PRINCETON UNIVERSITY CONCERTS ANNOUNCES NEW EVENTS FOR THE SEASON

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1 princetonuniversityconcerts.org Friday, August 19, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE INFO: TICKETS: CONTACT: Dasha Koltunyuk, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY CONCERTS ANNOUNCES NEW EVENTS FOR THE SEASON Never before in its 123-year history has Princeton University Concerts (PUC) had so much in store in a single season. In addition to twenty-three concerts across three series, PUC also announces a Performers as Teachers series, a Mindfulness with Music series, and the expansion of the groundbreaking PUC125: Performances Up Close series. PERFORMERS AS TEACHERS In addition to their performances, several of the season s artists will offer the community the incredible opportunity of going behind-the-scenes when they coach talented Princeton students in classes free and open to the public. These are chances to delve into the core of the professionals understanding of music and witness the process of a musician s preparation and development. The classes promise to offer everyone, regardless of any proficiency with the instrument, a unique, deep engagement with music from the other side of the curtain. October 7, 2016: Class with mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton October 28, 2016: Class on piano ensemble music with pianists Sergei Babayan and Daniil Trifonov March 2, 2017: Clais with Rainer Schmidt, violinist of the Hagen String Quartet April 3, 2017: Lecture and class on physical therapy and musicians with violinist Pamela Frank and her husband Howard Nelson, a New York City based physical therapist who specializes in analyzing how movements and alignments while playing an instrument can cause pain. Please visit princetonuniversityconcerts.org for confirmed times and locations.

2 MINDFULNESS WITH MUSIC After its popular launch last season, Mindfulness with Music returns, in collaboration with Princeton University Office of Religious Life. Twice in the season in the fall with the Takács String Quartet and in the spring with violinist Pekka Kuusisto the community is invited to a free Live Music Meditation and Lunch. Guided by Matt Weiner, Associate Dean of the Office of Religious Life, listeners will experience world-class music more viscerally than ever before during a half-hour meditation. Taken outside of the constraints of concert hall etiquette, one s relationship with the music is simplified to its most personal and sincere. November 16, PM: Live Music Meditation with the Takács String Quartet May 1, PM: Live Music Meditation with violinist Pekka Kuusisto Stay tuned for further details at princetonuniversityconcerts.org PUC125: PERFORMANCES UP CLOSE At the heart of PUC125 s mission is to push the concert format to the epitome of music without bounds. Beyond bringing the audience onstage in hour-long interactive programs at diverse times, the series looks to make every aspect of the concert as unrepeatable as the music itself. To this end, this season PUC125 will expand its scope. At each of the four concerts, the Richardson stage will be transformed, tailored to each individual program in collaboration with the musicians and visiting artists from other fields. These include New York City based lighting designer Kate Ashton, and Adobe Creative Resident and Projection Artist Craig Winslow. The curated multimedia environment promises to heighten and extend the listener s experience of the music in this fusion of art forms. Single tickets for these concerts will be available two months before each concert. At this time, tickets to hear violinist Augustin Hadelich and guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas Histoire du Tango program on September 29, 2016 are now on sale online, and will go on sale everywhere else on September 6, September 29, PM & 9PM: Augustin Hadelich, violin & Pablo Sáinz Villegas, guitar present Histoire du Tango works by Astor Piazzolla, Manuel De Falla, Eugène Ysaÿe February 14, PM & 9PM: Colin Currie, percussion presents Percussion Alive solo percussion music by Per Norgaard, Toshio Hosokawa, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Iannis Xenakis March 30, PM: Benjamin Bagby, voice & Anglo-Saxon harp presents Beowulf the epic book in performance April 30, PM & 7:30PM: Pekka Kuusisto, violin & Nico Muhly, piano present Breaking Ground music by J.S. Bach, Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt, Nico Muhly, with Finnish folksongs 2

3 These special offerings are a part of a season already full of more concerts than ever before. Anchored by the complete cycle of Beethoven s sixteen string quartets, performed by the Takács String Quartet in a series of six concerts, the season is poised to celebrate the bright spectrum of classical music. In the Concert Classics Series, 25-year-old piano star Daniil Trifonov s Princeton debut alongside his teacher Sergei Babayan in October will give way in the spring to the return of legendary pianist Murray Perahia. Metropolitan Opera favorite mezzosoprano Jamie Barton, opera s nose-studded rock star (The New York Times) will offer an intimate debut recital in Richardson Auditorium before the 25-voice Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir fills the Princeton University Chapel a few months later. A return of last season s favorites includes violinist Christian Tetzlaff, joining his long-time friend Pamela Frank in a rare recital of violin duos, family concerts for youngsters 3-6 ( Baby Got Bach ) and kids 6-12 ( Meet the Music ), as well as the cutting-edge PUC125: Performances Up Close Series with audience seated onstage around the performers in casual, hour-long concerts. The PUC season will consist of a total of 23 concerts, including a special event with banjo legend Béla Fleck with his wife and fellow banjoist Abigail Washburn, four PUC125 programs, six concerts comprising the Beethoven String Quartet cycle, and the Richardson Chamber Players series. The Beethoven String Quartet cycle will be hosted with pre- and post-concert lectures by Princeton Emeritus Professor Scott Burnham; supplemented by a course in partnership with the Princeton Adult School co-taught by Professor Burnham and Edward Dusinberre, first violinist of the Takács Quartet; and the annual Late Night Chamber Jam will allow the amateur string players to jam alongside the Takács members on the Richardson stage. Each concert on the Concert Classics Series will feature a preview event at 7PM whether a talk by a distinguished music scholar or a performance by talented students. For a complete listing of these events, please see the Season Overview below. Events are selling out quickly. Concertgoers are urged to buy their tickets early to ensure availability. Committed to a long-standing dedication to making the world s best chamber music accessible to all, PUC offers tickets as low as $10 to its concerts. In the words of one loyal patron the lowest ticket prices in town for the greatest talent in the world. Most performances are presented in Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall, renowned for its exceptional acoustics and considered one of the best venues for classical music in the country. With so much in store, the upcoming series promises to be unparalleled. For a complete listing of events visit princetonuniversityconcerts.org. Single tickets to all concerts in the Princeton University Concerts ( PUC ) Concert Classics Series, Beethoven String Quartet Cycle, All-in-the-Family Series, and Richardson Chamber Players are now on sale, online only, at princetonuniversityconcerts.org. Patrons are now also able to buy single tickets to the Béla Fleck/Abigail Washburn Special Event, as well as the first of the PUC125: Performances Up Close concerts. 3

4 These tickets will be available by phone at and in person at the Frist Campus Center Box Office as of Tuesday, September 6, AN OVERVIEW OF THE SEASON (organized chronologically) All concerts take place in Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall, unless otherwise noted. * indicates Princeton University Concerts debut. Thursday, September 29, PM & 9PM (PUC125: audience seated onstage) AUGUSTIN HADELICH,* VIOLIN PABLO SÁINZ VILLEGAS,* GUITAR Histoire du Tango Works by Manuel de Falla, a world premiere by Lorenzo Palomo, Eugène Ysaÿe, Roland Dyens, Astor Piazzolla and Django Reinhardt The Grammy-winning violin phenomenon and award-winning Spanish guitarist bring highlights from their popular album, Histoire du Tango, conjuring a dark and sultry night of fiery, hot-blooded dancing. New York City-based lighting designer Kate Ashton will create an atmosphere that reinforces the character and emotional message of each work. Thursday, October 6, PM Pre-concert talk at 7PM by Professor Lindsay Christiansen from Westmintser Choir College, free to ticketholders Class with Barton and Princeton students on the morning of Friday, October 7. Further details TBA. JAMIE BARTON,* MEZZO-SOPRANO JAMES BAILLIEU,* PIANO Works by Joaquin Turina, Johannes Brahms, Antonin Dvořák, Jean Sibelius and Charles Ives Hopefully, there won t be a season she won t sing at the Met said Metropolitan Opera s Peter Gelb. The season opens with a chance to hear the recent Richard Tucker Award-winner in the intimacy of Richardson as she takes the world s greatest opera houses by storm. Thursday, October 13, PM Musical Preview at 7PM by alums of the Royal College of Music/Princeton University Exchange program, free to ticketholders BELCEA STRING QUARTET* Works by Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms On a rare tour of the United States, one of the reigning European String Quartets finally makes its long awaited Princeton University Concerts debut. Sunday, October 16, PM RICHARDSON CHAMBER PLAYERS 4

5 Melting Pot An eclectic program of chamber works by Charles Ives, William Bolcom, and Paquito D Rivera., alongside select American folk songs and modern ballads for brass quintet Thursday, October 27, PM Pre-concert talk at 7PM by Ruth Ochs, free to ticketholders. Class with Trifonov, Babayan and Princeton students on the morning of Friday, October 28. Further details TBA. DANIIL TRIFONOV,* PIANO SERGEI BABAYAN,* PIANO Works by Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms and Sergei Rachmaninoff Witness the cherished passing of music from one generation to the next as 25-year-old piano superstar Daniil Trifonov joins his teacher to offer the first two-piano program on the series since Saturday, November 5, PM ALL IN THE FAMILY: BABY GOT BACH A FAMILY CONCERT FOR KIDS AGES 3-6 A Concert for Kids Ages 3-6 Back by popular demand, pianist Orli Shaham will introduce pre-school-aged kids to the joy of live classical music played by renowned musicians. Tuesday, November 15, PM Beethoven Up Close seating Post-concert Talk Back hosted by Professor Emeritus Scott Burnham Thursday, November 17, PM Pre-concert talk at 7PM by Professor Emeritus Scott Burnham TAKÁCS STRING QUARTET Beethoven String Quartets: Concerts 1 & 2 It is a privilege to host the Takács as they present, for the last time, the complete Beethoven string quartet cycle over six appearances, in three pairs. The first concert (Op. 18. No. 2; Op. 95 & Op. 130) will feature the Quartet seated directly in the center of the hall and audience surrounding them on all sides, ( Beethoven Up Close seating). The second concert (Op. 18, No. 1; Op. 74; and Op. 131) culminates with the tremendous, seven-movement Op Wednesday, November 16, PM LIVE MUSIC MEDITATION WITH THE TAKÁCS STRING QUARTET As part of the Mindfulness with Music series, join Associate Dean of Religious Life, Matt Weiner, in a free guided meditation to live music performed by the Takács String Quartet. Further details TBA. Wednesday, January 18, PM Beethoven Up Close seating Post-concert Talk Back hosted by Professor Emeritus Scott Burnham 5

6 Thursday, January 19, PM Pre-concert talk by Professor Emeritus Scott Burnham, free to ticketholders TAKÁCS STRING QUARTET Beethoven String Quartets: Concerts 3 & 4 Over the course of two consecutive days, the Takács present six quartets spanning Beethoven s early, middle, and late periods. The first concert features Op. 18, No. 5; Op. 18, No. 4; and Op 132. The second features Op. 18, No. 3; Op. 59, No. 2; and Op Following the concert on January 19, amateur string players will be invited to the stage to jam with the Quartet members in the annual Late Night Chamber Jam. Thursday, February 9, PM ESTONIAN PHILHARMONIC CHAMBER CHOIR* KASPARS PUTNINS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PRINCETON UNIVERSITY CHAPEL Northern Land & Spirit, Choral works by Arvo Pärt, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Veljo Tormis and Jean Sibelius In their first visit to the Northeast since selling out Carnegie Hall in 2014, the 25-voice Grammynominated ensemble will fill the resounding University Chapel with favorites from Northern Europe. Tuesday, February 14, PM & 9PM (PUC125: audience seated onstage) Colin Currie*, percussion: Percussion Alive! One of the most internationally sought-after solo percussionists of our time will show music at its most primal, liberating and unexpected as he performs feats of percussion acrobatics. His collaborator for this multimedia event will be projection artist Craig Winslow. Winslow is currently an Adobe Creative Resident a program that gives talented, emerging creative professionals the opportunity to spend a full year working on their dream projects. In this collaboration live projections will bring Currie s instruments to life in unimaginable ways. Sunday, February 19, PM RICHARDSON CHAMBER PLAYERS England s Green A salute to British composers including Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, Gerald Finzi, John McCabe, Benjamin Britten and Edward Elgar. Thursday, March 2, PM Musical Preview at 7PM by Princeton University juniors Sarah and Solene LeVan, free to ticketholders Class with a member of the Hagen Quartet coaching Princeton students on the morning of March 2. Further Details TBA. HAGEN STRING QUARTET 6

7 Works by Franz Schubert, Dmitri Shostakovich and Antonin Dvořák Heralded by Vienna s Die Presse as the highest art of existence and incontestably ruling the European chamber music scene for three decades, the Hagen s return to Princeton has been eagerly anticipated for the past five years. Saturday, March 11, PM MEET THE MUSIC: A FAMILY CONCERT FOR KIDS AGES 6-12 Albert & Wolfgang The musicians of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and host Bruce Adolphe return on Pi Day Weekend with a program that honors Princeton s own Albert Einstein. Wednesday, March 15, PM Beethoven Up Close seating Post-concert Talk Back hosted by Professor Emeritus Scott Burnham Thursday, March 16, PM Pre-concert talk by Professor Emeritus Scott Burnham, free to ticketholders TAKÁCS STRING QUARTET Beethoven String Quartets: Concerts 5 & 6 In the first concert (Op. 18, No. 6; Op. 135; Op. 59, No. 3) of this final pair of the Cycle s concerts, the Takács present the last quartet Beethoven wrote a mere five months before his death. The Beethoven Series closes with three celebrated works from the master s middle and late periods (Op. 59, No. 1; Op. 130; Op. 133). After this season, the Takács Quartet will no longer perform the Beethoven quartet cycle in its entirety; this performance marks a final bow for the legendary interpreters. Thursday, March 30, PM (PUC125: audience seated onstage) BENJAMIN BAGBY,* VOICE/ANGLO-SAXON HARP Beowulf: the epic book in performance Accompanied by a six-string lyre, the legendary adventures of Beowulf will be recited, chanted, and sung in the original Old English in a production critically-acclaimed for almost two decades. Projection artist Craig Winslow returns to Princeton to collaborate with Bagby on setting the ambience for this monumental tale. Sunday, April 9, PM RICHARDSON CHAMBER PLAYERS Looking Forward, Looking Back From the Renaissance to the Modern Day, works by American composer Augusta Reade Thomas, Marco Uccellini, Antonio Vivaldi, Arvo Pärt and the premiere of a work by Princeton Composer/Faculty Juri Seo Thursday, April 13, :30PM 7

8 Béla Fleck,* banjo Abigail Washburn,* banjo/voice Music of Appalachia Béla Fleck is one of the most innovative and influential banjo players of all time, having been nominated for a Grammy in more musical categories than any other artist in history. The collaboration with the soulful singing and claw-hammer style of his wife and fellow banjoist, Abigail Washburn, is one of the most magical in his catalogue. In a season anchored by timeworn masterworks, Fleck and Washburn offer a chamber taste of the newer roots of Appalachia s great vernacular music in this special event. Thursday, April 20, PM PAMELA FRANK,* VIOLIN CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF, VIOLIN Musical Preview at 7PM by Princeton Girlchoir, free to ticketholders Lecture and workshop with Frank and her husband Howard Nelson on April 3. Further details TBA. Violin duos by Jean-Marie Leclair, Sergei Prokofiev, Béla Bartók and Johann Sebastian Bach Two of the most revered violinists of our time come together for a special evening of rarely performed works for two violins. Sunday, April 30, PM & 7:30PM (PUC125: audience seated onstage) PEKKA KUUSISTO,* VIOLIN NICO MUHLY,* PIANO Breaking Ground In the last PUC125 program of the season, the Finnish virtuoso with the most personal sound of any classical violinist now alive (The Telegraph) joins the youngest composer ever commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera for a hallmark program combining the music of J.S. Bach with contemporary fare. Monday, May 1, PM LIVE MUSIC MEDITATION WITH PEKKA KUUSISTO, VIOLIN As part of the Mindfulness with Music series, join Associate Dean of Religious Life, Matt Weiner, in a free, guided meditation to live music performed on electric violin by Pekka Kuusisto. Further details TBA. Thursday, May 11, PM Pre-concert reading at 7PM by winners of Creative Reactions Contest MURRAY PERAHIA, PIANO PADEREWSKI MEMORIAL CONCERT Having first graced PUC s stage at the very start of his career, forty years later Perahia returns to Princeton as one of the most influential pianists in history. It is an honor to have him close the season with one of his trademark unrepeatable evenings. 8

9 TICKET INFORMATION SINGLE TICKET PRICES Concert Classics Series Concerts 9 Thursday Nights Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano; Belcea String Quartet; Sergei Babayan, piano & Daniil Trifonov, piano; Takács String Quartet (2 concerts); Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Hagen String Quartet; Pamela Frank, violin & Christian Tetzlaff, violin; Murray Perahia, piano. $50, $40, $25 general / $10 students with valid ID PUC125 Series 4 pairs of one-hour concerts presented in the round on the Richardson stage of Alexander Hall Augustin Hadelich, violin & Pablo Sáinz Villegas guitar; Colin Currie, percussion; Benjamin Bagby, voice/anglo- Saxon harp; Pekka Kuusisto, violin & Nico Muhly, piano. $25 general / $10 students with valid ID Beethoven Up Close Series performed by Takács Quartet, hosted by Princeton Professor Emeritus Scott Burnham While two of the concerts in the Beethoven Complete String Quartet Cycle are part of the Concert Classics Series, the remaining four are presented in an intimate in-the-round setup. $40 general / $10 students with valid ID Special Event Béla Fleck, banjo & Abigail Washburn, banjo/voice $40 general / $15 students with valid ID Family Concerts 2 Concerts $10 adults / $5 kids, buy both and save 10% off single ticket prices Richardson Chamber Players 3 Sunday afternoon concerts featuring Princeton s resident ensemble of performance faculty, distinguished guest artists and supremely talented students $15 general / $5 students with valid ID 9

10 HOW TO BUY SINGLE TICKETS: ONLINE princetonuniversityconcerts.org BY PHONE, as of Tuesday, September 6, IN PERSON Frist Campus Center Box Office (open Monday-Saturday, 11am-5pm), after September 6, 2016 SUBSCRIPTION PRICES (the best deal): Concert Classics Series - 9 Thursday night concerts, save up to 30% $310, $255, $140 Make Your Own Series Choose 3 or more different concerts from all of our offerings, except PUC125, and save 10% off single ticket prices. Richardson Chamber Players 3 Sunday Afternoon Concerts All subscriptions just $39 or add these concerts to a Concert Classics series for just $24 HOW TO BUY SUBSCRIPTION TICKETS: All subscriptions must be bought through the Concert Office. To subscribe, call [Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm] or visit princetonuniversityconcerts.org For further information please contact Dasha Koltunyuk at or dkoltuny@princeton.edu 10

11 SEASON CONCERTS-AT-A-GLANCE Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 6PM & 9PM one hour concerts with audience onstage AUGUSTIN HADELICH, Violin PABLO SÁINZ VILLEGAS, Guitar Thursday, October 6, PM* JAMIE BARTON, Mezzo-soprano JAMES BAILLIEU, Piano Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 8PM* BELCEA STRING QUARTET Sunday, October 16, 2016 at 3PM RICHARDSON CHAMBER PLAYERS: Melting Pot Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 8PM* SERGEI BABAYAN, Piano DANIIL TRIFONOV, Piano Saturday, November 5, 2016 at 1PM BABY GOT BACH Tuesday, November 15 & Thursday, November 17,* 2016 at 8PM TAKÁCS STRING QUARTET Wednesday, January 18 & Thursday, January, 19*, 2017 at 8PM* TAKÁCS STRING QUARTET Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 8PM in the Princeton University Chapel ESTONIAN PHILHARMONIC CHAMBER CHOIR Tuesday, February 14, 2017 at 6PM & 9PM one hour concerts with audience onstage COLIN CURRIE, percussion Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 3PM 11

12 RICHARDSON CHAMBER PLAYERS: England s Green Thursday, March 2, 2017 at 8PM* HAGEN STRING QUARTET Saturday, March 11, 2017 at 1PM MEET THE MUSIC: Albert & Wolfgang Wednesday, March 15 & Thursday, March 16*, 2017 at 8PM TAKÁCS STRING QUARTET Thursday, March 30, 2017 at 6PM one hour concert with audience onstage BENJAMIN BAGBY, Voice/Anglo-Saxon harp Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 3PM RICHARDSON CHAMBER PLAYERS: Looking Forward, Looking Back Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 7:30PM BÉLA FLECK, Banjo ABIGAIL WASHBURN, Banjo/Voice Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 8PM* PAMELA FRANK, Violin CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF, Violin Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 5PM & 7:30PM one hour concerts with audience onstage PEKKA KUUSISTO, Violin NICO MUHLY, Piano Thursday, May 11, PM* MURRAY PERAHIA, Piano *Pre-concert event one hour prior to the performance, free to all ticketholders All concerts take place at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall, unless otherwise noted. ### 12