The Wallis Presents Seth Parker Woods in Program of Timeless and Contemporary Works

Grammy-nominated cellist Seth Parker Woods, a fierce advocate for contemporary music who has collaborated with a wide array of artists in genres ranging from classical and rock music to the visual arts, makes his Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts debut, accompanied by Andrew Rosenblum on piano, with a program that spans the cello repertoire on Thursday, March 9, 2023, 7:30 pm, at the Bram Goldsmith Theater. Hailed as “a cellist of power and grace” who possesses “mature artistry and willingness to go to the brink” (The Guardian), Woods is the recipient of the 2022 Chamber Music America’s prestigious Michael Jaffee Visionary Award. The program includes Coleridge Taylor-Perkinson’s moving “Calvary Ostinato” from Lamentations: Black Folk Song Suite; Rachmaninov’s deeply expressive Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 19; and Jeffrey Mumford’s four dances for Boris, composed in 2004. Also featured are Schumann’s vivid Fantasiestücke, Op. 73, originally written for clarinet and piano and later arranged for cello and piano; and Sonata for Cello and Piano, composed in 1957 by George Walker, the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music, which Woods says, “is the epitome of a composition that just feels great to play.” Classical California KUSC’s Brian Lauritzen will host a pre-concert talk with the Woods at 6:30 pm.

Woods is noted for projects that delve deep into the cultural fabric, reimagining traditional works and commissioning new ones to propel classical music into the future. In addition to solo performances, he has appeared with ensembles and symphonies around the globe, among them the Ictus Ensemble (Brussels, BE), Ensemble L’Arsenale (IT), zone Experimental (CH), Basel Sinfonietta (CH), Ensemble LPR, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and the Atlanta and Seattle symphonies. He has also collaborated and worked with a wide range of artists, including Louis Andriessen, Elliott Carter, Heinz Holliger, Peter Eötvos, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Lou Reed, Dame Shirley Bassey, and Rachael Yamagata and such visual artists as Ron Athey, Vanessa Beecroft, Jack Early, Adam Pendleton ,and Aldo Tambellini. Woods recently joined the faculty of the Thornton School of Music at The University of Southern California as Assistant Professor of Practice - Cello and Chamber Music. 

Rosenblum is passionate about exploring great pieces of music from across every period of composition. As a harpsichordist, he won second prize in both the 2018 Leipzig International Bach Competition and the 2017 Prague Spring International Music Competition. An experienced collaborator, Rosenblum has been on the staff of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Northwestern University, and has performed with the Leipzig Baroque Orchestra, Collegium 1704, Music of the Baroque Orchestra, Haymarket Opera, Third Coast Baroque, and Three Notch'd Road. He is a member of the Harpsichord and Piano Faculty of the Heifetz International Music Institute.  

Tickets for cellist Seth Parker Woods ($39 - $99) are on sale now. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills. To purchase single tickets, subscriptions and for more information, please call 310-746-4000 (Monday – Friday, 10 am to 6 pm) or visit TheWallis.org/woods.

The Wallis is closely monitoring the ever-changing local health and safety environment carefully and addressing known health factors at the moment. Should plans change and any performance be required to be postponed or cancelled or if venue capacity limitations are instituted, ticket holders will be notified immediately with options for their purchased tickets per The Wallis' ticketing policies.

The health and safety of patrons, staff, and artists inside and outside the venue are a top priority for The Wallis. Facial masks are no longer required but are strongly encouraged and recommended. The Wallis' health and safety protocols are also subject to change at the venue's sole discretion or in accordance with LA County and City of Beverly Hills regulations. Current Health & Safety Protocols and updates may also be accessed at TheWallis.org/Safety. Policies are subject to change.

About Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts: 

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a dynamic cultural hub and community resource where local, national and international artists share their artistry with ever-expanding audiences. The campus, located in the heart of Beverly Hills, CA, is committed to robust and distinctive presentations and education programs curated with both creativity and social impact in mind. Distinguished by its eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its location in the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis has produced and presented more than 350 theater, dance, music, film, cabaret, conversation, and family entertainment programs since its doors opened in October 2013. Hailed as “au courant” (LaLa Magazine), The Wallis was lauded by Culture Vulture, which proclaims, “If you love expecting the unexpected in the performing arts, you have to love The Wallis.” Its programming has been nominated for 79 Ovation Awards and nine L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Awards. The campus itself, a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot facility, celebrating the classic and the modern, has garnered six architectural awards. Designed by acclaimed architect Zoltan E. Pali (SPF:architects), the restored building features the original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places), which serves as the theater's dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and includes the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater; the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater; an inviting open-air plaza for family, community and other performances; and GRoW @ The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education, where learning opportunities for all ages and backgrounds abound. Together, these elements embrace the city's history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike. Michael Nemeroff is Chairman of The Wallis’ Board of Directors.

For more information about The Wallis, please visit: TheWallis.org.

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