Newton's Allen Center Presents Cherry Street Music's 2023-24 Season CLASSICAL WITH A TWIST

The Allen Center in Newton, MA will present Cherry Street Music's “Classical with a Twist”, a six-concert series during the 2023-24 season, curated by celebrated cellist and The Allen Center Artist in Residence, Allison Yoshie Eldredge. Tickets and information can be found at newtonculture.org.

Cherry Street Music Director Eldredge says the series will offer programming of classical chamber music paired with diverse works from other artistic genres.  

The series opens October 14th with a program titled Love, which Eldredge says “Is a universal message chosen to inspire an evening of classical music and contemporary poetry.”  Music will include Brahms' Piano Quartet in C Minor, opus 3 (“Werther”); Liszt's Liebenstraum no. 3 (“Love Dream”); and Kriesler's “Liebeslied and Liebesfreud” performed by Aleksandr Poliykov (piano), Sarita Kwok (violin), Amadi Azikiwe (viola) and Allison Yoshie Eldredge (cello).  The “twist” for this program will be poetry written by and read by Newton poets Grey Held and poet Carol Hobbs.

On November 19th, Cherry Street Music will present A Roland Hayes Tribute, honoring the first African American man to win international acclaim as a concert artist.  A tenor, who made his debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1923, Hayes was the first Black performer to appear with the BSO and did so regularly for the next 21 years.  Acclaimed baritone Philip Lima will perform art songs, arias and spirituals that honor Hayes, alongside the Boston Public Quartet: Betsy Hinkle, violin; Jason Amos, viola; Emanuel Feldman, cello; and Joy Cline Phinney, piano.

Beethoven and Beatles, Part 1 on December 16th, explores the frequently noted connections between one of the greatest composers of all time with The Fab Four.  Beethoven's Cello Sonatas nos. 1 and 2 will be performed by Allison Yoshie Eldredge, cello and Max Levinson, piano, and the “twist” for this program will be Beatles songs sung by Natalie Levinson, backed by a lively “Beatlesque” ensemble.

Eldredge has curated a diverse and invigorating program of Latin inspired music for Nuevo Tango on February 4th. Carlos Gabel's “Por una Cabeza” arr. John Williams, and Piazzolla's “L'Histoire du Tango” which features Philadelphia Orchestra principal bassoon, Daniel Matsukawa and Markus Placci, violin.  The “twist” for this program will feature Boston String Academy's “El Sistema Boston”, along with violinists Markus Placci, Tony Morales and BSA co-founders Mariesther and Marielisa Alvarez in traditional tunes and dances from south of the border.   

On April 14, Beethoven and Beatles, Part 2 features Beethoven's Twelve Variations in G Major on a Theme from Handel's Oratorio 'Judas Maccabäus' and Sonata no. 3 in A Major performed by Allison Yoshie Eldredge, cello and Max Levinson, piano.  The “twist” will feature additional Beatles tunes inspired by Beethoven.

In the spirit of the Juneteenth federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States,  Allison and Cherry Street Music will present an All-American composers program, Forever Free  on June 19th.   Works by Florence Price, H.T. Burlegh, David Baker, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and more will be performed by Artistic Director Allison Yoshie Eldredge, pianist Jeremiah Cossia and other local artists.

The Allen Center (TAC) is an Arts & Cultural Center in West Newton, owned and operated by the Newton Cultural Alliance (NCA).  The Allen Center's historic facility is the beacon of arts and culture in the City of Newton,  a unique space dedicated to the creative community. The renovation of the facility was completed spring of 2021, and, as with the case of many performance venues, has slowly been expanding its programming over two years.  Since that time the offerings of TAC have broadened.  In the Fall of 2022 the NCA established an Artist in Residence and invited Allison Yoshie Eldredge, international concert cellist, to fill the position.  

Card to Culture:  New This Year!  The Allen Center has recently joined the Mass Cultural Council Card to Culture program and is making tickets available at reduced prices for This MCC program , together with the Department of Transitional Assistance, Massachusetts Health Connector, and the Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, are increasing access to cultural experiences for all Massachusetts residents.  Click here for more information.

Since winning the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant at 19, cellist Allison Yoshie Eldredge has been performing at the foremost music centers of the United States, Canada, Europe, Far East, and Latin America. Allison has performed as soloist with many of the world's great orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony and the Royal Philharmonic and performed with such distinguished conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, Andre Previn, Charles Dutoit, Leonard Slatkin, Krzysztof Penderecki, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Hans Vonk and Sergiu Commissiona.

Classical with a Twist by Cherry Street Music, presented by The Allen Center.  Concerts at The Allen Center, 35 Webster Street, Newton MA.  Tickets and information are available At The Allen Center. 

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