Salon/Sanctuary Concerts Present The Classical Romantic, 3/23

On Friday, March 23rd, 2012 at 8:00pm, Salon/Sanctuary Concerts presents Rufus Müller, tenor, Cynthia Roberts, violin, Christoph Hammer, fortepiano, and Allen Whear, cello, for The Classical Romantic, a concert.

Tenor Rufus Müller, acclaimed for “a vocal freedom and interpretative eloquence that took the breath away” is joined by three internationally renowned musicians for an intimate evening of song and chamber music, featuring repertoire by Beethoven and those who came before and after him, including Haydn and Kleinheinz.

British/German tenor Rufus Müller gave the world premiere of Jonathan Miller's production of the St. Matthew Passion, which he also recorded for United and broadcast on BBC TV; he repeated the role in April 2009 in a third revival of the production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. Rufus is also a recitalist, performing worldwide with Maria João Pires.

In addition to Rufus’ success in live opera and oratorio, his recordings include Bach’s St John Passion and Bach Cantatas with John Elliot Gardiner for DG Archiv, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia with Roger Norrington for EMI, Messiah with Tafelmusik, Haydn’s Creation with Edward Higginbottom and New College Oxford, Handel’s operas Ariodante with Nicholas McGegan and Rodrigo with Alan Curtis, songs by Franz Lachner with Christoph Hammer on Oehms Classics, and Ned Rorem’s Evidence of Things Not Seen with the New York Festival of Song on New World Records.

The 2011/12 season includes recitals with Christoph Hammer in Germany, a recital tour of Japan, Britten’s Serenade in Toronto, Hans Zender’s version of Winterreise in Montreal, Bach’s St. John Passion in Oxford, New York and Washington DC, a tour of the USA with Rebel, Messiah in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Washington DC, Mendelssohn’s Paulus in Madrid, Creation in Norway, Satyavan in Holst’s opera Savitri with Little Opera Theater New York, and the title rôle in Monteverdi’s Orfeo in Germany with Andrew Parrott. Rufus was born in Kent, England and was a choral scholar at New College, Oxford. He studied in New York with Thomas LoMonaco. In 1985 he won first prize in the English Song Award in Brighton, and in 1999 he was a prize winner in the Oratorio Society of New York Singing Competition. He is Assistant Professor of Music at Bard College.

Fortepianist Christoph Hammer dedicates his time to the rediscovery of little-known composers as well as researching and editing their works. Having won first prize in the nationwide Jugend Musiziert competition playing the organ in his native Germany at the age of 17, he subsequently studied organ at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich and was a scholarship winner of the Stiftung Maximilaneum and the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes. In addition, he studied German Literature and Musicology at the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich and at UCLA. Since 1989, Hammer has focused on playing historical keyboard instruments, especially the fortepiano. In 2009 he was appointed associate professor of harpsichord and fortepiano at the University of North Texas in Denton. Hammer has taught master classes at the Czech State Music Academy in Prague, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, and the State Music Academy in Minsk. He has appeared as soloist with Concert Cologne, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Prague Chamber Orchestra. He is founder and conductor of the Neue Hofkapelle München and has conducted opera/oratorio productions by Monteverdi, Handel, Steffani, Purcell, Leo, Mozart and many others. Mr. Hammer's extensive discography includes solo fortepiano works of Czerny, Hummel and Schumann, lieder with tenor Rufus Müller, and numerous operas.

Violinist Cynthia Roberts has appeared as soloist, leader, and recitalist throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. She teaches at the Juilliard School as well as the University of North Texas and the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute. She has served as concertmaster of the New York Collegium, Apollo's Fire, Concert Royal, and Les Arts Florissants. She performs regularly with Tafelmusik and the American Bach Soloists, and is a principal player in the Carmel Bach Festival. She has appeared with the London Classical Players, Taverner Players, Clarion Music Society, and Smithsonian Chamber Players. Her playing was featured on the soundtrack of the film Casanova and she has performed live on the Late Show with David Letterman. This season she toured South America as concertmaster of the Los Angeles ensemble Musica Angelica with actor John Malkovich in a program entitled The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer. She has given master classes at Eastman, the Cleveland Institute, Cornell, Rutgers, and for the Jeune Orchestre Atlantique and the New World Symphony. Her recording credits include Sony, Analekta, BMG/Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, and Eclectra. She made her debut at age 12 with Chicago's Grant Park Symphony, performing the Mendelssohn Concerto, and later appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops and numerous orchestras in the Boston area.

Cellist Allen Whear is Associate Principal Cellist of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Principal Cellist and Recital Director of the Carmel Bach Festival, and Artistic Director of Bltimore's Pro Musica Rara. A graduate of the New England Conservatory and the Juilliard School, he was the recipient of an ITT International Fellowship and studied with Anner Bylsma in Amsterdam and holds a doctorate from Rutgers University. He has performed as soloist with Tafelmusik, the Brandenburg Collegium, Philadelphia Classical Symphony, the Mid-Atlantic Chamber Orchestra, and the Charleston Symphony. He has appeared with Musica Antiqua Köln, the Vienna Boys Choir, Concert Royal, the Mozartean Players, and the Smithsonian Chamber Players. His recording credits include Sony, Virgin, Musical Heritage, Naxos, and Deutsche Harmonia Mundi. He recently joined the faculty of the University of North Texas College of Music.

LOCATION:
The Liederkranz Foundation Concert Hall
6 East 87th Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10128

ADMISSION:
$25/$15 seniors & students

RESERVATIONS:
http://www.salonsanctuaryconcerts.org
orders@gemsny.org
(212) 866-0468

PROGRAM:

Haydn, Trio in e minor, Hob. XV:12

Beethoven, Scottish folk songs

Sonata in E flat major, Op. 9, by Franz Xaver Kleinheinz (1765 – 1832)

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