Peace Center Announces 2018-2019 Peace Chamber Program
By: Stephi Wild May. 02, 2018
At the heart of the Peace Center's mission is a commitment to bringing people together to experience the highest quality artistic performances. The 2018-2019 Peace Chamber program offers a world-class chamber music concert series and invites audiences to dive deeper through FREE Musical Happy Hours, Chamber Peace Talks and master classes with visiting artists.
Now in its third year, Peace Chamber welcomes a new artist-in-residence, Dr. Igor Begelman. Begelman will serve as a musical guide to the season, helping audiences explore the five concerts in the series and expanding the knowledge of curious music-lovers and chamber music enthusiasts alike. In addition to the programs open to the public, Begelman will work with student music groups and visit schools to engage students and educators in music education programs.
The 2018-2019 Peace Chamber concert series welcomes musicians from around the world for unforgettable, intimate chamber performances in the Gunter Theatre.
VOCES8
Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m.
British ensemble VOCES8 takes a cappella chamber singing to a new level. Called "impeccable" (Gramophone) and "slickest of the lot" (BBC Radio 3), the eight-voice ensemble performs everything from Renaissance polyphony to contemporary arrangements. Their broad reach has taken them to prestigious venues around the world, such as Royal Albert Hall, Cité de la Musique Paris, Tokyo Opera City, Shanghai Concert Hall and Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall.
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, at 7 p.m.
Declared "arguably the best ensemble of its kind in the world" (Manchester Evening News), the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet astonishes audiences worldwide with their range of expression, tonal spectrum and conceptual unity. Critics and fans agree that the ensemble has succeeded in virtually redefining the sound of the classic wind quintet, and many of their recordings are widely held to be definitive performances. The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet - the first permanently established wind quintet in the famous orchestra's rich tradition of chamber music - are also popular guests at international festivals such as the Edinburgh Festival, the London Proms, the Quintette-Biennale Marseille and the Salzburg Festival.
Lara St. John
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, at 7 p.m.
Canadian-born violinist Lara St. John has been described as "something of a phenomenon" by The Strad and a "high-powered soloist" by The New York Times. Starting the violin at only two years old, St. John made her first appearance as soloist with an orchestra at age four and made her European debut with the Gulbenkian Orchestra when she was 10. She has been featured in People, US News and World Report, on CNN's Showbiz Today, NPR's All Things Considered, CBC, BBC, a Bravo! Special called Live At the Rehearsal Hall and on the cover of Strings.
Sybarite5
Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, at 3 p.m.
Sybarite5's "rock star status...is well deserved" (Sarasota Herald-Tribune). From the moment their bows hit the strings, this quintet of diverse musicians takes the audience on an exciting ride that redefines the rules. Dubbed the "Millennial Kronos," Sybarite5's eclectic repertoire from Bowie to Radiohead and Akiho to Assad, combined with its commanding performance style, is turning heads throughout the music world. The quintet's debut album, Disturb the Silence, quickly reached the top 10 on the Billboard charts, and their live performances will "satisfy your inner rock star and your secret Mozart" (Arizona Daily Star).
Avital meets Avital
Thursday, April 11, 2019, at 7 p.m.
Avi Avital was the first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy Award. Omer Avital has been named "one of the most exciting musicians to come onto the jazz scene in the last 20 years" (DownBeat). Together, their music uncovers their shared past in a creative blend of Moroccan beats, Israeli harmonies, classical sensibility and jazz improvisation. It's also a meeting of two musical backgrounds: the classically-trained Avi "meets" the jazz-trained Omer; tradition meets modernism; East meets West. The result is a "foot-stomping, hip-swaying jazz and Middle Eastern fusion" (Gramophone) that tells a story of self-discovery that is as intimately personal as it is universal.
Chamber Peace Talks
Begelman and select guest artists will host pre-concert talks that guide audiences through the performance they are about to hear, providing insight into the repertoire before the music even begins. Pre-concert talks offer something for everyone, from the experienced aficionado to the first-time concertgoer. Talks begin 45 minutes before the performance time and are FREE for all ticket holders.
Master Classes
Ticket holders may observe master classes with Peace Chamber visiting artists for FREE.
VOCES8, vocal - Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 2:30 p.m.
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, winds - Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, at 10 a.m.
Lara St. John, violin - Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019, at 11 a.m.
Musicians interested in participating in the master classes should email education@peacecenter.org.
Peace Interludes: Musical Happy Hours
Begelman hosts a FREE monthly music appreciation gathering that will unpack the rich traditions, diverse styles and great composers of chamber music and beyond. Each interlude features a unique pairing ranging from Bach and Bordeaux to Chopin and Champagne, providing a multi-sensory sip, listen and learn experience that highlights a musical period.
Interludes are held in Ramsaur Studio at 5:15 p.m., and featured drinks are available for purchase.
Renaissance - Monteverdi and Merlot - Oct. 18
Baroque - Bach and Bordeaux - Nov. 1
Classical - Mozart and Malbec - Dec. 20
Late Classical - Rossini and Rosé - Jan. 24, 2019
Romantic - Chopin and Champagne - Feb. 28, 2019
Impressionism - Ravel and Riesling - March 21, 2019
20th Century - Prokofiev and Prosecco - April 25, 2019
Contemporary - Sondheim and Sangria - May 23, 2019
Artist-in-Residence Dr. Igor Begelman
Clarinetist Dr. Igor Begelman's virtuosity and imagination on his instrument have been praised by critics as a "remarkable display of music making" and have earned him an impressive list of prizes, engagements and honors, including the Avery Fisher Career Grant, awarded to outstanding American artists.
Equally accomplished as a recitalist and chamber musician, Begelman has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and throughout the world, including Casals, Marlboro, Moab, Alpenglow, Juneau, Caramoor, Tucson, Tanglewood and Schleswig-Holstein Festivals. An avid proponent of new music, he has premiered compositions by Jennifer Higdon, Anton Kuerti, Alex Krasotov, David Robert Coleman, Meyer Kupferman, Elliot Schwartz and Ralph Shapey.
Begelman has served as a professor of clarinet at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, adjunct at Sarah Lawrence College and as the director of the woodwind program at the Bowdoin International Music Festival. Begelman has guest lectured at Yale, Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music.
Season tickets for the five concerts in the Peace Chamber concert series are $235 and are on sale now. Single tickets will go on sale this summer.
Tickets may be purchased by calling 864.467.3000 or 800.888.7768, in person at the Peace Center Box Office or online at www.peacecenter.org. Handling fees are waived for season ticket holders.
Admission to the master classes and interludes is free, but an RSVP is required by visiting www.peacecenter.org or by calling the Box Office.
For more information about the Peace Center and its upcoming events, visit www.peacecenter.org.
Events, dates, times, prices and performers are subject to change without notice.
Ticket buyers are reminded that the Peace Center box office - in person, by phone or online - is the only official retail ticket outlet for all performances at the Peace Center and is the only way to guarantee the best prices. Ticket buyers who purchase tickets from a ticket broker or any third party should be aware that the Peace Center is unable to reprint or replace lost or stolen tickets and is unable to contact patrons with information regarding time changes or other pertinent updates regarding the performance.
Photo Credit: Andy Staples
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