NEW CENTURY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL SPRING SEASON
MUSIC DIRECTOR DANIEL HOPE LEADS STANFORD LIVE COLLABORATION AND RESONANCE SERIES LAUNCHES WITH ART AND DANCE
New Century: Reunited Presented by Stanford Live and Featuring Tan Dun World Premiere with Pianist Alexey Botvinov Thursday, May 20 at 12:00 p.m. PDT
Resonance Series: Episode 1 Featuring Guest Artist Colleen Quen and Debussy’s Danse sacrée et Danse profane Thursday, May 27 at 12:00 p.m. PDT
Resonance Series: Episode 2 Featuring Guest Artists Antoine Hunter and Urban Jazz Dance Company and Missy Mazzoli’s Death Valley Junction Thursday, June 3 at 12:00 p.m. PDT
San Francisco, CA – Tuesday, April 20, 2021 – New Century Chamber Orchestra announced today programming for its Virtual Spring 2021 season. Performing together as an orchestra together with Daniel Hope for the first time in over a year, New Century will release the world premiere of Tan Dun’s Double Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra starting on Thursday, May 20 at 12:00 p.m., in a streaming concert film presented by Stanford Live. Guest pianist Alexey Botvinov returns for his second appearance with the orchestra in a program that also features Ernest Bloch’s Concerto Grosso No. 1 and Aaron Jay Kernis’s Elegy (for those we lost).
The spring season continues with the release of two free episodes from New Century’s new Resonance Series, a film project that explores an artist’s real-world context as they create a piece inspired by a New Century performance. The first episode will be released on Thursday, May 27 at 12:00 p.m. and highlights San Francisco couturière Colleen Quen alongside a performance of Debussy’s Danse sacrée et Danse profane for harp and strings. The second episode will be released on Thursday, June 3 at 12:00 p.m. and brings together choreographer and Deaf advocate Antoine Hunter, also known as Purple Fire Crow, and his Urban Jazz Dance Company for a presentation inspired by Missy Mazzoli’s Death Valley Junction for string quartet.
“This is a landmark occasion for New Century as we happily return to the stage as an orchestra for the first time in over a year,” said Music Director Daniel Hope. “I am thrilled to welcome my good friend, the brilliant Ukrainian pianist Alexey Botvinov for a specially commissioned world premiere: The Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra by Tan Dun, one of the most important composers of today. Together we shall record at Stanford Live’s magnificent Bing Concert Hall for audiences across the Bay Area to enjoy from their own homes. I’m also particularly excited to share the first episodes of our Resonance series, which will highlight the adventurous and collaborative spirit of our marvelous New Century musicians.”
New Century’s spring season opens with New Century: Reunited on Thursday, May 20 at 12:00 p.m., presented by Stanford Live. This filmed presentation, recorded in April 2021 at Bing Concert Hall, will mark the first time the orchestra has appeared together since its Beethoven festival performances at the Presidio Theatre in January 2020. Co- commissioned by New Century and Odessa Classics Festival, the Double Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra by Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun will receive its world premiere, featuring Music Director Daniel Hope and pianist Alexey Botvinov as soloists. Botvinov last appeared as guest artist for the orchestra’s highly successful 2019 European summer tour of Germany and Poland, and his return appearance will also include Bloch’s Concerto Grosso No. 1 for strings and piano obbligato. Botvinov is the founder and President of Ukraine’s Odessa Classics Festival and collaborates frequently with Daniel Hope, most recently on the February 2021 Deutsche Grammophon release Schnittke—Works for Violin and Piano, praised by Grammophon Magazine for its “elegant delicacy.” The program opens with Aaron Jay Kernis’s newly composed Elegy (for those we lost), which New Century will dedicate to those who have suffered and died in the past year from both from the pandemic and from racial violence and hatred.
The spring season continues with the debut of New Century’s new Resonance Series, a musical film series that explores how the lived experiences of Bay Area artists from different disciplines inform their creative practices. Each episode will feature New Century musicians performing a chamber work to inspire a new creation by the featured artist. These episodes will be co-directed by filmmakers Sean Johnson and Joe Mayo.
The debut episode of the Resonance Series will be released on Thursday, May 27 at 12:00 p.m. and follows internationally renowned couturière Colleen Quen on the journey of designing and creating a mixed media sculpture inspired by a performance of Debussy’s Danse sacrée et Danse profane for harp and strings. Ms. Quen has combined art and design through the context of fashion for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the beauty of nature. Her designs have been worn by luminaries and celebrities all over the world garnering appearances in Flair, Vogue and America’s Next Top Model Guest Designer/Fashion Show, as well as being recognized as a Label of Quality and Excellence by the Federation Francaise de la Creation Couture Sur Mesure in Paris.
The second episode will be released on Thursday, June 3 at 12:00 p.m., featuring award-winning choreographer and Deaf advocate Antoine Hunter, also known as Purple Fire Crow, and his own Urban Jazz Dance Company, who will create a work of choreography inspired by Missy Mazzoli’s Death Valley Junction for string quartet. Hunter’s work has been performed across the globe, and he has lectured across the US, including at the Kennedy Center’s VSA, Harvard, Duke, and the National Assembly of State Arts. As a Deaf advocate, Antoine Hunter creates opportunities for Disable, Deaf and hearing artists as well as Deaf-friendly events including founding the Urban Jazz Dance Company, an ensemble of professional Deaf and Hearing dancers. This episode will be accessible to the Deaf community through the use of American Sign Language, closed captioning, and other structural adaptations, serving the goal of inclusivity for all audiences.
“I am thrilled to bring Daniel Hope and our musicians together at last, to premiere innovative new music alongside masterworks from the chamber orchestra repertoire and to collaborate with remarkable guest artists from both near and far. I am especially grateful to our partners at Stanford Live for making our Reunited project possible,” said New Century Executive Director Richard Lonsdorf. “The medium of film has really allowed us to experiment with our musical storytelling and we are all very excited to showcase New Century in a new light.”
CALENDAR EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE:
New Century Chamber Orchestra Virtual Spring Season 2021
New Century: Reunited Available from Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. PDT Virtual Presentation via ncco.org
Daniel Hope, Music Director & Concertmaster Alexey Botvinov, piano
Aaron Jay Kernis: Elegy (to those we lost) Ernest Bloch: Concerto Grosso No. 1 Alexey Botvinov, piano Tan Dun: Double Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra (world premiere) Daniel Hope, violin Alexey Botvinov, piano Commissioned by New Century Chamber Orchestra and Odessa Classics Festival
Single tickets are offered with flexible pricing ranging from $10 to $40 and can be purchased through City Box Office via http://www.cityboxoffice.com and (415) 392-4400.
This program is also available as part of Stanford Live’s Short Film Series and is available to Stanford Live Members at the $100 patron level and above and to current Stanford students. Please visit http://live.stanford.edu for more information.
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Resonance Series: Episode 1 Available from Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 12:00 p.m., Virtual Presentation via ncco.org
Colleen Quen, artist Meredith Clark, harp
With New Century Musicians: Iris Stone and Karen Shinozaki Sor, violins Elizabeth Prior, viola Michelle Djokic, cello Anthony Manzo, bass
Claude Debussy: Danse sacrée et Danse profane
This episode is available to the general public for free viewing at any time from the release date.
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Resonance Series: Episode 2 Available from Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 12:00 p.m., Virtual Presentation via ncco.org
Antoine Hunter/Purple Fire Crow, choreographer and dancer Urban Jazz Dance Company
With New Century Musicians: Deborah Tien Price and Nicole Sauder, violins Jenny Douglass, viola Michelle Djokic, cello
Missy Mazzoli: Death Valley Junction
This episode is available to the general public for free viewing at any time from the release date.
ABOUT NEW CENTURY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA One of only a handful of conductorless chamber ensembles in the world, New Century Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1992 and includes 19 string players from the San Francisco Bay Area as well throughout the United States. Musical decisions are made collaboratively, resulting in an enhanced level of commitment from the musicians and concerts of remarkable precision, passion, and power. The internationally acclaimed British violinist and Deutsche Grammophon recording artist Daniel Hope has been the ensemble’s Music Director since 2018. Previous music directors of the ensemble include Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (2008-2017), Krista Bennion Feeney (1999-2006) and Stuart Canin (1992-1999).
Beyond regular season concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area, New Century has toured nationally including 2011 performances in the Midwest, East Coast, and Southern California and a 2013 eight-state national tour. In June 2019, the orchestra embarked on its first European Tour, the largest and most ambitious artistic undertaking in the organization’s history, with appearances across Germany and Poland including the acclaimed Leonard Bernstein-founded Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and Philharmonie Essen. Critically acclaimed recordings include From A to Z: 21st Century Concertos (May 2014), LIVE: Barber, Strauss, Mahler (November 2010) and Together (August 2009).
ABOUT DANIEL HOPE Born in South Africa and resident in Berlin, British violinist Daniel Hope believes in breaking down the barriers that separate individuals, communities and nations. Since making his name as the youngest member of the Beaux Arts Trio, he has turned his focus to his solo career, performing with the world’s major orchestras and conductors and directing many ensembles from the violin, besides playing chamber music in a wide variety of new and traditional venues. An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist, Hope is a four-time Grammy nominee with more than 25 albums to his name. In 2016-17, he succeeded Roger Norrington as Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Last season he launched his tenure as Music Director of San Francisco’s New Century Chamber Orchestra, returned for his 16th and final season as Associate Artistic Director of Georgia’s Savannah Music Festival, and became Artistic Director of the Dresden Frauenkirche Church, which he considers not only a place of worship but also a symbol of peace, reconciliation and tolerance. Since February 2020 he has served as President of the Beethovenhaus Bonn, an honorary position whose predecessors include Kurt Masur and Joseph Joachim. A musical activist who engages in many musical and social areas, Hope has presented a weekly radio show on Germany’s WDR3 public station since 2016, besides publishing four books and hosting his own concert-lecture series at the Berlin Konzerthaus. His achievements have been recognized with a string of honors including the European Culture Prize for Music (2015) and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2017).
ABOUT STANFORD LIVE Stanford Live presents a wide range of fine performances from around the world, fostering a vibrant learning community and providing distinctive experiences through the performing arts. From its home at Bing Concert Hall and Frost Amphitheater, Stanford Live functions simultaneously as a public square, a sanctuary and a lab, drawing from all Stanford University has to offer to connect performance to the most significant issues, ideas and discoveries of our time.
PHOTO CREDITS New Century Chamber Orchestra / Matthew Washburn Tan Dun / Columna Artists Alexey Botvinov / Valeriy Veduta Colleen Quen / Colleen Quen Antoine Hunter / RJ Muna
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