MARK AUERBACH
Shuffle.Play.Listen
Pianist Christopher O’Riley, best known as host of the popular NPR music program, “From the Top”, and the PBS show “From the Top at Carnegie Hall” joins forces with internationally acclaimed cellist Matt Haimovitz, for a collaboration, “Shuffle.Play.Listen” for one performance, Monday, March 31, at The UMass Fine Arts Center Concert Hall.
O’Riley and Haimovitz linked up in 2011 to perform classical music and re-worked popular music on a two-CD set. The UMass program as a whole showcases their talents as collaborators and soloists; the pair play classical works by the likes of Bach, Gabrielli, Piazzolla and Stravinsky, alongside popular music by Arcade Fire, Radiohead, and Blonde Redhead.
Matt Haimovitz and Christopher O’Riley
Christopher O’Riley first made a name for himself as one of the leading American pianists of his generation, touring extensively and appearing with every major orchestra. His renown stretched outside the classical music world when he began to release recordings of popular music reimagined for piano, including his version of Radiohead’s “True Love Waits” album. His piano tributes to the work of Elliott Smith and Nick Drake were similarly well-received, and he continues to perform both classical and popular music.
Matt Haimovitz made his debut at the age of 13 as a soloist with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic. By age 17, he made his first recording for the German label Deutsche Grammophon, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has since performed on many esteemed stages with the likes of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Haimovitz gained attention in 2003 for bringing his solo cello recitals to clubs around the US, UK and Canada, including a performance at New York’s infamous CBGB club which was filmed by ABC News. This is a homecoming for Haimovitz, who served as a faculty member in the UMass Amherst Music Department from 1993-2004.
For tickets: 800-999-UMASS, 413-545-2511 or http://www.fineartscenter.com/
Fannie Lou Hamer, subject of the opera “Dark River: The Fannie Lou Hamer Story”
Civil Rights Opera Premiere
Fannie Lou Hamer was one of the first African-Americans to register to vote in Mississippi in the 1960s. She stood her ground in the face of beatings, harassment, death threats, and imprisonment to secure voting rights for her people.
WomenArts and the Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra will present the East Coast premiere of “Dark River: The Fannie Lou Hamer Story”, a full-length opera by Mary D. Watkins, on Friday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5, in Chapin Auditorium on the Mount Holyoke campus. Daryl V. Jones directs. Andrea Chinedu Nwoke stars as Fannie Lou Hamer
Ng Tian Hui, the Music Director of the Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra, says that he selected this work for two reasons: “The story of Fannie Lou Hamer’s struggle for the rights of African-Americans resonated with me as an Asian transplanted to the U.S. Her story speaks to anyone who has ever experienced discrimination or the feeling of being an outsider. Also, I love working with contemporary artists like Mary D. Watkins who are creating their own musical styles. Dark River is classical music that is infused with elements of jazz, gospel, and blues. It is a wonderful musical challenge for me and the performers.”
WomenArts Executive Director Martha Richards, former Managing Director at Springfield’s StageWest, saw the original production in 2009 and wanted to bring it to larger audiences. She has been working with composer Mary D. Watkins for three years to develop the piece and find other venues.
“Giselle” performed by the Moscow Festival Ballet.
“The voting rights that Fannie Lou Hamer and so many others fought and died for in the 1960s are in jeopardy once again’, Richards explains. “The younger generation needs to know about this inspiring chapter of American history. Also, this opera captures the particular challenges faced by women activists – Fannie Lou Hamer had to fight against sexism, as well as racism, throughout her life. The opera explores Fannie Lou Hamer’s decision to fight for her rights, her challenges, her triumphs, and the impact of her activism on her husband and children.”
For tickets and information: www.darkriveropera.org for more information.
Keep in Mind…
***Connecticut Repertory Theatre presents the World Premiere of “Goblin Market” by Penny Benson, inspired by the poem by Christina Rossetti, March 27-April 6 in the Studio Theater, University of Connecticut at Storrs. UConn’s Puppet Arts program is nationally-renowned. For tickets: 860-486-2113 or www.crt.uconn.edu.
***Young@Heart Chorus, the Northampton-based senior singers, who have toured internationally and starred in an award-winning documentary, present their April Fools Show, as a benefit at the Academy of Music in Northampton, on April 1, April Fools Day. For tickets: 413-584-9032 x. 105 or http://www.academyofmusictheatre.com
***Moscow Festival Ballet performs the classic ballet “Giselle” at UConn’s Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, March 27. For tickets: 860-486-4226 or www.jorgensen.uconn.edu
Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked for arts organizations and reported on theatre for newspapers and radio.
