career and celebrates his receipt of the inaugural Emerging Black Composers Cabrillo Festival Prize.

Adding to the festival's rich tapestry of narratives, Lembit Beecher's "Tell Me Again" for cello, featuring virtuoso Karen Ouzounian, will have its West Coast premiere. This piece explores themes of immigration and heritage, drawing from Beecher's personal family history. The program is rounded out by Iván Enrique Rodríguez's world premiere of "Casting the Dice," a commissioned work that delves into the experiences of immigrants and refugees, narrated live by Rodríguez.

The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music continues to be a beacon for new music, fostering a space for artistic and spiritual freedom through its support of emerging talents and commissioning of new works. Join us for an unforgettable evening of music that bridges histories, cultures, and personal stories, reflecting the unbound potential of contemporary composition.

Unbound

Civic Auditorium Santa Cruz

Third Sound is a collective of virtuoso performers drawn from New York City’s finest chamber musicians. Fast becoming one of today’s best contemporary music groups, this “forward-looking expert ensemble” (The New Yorker) makes its Philadelphia debut with a program featuring a new work (co-commissioned by PCMS) by American-Canadian composer Kati Agócs.

Third Sound

American Philosophical Society

Experience the cutting edge of American music with a concert of works composed within the last five years. This is a bold orchestral exploration of contemporary creativity. Greenville Symphony’s Principal Cellist Seth Russell takes center stage in Lembit Beecher’s evocative Tell Me Again. The program also features Clarice Assad’s playful Circus Fantasia, Katherine Balch’s ethereal music for young water that danced beneath my feet, and a world premiere by Ivan Enrique Rodriguez. Witness the dynamic voices shaping today’s American music!

Lembit Beecher

Events

Upcoming events

28 - 29 Mar, 2026

The Last Five Years: American Music Now · Greenville Symphony

Past events

Oct 11, 2025

Northern Lights · Cayuga Chamber Orchestra

Apr 5, 2025

The Wonderous Bassoon · Redlands Symphony

Future and recently performed repertoire

Piano in Goldberg Variations by Bach

Field Arts & Events Hall

About

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