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March 9, 2025: Ravel’s 150th Birthday Concert, with Erika Baikoff, Soprano; Soohong Park, piano Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Vocalise Etude en forme de habanera for soprano and piano. March 9, 2025: Ravel’s 150th Birthday Concert, with Erika Baikoff, Soprano; Soohong Park, piano Ravel was asked by Professor Amédée L. Hettich of the Paris Conservatoire to contribute a vocalise—a wordless vocal exercise—to his ongoing publication of vocalises by various composers, which would eventually number over 100. Fauré’s Vocalise-étude (1907) inaugurated the series, with Ravel’s following soon after, also in 1907. The collection eventually included contributions by Honegger, Ibert, Roussel, Copland, and Messiaen. Originally titled Vocalise-étude en forme de habanera , Ravel’s contribution employs the characteristic habanera rhythm—alternation of triplets and duplets—over which he spotlights the vocalist’s technique. The habanera, originally a song and dance form of nineteenth-century Cuba named after Havana, became extremely popular in Spain and elsewhere in Europe—Bizet’s adaptation in Carmen is one of its best known examples. Ravel’s use of the habanera was no doubt tied to his love of Spanish music, familiar to him since childhood through Spanish songs sung to him by his Basque mother who had spent time in Madrid. His Spanish phase produced such works as L'heure espagnole , Alborada del gracioso , Boléro , and Rapsodie espagnole . His Vocalise became popular as Pièce en forme de habanera in an arrangement for violin and piano, which spurred versions for numerous other melody instruments. —©Jane Vial Jaffe Return to Parlance Program Notes

January 19, 2025: THE VIRTUOSO ORGANIST PAUL JACOBS, ORGAN Charles Ives (1874-1954) Variations on "America" January 19, 2025: THE VIRTUOSO ORGANIST PAUL JACOBS, ORGAN Charles Ives was an eighteen-year-old organ virtuoso when he composed his celebrated variations for organ on the patriotic hymn “America.” He would not enter Yale until two years later, and his primary musical influence was his bandmaster father George. When he first performed the Variations on “America” on February 17, 1892, at the Methodist church in Brewster, New York, he was still improvising parts of it, as he recalled, and his father had something to say about what he could and could not include. Apparently the piece sometimes contained an interlude of canons (exact or close imitation as one part overlaps another) in three different keys, which George had ruled out because it “made the boys laugh out loud.” Furthermore, he had forbidden the polonaise (a Polish-style dance in 3/4 time) on account of the conflict he perceived between a European form and an American tune. (He later reinstated it as Variation 4.) As with many of Ives’s works, the Variations on “America” were not published until long after they were composed, in this case 1949, but the piece was one of his first to become widely known and played. As it stands, the work features an introduction, a theme, Variations 1 and 2, an interlude, Variations 3 and 4, a second interlude, Variation 5, and a coda. Influences of pieces Ives studied around the time of composition certainly play a role—particularly those by John Knowles Paine, Dudley Buck, and Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck—but the work also manifests Ives’s great streak of originality. In the variations themselves he constantly fragments, reorders, and recomposes his source tune in quite sophisticated ways. Further, the interludes, which were added around 1909–10, show the bold use of two keys at once—F major and D-flat major in the first and A-flat major and F major in the second. Many casual listeners have supposed Ives to be poking fun at the patriotic main theme, whereas those more familiar with his sense of humor have suspected him rather of mocking the more stodgy variation forms of his time. His sense of humor is certainly evident, but he was most likely earnest in showing his mastery of the variation form and of his given instrument. —©Jane Vial Jaffe Return to Parlance Program Notes

November 20, 2022: Steven Banks, Saxophonist-Composer Xak Bjerken, Piano, Principal Strings of The Met Orchestra STEVEN BANKS (1993) As I Am for baritone saxophone and piano November 20, 2022: Steven Banks, Saxophonist-Composer Xak Bjerken, Piano, Principal Strings of The Met Orchestra Each of us has an undeniable spark of humanity within us which sets us apart from anyone that has ever lived or ever will. We each have the capacity to leave a lasting impact on the world through our relationships, creations, and ideas. In the world that we live in today, it is so easy to lose touch with the spark that is deep within our consciousness. We are set back by failure, fear, the everyday hustle of life, and so much more. As I Am is inspired by my constant struggle to keep my spark from being dimmed and eventually put out entirely. The piece loosely follows my journey as an artist from times of genuine, deep, beautiful contentment, to times of anguish, frustration, and serious thoughts of giving up. I choose to end the work with a relentless ascent of hope that the spark within me will, in fact, carry me through a life of positivity and love. My hope is that people with similar life experiences will find something to identify with in this piece. I don’t claim to have created a masterpiece or a miraculously intricate work. I just want to share a bit of myself with you, and this is the best way I know how! The work is dedicated to the master pianist and my musical hero, André Watts. © Jane Vial Jaffe Return to Parlance Program Notes

December 7, 2025: The Tallis Scholars THE TALLIS SCHOLARS “MOTHER AND CHILD” December 7, 2025: The Tallis Scholars THE TALLIS SCHOLARS – Programme Notes Programme: ‘Mother & Child’ Tallis: Missa Puer natus - Gloria Byrd: Votive Mass of the Virgin Ave maris stella Rorate Caeli Tollite portas Ave Maria Ecce virgo concipiet Matthew Martin: Salve Regina* ---interval --- Tallis: Missa Puer natus - Sanctus and Agnus Britten: Hymn to the Virgin Taverner: Mater Christi Nesbett: Magnificat *composer’s note to follow in November 2025 One of the most common types of Orthodox icon features the Theotokos , the ‘Godbearer’, and depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary, usually with the Christ-child on her lap (or, occasionally, mystically represented in her womb). This programme likewise focusses on the heavenly duo of Mother and Child, with music in honour of the Virgin Mary interspersed with a grand mass celebrating the birth of her child, Jesus. In fact, it was not only the birth of the Christ being celebrated in Thomas Tallis’ mass, but the expectation of another child King. In 1554, Queen Mary had recently married Philip of Spain, in a union designed to strengthen England's newly-restored bond to Roman Catholicism (after the Protestant dalliances of her brother's short reign). In addition, Mary seemed to most observers to be pregnant. Accordingly, there is a sense of jubilance in Thomas Tallis's grand, seven-voice mass, which was likely first performed at this time. It is based on the plainsong 'Puer natus est nobis' – 'A boy is born to us, and a son is given to us whose government shall be upon his shoulders'. Even though the text of the chant is not used, the allusion encoded into the DNA of the music would have been picked up by those who heard it. It was an expression of hope, that the throne of Catholic England might be granted the security of a male heir. The unusual original scoring of the work – seven voices at low pitch – can probably be attributed to the presence of Philip's Capilla Flamenca, or 'Flemish Chapel Choir', who would have accompanied their King to England. It is conceivable that the mass was envisaged for joint performance by the two royal choirs together. Philip's choir also contained composers of considerable repute, including Philippe de Monte. It's not inconceivable that Tallis saw an occasion to demonstrate the virtues of English music to his continental rival. The English composer rose to the challenge, demonstrating virtuosic skill in the assembly of the mass. The plainchant is slowed down, and runs in long notes in the tenor voice. The composer juxtaposes this (by this time somewhat old-fashioned) technique with more modern features which were associated with 'continental' composition, such as close imitation between the other voices. This allows him to maintain musical interest whilst the chant is deployed in such long notes (in the Agnus Dei, one such note sounds for a nearly unbroken stretch of thirty-one bars!). An unusual, even experimental work, the mass must surely have impressed those who heard it, in its skilful composition and fervour. Around fifty years later, Tallis’ colleague William Byrd embarked on a monumental project: a complete set of compositions for use in the ceremonies of the Catholic Church. The following selection of motets, drawn from the Gradualia collection, mostly belong to the celebration of a Votive Mass for the Blessed Virgin. The strophic, intimate Ave maris stella is for only three voices, providing an immediate textural contrast with Tallis’ mass. Rorate caeli , featuring the powerful imagery of the heavens coming down to earth and raining righteousness upon it finds a match in Byrd’s fervent setting. Ever alive to the nuance of the words, the composer characterises each section carefully, leading to a doxology of awesome solidity. Tollite portas is notable for its frequent rising melodic phrases to musically depict the lifting up of the gates, while Ecce virgo concipiet builds towards ringing repetitions of the name by which the child shall be called: Emmanuel. For A Hymn to the Virgin , the youthful Benjamin Britten turned to a macaronic carol – that is, one in which the text is in both Latin and the vernacular – originally dating from the 13th-century. In an early example of the astonishing compositional fecundity he was to display throughout his life, the eighteen-year old composer divides the choir, allocating the Latin exclamations to a semi-chorus, as if in an angelic, hieratic commentary on the earthly Incarnation. Such hymns to the Virgin Mary have a long history. When John Taverner was employed at the new Cardinal College in the early sixteenth century, its statutes included a direction that antiphons to her be sung daily. Mater Christi sanctissima is a confident work of polyphony, making full use of the five-voice texture by alternating statements for upper and lower voices. In this case, the opening invocation to Mary is really a sort of preamble to the true prayer. In the first part, Mary is asked to pray her son to listen to our pleas. This done, in the second part we may pray directly to Jesus for the gift of grace and his Holy Spirit. Of John Nesbett’s life we know little, save that he worked for a time at Canterbury Cathedral. His Magnificat , an attractive and useful setting, is found in the Eton Choirbook, one of the most important sources of early Tudor polyphony to have survived. The piece alternates chanted verses of the canticle with full polyphony, exhibiting the unhurried and virtuosic style common to the pieces in this collection, and concludes with a ringing final ‘Amen’. © James M. Potter, 2025. Return to Parlance Program Notes

JEEWON PARK, PIANO Hailed for her “deeply reflective” playing (Indianapolis Star), pianist Jeewon Park is rapidly garnering the attention of audiences for her dazzling technique and poetic lyricism. Since making her debut at the age of 12 performing Chopin’s First Concerto with the Korean Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Park has performed at major venues such as Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and Kaplan Penthouse, Merkin Hall, 92nd Street Y, Steinway Hall, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Kravis Center (FL). As a recitalist, she has been heard at the Steinway Hall in New York, Seoul Arts Center in Korea, Caramoor International Festival, Norfolk Music Festival, Music Alp in Courchevel (France) and Kusatsu Summer Music Festival (Japan), among others. An avid chamber musician, Ms. Park has performed in numerous festivals such as the Spoleto USA Festival, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Beethoven Festival, Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival (VT), Appalachian Summer Festival (NC), Emilia-Romagna Festival (Italy) and Barge Music. She has performed as a guest artist with the Fine Arts Quartet and New York Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, and has collaborated with numerous artists. As an orchestral soloist, she has performed with the Charleston Symphony (SC), Mexico City Philharmonic, Monterrey Symphony, Mexico State Symphony, in addition to many major orchestras from her native Korea. Following her performance of the Mozart Concerto K. 453 with the Charleston Symphony, the Post and Courier acclaimed that “Park demonstrated rare skill and sensitivity, playing with a feline grace and glittering dexterity…. lyrical phrasing and pearly tone quality.” In the 2008-2009 season, Ms. Park appears in many North American cities including New York, Boston, Washington D.C., St. Paul, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Burlington and Omaha. Highlights of this season include several performances of Mozart Piano Concertos K. 414 and K. 415, a solo recital and an all-Mendelssohn chamber music program at Caramoor, and a U.S. tour with the “Charles Wadsworth and Friends” series. Jeewon Park most recently recorded an album of chamber works by the Pulitzer Prize winning composer Paul Moravec, which was released by Naxos in the fall of 2008. She has been heard in numerous live broadcasts on National Public Radio and New York’s Classical Radio Station, WQXR. Additionally, her performances have been nationally broadcast throughout Korea on KBS and EBS television. Ms. Park holds degrees from The Juilliard School and Yale University, where she was awarded the prestigious Dean Horatio Parker Prize. Her teachers include Herbert Stessin, Claude Frank and Gilbert Kalish.

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PARLANCE CHAMBER CONCERTS’S EXECUTIVE BOARD Warren F. Cooke, Vice President Warren F. Cooke of Ridgewood, New Jersey, practiced law for 38 years with the international law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, engaging primarily in domestic and international financial transactions. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of The American Bird Conservancy for ten years until January, 2017, and as Chairman of the Board for the last four years. He is currently a Trustee of The Nature Conservancy, New Jersey, and a member of the Boards of Trustees of Valley Health System and Valley Medical Group. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Yale Law School. He is passionate about music, and is by avocation a dedicated pianist. Edward Lowenthal, Board Member Mr. Lowenthal brings to our Board years of experience in the development and operation of real estate. Mr. Lowenthal currently serves as Chairman of the Board of American Campus Communities (NYSE: ACC) (a public developer, owner and operator of student housing at the university level), is a Director of Omega Healthcare (NYSE: OHI), an owner of skilled nursing and senior living facilities and serves as Vice Chairman of the Board and as trustee of the Manhattan School of Music. From January 1997 to March 2002, Mr. Lowenthal served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wellsford Real Properties, Inc. (a real estate merchant bank) and was President of the predecessor of Wellsford Real Properties, Inc. since 1986. He is co-founder of Wellsford Strategic Partners, a private real estate investment company and is non-executive Chairman of Tiburon Lockers, Inc., a private rental locker company. He has a B.A. degree from Case Western Reserve University and a Law Degree from Georgetown University. Michael Parloff, President, Treasurer, Artistic Director As Artistic Director of Parlance Chamber Concerts, Michael Parloff is responsible for planning programs, engaging guest artists, delivering spoken and written program notes and interviews, and setting organizational goals. Mr. Parloff’s longtime experience in the world of classical music includes 30 years as Principal Flutist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, 25 years as a faculty member of The Manhattan School of Music, and summer faculty positions at such institutions as The Lake Placid Institute, New York Summer Music Festival, Colorado College Music Festival, and The National Orchestral Institute in College Park, Md. Mr. Parloff has recorded extensively and regularly conducts and coaches conservatory woodwind ensembles. Donald W. Reeder, Chairman of the Board Donald W. Reeder is an attorney practicing in Bergen County, New Jersey, concentrating his practice in estate planning, estate administration. He graduated from Wesleyan University, cum laude and with honors, and New York University School of Law where he was a member of the Law Review. Mr. Reeder was admitted to the New York bar in 1971 and the New Jersey bar in 1973. After working in New York City and Bergen County as a corporate and securities attorney, he opened his own practice in Bergen County, New Jersey. He is married to Elizabeth Forbes and is the father of two children. His outside interests include choral singing, hiking and travel. Peter Riemer, Board Member Peter is an independent consulting healthcare actuary, advising employers on healthcare and welfare plan management. Peter holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Tufts University and an M.S. in Mathematics from Northeastern University. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a Fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. Peter and his wife, Suzanne Taranto, reside in Ridgewood, and have two adult children. In his spare time, Peter enjoys woodworking and photography.

SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 2025 AT 4 PM CELEBRATE RAVEL’S 150th BIRTHDAY! ERIKA BAIKOFF, SOPRANO SOOHONG PARK, PIANO ERIKA BAIKOFF , SOPRANO SOOHONG PARK , PIANO ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS 2024-2025 SEASON September 29, 2024 Cellobration! October 20, 2024 Modigliani Quartet November 17, 2024 Paul Lewis Plays Schubert December 15, 2024 The Virtuoso Flutist Denis Bouriakov January 19, 2025 The Virtuoso Organist Paul Jacobs February 9, 2025 The Virtuoso Cellist Steven Isserlis March 9, 2025 Ravel’s 150th Birthday Concert April 13, 2025 Quartetto Di Cremona May 18, 2025 Late Night With Leonard Bernstein Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS “As Barbarina in the Met’s Le Nozze di Figaro, soprano Erika Baikoff made the most of her moment to shine. When staged simply and sung so beautifully, as it was here, Barbarina’s short aria, ‘L’ho perduta…me meschina’, is one of the brightest musical gems in the opera.” — Seen and Heard International "What sounds like easy playing in both senses of the word actually requires not only extraordinary technique but also a sensitive feeling for the breaks and depths of Schumann's music. Only a few people can do this really well, like pianist Soohong Park, the gold medal winner of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama” — Die Glocke, Germany. Celebrate the musical genius of Maurice Ravel on the 150th anniversary of his birth. The beguiling Russian-American soprano Erika Baikoff will collaborate the stellar Korean pianist Soohong Park in an afternoon of Ravel’s most alluring songs and ravishing piano solos . Throughout his life, Ravel drew inspiration from legends, poetry, and exotic locales. Erika and Soohong’s recital will journey across the musical landscapes of Greece, Spain, and Asia. Along the way, they will perform two of Ravel’s most beloved melodies, the poignant Pavane for a Dead Princess and the sinuous Vocalise in the Form of a Habanera . Another high point of the afternoon will be Soohong Park’s performance of Ravel’s dazzling triptych, Gaspard de la nuit , widely considered to be one of the most fearsomely challenging piano piece ever written. Ravel created fantastical musical images of the water-princess Undine, slowly twisting gallows in the setting sun, and the maniacally pirouetting goblin Scarbo. Bon anniversaire, Monsieur Ravel! PROGRAM Maurice Ravel Cinq mélodies populaires grecques for soprano and piano Program Notes Maurice Ravel Pavane pour une infante défunte for piano Program Notes Maurice Ravel Vocalise Etude en forme de habanera for soprano and piano. Program Notes Maurice Ravel Air de feu from L’enfante et les sortileges Program Notes Maurice Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin for piano Program Notes INTERMISSION Maurice Ravel Manteau de fleurs for soprano and piano Ballade de la reine morte d’aimer for soprano and piano Program Notes Maurice Ravel Gaspard de la nuit for piano Program Notes Maurice Ravel Shéherazade for soprano and piano Program Notes Watch Erika Baikoff and Soohong Park’s mesmerizing performance of Schubert’s Nacht und Träume, D. 827: Watch Erika Baikoff and Soohong Park perform Schubert’s Frühlingsglaube, D.686:

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Elizabeth Roe, piano The Anderson & Roe mission: To make classical music a relevant and powerful force in society. Known for their adrenalized performances, original compositions, and notorious music videos, GREG ANDERSON and ELIZABETH JOY ROE are revolutionizing the piano duo experience for the 21st century. Described as “the most dynamic duo of this generation” (San Francisco Classical Voice ), “rock stars of the classical music world” (Miami Herald ), and “the very model of complete 21st-century musicians” (The Washington Post ), the Anderson & Roe Piano Duo aims to make classical music a relevant and powerful force around the world. Their five critically acclaimed albums have spent dozens of weeks at the top of the Billboard Classical Charts, while their Emmy-nominated, self-produced music videos have been viewed by millions on YouTube and at international film festivals. 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of Anderson & Roe’s debut. Since forming their dynamic musical partnership as students at The Juilliard School, Anderson & Roe have toured extensively worldwide as recitalists and orchestral soloists; appeared on NPR, MTV, PBS, and the BBC; presented at numerous international leader symposiums; and served as hosts of “From the Top” and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. A live performance by Anderson & Roe was handpicked to appear on the Sounds of Juilliard CD celebrating the school’s centenary. While isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anderson & Roe performed several innovative and interactive virtual events, produced over a dozen new music videos, appeared in MasterVoices’ Myths and Hymns (2021 Drama League Nominee for Best Digital Concert Production) alongside luminaries of opera and musical theater, and hosted a year of Two Piano Tuesday livestream conversations on Facebook Live which drew an enthusiastic and devoted global audience each week.

PHILIP SETZER, VIOLIN Violinist Philip Setzer, a founding member of the Emerson String Quartet, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and began studying violin at the age of five with his parents, both former violinists in the Cleveland Orchestra. He continued his studies with Josef Gingold and Rafael Druian, and later at the Juilliard School with Oscar Shumsky. In 1967, Mr. Setzer won second prize at the Marjorie Merriweather Post Competition in Washington, DC, and in 1976 received a Bronze Medal at the Queen Elisabeth International Competition in Brussels. He has appeared with the National Symphony, Aspen Chamber Symphony (David Robertson, conductor), Memphis Symphony (Michael Stern), New Mexico and Puerto Rico Symphonies (Guillermo Figueroa), Omaha and Anchorage Symphonies (David Loebel) and on several occasions with the Cleveland Orchestra (Louis Lane). He has also participated in the Marlboro Music Festival. Mr. Setzer has been a regular faculty member of the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshops at Carnegie Hall and the Jerusalem Music Center. His article about those workshops appeared in The New York Times on the occasion of Isaac Stern’s 80th birthday celebration. He also teaches as Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at SUNY Stony Brook and has given master classes at schools around the world, including The Curtis Institute, London’s Royal Academy of Music, The San Francisco Conservatory, UCLA, The Cleveland Institute of Music and The Mannes School. The Noise of Time, a groundbreaking theater collaboration between the Emerson Quartet and Simon McBurney–about the life of Shostakovich–was based on an original idea of Mr. Setzer’s. In April of 1989, Mr. Setzer premiered Paul Epstein’s Matinee Concerto. This piece, dedicated to and written for Mr. Setzer, has since been performed by him in Hartford, New York, Cleveland, Boston and Aspen. Recently, Mr. Setzer has also been touring and recording the piano trios of Schubert and Mendelssohn with David Finckel and Wu Han.