2007

Luzerne Chamber Music Festival         

Eight Monday Evenings @ 8 p.m.

July 2:  Opening Night with The Luzerne Trio  & Luzerne Chamber Players A Wild Success!

Returning from their winter season with Classic Chamber Concerts, Philadelphia Orchestra emeritus cellist Bert Phillips &  spouse Toby Blumenthal, piano, kicked off the 2007 Luzerne Chamber Music Festival before an intimate audience of 200, with special guest Raymond Gniewek, retired Concertmaster of The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, violin, and Luzerne Chamber Players: William Schulman, horn, Celeste Schulman, double bass, and Rita Mitsel, oboe. 

Their Repertoire:  Carl Rheineke - Trio in A minor for Oboe, Horn and Piano;   Antonin Dvorak - Trio No. 4  for Violin, Cello and Piano, "Dumky";    Franz Schubert - Quintet in A major for Piano and Strings, "Trout"

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July 9:  Joel Brown & Luzerne Chamber Players

   Classical guitarist Joel Brown, Skidmore College Artist-in-Residence,  returns in 2007 with Luzerne Chamber Players:  Janelle McCoy, mezzo soprano,  Le Anne Wistrom, flute, Robyn Jones, clarinet, Susan Williams, bassoon, Alex Rowney, piano, Rico McNeela and Karen Sanno, violins, William Goodwin, viola and Eduard Gulabyan, cello.

Repertoire:  Mikhail Glinka - Trio Pathetuque in D minor, for clarinet, bassoon and piano; Gary Schocker - Garden Music for flute, guitar and cello;  Manuel De Falla - Seven Popular Spanish songs for mezzo soprano and guitar; Johannes Brahms - Quintet in B minor, opus 115 for clarinet and strings

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July 16:   The Brubeck Brothers Quartet & Imani Winds in Exclusive Collaborative Performance just before  their First Joint Recording Session!

As Part of a Three-Week Artist-in-Residence Project by Chris Brubeck at the Luzerne Music Center...

Underwritten by the New York State Music Fund

  A Night in Three Parts that culminated in Brubeck's  "Vignettes for Nonet" for Woodwind Quintet and Jazz Quartet in three Movements: Curious Expedition, Dromadaire Extraordinaire and Tales of the Bazaar   (A piece originally commissioned by Bay Chamber Concerts, of Camden, ME, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and the St.  Paul Chamber Orchestra). 

Plus Original Works by Imani Winds Jeff Scott & Valerie Coleman and Encores composed by Dave Brubeck!

Since its inception in 1997, the Grammy-nominated Imani Winds, comprised of five unabashedly adventurous yet delightfully accessible musicians, has been enriching  traditional wind quintet repertoire with European, African, Latin American and American music traditions.  Just as the name Imani denotes in Swahili (faith), the ensemble closely follows its mission over nearly a decade, carving out a distinct presence in the classical music world for their dynamic playing, culturally poignant programming and inspirational outreach programs in communities throughout the country.  

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July 23:   The Euclid String Quartet

Praised by the Denver Post for their “electric” playing, the Euclid Quartet is a dynamic ensemble known for performances filled with personality and vibrant color. At appearances ranging from Carnegie Hall to school classrooms to radio and television broadcasts, the quartet has performed to high acclaim across the country. The quartet has earned significant recognition at major competitions, recently winning Third Place at the Osaka (Japan) International Chamber Music Competition, and Grand Prize at the Hugo Kauder International Competition for String Quartets at Yale University. These victories are added to top prizes already earned at the Carmel Chamber Music Competition and the Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition. 

Repertoire:    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - String Quartet - K 525;    Alberto Ginastera - String Quartet No.  1;   Maurice Ravel - String Quartet in F major                                                  

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July 30:  The Philadelphia Piano Quartet

Comprised of Toby Blumenthal, Steinway Artist, piano, Norman Carol, former Concertmaster, Philadelphia Orchestra, violin, Lamar Alsop, former Concertmaster, New York City Ballet Orchestra, viola, and  Bert Phillips, cello emeritus & summer SPAC substitute, Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philadelphia Piano Quartet remains the heart and soul of the Luzerne Chamber Music Festival and Classic Chamber Concerts, poised once again to take the stage by storm.

Repertoire: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Piano Quartet in E flat Major, K - 452 (transcribed from the wind quintet);  Gabriel Faure - Piano Quartet in C Minor, Opus 15; and Joseph Suk.

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August 6:  Chris Brubeck, Philadelphia Orchestra Members & Luzerne Chamber Players Present....    

Brubeck's "Danze del Soul"

Chris Brubeck's residency at Luzerne continues with the performance of this original Sextet for Piano, Violin, Cello, Double Bass, Clarinet & Percussion.     Other Repertoire Includes:  Ludwig von Beethoven - Trio No. 4 in D major, Opus 70, for Piano, Violin and Cello and  Johannes Brahms - Sextet in G major, Opus 36 for strings.

With Paul Arnold, 1st violinist, Philadelphia Orchestra (at right);  David Pasbrig, piano;  Kenneth Johnston and Tara Montour, violins;  Melinda Daetsch and Joshua Shepard, violas;  Bert Phillips and Eduard Gulabyan, cellos;  Celeste Schulman, double bass; Robyn Jones, clarinet,  and James Cirillo, percussion.

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August 13:  De Pasquale Trio & David Pasbrig

This unforgettable concert features  a very special Philadelphia Orchestral family, William de Pasquale, Philadelphia Orchestra emeritus Concertmaster, viola, Gloria de Pasquale, current Philadelphia Orchestra cellist, and their daughter Francesca, an up and coming star in her own right, violin, with Luzerne Resident Artist, Temple University's  David Pasbrig, piano.

Repertoire: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Divertimento in E flat Major, K - 563;  Robert Schumann - Piano Quartet in E flat Major, Opus; with Violin & Piano Pieces by Fritz Kriesler and Pablo de Saraste.

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August 20: Luzerne Festival Finale:  

 Elizabeth Pitcairn, Luzerne Alumna, and Luzerne Chamber Players in Concert

Elizabeth Pitcairn, master and owner of "The Red Violin," and alumna of the Luzerne Music Center, returns once again to present the final concert of  the season, with mentors Toby Blumenthal and spouse Bert Phillips, on piano and cello, and  current Resident Artist/Faculty Members  Melinda Daetsch & Joshua Shepard, viola  & Celeste Schulman, double bass

Repertoire:  Felix Mendelssohn - Sextet for Piano, Violin,  Two Violas, Cello & Double Bass;  Schubert Trio in B Flat for Piano, Violin & Cello; Violin Solos  TBA

"Since her notable debut with the New York String Orchestra at Lincoln Center, violin virtuoso Elizabeth Pitcairn, has earned  a  celebrated reputation as one of America’s most beloved rising soloists."

Joel Brown's career has been diverse, taking him to England for a recording w/ the London Symphony, to Carnegie Hall w/ Soprano Dawn Upshaw, recitals on both coasts w/ Frederika von Stade, NY's Alice Tully Hall w/ the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and at Tanglewood w/ Crofut, Brubeck and the Boston Pops.

"Chris Brubeck, widely known  as an accomplished trombonist and a jazz musician for his work in his own groups Triple Play and The Brubeck Brothers...is genuinely surprised and thrilled with the new direction his career has taken...as a 'composer'. "  (Playback Magazine)
 

"Its goal is nothing less than to change the face — literally — of the classical wind quintet. Imani Winds represents nothing less than the future of the once-quaint notion of the wind quintet."  Washington Post:  Imani Winds At the Clarice Smith Center

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet is an exciting jazz group featuring two members of one of America’s most accomplished musical families, Daniel Brubeck, on drums, and Chris Brubeck, on bass & trombone, with guitarist Mike De Micco and pianist Chuck Lamb.

“Their concert performance at Carnegie’s

Weill Recital Hall had wonderful intensity, insight

and communicative strength. I look forward

to hearing much more this exceptionally promising young quartet.”
 

            Ara  Guzelimian Senior Director & Artistic Advisor

Carnegie Hall

When the Philadelphia Orchestra resumes its annual residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, its members return to Luzerne to offer Intimate Monday Evening Performances of Chamber Music and Master Classes for Luzerne's students.  

(See "Faculty"  pages for full Roster of  2007 Philadelphia Orchestra  Performers, Resident Professional Luzerne Chamber Players and Other Renowned Faculty/Performers )

David Pasbrig, Pianist Artist-in-Residence from Temple University