American Chamber Ensemble Presents Music of the Americas: Part 1 – October 13 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY

The American Chamber Ensemble, celebrating its 54^th Anniversary, will present Music of the Americas: Part 1 on Sunday, October 13 at 3 PM at Hofstra University's Monroe Lecture Center Theater, California Avenue in Hempstead, NY. The event will also honor ACE Founding Director Blanche Abram. This is presented by the University’s Music Department.

Music of the Americas: Part I will present the first part of ACE's season-long exploration of the music of North and South America, as well as those who emigrated to this country, including works by American-born Edward Thomas (in honor of his 95^th birthday), Dana Wilson, William Bolcom and Edward MacDowell, Swiss-American Ernest Bloch, Argentina's Astor Piazzolla and Cuban-American Paquito d'Rivera. It will be a multi-media presentation, making for an immersive experience, introducing the concertgoer to a different way to experience the performances.

This concert will honor Founding Director Blanche Abram with special presentations and a reception after the performance. Pianist and co-director of the American Chamber Ensemble since its inception in 1965, Ms. Abram has performed throughout the eastern United States and the Caribbean and on TV and radio stations WQXR, WNYC, WFUV and News 12 Long Island. She was a long-time Adjunct Senior Professor of Music at Hofstra University and faculty member of the 92nd St. Y. Professor Abram has lectured extensively in the United States and abroad, including a presentation at the International Conference on Tension in Performance in England and is well known for her many workshops and Master Classes.

Performers will be ACE members, pianist Marilyn Lehman, clarinetist and assistant ACE Director Mindy Dragovich, violinist Eriko Sato, violist Lois Martin and cellist Chris Finckel.

Tickets at Hofstra University Box Office – $20 general admission; $15 senior citizen (over 65) or matriculated non-Hofstra student with ID. For ticket information, call 516-463-6644 or here.

Directed by Marilyn Lehman, ACE was founded by pianist Blanche Abram and clarinetist Naomi Drucker. The ensemble explores the great chamber music literature for clarinet and piano in combination with strings, woodwinds and voice and presents performances featuring world-class artists. ACE consists of the finest freelance musicians in the New York area and has been cited by critics for their superb presentations of chamber masterworks. Their latest CDs on Elysium are American Clarinet Treasures, featuring core members of ACE performing works by George Kleinsinger, Virgil Thomson, Daniel Gregory Mason, Elliott Carter, Douglas Moore and Gary Schocker, with guest artist Stanley Drucker and The American Chamber Ensemble Plays Peter Schickele, which features five of this modern master’s most important chamber works.

ACE’s concert season is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and by private contributions.

For the latest American Chamber Ensemble concert listings, updates and information, log on to the newly redesigned http://americanchamberensemble.com/. Follow ACE on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Chamber-Ensemble/150032171984.

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