CAG ENCORES! to Bring Classics and a Nod to St. Patrick to Carnegie Hall

Concert Artists Guild has announced a special program featuring the Lysander Piano Trio, as well as CAG Alumni Naomi Louisa O'Connell, mezzo-soprano, and Jennifer Stumm, viola, in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at 7:30pm.

The program will feature the world premiere of Around the Cauldron by Gilad Cohen, commissioned for the Lysander Trio by Concert Artists Guild with support from the Adele and John Gray Endowment Fund. Rounding out the program will be Hindemith's Viola and Piano Sonata No. 4, the Fauré Piano Quartet No. 1, and a set of Irish songs.

The full program is:

Views of Ireland (Irish Songs by various composers)

Naomi Louisa O'Connell, mezzo-soprano and Brent Funderburk, piano

Sonata No. 4 for Viola and Piano, Op. 11 Paul Hindemith

Jennifer Stumm, viola and Liza Stepanova, piano

Around the Cauldron (2016) - WORLD PREMIERE Gilad Cohen

Lysander Piano Trio

Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15 Gabriel Fauré

Lysander Piano Trio and Jennifer Stumm, viola

The Lysander Piano Trio has been praised by the Strad for its "incredible ensemble, passionate playing, articulate and imaginative ideas and wide palette of colors." These qualities have made the Trio a standout at competitions, with top honors at the 2012 Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition, and the J.C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition. The ensemble frequently performs commissioned works by living composers and its debut recording, After a Dream, was acclaimed by the New York Times for its "polished and spirited interpretations".

Irish mezzo-soprano Naomi Louisa O'Connell balances her love of opera with that of art song, musical theater and popular song with repertoire ranging from Schumann, Strauss, and Ravel to Bernstein, Gershwin, and Randy Newman. This versatility led to her First Prize victory at the 2011 Concert Artists Guild Competition. Naomi made her professional stage debut in 2012 starring on London's West End in Terrence McNally's Tony Award-winning play Master Class. In addition, she has performed at music festivals including the Marlboro Music Festival, Steans Musical Institute at Ravinia, Rockport Chamber Music Festival, and MUSE/IQUE in Los Angeles.

Violist and director Jennifer Stumm is recognized as one of the world's dynamic and creative leaders for her instrument, known both for her distinctive sound and unbridled enthusiasm for music. Hailed by the Washington Post for the "opal-like beauty" of her playing, she appears on many of the world's great stages, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Concertgebouw, Sala São Paulo, and the Wigmore Hall, London. Her solo career was launched after victories in three major international competitions: William Primrose, Geneva and the 2006 Concert Artists Guild Competition. This year's highlights include her solo debut at the Berlin Philharmonie and the complete chamber works of Brahms in Tel Aviv.

For 65 years Concert Artists Guild has helped young musicians launch concert careers. Winners of CAG's annual competition receive comprehensive management support including a debut recital in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, concert bookings, opportunities through the CAG Commissioning Program and CAG Records label, marketing, publicity, and mentorship. Since 1951, CAG has helped more than 500 musicians start careers; notable alumni artists are violinists Ani Kavafian and Jennifer Koh, soprano Martina Arroyo, clarinetists David Krakauer and David Shifrin, flutists Carol Wincenc and Marina Piccinini, Imani Winds, Grammy-winning ensembles Pacifica and Parker String Quartets, and MacArthur Fellows Claire Chase and Eighth Blackbird.