Baryshnikov Arts Center Presents BAC Salons

The Baryshnikov Arts Center continues its signature salon series with four evenings of music in an intimate setting in March, held in the John Cage & Merce Cunningham Studio. In this series, entitled BAC Salon: The Originals, BAC showcases music by composers with uncompromising visions, performed by some of today's most respected musicians. On March 20 and 21, 2017 at 7:30pm, BAC will present BAC Salon: Janácek + Ives featuring performances by Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Jay Campbell, cello; and Paul Appleby, tenor. On March 22 and 23, 2017 at 7:30pm, BAC presents BAC Salon: Biber + Nancarrow with performers Mark Fewer, violin; James Kennerley, organ; Charles Weaver, theorbo and guitar; Daniel Swenberg, theorbo; and Robert Willey, Yamaha Disklavier and synthesizer.

BAC Salon: Janá?ek + Ives will include Leoš Janácek's Fairy Tale for cello and piano, his piano sonata "1. X 1905," and a selection of songs by Charles Ives including "Down East," "The Children's Hour," "At the River," "Songs my mother taught me," "In the mornin'," and more. Both Janácek and Ives were mavericks that drew inspiration from their homelands to create highly original musical styles. Janácek transformed folk music of his native Moravia into a distinct poetic narrative, and Ives used popular American melodies to create unique, multi-layered soundscapes. The concert features Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Jay Campbell, cello; and Paul Appleby, tenor.

Program:
Janácek: Piano Sonata "1. X. 1905"
Ives: Down East; The Children's Hour; The Housatonic at Stockbridge; At the River, Robert Lowry; A Night Song, Thomas Moore; Berceuse
Janá?ek: Fairy Tale (for cello and piano)
Ives: The Light that is felt; Karen; Two Little Flowers; Songs my mother taught me; The See'r; The things our fathers loved; In the mornin'

BAC Salon: Biber + Nancarrow juxtaposes Heinrich von Biber's sonatas with a selection of Conlon Nancarrow's Player Piano Studies. Biber and Nancarrow were composers who took virtuosity to unprecedented heights. Biber experimented with differently tuned strings to expand the possibilities of the violin, while Nancarrow wrote for the mechanical "player piano," as his compositions surpassed human performance capability. The concert features Mark Fewer, violin; James Kennerley, organ; Charles Weaver, theorbo and guitar; Daniel Swenberg, theorbo; and Robert Willey, Yamaha Disklavier and synthesizer.

Program:
Biber: Sonata Representativa
Nancarrow/Willey: Study for Player Piano No. 7
Biber: Sonata III (from 8 Sonatas published in 1681)
Nancarrow/Willey: Studies for Player Piano Nos. 2b, 6 and 21
Biber: Sonata V (from 8 Sonatas published in 1681)

BAC Salon is a series of concerts presented in a salon setting, without a division between stage and auditorium. This series takes music written for intimate spaces, jazz and classical alike, back to its natural setting. BAC strives to make live music more integrated in the everyday lives of busy New Yorkers by presenting these hour-long programs with no intermission and by keeping ticket prices affordable.

Leadership support for music programming at BAC provided by the Anne and Chris Flowers Foundation and the Thompson Family Foundation.

BAC is the realization of a long-held vision by artistic director Mikhail Baryshnikov to build an arts center in Manhattan that would serve as a gathering place for artists from all disciplines. BAC's opening in 2005 heralded the launch of this mission, establishing a thriving creative laboratory and performance space for artists from around the world. BAC's activities encompass a robust residency program augmented by a range of professional services, including commissions of new work, as well as the presentation of performances by artists at varying stages of their careers. In tandem with its commitment to supporting artists, BAC is dedicated to building audiences for the arts by presenting contemporary, innovative work at affordable ticket prices. For more information, please visit www.bacnyc.org.