CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY ORCHESTRA presents:
“A TOUCH OF BRASS”
THE WORLD’S BEST BRASS SOLOISTS, BRASS ENSEMBLES & MASSED BRASS CHOIR
with Susan LaFever, piano
Sunday, February 27, 2011
4:00 pm, Claremont Opera House
YOU’VE NEVER HEARD BRASS LIKE THIS! An incredible lineup of legendary classical brass players joins forces for the first time ever, in a concert UNPRECEDENTED in the Upper Valley—or anywhere! On Sunday, February 27, at 4 pm at the Claremont Opera House, the Connecticut River Valley Orchestra presents the rare opportunity to experience breathtaking performances by the superstars who’ve elevated brass music to its highest virtuosity. Titled A TOUCH OF BRASS, THE WORLD’S BEST BRASS SOLOISTS, BRASS ENSEMBLES & MASSED BRASS CHOIR, the concert features five special guest soloists, plus pianist Susan LaFever. Norwegian tubist Øystein Baadsvik, called “fantastically accomplished” by The New York Times, and who wowed the CRVO audience in 2010, returns with his peerless tuba techniques. Also on the roster, performing solo and in ensembles, are the famed Joseph Alessi, principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic; Adam Frey, “one of the best…euphonium soloists in the world” (Eroica Classical Recordings); the “astonishing” (International Trumpet Guild) Terry Everson, trumpet; and the phenomenal Philip Myers, principal French horn, New York Philharmonic. In a thrilling concert finale, Max Culpepper conducts these celebrities and the ensembles in a triumphant "massed brass choir."
Trombonist Joe Alessi performs Morceau Symphonique, Op. 88, by Alexandre Guilmant; Largo from Piccolo Concerto in C Major by Antonio Vivaldi; and Kittens on the Keys by Edward Elzear “Zez” Confrey. Internationally revered tubist Øystein Baadsvik plays two self-composed pieces, Ordner Seg (It’ll Be All Right) and Fnugg (Snowflake), as well as Johann Sebastian Bach’s Badinerie, the final movement of Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor. Trumpet master Terry Everson performs the three movements of Sonate pour Trompette Chromatique et Piano by 20th-century French composer Jean Hubeau. Euphonium phenom Adam Frey plays Valflickens Dans by Swedish composer Hugo Alfvén (arr. Frey), Peace by English composer John Golland, and Brillante by Scottish composer Peter Graham. And French hornist Philip Myer showcases German composer Paul Hindemith’s famous and complex Sonata for Horn in F and Piano.
FOR TICKETS, call 603-542-4433 or visit claremontoperahouse.com. Tickets are $22.50-32.50, Seniors $16-26, Students $10-20. Children 12 & Under (with an adult) FREE, ALL CLAREMONT STUDENTS FREE. The Claremont Opera House is located at 58 Opera House Square in Claremont, New Hampshire.
Click here for the concert poster with pictures of the soloists.
Related Workshops & Activities
On February 26 and 27, the Connecticut River Valley Orchestra is offering a ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY to join the guest soloists in a weekend of workshops and other activities. OPEN TO BRASS PLAYERS OF ALL AGES. Pre-registration $75. Registration at the door $90. Registration also includes lunch on Sunday, a concert ticket, and post-performance buffet. To pre-register, or for more details, call 603-542-3037 or e-mail ginger.hrbc@comcast.net.
Saturday, February 26, 1 pm-9 pm
Registration, sitting in on ensemble rehearsals, rehearsing for “massed brass choir” (optional), dinner with the guest artists at a local restaurant (not included in registration fee), open discussions with the guest soloists.
Sunday, February 27, 10 am-9 pm
Discussions on solo literature with the individual artists, lunch at the Opera House, rehearsals for those participating in “massed brass choir,” A TOUCH OF BRASS concert, post-performance buffet at Harmony Ridge with the guest artists.