by Daniel Hathaway
It takes a special artist to hold an audience completely in thrall for an hour and twenty minutes. Such an artist would be Christian Tetzlaff, who stood all alone with his violin on the stage of Oberlin’s Finney Chapel last Friday evening, charming a large audience with solo works by Eugène Ysaÿe, Johann Sebastian Bach, György Kurtag, and Béla Bartók. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
German violinist Christian Tetzlaff never shies away from a challenge. He made his debut with The Cleveland Orchestra at the age of 22, playing the daunting concerto by Arnold Schoenberg. Tetzlaff’s most recent area performance in May of this year, also with The Cleveland Orchestra, featured the violinist in Jörg Widmann’s concerto, a physically taxing work written for him in 2007.
Tetzlaff will return to Northeast Ohio on Friday, October 30 at 8:00 pm in Finney Chapel on the campus of Oberlin College for a performance of challenging works for solo violin. The concert, presented as part of Oberlin’s Artist Recital Series, now celebrating its 138th season, will include Eugène Ysaÿe’s Sonata, Op. 27, No. 1 in g, Johann Sebastian Bach’s Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005, selections from György Kurtág’s Signs, Games and Messages, and Béla Bartók’s Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin. [Read more…]
by Daniel Hathaway
Officially raising the curtain on its new partnership with Italy’s International Piano Academy Lake Como, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music opened the 138th season of its Artist Recital Series on Sunday, September 27 in Finney Chapel with an impressive recital by Ran Jia, Alessandro Deljavan, and Marcos Madrigal, three artists who have recently been honing their skills to a fine edge at the institution founded by William Grant Naboré in 2002. [Read more…]
Allesandro Deljavan, Ran Jia, and Marcos Madrigal, three pianists who represent the International Piano Academy Lake Como, will play the opening concert of this season’s Oberlin Artist Recital Series in Finney Chapel on Sunday, September 27 at 8:00 pm. Their visit to Oberlin also marks the beginning of a partnership that establishes Oberlin as the North American outpost of the famous Italian piano academy. Read the Oberlin News Center story here.
by Mike Telin
There are many reasons to admire violinist Jennifer Koh. She possesses rock-solid technique and rhythm, impeccable intonation, and a tonal palette worthy of a master-painter. And her musical decisions are always intelligent and thoughtful. All of these attributes were on display when the dynamic violinist returned to her alma mater for a performance of her “Bach and Beyond Part III” program. The concert on Sunday, April 12 in Finney Chapel was presented as part of Oberlin College and Conservatory’s Artist Recital Series. [Read more…]
[Editor’s note: Stephanie Blythe withdrew from her recital due to illness less than two hours before the performance. We regret that there was no time to post a notice to that effect.] Bass-baritone John Relyea, who was scheduled to perform on the Oberlin Artist Recital Series this weekend, has withdrawn due to illness. He will be replaced by the renowned mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, who will be joined by the originally-announced collaborative pianist Warren Jones. The concert will take place in Oberlin’s historic Finney Chapel on Thursday, April 2 at 8:00 pm, when Ms. Blythe will sing music by Francis Poulenc, Léo Ferré, Jacques Brel, Benjamin Britten and Noël Coward. Program and ticket details here.
by Mike Telin
On Saturday, February 28 in Finney Chapel, the Oberlin Artist Recital series presented the Bang on a Can All-Stars in a high energy concert that featured music by Bang on a Can founders David Lang, Julia Wolfe and Michael Gordon, as well as works by Kate Moore, Steve Martland and Philip Glass. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
Since playing their first marathon concert on Mother’s Day of 1987 in a SoHo art gallery, Bang on a Can founders Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe have gone on to create a multi-faceted performing arts organization with a broad range of year-round international activities. One of those activities is the Bang on a Can All-Stars. Formed in 1992, the All-Stars present dynamic performances of music that inventively crosses the boundaries between classical, jazz, rock, world and experimental music.
by Daniel Hathaway
Originally planned for November of 2012 (when Hurricane Sandy intervened) then rescheduled for February of 2013 (when the artist fell ill), pianist Garrick Ohlsson’s recital on the Oberlin Artist Recital Series finally became a reality on Tuesday evening, February 10. It was well worth the wait. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
After winning the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, pianist Garrick Ohlsson has gone on to establish a reputation as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. The celebrated pianist is certainly no stranger to area audiences: in addition to his frequent appearances as soloist with The Cleveland Orchestra, he has also presented recitals for Akron’s Tuesday Musical Series, collaborated with the Takács Quartet for the Cleveland Chamber Music Society, and performed a benefit concert for ChamberFest Cleveland. Still, there is one Northeast Ohio series that has eluded him — the Oberlin Artist Recital Series.
Two and a half years ago, in an interview with ClevelandClassical.com, Ohlsson said that he looked forward to making his debut on the Oberlin Artists Recital Series on November 1, 2012. “I did play in Oberlin once on a run-out with The Cleveland Orchestra. It was one of those go out, try the piano, play the concert and go back to Cleveland. This will be a more profound experience because I will get to practice in the Chapel. So that’s exciting.”
However, hurricane Sandy had other ideas and forced the cancellation of that performance. His recital was rescheduled for February 12, 2013 — then, unfortunately, due to illness, the pianist was forced to withdraw.