Tag: Matinee Musicale

Post-Covid Fall season in full swing

janellegelfandLeave a comment
Pianist Daniil Trifonov takes bows at last weekend’s MusicNOW Festival at the CSO

After 18 months of virtual and a few outdoor performances, Cincinnati is back to live, in-person performances. Most arts organizations are requiring masking and proof of vaccine or testing to enter theaters. (Here are the rules.) So far, people are flocking back, and the ones I’ve met are happy to be back.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has been performing mini-festivals of new music over the last two weekends.

Here are links to my impressions of the CSO/MusicNOW Festival, founded by Bryce Dessner (who unfortunately was not in town), and an avant-garde program led by creative director Matthias Pintscher.

MusicNOW with Bonny Light Horseman and Daniil Trifonov

Trifonov and Louis Langree/Mark Lyons photo

MusicNOW with So percussion and Daniil Trifonov

Contemporary Colors, hailing the Jewish Cincinnati Bicentennial.

All were late additions to the calendar, as the CSO won’t launch its subscription season until Oct. 29-30. Watch for a preview about their season later this month in the Business Courier.

The Cincinnati Pops has some “extras,” this fall, as well. John Morris Russell will lead an American program commemorating voting rights for women with singer/songwriter Aoife O’Donovan, Oct. 19 in Music Hall. Info here: cincinnatisymphony.org/pops.

Yesterday, the Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame presented an induction ceremony for its sixth class of inductees, at Mount St. Joseph University. Read more here about that organization and how V. Kay Casey came to found it.

Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame sponsors a program for young jazz musicians, who play “Jazz at Dusk” around town — seen here at Caffe Vivace in Walnut HIlls

Also this weekend, the 108th season of Matinee Musicale opened in Memorial Hall. I’ll be writing more about that soon… as well as some of my thoughts about the innovative programs of Chamber Music Cincinnati coming up soon.

 

Star tenor Pene Pati to reopen Matinée Musicale in June

janellegelfandLeave a comment

 

Pene Pati performing as Romeo in San Francisco Opera’s production of Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette. Cory Weaver/provided by Matinée Musicale.

Matinée Musicale has announced that the renowned Samoan tenor Pene Pati is returning to the Memorial Hall stage, with pianist Ronny Michael Greenberg, for not one, but two, long-awaited live performances:  7:30 p.m. Friday, June 4 and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 6.

Local fans are still talking about his Cincinnati debut in March of 2019. His trip from his home in Auckland, New Zealand, to Cincinnati took two full days, and was complicated by last-minute visa problems and a spring snowstorm in Cincinnati. Pati’s impressive performance resulted in standing ovations, encore after encore, and an outcry for his rapid return.

However, due to Covid, his return engagement had to be postponed.

Pati will be performing the same program for both performances (to be announced). If his last recital is any indication, audiences are in for a rare treat. Here’s the review from that concert.

After recent debuts as Roméo in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at San Francisco Opera — with Cincinnati favorite Nadine Sierra as Juliet — and Alfredo in Verdi’s La traviata at Moscow’s historic Bolshoi Theatre, Pati has been hailed ​“the most exceptional tenor discovery of the last decade” (Opéra-Online). In the upcoming seasons, Pati will make debuts at Staatsoper Berlin, Wiener Staatsoper, Teatro San Carlo di Napoli and Opéra National de Paris.

Here’s what I wrote after I was privileged to hear Pati and Nadine Sierra in San Francisco:

“Pati’s singing was the picture of elegance, and he remained fresh until his dying breath in Act V. Romeo’s famous cavatina, “Ah! Lève-toi, soleil” (“Arise, oh sun”) was deeply felt, a feat that combined both beauty of line and ardent, exciting top notes.”

See the full review here on my blog.

This marks the return of live recitals presented by Matinée Musicale after more than a year. The 107-year-old music series is one of the first small performing arts organizations in our city to return to live, in-person performances.

Covid safety measures at Memorial Hall include wearing of masks and social distancing.

For more information, including purchasing tickets, visit matineemusicalecincinnati.org.

More cancellations, but the ZOO is open — outdoor exhibits, anyway

janellegelfandLeave a comment
Nicole Cabell pledges to return

You can pretty much assume that if you own a performing arts ticket between now and April 12 or so, it has been cancelled to avoid community spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ohio. Here’s the latest:

Matinee Musicale’s recital featuring opera star Nicole Cabell, soprano, and Donna Loewy, piano, on March 27th in Memorial Hall has been canceled. In addition, the master class that the soprano graciously agreed to perform with voice students at CCM on March 26 is also canceled.

The artist has agreed to reschedule if at all possible. Here’s the organizations’ message:

“Matinée Musicale will work to make this happen when government restrictions are lifted and the health and well-being of all participants is no longer threatened. We will have information about rescheduling and/or ticket refunds/exchanges soon.

“At this time, we expect the April 19 and May 2 recitals to proceed as planned. If the Governor’s ban is extended beyond April 3, notifications will be sent promptly. Check our website for more information: matineemusicalecincinnati.org.”

The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is open, but precautions are being taken — and you might not get to see Fiona, as indoor animal habitats are closed. But you can still walk the lovely grounds and see the animals that are outside.

Here’s the Zoo’s statement:Read More »

Pati, Sierra ravishing as star-cross’d lovers at SF Opera

janellegelfand1 Comment
Nadine Sierra and Pene Pati as Romeo and Juliet at San Francisco Opera. Photos provided/Cory Weaver

It’s always rewarding to see the understudy step in for the indisposed star, and become an “overnight” sensation. That is what happened at San Francisco Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet” earlier this month, when Samoan-born New Zealand tenor Pene Pati, who was scheduled to sing one performance, replaced Bryan Hymel for the entire run.

On Tuesday, I was able to catch a performance of the production, which opened the company’s 97th season in the War Memorial Opera House. I was partly interested because Cincinnati had the pleasure of being wowed by Pati in recital just last season for Matinee Musicale. But I was also interested in his Juliet — American soprano Nadine Sierra — who also performed a delicious recital for Matinee Musicale a couple of years ago. Since then, she has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera and won the 2017 Richard Tucker Award.

After the stunning performance by both of these artists on Tuesday, Cincinnatians can say, “We knew them when.”Read More »

Young musicians encouraged to apply for unique scholarship

janellegelfandLeave a comment
Scholarship winners who performed last spring at Greenacres

Young musicians from across the Tristate area are invited to compete for the Nancy F. Walker Memorial Scholarships (total of $50,000) for singers and instrumentalists now being offered by Matinée Musicale Cincinnati.

These have been made possible by recent generous donations in memory of Nancy Fuldner Walker and a bequest from the estate of Louise Dieterle Nippert.

As an extension of its longtime mission to advance the careers of young instrumentalists and singers, Matinée Musicale invites applications from juniors and seniors in college and high school. Awards will be given to both instrumentalists and singers.Read More »

Tessa Lark dazzles in masterworks, bluegrass at Matinee Musicale

janellegelfandLeave a comment
Tessa Lark

For Tessa Lark, performing in Cincinnati on Thursday was “basically coming home.” The violinist, who has appeared with dozens of American orchestras and is a Naumburg winner, among other prestigious awards, made an impressive recital debut at Matinee Musicale.

Cincinnati — specifically, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music — was a kind of second home during her early years. Between the ages of 11 and 18, her mother drove her two hours each way every Saturday from Richmond, KY, to work with master teacher Kurt Sassmannshaus in CCM’s Starling Preparatory String Project, a program for vastly talented kids. She made her Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra debut at age 16.

Now 29, she plays with an easy virtuosity. But she also charmed the audience at Anderson Center on Thursday with her down-to-earth personality and sense of humor as she spoke about each piece that she was performing with her pianist, Andrew Armstrong.Read More »

My picks in the coming week

janellegelfandLeave a comment

As always, Cincinnati offers myriad choices of things to do in the fall season. Here are just a few options that you might want to try.

Cincinnati Ballet’s “Peter Pan,” with a charming musical score composed by Carmon DeLeone, honors the maestro in its performances this weekend for his unprecedented 50 years as the Ballet’s music director. The dancing crocodile is one of my personal favorites. Thursday through Sunday in Music Hall. Tickets: cballet.org or call 513-621-5282.

Christian McBride. Photo provided

The great jazz bassist Christian McBride has shared the stage with jazz legends like Sonny Rollins, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock or Pat Metheny; pop giants like James Brown, Sting andThe Roots; and classical artists like Kathleen Battle, Edgar Meyer or the Shanghai Quartet. He visits the Xavier Jazz Series, 8 p.m. Oct. 27 in Gallagher Theater on the XU campus. Tickets: xavier.edu/musicseries

Cincinnati native and rising conductor Isaac Selya has just returned from making his debut with the Deustche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen (yes, Paavo’s orchestra).

Next, he says, “I’m jumping straight into the next Queen City Opera program.” This one will be operatic selections featuring 11 emerging artists, accompanied by full orchestra. Eight of them trained at CCM; the other three trained at Indiana University, University of Kentucky, and Miami University in Oxford.

The concert will also feature the Xavier University Concert Choir,

Isaac Selya

singing in “Habanera” from Carmen. There will be a rare chance to hear the Council Chamber Scene from Simon Boccanegra, which ends with a soft entreaty for peace.

Just one performance: 3 p.m. Sunday, October 28 at the Sanctuary at Community Matters (2110 Saint Michael Street, 45204). To read the details on the repertoire and the performers click here.
Tessa Lark
Violinist Tessa Lark returns to the Queen City (where she trained at CCM) to star in Matinee Musicale’s 106th season, 2 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Anderson Center, 7850 Five Mile Road. Since her concerto debut with the Cincinnati Symphony at age 16, the Kentucky native is the recipient of a coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant and was silver medalist in the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and winner of the 2012 Naumberg International Violin Competition. She recently acquired a very special new violin from the Stradivari Society of Chicago. Read about it here. Andrew Armstrong collaborates at the piano. Here’s the program:
Suite Italienne……………………Igor Stravisky (1882-1971)

Appalachian Fantasy…………….Tessa Lark

Sonata in A major………………..César Franck (1822-1890)

Sonata No. 9, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”.. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Visit matineemusicalecincinnati.org for tickets or purchase at the door.

 

Matinée Musicale announces grants to 10 arts programs

janellegelfandLeave a comment
Students from MYCincinnati. Photo provided

Thanks to a bequest from the estate of the late arts patron Louise Dieterle Nippert, Matinée Musicale is awarding $72,000 in grants to 10 deserving music education and outreach programs in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

They are all achieving great things in the arts. The list:

Benjamin Carlson-Berne Scholarship Fund, which provides weekly private lessons and mentorship to youth of middle school age to high school age.Read More »

Jamie Barton gives voice to women in music

janellegelfand2 Comments
The time is right, says opera mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, seen here in the Richard Tucker Gala, to put women composers in the spotlight. Photo by Dario Acosta

“Being able to do a brilliant piece by a female composer written in my own language — it feels very much like home,” said mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton.

Barton, a young American opera singer whose sumptuous voice is being compared to that of legends such as Kirsten Flagstad, was discussing the recital program that she will sing for Matinée Musicale next week. Cincinnati is a stop in her five-concert tour that began in December at Carnegie Hall.

Notably, half of her selections are by women: Elinor Remick Warren, Lili and Nadia Boulanger, Amy Beach and Libby Larsen. Even though women are gaining more recognition in classical music than perhaps ever before in history, it’s still remarkable to find concert programs that include very much, if any, music by women.

The time was right, Barton felt, to put women in the spotlight.Read More »

In memoriam Nancy Walker: Arts patron, influential classical music devotee

janellegelfandLeave a comment
Nancy Walker with ClaireHuangci__ 2015
Nancy Walker shown with pianist Claire Huangci

Nancy Fuldner Walker was devoted to Cincinnati’s arts, with a special passion for Matinée Musicale.

An accomplished pianist, oboist and teacher, Mrs. Walker headed the 105-year-old music club for nearly five decades. During her tenure, Matinée Musicale presented a stellar roster of rising stars, thanks to her contacts with artist agents and her immense knowledge about the classical music industry.

“Walker was the heart and soul of Matinée Musicale, selecting music performers for recitals on their way to famous careers,” said Rick Pender, a theater critic and member of Matinée Musicale. “Her knowledge, judgment and great musical instincts sustained the organization at the forefront of local presenters for nearly half of its 105-year existence.”

Mrs. Walker died on Oct. 30 at Jewish Hospital. The longtime resident of Mount Lookout was 87.Read More »