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BlueWater Chamber Orchestra: a remarkable program with Kondonassis (Mar. 16)

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by Peter Feher

The Carnival of the Animals is missing a movement. You could easily believe this listening to Koholā Sings, an enchanting new piece by Takuma Itoh, which uses a harp to conjure up the voice of a humpback whale.

In a sensitive solo turn, harpist Yolanda Kondonassis gave the world premiere of Itoh’s work at University Circle’s Church of the Covenant on March 16, joined by BlueWater Chamber Orchestra and conductor Daniel Meyer. Their collaboration was the highlight of a program that was all-around remarkable for its delicate touch.

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Kent State moves delayed May 1970 observance to Severance on May 2: 300 to appear onstage

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by Daniel Hathaway

May 4, 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of the tragic shooting of Kent State students by Ohio National Guard members during protests around the Vietnam War, but COVID-19 upstaged KSU’s plans for a memorial.

Two years later, the University will be ferrying more than 300 performers from Kent to Cleveland for an extraordinary event at Severance Music Center on Monday, May 2 at 7:00 pm.

Musicians, dancers, singers, and poetry readers will commemorate the events of that day in 1970 in a mammoth concert. According to a press release, Stories of Peace, Protest and Reflection “explores social justice, civil rights and the complex emotions felt before, during and after tragedy.”

Having read the press materials, I was eager to learn more about how this event was put together — a feat of human choreography and logistics that seemed comparable to staging a small version of D-Day. Happily, I was referred to an old colleague, clarinet professor Amitai Vardi, who was charged with coordinating the event. In a phone call, I asked him how it all came about. [Read more…]

Black Squirrels return to Music From The Western Reserve

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by Mike Telin

Although black squirrels can be spotted around Northeast Ohio, they are prolific in the city of Kent. “At our first rehearsal we talked about choosing a name for the group, so we threw out some ideas,” bassoonist Mark DeMio recalled during a recent telephone conversation. “Our horn player said that since there were so many black squirrels in the area he always liked the idea of playing in a group called the black squirrel — something. And that’s how we became the Black Squirrel Winds.”   

On Sunday, April 11 at 5:00 pm, Music From The Western Reserve will present the ensemble that bears the name of Kent State University’s unofficial mascot. The pre-recorded online program is free. Click here at start time.

Formed in 2011, the Black Squirrel Winds — Diane McCloskey (flute), Danna Sundet (oboe), Amitai Vardi (clarinet), Mark DeMio (bassoon), and Kent Larmee (horn) — is a faculty ensemble at Kent State’s Hugh A. Glauser School of Music.

In addition to performing on the University’s main and satellite campus, as faculty the Black Squirrels spend a good deal of their time coaching students. DeMio said that although they enjoy playing challenging pieces such as the quintets of John Harbison, Jennifer Higdon, and Jean Francaix, “we’re always looking for repertoire that we want to play and is good for teaching to younger players. And most of the music that is on this concert has that element to it.”

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Tuesday Musical to celebrate “Akron Legends of Jazz and Dance”

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by Jarrett Hoffman

To begin this season’s FUZE Series on Thursday, October 10 at 7:30 pm at E.J. Thomas Hall, Tuesday Musical will honor the memory of two local arts icons: jazz pianist and composer Pat Pace, and Ohio Ballet founder and choreographer Heinz Poll, who both passed away in 2006.

“Akron Legends of Jazz and Dance” will feature Verb Ballets and players from the Chamber Music Society of Ohio. Leading the group is flutist George Pope, who became familiar with Pace and Poll as far back as 1978, when he began teaching at the University of Akron and performing as principal flute of the Akron Symphony.

“I knew quite a lot about Pat and his amazing musicianship from the beginning,” Pope said during a telephone interview. “We did performances with him in the Akron Symphony and the University orchestra, and I had friends who studied and performed with him. He was teaching a lot of the young jazz artists of his time — pianists as well as other musicians performing with him. He was inspiring the next generation.”

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BlueWater Chamber Orchestra at The Temple-Tifereth Israel (Sep. 15)

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by Robert Rollin

Last Sunday afternoon, September 15, the BlueWater Chamber Orchestra, under conductor and artistic director Daniel Meyer, opened its season with an imaginatively varied concert at The Temple-Tifereth Israel. Amitai Vardi was featured in Srul Irving Glick’s The Klezmer’s Wedding, a delightful one-movement piece for clarinet and string orchestra.

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BlueWater and Amitai Vardi celebrate Jewish music in season opener

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by Jarrett Hoffman

There’s something poetic about the way BlueWater Chamber Orchestra will open its tenth anniversary season next week. Israeli-American clarinetist Amitai Vardi, a member of BlueWater since the ensemble’s beginning, will solo in Srul Irving Glick’s The Klezmer’s Wedding on Sunday, September 15 at The Temple-Tifereth Israel. That’s part of a 3:00 pm program led by Daniel Meyer that will celebrate Jewish music.

The Klezmer’s Wedding is an important work for Vardi: he gave the North American premiere of the concerto version in 2004 at the Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival with members of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Glick, who has been celebrated for his contributions to Jewish music, passed away in 2002 in his native Toronto. “The way that he captures klezmer music in the concert hall, as opposed to within a klezmer band, is unique, beautiful, and a lot of fun,” Vardi said. He also pointed out the composer’s authentic handling of Jewish music, saying that this concerto could easily be part of a Jewish wedding. “When I’m playing it, I definitely imagine walking around though the guests and wailing a klezmer tune.” [Read more…]

BlueWater Chamber Orchestra tells tales at Plymouth (May 4)

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by David Kulma

BlueWater Chamber Orchestra entered an exciting second era with the final concert of its 9th season on Saturday, May 4 at Plymouth Church in Shaker Heights. Last month, conductor Daniel Meyer was named the orchestra’s artistic director, so now this important Northeast Ohio institution can chart a course into its second decade.

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CD Review— Soulmates: Music for Cello, Clarinet, and Piano

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by Samantha Spaccasi

Vardi-Soulmates-CDThe strong connections on Soulmates — the newest recording from clarinetist Amitai Vardi, cellist Uri Vardi, and pianist Arnon Erez — are evidenced by the group’s communication and cohesiveness. Featuring Beethoven’s Trio in B-flat, Jan Radzynski’s Concert Duos, and Brahms’s Trio in A, the CD is a multifaceted exploration of engaging chamber works, played with vivacity, elegance, and poise. [Read more…]

BlueWater Chamber Orchestra at Plymouth Church (May 13)

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by Jane Berkner

Vardi-AmitaiBlueWater Chamber Orchestra is a jewel in the local arts scene’s crown. It’s always a treat to hear these highly talented regional musicians, and their concert under the direction of guest conductor Thomas Hong at Plymouth Church on May 13 was no exception. Titled “Flying High,” the program included two works with bird themes. [Read more…]

Black Squirrel Winds on Music from the Western Reserve series (March 12)

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by Robert Rollin

Black-Squirrell-Hudson-RehearsalOn Sunday afternoon, March 12 at Hudson’s Christ Episcopal Church, Music from the Western Reserve presented an exceptional concert of sextets by Kent State’s Black Squirrel Winds and guests. The group, named for the furry creatures inhabiting Kent’s grassy campus, consists of five talented wind players with genuine rapport. [Read more…]

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