Premiering Nov. 14: Anthony McGill, 2020 Avery Fisher Prize-winner & New York Phil’s first African-American principal player, and Gloria Chien

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

 

CONTACT:     Amy Mintonye, Marketing Director

                     503-546-0187, amym@cmnw.org

 

Premiering Nov. 14: Anthony McGill, 2020 Avery Fisher Prize-winner & New York Phil’s first African-American principal player, and CMNW Co-Artistic Director Gloria Chien

 

(Portland, OR) October 29, 2020 – Chamber Music Northwest (CMNW)’s 2020-21 Season continues with clarinetist Anthony McGill, 2020 Avery Fisher Prize-winner and New York Philharmonic’s first African-American principal player, and new CMNW Co-Artistic Director and pianist Gloria Chien in Clarinet Tours de Force, a virtual concert premiering Saturday, November 14 at 7 pm PT at CMNW.org (All-Access Pass or Single Concert Pass required. Passes on sale at CMNW.org).  A free live Musical Conversation with nationally-renowned performing artist and founder of the Sphinx Foundation Aaron Dworkin will precede the concert on Tuesday, November 10 at 6 pm PT at CMNW.org.

Anthony McGill, the 2020 recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize, exhibits an “exquisite combination of technical refinement and expressive radiance” (The Baltimore Sun). He is the principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, maintains a dynamic international solo career, and is a champion of social justice in the classical music world. This summer, a video of his haunting solo interpretation of America the Beautiful in minor key and accompanying #TakeTwoKnees initiative inspired by the death of George Floyd sparked widespread conversation about new ways to protest racism in the arts and beyond.

Pianist and new CMNW Co-Artistic Director Gloria Chien leads a diverse musical life as a noted performer, concert presenter, and educator. Selected by the Boston Globe as one of its Superior Pianists of the year, she “appears to excel in everything.”

In Clarinet Tours de Force, McGill and Chien continue their longstanding collaboration with a virtual concert of music written for clarinet-playing muses; Brahms’ beloved Clarinet Sonatas inspired by clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, and Weber’s Grand Duo Concertant written for clarinetist Heinrich Baermann – which will “put a spring in your step, even if you are listening from the sofa in your living room” (The Oregonian).

A free live Musical Conversation with nationally-renowned performing artist, filmmaker, philanthropist, and professor Aaron Dworkin will precede the concert on Tuesday, November 10 at 6 pm PT at CMNW.org. Dworkin is the founder of the Sphinx Organization, whose mission is to transform lives through the power of diversity in the arts; professor of entrepreneurship and leadership at the University of Michigan and former dean of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance; and host of Arts Engines. In this inspiring presentation, Dworkin will share his personal story and discuss the important role the arts play in society, creativity’s associated value and impact in communities, strategies surrounding innovative leadership, core skillsets required for creative careers, and the importance of staying relevant in the actively evolving landscape of the arts. Conversation will include Q&A with questions from the audience at home.

 

2020-21 Season All-Access Passes and Single Concert Passes for Clarinet Tours de Force are on sale now at https://cmnw.org/concerts-tickets/2020-21-season

 

Anthony McGill & Gloria Chien: Clarinet Tours de Force

Saturday, November 14, 2020, 7 pm PT at CMNW.org; $20 or free with All-Access Pass

Free live Musical Conversation on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, 6 pm PT at CMNW.org

Clarinetist Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most recognizable and brilliantly multifaceted figures. He maintains a dynamic international solo and chamber music career in addition to being the principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic. McGill performed at President Obama’s inauguration in 2009 and is a champion of social justice in the classical music world. McGill and Chamber Music Northwest’s new Co-Artistic Director Gloria Chien will continue their longstanding collaboration with this performance from the stunning Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA. https://cmnw.org/concerts-tickets/all-concerts-events/mcgill-chien-clarinet-tours-de-force/1164

 

Marc-André Hamelin & Gloria Chien: Virtuoso Pianos

Saturday, December 5, 2020, 7 pm PT at CMNW.org; $20 or free with All-Access Pass

Free live Musical Conversation on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 6 pm PT at CMNW.org

“A performer of near-superhuman technical prowess” (The New York Times), pianist Marc-André Hamelin is known worldwide for his brilliant technique and intrepid exploration of the rarities of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries – earning him legendary status as a true icon of the piano. In this concert from the beautiful Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA, Hamelin will perform a solo piece and thrilling two-piano works with new Chamber Music Northwest Co-Artistic Director Gloria Chien including Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. https://cmnw.org/concerts-tickets/all-concerts-events/hamelin-chien-virtuoso-pianos/1163

 

Alisa Weilerstein: Solo Cello

Saturday, January 30, 2021, 7 pm PT at CMNW.org; $20 or free with All-Access Pass

Free live Musical Conversation on Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 6 pm PT at CMNW.org

“Technically flawless and deeply expressive” (The New York Times), Alisa Weilerstein makes the cello sing as if it were her own voice. A 2011 MacArthur “genius grant” winner, Weilerstein is known for her commanding performances of the classics of the cello repertoire as well as new music. This intimate solo performance will feature the first of Bach’s celebrated Cello Suites as well as modern and contemporary works by Kodály, Britten, and living composer Osvaldo Golijov. https://cmnw.org/concerts-tickets/all-concerts-events/alisa-weilerstein-solo-cello/1059

 

Catalyst Quartet: Uncovered

Saturday, February 13, 2021, 7 pm PT at CMNW.org; $20 or free with All-Access Pass

Free live Musical Conversation on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, 6 pm PT at CMNW.org

The Catalyst Quartet combines a serious commitment to diversity, education, and contemporary works with virtuosic playing “reminiscent of great quartets of the past such as the Guarneri and Budapest” (Richmond Times). The quartet was founded by the Sphinx Organization, a social justice organization dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. In this concert, celebrate the music of important black composers Coleridge-Taylor, Price, and Perkinson with selections from the quartet’s upcoming CD release Uncovered, which strives to highlight works by classical composers previously overlooked because of their race or gender. https://cmnw.org/concerts-tickets/all-concerts-events/catalyst-quartet-uncovered/1196

 

Fleur Barron & Julius Drake: Winter Journey (Winterreise)

Saturday, February 27, 2021, 7 pm PT at CMNW.org; $20 or free with All-Access Pass

Free live Musical Conversation on Tuesday, October 20, 2020, 6 pm PT at CMNW.org

Praised as a “charismatic star” by the Boston Globe, mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron is the winner of Tanglewood Festival's 2016 Jackson Prize, awarded to one outstanding young vocalist each year. "A collaborator gifted with sensitive phrasing and insight” (The New York Times), internationally-renowned pianist Julius Drake is the perfect accompaniment to Barron's "thrillingly dark and rich-veined mezzo" (Seen and Heard International). Experience this unique presentation of Schubert’s Winterreise – a lieder traditionally performed by a tenor – sung by the mesmerizing Barron. https://cmnw.org/concerts-tickets/all-concerts-events/barron-drake-winter-journey-winterreise/1166

 

Goldmund Quartet: Europe’s Rising Stars

Saturday, March 20, 2021, 7 pm PT at CMNW.org; $20 or free with All-Access Pass

Free live Musical Conversation on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, 6 pm PT at CMNW.org

Hailed as one of the most exciting young string quartets in the world, the Goldmund Quartet’s exquisitely refined playing has been awarded prizes at major competitions such as the Wigmore, Melbourne, and ARD Munich. They are the Rising Stars of the European Concert Hall Organisation leading to debut recitals at the Philharmonie de Paris, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and the Vienna Konzerthaus. In this concert, hear the Goldmund perform dramatic chamber works written by Puccini, Strauss, and Schubert on their historic set of Stradivari instruments once owned by the great virtuoso Niccolò Paganini. https://cmnw.org/concerts-tickets/all-concerts-events/goldmund-quartet-europes-rising-stars/1057

 

Parker Quartet: Inventive & Inspired

Saturday, April 24, 2021, 7 pm PT at CMNW.org; $20 or free with All-Access Pass

Free live Musical Conversation on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 6 pm PT at CMNW.org

Inspiring performances, luminous sound, and exceptional musicianship are the hallmarks of the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet. Renowned for its dynamic interpretations and polished, expansive colors, the group has rapidly distinguished itself as one of the preeminent ensembles of its generation, dedicated purely to the sound and depth of their music. In this concert, the Parker Quartet will apply their “exceptional virtuosity [and] imaginative interpretation” (The Washington Post) to compositions by three masterful composers representing the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries including Beethoven’s spiritual Heiliger Dankgesang string quartet. https://cmnw.org/concerts-tickets/all-concerts-events/parker-quartet-inventive-inspired/1193

 

Kenari Quartet: Transforming Perceptions of the Sax

Saturday, May 15, 2021, 7 pm PT at CMNW.org; $20 or free with All-Access Pass

Free live Musical Conversation on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 6 pm PT at CMNW.org

Applauded for their “flat-out amazing” performances and “stunning virtuosity” (Cleveland Classical), the Kenari Quartet's larger-than-life personalities pop off the stage. The unique style and flair of this Protégé Project alumni all-saxophone ensemble electrified Chamber Music Northwest audiences in 2018. Their triumphant return to the CMNW stage will feature modern and contemporary work plus improvisation. https://cmnw.org/concerts-tickets/all-concerts-events/kenari-quartet-transforming-perceptions-of-the-sax/1062

 

ABOUT CHAMBER MUSIC NORTHWEST 
Now in its 51st season, Chamber Music Northwest shares the richness and diversity of chamber music with more than 50,000 people through 80 events annually, including our Summer Festival of outstanding concerts, illuminating outreach activities, educational programs supporting young musicians, and innovative collaborations across the Portland Metro region. 

As one of the nation’s leading chamber music presenters, Chamber Music Northwest brings to our community the world’s greatest musicians and composers, from rising-star members of our Protégé Project and exceptional local musicians to world-renowned artists that include Grammy Award winners, Avery Fisher Prize honorees, and MacArthur “Genius Award” recipients. Together they collaborate to perform the expansive 500-year chamber music repertoire, ranging from beloved classics and hidden masterpieces to contemporary works and less conventional projects. 

Chamber Music Northwest is an international leader in celebrating chamber music’s enduring relevance and diversity, with more than 100 commissions and premieres of new works as well as its Protégé Project, which cultivates the next generation of dynamic chamber music performers by supporting exceptional, early-career chamber musicians and composers in their professional development.

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