The Violin Channel Announces Vanguard Concert Series

 

The Violin Channel and Alphadyne Foundation Redefine the Virtual Concert Experience with the Launch of Vanguard Concerts, Airing Weekly Starting February 11^th

Featuring Today’s Leading String Players:
 Joshua Bell, Tessa Lark, Dover Quartet, Junction Trio, Sophia Bacelar, Charles Yang,
Nathan Meltzer, Jordan Bak, Kevin Zhu and Philippe Quint

Each concert features a custom look and feel from Creative Director David Katzive

The Violin Channel (VC), a leading classical music news source for more than a decade, announces the launch of Vanguard Concerts, a free original digital concert series co-produced with the Alphadyne Foundation by VC Founder Geoffrey John Davies and veteran performing arts executive Charles Letourneau, featuring a lineup of today’s top string players. Nearly a year into a pandemic that has created devastation for the performing arts across the globe, The Violin Channel and Alphadyne Foundation demonstrate a commitment to the health and survival of the industry by engaging artists for a highly produced 10-episode digital series of hour-long concerts which kicks off on February 11^th at 5pm ET, with new episodes airing weekly on The Violin Channel’s social media platforms (Facebook and YouTube).

“Our series was created with the sole purpose of helping artists during this time of crisis” says VC Founder and co-producer Geoffrey John Davies. “Not only are we paying them real fees for their performances, we are also creating the ultimate promotional materials and giving the artists the right to use them at no cost in perpetuity.”

The Vanguard Concerts lineup includes violinist Joshua Bell with pianist Alessio Bax; the Dover Quartet; Junction Trio [Jay Campbell, Stefan Jackiw, Conrad Tao]; violinist Philippe Quint with pianist Jun Cho; violinists Nathan Meltzer and Kevin Zhu with pianist Rohan de Silva; violist Jordan Bak; violinist Charles Yang with pianist Peter Dugan; violinist Tessa Lark with pianist Amy Yang and guitarist Frank Vignola; cellist Sophia Bacelar with pianist Noreen Cassidy-Polera and dancer Jamaii Melvin.

Series trailer: https://youtu.be/HaSjWwD2xuk

Each episode of Vanguard Concerts was shot in 4K with seven cameras at the Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Hall. Creative Director David Katzive produced a custom look and feel for the concerts with a 41-foot-long and 11.5-foot-high background curved LED wall that incorporates gently moving colors, patterns, or scenic views customized for each performer. The result is a musically and visually stunning product that redefines the virtual concert experience for audiences worldwide.

 “I am excited to be joining my fellow violinists in The Violin Channel's new Vanguard Concerts series,” said violinist Joshua Bell. “VC has always been a wonderful resource for musicians and music-lovers, and I'm grateful to this community for providing this opportunity for me and my colleagues to share music and express our spirit of camaraderie.”

Full Concert Details:

[Thursday, February 11, 2021, 5pm ET]

The kickoff episode will feature all artists on the series, each performing a short work. Repertoire ranges from Beethoven, Ravel, and Kreisler to Jessie Montgomery, Joan Tower, and John Zorn, as well as original arrangements of standards by Harold Arlen and The Beatles.

 

[Thursday, February 18, 2021, 5pm ET]

Joshua Bell, violin

Alessio Bax, piano

J.S. Bach | Sonata for Violin & Keyboard No. 4 in C minor BWV 1017

Schubert | Rondo for Violin & Piano in B minor D. 895

Wieniawski | Polonaise Brillante No. 1 in D major Op. 4

Chopin | Nocturne in E minor Op. 72 No. 1 (Arr. Bell/Wallace)

 

[Thursday, February 25, 2021, 5pm ET]

Charles Yang, violin

Peter Dugan, piano

House of the Rising Sun (Trad. arr. Yang/Dugan)

Monti | Czardas (Arr. Yang/Dugan)

Ravel | Blues from Violin Sonata No. 2 in G major

The Beatles | Blackbird (Arr. Yang & Dugan)

Harold Arlen | Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Arr. Yang & Dugan)

Charles Yang / Peter Dugan | Loopy

Rachmaninoff | Vocalise

 

[Thursday, March 4, 2021, 5pm ET]

Dover Quartet

            Joel Link, violin

            Bryan Lee, violin

            Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola

            Camden Shaw, cello

Beethoven | String Quartet No. 16 in F major Op. 135

Dvorák | Lento from String Quartet No. 12 in F major (“American”)

 

[Thursday, March 11, 2021, 5pm ET]

Nathan Meltzer, violin

Kevin Zhu, violin

Rohan de Silva, piano

Jessie Montgomery | Rhapsody No. 1 for Solo Violin

Bartók | Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Piano

Brahms | Sonatenatz in C minor

Wieniawski | Fantasia on Themes from Faust Op. 20

Leclair | Presto from Sonata for Two Violins in E minor Op. 3 No. 5

 

[Thursday, March 18, 2021, 5pm ET]

Sophia Bacelar, cello

Noreen Cassidy-Polera, piano

Jamaii Melvin, dancer

Rachmaninoff | Andante from Cello Sonata in G minor Op. 19

Piazzolla | Oblivion

Chopin | Nocturne in C# minor (Arr. Piatigorsky)

Mancini | Moon River (Arr. Bacelar)

Bach | Prelude from Solo Cello Suite No. 1 in G minor

Saint-Saëns | Romance Op. 36

Piazzolla | Le Grand Tango

Rimsky-Korsakov | Captured by the Nightingale

 

[Thursday, March 25, 2021, 5pm ET]

Tessa Lark, violin

Amy Yang, piano

Frank Vignola, guitar

Kreisler | Syncopation

Kreisler | Praeludium and Allegro

Telemann | Fantasia No. 4 in D major

Ysaÿe | Sonata No. 4 in E minor

Michael Torke | Milk from Spoon Bread

Avner Dorman | 5th Movement from Violin Sonata No. 4

Kreisler | Liebesleid

 

[Thursday, April 1, 2021, 5pm ET]

Junction Trio

            Stefan Jackiw, violin

            Jay Campbell, cello

            Conrad Tao, piano

John Zorn | Ghosts

Schumann | Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor Op. 63

 

[Thursday, April 8, 2021, 5pm ET]

Jordan Bak, viola

Bach | Adagio and Fuga from Solo Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor

Hindemith | Thema mit Variationen. Schnelle Viertel (ma maestoso) from Sonata for Solo Viola Op. 31 No. 4

Jeffrey Mumford | wending

Joan Tower | Wild Purple

 

[Thursday, April 15, 2021, 5pm ET]

Philippe Quint, violin

Jun Cho, piano

Debussy | Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor

Clara Schumann | Three Romances for Violin and Piano

Piazzolla | Le Grand Tango (Arr. Gubaidulina)

Bloch | Nigun from Baal Shem

Ravel | Tzigane

# # #

Artist Quotes:

“I am excited to be joining my fellow violinists in The Violin Channel's new Vanguard Concerts series. The Violin Channel has always been a wonderful resource for musicians and music-lovers, and I'm grateful to VC community for providing this opportunity for me and my colleagues to share music and express our spirit of camaraderie.”  Joshua Bell

“When The Violin Channel called me about this opportunity, it sounded unbelievable. I was given an almost paralyzing level of artistic freedom and a most incredible team of artistic visionaries that brought any of my creative whims to life… and we were all paid to do it. This was a dream come true, regardless of the fact that it happened during the pandemic.” Tessa Lark

“This project was incredibly meaningful for us, and not only as musicians longing to connect to others:  the whole team of people, audio, video, and otherwise who poured their heart into this was awe-inspiring.  We left the hall feeling a tremendous gratitude and warmth.” Dover String Quarte 

“The evening we filmed was the first time since March 2020 during which I momentarily forgot about the pandemic, the political turmoil, and the social chaos enveloping the world. Accessing that flow state of performance restored my faith in the value of music and art, and I am tremendously grateful to The Violin Channel for providing the platform to do so.” Sophia Bacelar

“We are so thankful to The Violin Channel for creating this exciting series. The shutdowns of live concerts, while absolutely necessary to save thousands of lives, have posed difficult challenges for the performing arts. So, it’s heartening to see The Violin Channel leading the way in forging new paths for musicians to bring their work to listeners. Also, for me, spending an evening recording with Conrad and Jay was the most musical fun I’ve had in months.” Stefan Jackiw/Junction Trio

“It’s such a rare treat to be given free reign over our programming choices and then to have a video team that works as artistic partners with us to develop a look that matches the energy and character of our musical voice as a duo. I’m so grateful to The Violin Channel for this opportunity and can’t wait for folks to see the truly unique videos that we cooked up together.” Peter Dugan/Charles Yang

“This series is remarkable in its artistic finesse, creatively merging together music and film in a new and unique way - to be a part of this uplifting project was a wholly revitalizing experience, especially in this time of dire need for human connection and inspiration.”

Kevin Zhu

“I had such a tremendous time recording for The Violin Channel Vanguard Concerts series! Not only was it a meaningful experience for me to get back on an actual stage after so many months away from a concert hall, but the backdrop images and the lighting were jaw-dropping and really made for a uniquely colorful and exciting visual and aural experience. It was a pleasure being at one with the space and I really felt that I could be myself.” Jordan Bak

“Collaborating with The Violin Channel for The Vanguard Concerts series was so imaginative and refreshing.  The director and crew of this series truly captured our music with such vibe and unique creativity.  In a time where live concerts are rare and streamed content is in abundance, we feel so proud and honored to be part of a series that sets a new standard of excellence in this virtual age.” Charles Yang/Peter Dugan 

“Being a part of The Violin Channel’s Vanguard Concerts series was an amazing experience. Much like the name suggests, The Violin Channel has created a concert experience that only they could have, bringing a new quality and sense of class to the online format of concerts we as musicians have had to become accustomed to in the past year. I’m so honored to be a part of this series with such an amazing line up of musicians, and I can’t wait to watch their performances!”  Nathan Meltzer

“With inspired background drops, and extraordinary camera work, this imaginative virtual concert experience and performances, that were captured and created by my friends at The Violin Channel, will redefine classical music experience beyond these challenging times.”  Philippe Quint

About the Creative Team

Geoffrey John Davies, Co-Producer

Australian-born and New York-based entrepreneur Geoffrey John Davies founded The Violin Channel in 2009, which has since grown to become one of the most influential classical music media platforms in the world.  Now reaching in excess of two million viewers worldwide per month, The Violin Channel has helped foster the development of a formidable generation of outstanding young string soloists. The Violin Channel was recently appointed as the official global media partner of the Kronberg Academy and notable global events including the Menuhin, Queen Elisabeth, Indianapolis, Wieniawski, Joseph Joachim, Sibelius, Montreal, Michael Hill, Schoenfeld and the ARD International Violin Competitions. The 2018 Menuhin Competition in Geneva received in excess of 10,000,000 video views through The Violin Channel’s social media streaming platforms. Geoffrey John Davies in 2016 was named by Musical America as ‘One of the 30 Most Influential Arts Professionals In The World.’

Charles Letourneau, Co-Producer

For 25 years, Charles Letourneau has produced several of the most successful performing arts projects in the business.  Originally from Ottawa, Canada, he studied violin at the Moscow Conservatory and Yale University before moving to New York and embarking on a versatile career as an executive for Young Concert Artists, Columbia Artists and IMG, before founding his own company in 2015. With an international/multi-lingual toolkit that includes financial planning, technical operations, programming, fundraising, marketing, strategic partnerships, artist relations, educational programs and an in-depth knowledge of classical music, Letourneau’s events – including Tokyo’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Itzhak Perlman’s ‘Return to Russia’ concerts, Thomas Hampson’s ‘Song of America’ tour, Italy’s Tuscan Sun Festival and Florida’s Festival of the Arts Boca – continue to move the needle on a global level. The renowned Festival Napa Valley, which Letourneau co-founded in 2006, remains the artistic/commercial blueprint for regional event organizers and investors worldwide.

David Katzive, Creative Director

David Katzive has a background in both the arts and sciences that has offered him opportunities to work in a wide variety of fields. After two years as a physics major at Brown University he switched to fine arts and then, at the University of Chicago, earned a master’s degree in art history writing about Henry Moore’s monument to the first controlled release of nuclear energy.  Exhibitions he has curated featured holograms, artificial intelligence, environmental laser sculptures, visual arts tributes to the speed of light and experimental media. He has maintained his membership in United Scenic Artists, Local 829 since 1966 and continues to design scenery and produce videos of performances for not-for-profits in New York State.  He is currently developing augmented reality apps at Finn Partners and creating live events using the latest in streaming media for clients in the arts, healthcare, climate activism and government, as well as special assignments for his not-for-profit corporation, The Leonardo Project. David is married with two children and five grandchildren, all involved in television and the performing arts as writers, producers, and performers.