by Timothy Robson
The rising young American tenor Nicholas Phan joined pianist Myra Huang in a musically substantial and intellectually satisfying recital on the Oberlin Artist Recital Series in Finney Chapel on Wednesday, February 3. Phan has a clear, well-managed lyric voice, with surprising heft at musical climaxes. Myra Huang, a sensitive collaborator, played with technical mastery and supportive musicianship. [Read more…]
by Mike Telin
What makes a great art song composer? “They need to have a strong appreciation for literature,” tenor Nicholas Phan answered without hesitation during a recent telephone conversation. “I know it sounds strange to say, but there is a literacy to their compositions — they have to be able to paint the words through music.” On Wednesday, February 3 at 8:00 pm in Oberlin College’s Finney Chapel, Nicholas Phan and pianist Myra Huang will present a program of works by four great art song composers as part of the Oberlin Artist Recital Series.
Named one of National Public Radio’s Favorite New Artists of 2011, Phan has quickly garnered attention for his performances with many of the leading orchestras in North America and Europe. A rising star of the opera world, Phan is also a champion of vocal chamber music. As a recording artist, his 2011 debut solo album, Winter Words, was included on the “Best of 2011” lists of The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, TimeOut NY, and the Toronto Star. [Read more…]
Tenor Nicholas Phan and pianist Myra Huang will step in to replace bass-baritone John Relyea and pianist Warren Jones on the Oberlin Artist Recital Series in Finney Chapel on Wednesday, February 3 at 8:00 pm. Relea has withdrawn from his entire tour, citing family issues. Phan will sing works by Robert Schumann, Benjamin Britten, Ned Rorem, and Jake Heggie. Relyea tickets will be honored at the door.
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…]