Allant Trio | Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts

By TOM BOWSER

The free Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts are held every Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. in Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center. Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts are sponsored by the International Music Foundation. All Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts are broadcast live on WFMT Radio (98.7 FM). Arrive early, as seats are limited.

If you've ever seen Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones, Bono of U2, or David Lee Roth of Van Halen in concert, you understand there is something that makes them unique as performers. It's the X factor and stage presence they bring to a performance that enables them to connect with and entertain an audience like no one else in their genre of music.

The women of the Allant Trio demonstrated technical prowess and a mastery of both their instruments and the music they performed. The Allant Trio had that elusive X factor and stage presence that made their performance rise above many other similar performers I've seen in this genre/style of music.





It was entertaining and exciting to watch the 3 women of the Allant Trio interact. During "Give Me Phoenix Wings to Fly" they seemed to challenge each other, each one energetically driving the other. A quick glance around the room proved to me that other audience members were as mesmerized by the performance as my wife and I.

The Allant Trio is:
- Beth Hyo Kyoung Nam, piano
- Anna Park, violin
- Alina Lim, cello





The Allant Trio performed:
Give Me Phoenix Wings to Fly (4') by Kelly-Marie Murphy
- III.

Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49 (30') by Felix Mendelssohn
- I.    Molto allegro ed agitato
- II.   Andante con moto tranquillo
- III.  Scherzo: Leggiero e vivace
- IV.  Finale: Allegro assai appassionato

Selection from Miniatures for Piano Trio (3') by Frank Bridge
- No. 7 - Valse Russe

Picosa | A Musical Mosaic | Chamber Mondays Series

By TOM BOWSER

The free Chicago Chamber Musicians hosts an interesting variety of musicians and musical styles. Concerts are held every Monday at 12:15 p.m. in the breathtaking Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center. Concerts are sponsored by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). Chamber Monday concerts are a great lunch break if you work or attend school downtown. These concerts are also an excellent opportunity for music students to network, watch, and learn from professional musicians.



Classical music needs to evolve in order to stay relevant and attract new, younger audiences. Ensembles like Picosa help expand the definition and perception of "classical" music. Picosa looks forward by choosing to play the works of contemporary composers using contemporary technologies. Picosa links the present and future with the past through its performance of standard works composed by the "masters" of classical music. Visit PicosaMusic.com to learn more about Picosa.

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Picosa played to a receptive and appreciative audience. Picosa's performances were well-rehearsed and professionally presented (even though the room seemed unusually cold). I enjoyed the diversity of music they performed. It's always exciting to discover something new during my exploration of Chicago's music scene. Picosa performed works by a number of contemporary composers I had not previously heard of. Jonathon Kirks arrangement of Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun worked very nicely for the Picosa ensemble. My wife and I both enjoyed the concert. I highly recommend you schedule time to see a Picosa performance.




Monday's performance included a unique opportunity to hear flutist Jennie Brown perform "Wraith" accompanied by the composer Jonathon Kirk. Jonathon Kirk used contemporary digital effects technologies to interact and react in real time to Jennie Brown's live, electronically modified flute performance. What makes this type of performance especially unique and interesting is that it can never be performed exactly the same way twice. Cool! They both did a great job.

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Picosa:

• Jennie Brown, flute
• Andrea R. DiOrio, clarinet
• Elizabeth Brausa Brathwaite, violin
• Sara Sitzer, cello
• Jeffrey Panko, piano
• Joann Cho, piano
• Jonathon Kirk, composer, electroncs

Picosa performed:

Hospital Suite for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano by Felipe Perez Santiago
- Vesiculobiliar
- Neurocardiogenico

Wraith for flute and electronics by Jonathon Kirk

Circulo, op. 91 for violin, cello, piano by Joaquin Turina
- Dawn
- Midday
- Dusk

Three Miniatures for clarinet and piano by Krzysztof Penderecki
- Allegro
- Andante cantabile
- Allegro ma non troppo

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano by Claude Debussy. Arranged by Jonathon Kirk.

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Chicago Chamber Musicians Ensemble | Chamber Monday Series

By TOM BOWSER

This concert was another example of the many excellent free events sponsored by the City of Chicago through the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). Chamber Monday Series concerts are held in the stunning Preston Bradley Hall in the Chicago Cultural Center every Monday at 12:15 p.m..

Chamber Monday Series concerts are 45 minutes long. This makes them the perfect midday break. If you're not able to stay for the entire show you can quietly leave when you need to. My wife and I often meet at these concerts during our lunch hour. We also occasionally schedule a day off during the week to attend Chamber Monday Series concerts. It's convenient to combine a free concert with lunch, and any shopping we might need to do downtown.



What did you miss if you were not at the show? Wow! What a fantastic performance! The Chicago Chamber Musicians Ensemble for this event consisted of musicians who are currently or have previously played with the world class Chicago Symphony Orchestra. For example, violinist Robert Chen is currently the "concertmaster" for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The concertmaster would be considered one of the most important and talented people in an orchestra. My wife and I were sitting approximately 50 feet from the musicians. Comparable seats to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform would easily cost well over $100.00 per ticket, per person.

This was the first time I had ever seen the Brahms String Quartet No. 3 in B Flat major performed. I found it to be an energetic and uplifting composition. The viola was nicely showcased in this composition. Professional classical musicians impress me with their precision, attention to detail and ability to infuse emotion into each passage they play. I always enjoy watching the interaction between professional string players as they perform. Communication between the players takes place at many levels.

Live music is very special. No recording or video captures a live performance perfectly or completely. You have to be there.


The Chicago Chamber Musicians Ensemble for this performance was:

- Jasmine Lin, violin
- Robert Chen, violin
- Anthony Devroye, viola
- Kenneth Olsen, cello

The Chicago Chamber Musicians Ensemble performed:

String Quartet in B Flat Major Op. 67 composed by Johannes Brahms
- Vivace
- Andante
- Agitato (Allegretto non troppo)
- Poco Allegretto con Variazioni

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