by Jarrett Hoffman
Bohemian music celebrating life and the arts is the theme for ENCORE Chamber Music’s fourth season, titled “La Bohème.” From June through mid-July, the festival will present eight ticketed faculty concerts, seven free student performances, and seventeen free master classes, all at the Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills. Both single tickets and season passes are available.
The Jupiter String Quartet (above) kicks off the season on Friday, June 7 at 7:00 pm at the Tudor House with a program that includes Puccini’s Crisantemi (“Chrysanthemums”), Janáček’s Quartet No. 1, “Kreutzer Sonata,” and Dvořák’s Quartet No. 13 in G.
Another side of the Jupiter will be on display the next day, June 8 during master classes at 10:00 am and 4:00 pm at the campus’s middle school band room.
On Sunday, June 9 at 2:00 pm at the Tudor House, soprano Dina Kuznetsova will join pianist Hyunsoo Kim for a folk music set including selections from Dvořák’s Op. 55 Gypsy Melodies, Janáček’s Moravian Folk Poetry in Songs, and Russian popular folk songs. In the second half, the Jupiter Quartet and the Lafontaine Quartet will come together for Mendelssohn’s Op. 20 Octet in E-flat.
The next featured ensemble is the Cavani String Quartet, with guest cellists Dan McDonough of the Jupiter and Amit Even-Tov of the Ariel Quartet. The Cavani will give a master class on Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00 pm at the band room, then play a concert on Friday, June 14 at 7:00 pm at the Tudor House. The program includes Mozart’s Quartet in G, K. 387, Martinů’s Three Madrigals for violin and viola, and Dvořák’s “American” Quartet.
In between those events, violist/conductor Mathieu Herzog will give two master classes at the band room: first on Thursday, June 13 at 7:00 pm, then on Friday, June 14 at 10:00 am. On Sunday, June 16 at 2:00 pm at the Tudor House, Herzog will join some of his festival colleagues in a concert titled “Hungarian Dance,” including Dvořák’s String Sextet in A, Op. 48, and Brahms’ String Quintet No. 2 in G, Op. 111.
The next evening, Monday, June 17 at 7:00 pm, Amit Even-Tov and Jan Grüning of the Ariel Quartet will give a master class at the band room. Then comes the opportunity to hear the young artists of the festival’s String Quartet Intensive, directed by the Cavani Quartet, in three concerts at the Tudor House on Friday, June 21 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, June 23 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm.
Eleven of the festival’s artist faculty will come together at the Tudor House on Friday, June 28 at 7:00 pm for a concert titled “Round Round Rondo.” The program includes Mozart’s Quintet No. 4 in g, K. 516, Kodály’s Serenade, Op. 12, and Brahms’ Piano Quartet in g, Op. 25.
On Sunday, June 30 at 2:00 pm, “The Cavalier Cleveland” will feature ENCORE founder and artistic director Jinjoo Cho (left) and nine other faculty members in Michi Wiancko’s Blue Bouree, Dan Visconti’s Black Bend, two songs by Leslie Adams arranged for string quartet, Paul Wiancko’s Lift Pt. 1, 2, 3, and Dohnånyi’s Piano Quintet in c, Op. 1.
Flanking that program will be master classes by violist Kim Kashkashian at the band room — Sunday, June 30 at 11:30 am and 4:00 pm.
Friday, July 5 brings a 7:00 pm concert at the Tudor House titled “Letters from Vienna,” including Schubert’s Rondo in A for violin and string quartet, D. 438, Mahler’s Piano Quartet in a, and Korngold’s Piano Quintet in E, Op. 15, and featuring seven faculty members as well as a group of young artists.
The pros — joined again by a few festival attendees — will give their final concert, titled “Homecoming,” on Sunday, July 7 at 2:00 pm at the Tudor House. The program features Bloch’s Prelude, Dvořák’s “American” Quintet in E-flat, and Bartók’s Piano Quintet in C.
Six more master classes to go — violinist Paul Kantor will lead two of them on Sunday, July 7 at 4:00 pm and Monday, July 8 at 10:00 am in the band room. Next, in that same location, is a master class by violinist Tessa Lark on Wednesday, July 10 at 9:00 am.
The final weekend of the festival is a busy one. Friday, July 12 starts off with two master classes by cellist Ralph Kirshbaum — 1:00 and 4:00 pm in the band room. Then the young artists of the festival’s Summer Academy will give a concert at 7:00 pm at the Tudor House, followed by two performances in the same venue on Saturday, July 13 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm.
In terms of learning opportunities, Sunday, July 14 will give festival attendees and audience members some options. Violinist Mihaela Martin and cellist Frans Helmerson will each lead master classes in the band room at 9:00 am and 12:30 pm — go to both if you wish, in either order you choose. And the young artists will close out the day at 7:00 pm at the Tudor House with their final performance.
Published on ClevelandClassical.com May 28, 2019.
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