Princeton University Concerts continues its 2011/2012 season with Ensemble ACJW, Carnegie Hall’s acclaimed fellowship program, on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 8pm in Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall.
The program will feature works by Beethoven (Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano, Op. 11), David Bruce (“Gumboots,” in its Princeton premiere), and Shostakovich (Piano Trio No. 2.)
Professor Scott Burnham will continue his exploration of Beethoven’s chamber music, and will also be joined by members of the ensemble in a pre-concert talk at 7p.m., free to ticketholders.
Performing will be Sarah Beaty, clarinet; Owen Dalby, violin; Joanna Marie Frankel, violin; Nicholas Canellakis, cello, and Angelina Gadeliya, piano.
“If their name is less than memorable, the artistry of this young ensemble is unforgettable. Their mission: to be musical ambassadors to the next generation of audience members by giving back to the communities that nurtured them. Their provenance is sterling: ACJW is a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education,” Princeton University Concerts states.
“The Academy is a competitive two-year fellowship program designed to prepare the world’s finest young professional musicians for careers that combine musical excellence with teaching, community outreach, advocacy, and leadership. Fellows explore ways to make connections through music on and off the stage. The Ensemble collaborates with major conductors and artists, from Sir Simon Rattle and David Robertson to Emanuel Ax. The group offers its own series at Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, as well as the downtown club (Le) Poisson Rouge, recently featuring ‘one of the most liberating programs I have heard in years,’ as described by The New York Times’ Anthony Tommasini.”
The Princeton program features music by Beethoven, an ongoing theme of the PUC season and Shostakovich, plus a work by contemporary composer David Bruce.
“Gumboots” was inspired by the African tradition of Gumboot dancing that originated in the often flooded goldmines of South Africa, where slaves circumvented the ban on speaking to each other by slapping their Wellingtons and chains to communicate. Mr. Bruce calls his piece a “celebration of the rejuvenating power of dance.”
At the end of a recent performance, reported the Charleston City Paper, listeners “leaped to their feet, screaming and shouting, like they’d been blown out of aircraft ejection seats.” Tickets are $40, $30, $20 General; $10, $5 students, and may be ordered by calling 609-258-9220, visiting princeton.edu/utickets, or in-person at Frist Campus Center Ticket Office or Richardson Auditorium Ticket Office.
In addition to the concert on Jan. 19, Ensemble ACJW will participate in two other activities that are free and open to the public:
Masterclass: Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. in Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall, and a Community Reading Jan. 18 at 7:390 p.m. in the Woolworth Center on campus, open to amateur classical musicians. Princeton University Concerts will host an open reading in which Princeton students and members of the community are invited to read a piece for chamber orchestra together with members of Ensemble ACJW. All levels welcome.
To inquire about participating, contact the Concert Office at 609-258-2800.
