by Michael Parloff, Artistic Director, Parlance Chamber Concerts
This Sunday afternoon, April 14 at 3 PM, Parlance Chamber Concerts will present two of the most charismatic artists of our time, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers and guitarist Jason Vieaux, in a special collaborative event. Their program will feature a diverse and evocative selection of music by composers ranging from the 18th-century violin virtuoso Arcangelo Corelli to the revolutionary 20th-century tango composer, Astor Piazzolla, to such icons of contemporary music as Philip Glass and John Corigliano.
About Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers
Star violinist Anne Akiko Meyers is one of the today’s most popular and in-demand soloists, performing with all of the world’s top orchestras and conductors. Anne also presents imaginatively conceived recitals and often commissions, performs, and records new music by today’s most important composers, including the Grammy-award winning American composer John Corigliano and jazz paragon Wynton Marsalis. With 37 recordings to her name, Anne was Billboard’s top-selling classical instrumental soloist in 2014. Many of her albums have debuted at the #1 position of Billboard’s classical charts. She is a great favorite of the media, often appearing on such programs as CBS Sunday Morning, NPR’s Morning Edition, and NBC’s The Tonight Show. She was recently spotlighted on MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann in a segment that became one the show’s most popular stories of the year.
About Guitarist Jason Vieaux
Guitarist Jason Vieaux is one of today’s foremost and most versatile guitarists. This Sunday afternoon he will make his triumphant return to Parlance Chamber Concerts, having recently won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Solo Album for his best-selling CD, Play. Jason has performed as soloist with over 100 orchestras in the US and abroad and heads the classical guitar departments at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Known for his remarkably broad stylistic range, he is admired for his interpretations of music from Bach to Bossa Nova. Among his many popular albums is Images of Metheny, which includes his own arrangements of the compositions of jazz guitar legend Pat Metheny. After hearing this landmark recording, Metheny declared “I am flattered to be included in Jason’s musical world.”
About Sunday Afternoon’s Program
On Sunday afternoon, Anne and Jason will be heard in original works and innovative arrangements of traditional masterpieces for violin and guitar ranging from the Baroque era to the 21st century. A particular highlight of the concert will be Astor Piazzolla’s scintillating Histoire du Tango. In this milestone 1985 composition, the great Argentine tango composer explored and celebrated the iconic dance’s evolution through four distinct eras and settings: Bordel 1900, Café 1930, Night Club 1960, and Concert d’aujourd’hi (Modern-day Concert).
Many of the works on Sunday’s program were selected for their deep personal meaning to the two artists. For example, John Corigliano’s touching Lullaby for Natalie is a tender cradle song written by the award-winning composer to celebrate the birth of Anne’s first daughter in 2010.
Another work with heartfelt resonance for Anne Akiko Meyers will be her stunningly virtuosic arrangement of the early 20th-century Japanese composer Rentarō Taki’s haunting Kōjō no tsuki (The Moon over the Ruined Castle). The timeless melody conjures images of moonlight beaming down on the ruins of the 16th-century Oka Castle on the southernmost Japanese island of Kyushu. Anne spoke recently of her deep feelings of connection to the song, describing it as “my grandmother’s favorite piece of music in the world. I’ve always associated it with memories of her… When she heard me playing it the house, or in my hotel room while I was touring, it would always move her to tears — and when I hear it now I find it hard not to cry as well.”
Don’t miss this unforgettable collaboration between two of the most acclaimed artists of our time. Complete program and ticket information for Sunday afternoon’s concert can be found here.
The performance will take place this Sunday, April 14, from 3:00 PM to approximately 5:00 PM.
The event will take place at West Side Presbyterian Church, 6 South Monroe Street, Ridgewood. Free parking and childcare for children 3 to 6. Tickets at the door: Adults $40; Seniors (65+): $30; Young Adults (21 – 39): $20; Students (under 21): $10
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