E4TT announces Ensemble for These (Summer) Times #3: Seeing is Hearing

San Francisco — Contemporary chamber group Ensemble for These Times proudly announces the third program in “Ensemble for These (Summer) Times,” E4TT’s summertime listening series of free biweekly, topical online concerts of relevant new music from the group’s performance archives, which will be available starting Tuesday, August 11. Each program will focus on a different theme, and will be paired with an interview with a creative artist who has collaborated with E4TT. Links will be announced via the group’s newsletter and social media and will expire when the new program goes live. 

The intersection between the visual arts—arts meant to be seen, rather than merely heard—and music can create fascinating synergies and unexpected connections. Program #3 takes its cue from the various ways that E4TT has explored these, ranging from inspirations for programming and commissions (“The Guernica Project,” commemorating Pablo Picasso’s iconic painting inspired by the bombing of Guernica, Spain, in 1937, and “The Film Noir Project”), to music inspired or accompanied by still images (“The Film Noir Project,” with images by Corinne Whitaker and Aleksandra Vrebalov) or film (Charlie Chaplin and “The Man in the Vault” in “Dracula Rising: Emigres & Exiles in Hollywood” and “The Film Noir Project” with cinematography by Emma Kazaryan) to dance—artistic movement (in Kazaryan’s film and the Zazpiak Bat Dancers in “The Guernica Project”). The video will be at https://youtu.be/Z7REefp7LVk and the program notes and booklet at http://www.E4TT.org/summer3.pdf. The paired interview for this program will be with artist Corinne Whitaker, at http://www.E4TT.org/whitaker.pdf.

ABOUT ENSEMBLE FOR THESE (SUMMER) TIMES

 Starting July 14 and continuing through July and August, E4TT is offering “Ensemble for These (Summer) Times,” the group’s summertime listening series of biweekly, topical programs with relevant new music from E4TT’s extensive recording archives.  The focus of each program will be a different subject and will be paired with an interview with a creative artist who has collaborated with E4TT. The link to each program will be announced via the group’s newsletter and social media and will expire when the next program goes live.  The remaining date planned for the summer series is August 25.

 Ensemble for These (Summer) Times #3: Seeing Is Hearing

 The intersection between the visual arts—arts meant to be seen, rather than merely heard—and music can create fascinating synergies and unexpected connections. Program #3 takes its cue from the various ways that E4TT has explored these, ranging from inspirations for programming and commissions (“The Guernica Project,” commemorating Pablo Picasso’s iconic painting inspired by the bombing of Guernica, Spain, in 1937, and “The Film Noir Project”), to music inspired or accompanied by still images (“The Film Noir Project,” with images by Corinne Whitaker and Aleksandra Vrebalov) or film (Charlie Chaplin and “The Man in the Vault” in “Dracula Rising: Emigres & Exiles in Hollywood” and “The Film Noir Project” with cinematography by Emma Kazaryan) to dance—artistic movement (in Kazaryan’s film and the Zazpiak Bat Dancers in the Guernica Project”). 

“Seeing is Hearing” features: “Ricercar on ‘Pablo Picasso’” (2017) for solo piano by E4TT co-founder and Artistic Advisor David Garner (b. 1954), the third and fourth movements from the world premiere of “Guernica” (2016) for soprano, violin, cello, and piano by Call for Scores composer Jeffrey Hoover (b. 1959); a traditional Basque honor dance, Aurresku: San Juan Zortziko performed by the Zazpiak Bat Dance Group; the first movement of “Santa Fe Trail Echoes”(1992) for solo cello by Call for Scores composer Greg A. Steinke (b. 1942); “Charlie,” Op. 67 No. 1 from “Two Film Studies” (1931) for solo piano by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco; “Let the Chips Fall Where They May,” from the film, The Man in the Vault (1956) by Henryk Vars (1902-1977); the world premiere of “Indigo Codes” (2019, excerpt) for solo piano by Aleksandra Vrebalov (b.1980); and the world premiere of “Waltz-noir” (2019, excerpt) for cello and piano by Call for Scores composer Polina Nazaykinskaya (b. 1987) to a new film by Emma Kazaryan.  The video also includes six images from digital artist Corinne Whitaker, “Social Insecurity,” “Scherzando,” “DNA of Self,” “Questioning,” “Boxxed In” and “Insomnia.” The program links are: https://youtu.be/7U7EvhJq2aA; interview:  www.E4TT.org/whitaker.pdf; and program booklet: http://www.E4TT.org/summer3.pdf.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Guest violinist DAWN HARMS leads an active musical life as a violinist, violist, and conductor. A member of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and the New Century Chamber Orchestra, as well as co-concertmaster with the Okland East Bay Symphony, she was first violinist for ten years with the Harrington String Quartet, winners of the Grand Prize at the Fischoff chamber music competition. On the music faculty at Stanford University, Harms earned a Bachelors in music from the New England Conservatory and an MM from SUNY Stonybrook.

Cellist ANNE LERNER completed her B.A. in Music at Northwestern University as a Cello Performance major after three years as a Spanish Literature major at Bryn Mawr College, earning an M.M. in cello performance at the San Francisco Conservatory. She has performed with numerous Bay Area orchestras and is a much sought-after chamber musician and performer of contemporary music. A dedicated educator, Anne conducts two youth orchestras in the Marin Symphony Youth Program, is on the faculties of Dominican University and San Rafael High School and maintains a large private studio.

Soprano and E4TT co-founder and Artistic Executive Director NANETTE MCGUINNESS has performed in 12 languages on two continents in over 25 roles with the Silesian State Opera (Czech Republic), Opera San Jose (Opera in the Schools), and West Bay, Pacific Repertory, Trinity Lyric, and Livermore Valley Operas, among others. Solo concert engagements include Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, as well as Shéhérézade (Ravel), Nuits d’étés (Berlioz), Stabat Mater (Rossini), Requiem (Fauré), Gloria (Vivaldi), Lord Nelson Mass (Haydn), Vesperae Solennes (Mozart), and Handel’s Messiah and Solomon. Her CD of music by 19th and 20th century women composers, “Fabulous Femmes” (Centaur CRC 2461) was called “perfect for the song recital lover” by Chamber Music Magazine and features several premiere recordings.

KAREN ROSENAK recently retired from fulltime teaching at UC Berkeley where she taught musicianship from 1990 until 2014. She also maintained a career as pianist and founding member with the Bay Area new music ensembles Earplay and Empyrean, and performed for a number of years with other new (and “old”) music groups, including recently for Left Coast Chamber Ensemble’s premiere of Kurt Rohde’s opera, Never was a knight. . . at Z Space in San Francisco, with West Edge Opera’s Snapshot performances in 2017 and 2018, and on fortepiano with the New Esterhazy String Quartet. She currently serves part time as coordinator of piano instruction at UC Berkeley.

Pianist DALE TSANG earned her BM in piano performance from the University of Southern California, her MM from the University of Michigan and her DMA from Rice University. Nominated for the 1997 Van Cliburn competition, she took first prize in the 2001 Carmel Music Society Competition and was a semi-finalist in the 1999 Washington International Competition. Tsang performed at the Aspen Music Festival, the Holland Music Sessions and the Sarasota Music Festival. Tsang is a faculty member at Laney College and an active solo and chamber musician, both nationally and internationally.

The ZAZPIAK BAT DANCE GROUP was founded in 1961 and has performed throughout the U.S. and also in Europe, most recently at the 2016 Smithsonian Folk Life Festival in Washington, D.C. Based in the Basque Cultural Center, the group has been directed by Valerie Arrechea for the past 30 years.

ABOUT ENSEMBLE FOR THESE TIMES

Awarded second place for Chamber Music Performance in 2018/19 by The American Prize and currently Semifinalists for the Ernest Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music, E4TT consists of award-winning soprano and co-director Nanette McGuinness, Van Cliburn competitor pianist Dale Tsang, cellist Anne Lerner, and co-director and 2015 American Prize in Composition winner David Garner. The group focuses on 20th and 21st century music that is relevant, engaging, original and compelling—music that resonates with today and speaks to tomorrow, that harnesses the power of artistic beauty, intelligence, wit, lyricism, and irony to create a deep understanding of our times and the human condition. E4TT performed at the 2016 Krakow Culture Festival, was sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Budapest in 2014 for a four-city tour in Hungary, and made its international debut in Berlin. E4TT has performed locally at the German Consulate General, SF Conservatory of Music, Old First Concerts, JCC Peninsula, Trinity Chamber Concerts, and Noontime Concerts, among other venues, and has commissioned 18 works and two arrangements.

E4TT’s debut CD, Surviving: Women’s Words (Centaur, 2016) won a Silver Medal in the 2016 Global Awards. Lesley Mitchell-Clarke in The Whole Note wrote “Now more than ever […] the potent and timeless messages of survival, love, tolerance and forgiveness contained on this brilliant presentation need to resonate throughout the world.” E4TT’s second CD, “The Hungarians: From Rózsa to Justus” (Centaur, 2018) features a rarely heard cello duo by Hollywood movie maven (and Hungarian émigré) Miklós Rózsa (Spellbound, Ben-Hur), along with works by three others of his compatriots who perished in the Holocaust, including the premiere recording of a work by the young Lajos Delej, and an end-of-the-era waltz song with text and music by György Justus. The recording won a Gold Medal in the 2018 Global Music Awards in three categories: chamber music, ensemble, and album.  The ensemble’s third. recording, “Once/Memory/Night: Paul Celan” was released on June 30, 2020 and was chosen as the Center for New Music’s Album of the Week for July 17.  Writes curator Kurt Rohde, “The members of Ensemble For These Times are longstanding, expert champions of forgotten work by those nearly lost to history, as well as bringing up new voices who have meaningful new work to share. Their newest recording is further evidence of this mission."

CALENDAR LISTING

Tuesday, August 11, 2020-August 24, 2020 online

“Ensemble for These (Summer) Times #3: Seeing is Hearing”

 Performers: E4TT with violinist Dawn Harms, Karen Rosenak, pianist Zazpiak Bat Dance Group

Repertoire: “Ricercar on ‘Pablo Picasso’” (2017) for solo piano by E4TT co-founder and Artistic Advisor David Garner (b. 1954), the third and fourth movements from the world premiere of “Guernica” (2016) for soprano, violin, cello, and piano by E4TT Call for Scores composer Jeffrey Hoover (b. 1959); a traditional Basque honor dance, Aurresku: San Juan Zortziko performed by the Zazpiak Bat Dance Group; the first movement of “Santa Fe Trail Echoes”(1992) for solo cello by E4TT Call for Scores composer Greg A. Steinke (b. 1942); “Charlie,” Op. 67 No. 1 from “Two Film Studies” (1931) for solo piano by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco; “Let the Chips Fall Where They May,” from the film, The Man in the Vault (1956) by Henryk Vars (1902-1977); the world premiere of “Indigo Codes” (2019, excerpt) by Aleksandra Vrebalov (b.1980); and the world premiere of “Waltz-noir” (2019, excerpt) by Call for Scores composer Polina Nazaykinskaya (b. 1987) to a new film by Emma Kazaryan.  The video also features six images by digital artist Corinne Whitaker, “Social Insecurity,” “Scherzando,” “DNA of Self,” “Questioning,” “Boxxed In” and “Insomnia.”

Venue: YouTube

Link: https://youtu.be/7U7EvhJq2aA

Paired Interview:  www.E4TT.org/whitaker.pdf

Program booklet: http://www.E4TT.org/summer3.pdf