With the motto of “Opening Ears to Forgotten Beauty,” Chicago’s early music ensemble ARS MUSICA CHICAGO opens its 23rd season in Evanston on Sunday, October 4th, 2009 at 7:00 PM at the Jean Vail Memorial Chapel of Northwestern University, 1870 Sheridan Road, with a program titled “GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWOOD: The Classical Elegance of Mozart & Beethoven performed on an original Broadwood fortepiano.”
Starring award-winning period violinist Brandi Berry and Ars Musica Chicago’s acting music director Stephen Alltop on the Broadwood fortepiano, this is a unique opportunity to hear two Mozart sonatas for piano and two Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano performed as they were originally heard by the audiences of that time.
GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWOOD will feature two piano sonatas: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sonata in G major, K. 302 and his Sonata in B-flat major, K. 454, along with two sonatas for violin and piano by Ludwig van Beethoven, his Sonata for Klavier und Violine, Op. 12, Nr. 1 in D major, and his Sonata for Klavier und Violine, Op. 12, Nr. 3 in E-flat major.
Rarely heard in concerts today, this event features an authentic Broadwood piano (circa 1811) that has been beautifully restored by Ken Eschete of Northwestern University. In addition, violinist Brandi Berry will perform on a period violin.
Ms. Berry has appeared with various groups throughout the south and midwest including, but not limited to, the Indianapolis and Atlanta Baroque Orchestras, Fort Wayne Bach Collegium, Musical Offering, and as concertino soloist of the Kingsbury ensemble. She has also played in numerous festivals and workshops throughout the U.S. and on both coasts of Canada, including but not limited to, the Boston and Berkeley Early Music Festivals, Tafelmusik Baroque Institute, Vancouver Early Music Programme, Crested Butte Mountain Institute where she had a solo performance, the Bloomington Early Music Festival where she was concertmaster of the Opera Orchestra, and Opera in the Ozarks where she held a principle position. In 2007, she was a winner of the EMI Concerto Competition, and a semi-finalist in the 2008 American Bach Soloists Competition. Additionally, her second Master’s recital featured the first ever period-instrument performance of Beethoven’s Septet, Op. 20 in the Early Music Institute at Indiana University.
Stephen Alltop is now in his second season as Ars Musica Chicago’s acting music director, and is one of the most versatile conductors and keyboard artists of his generation. Among numerous conducting engagements, he has served as the Music Director of the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, the Music Director of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, the Music Director and Conductor of the Apollo Chorus of Chicago. Alltop is also on the conducting faculty at Northwestern University since 1992. Additional engagements have included the Lake Forest Symphony, Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, Lyra Concert Baroque Orchestra, Kenosha Symphony, Peoria Symphony, and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. As a keyboard soloist, Mr. Alltop has appeared with numerous orchestras, including the Chicago Sinfonietta, Omaha Symphony, Sheboygan Symphony, Symphony II and at the Ravinia Festival. He has recorded on the American Gramaphone and Cedille labels. As an orchestral musician, he has performed with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Joffrey Ballet, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Milwaukee Symphony, and the Minnesota Orchestra.
This is the first event in Ars Musica Chicago’s 23rd season of “Opening Ears to Forgotten Beauty.”
Tickets: $20/person; $15/senior; $5/student; Free/Northwestern University student
For more information and tickets, please call 312-409-7874 or visit http://www.ArsMusicaChicago.org.