Month: March 2014

Monday, March 31, 7:30 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, Chamber Seating
$40, $30, $15; Five College/GCC/STCC Students and Youth 17 & under: $10

Pianist Christopher O’Riley and cellist Matt Haimovitz join together to explore the lyrical and virtuosic properties of their instruments in a collaboration that crosses in and out of the classical and pop music genres. The program showcases their talents as collaborators and soloists, defining what it means to be an artist in the 21st Century. Audiences will hear works of Bach and Gabrielli, Radiohead and Arcade Fire, Piazzolla and Stravinsky. A double CD recording, on Oxingale, was released in the fall of 2011 to rave reviews.

Christopher O’Riley is recognized as one of the leading American pianists of his generation, touring extensively as a recitalist and chamber musician and appearing with every major orchestra. He hosts the popular NPR music program, From the Top, and has released a set of highly regarded recordings of the music of Radiohead, Nick Drake, and others. Mr. O’Riley studied with Russell Sherman at the New England Conservatory of Music.

Matt Haimovitz made his debut at the age of 13 as a soloist with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic. By age 17, he made his first recording for Deutsche Grammophon with James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has redefined what it means to be a classical musician today, bringing concerts of Bach, Golijov, and others to clubs and coffee houses across the country while maintaining a busy schedule of international appearances.

The first half of Shuffle.Play.Listen. will be pre-arranged. The second half of the concert will be programmed from the stage, giving the artists the opportunity to share the context of the program, and allowing the music to flow seamlessly from one genre to the next.

 

Pre-Concert Fireside Chat with NEPR Afternoon Classical Music host Walter Carroll at 6:30 p.m. at the University Club.

 

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Christopher O’Riley’s website
M att Haimovitz’s website
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-ORiley/153735239295?fref=ts https://www.facebook.com/matthaimovitz
Twitter: @cjoriley  @matthaimovtiz

 

Saturday, March 29, 8 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall Chamber Seating
$30, 25, 15; Five College/GCC/STCC Students and Youth 17 & under: $10

A protégé of the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Asif Ali Khan and his accompanying musicians offer a distinctive and inspiring experience. Energetic rhythms and varied tempos range from the meditative and trance-like to the suddenly thrilling and ecstatic. Experience it for yourself, the passion and exhilaration of Asif’s style of qawwali.

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Wednesday, March 26, 7:30 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall
$45, $40, $15; Five College/GCC/STCC Students and Youth 17 & under: $15, $12, $10

Winner of 19 Grammy Awards, jazz icon Pat Metheny is one of the most influential and creative guitarists on the planet. Whether purely acoustic or searingly electric, powerfully intense or deeply contemplative, highly composed or totally improvised —that unmistakable Metheny sensibility is always at work. Metheny comes to the FAC with his killer all-star band for a night of epic music.

Pre-Concert Fireside Chat with UMass Music Professor Bob Ferrier at 6:30 p.m. at the University Club.

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Artist’s website
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatMetheny
Twitter: @patmetheny

Wednesday, March 12, 7:30 p.m., Bowker Auditorium
$30, $15; Five College/GCC/STCC Students and Youth 17 & under: $10

Hailed as a “spirit-raising concoction” by The Irish Times, this five-member ensemble is among the most charismatic and sophisticated traditional Irish groups working today. With a traditional but modern sound built around virtuoso players of the flute, tin whistle, button accordion, fiddle, bouzouki, and the rich vocals of Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, their concerts are at once authentic, clever, and fun.

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Artist’s website
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dan%C3%BA/133971174828?ref=ts
Twitter: @baylin_artists
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/danuband

 

Wednesday, March 5, 7:30 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall
$38, $35, $15; Five College/GCC/STCC Students and Youth 17 & under: $10

“Invigorating the stage with that elusive thing called joy” (New York Times), Spirit of Uganda presents riveting programs of music and dance for audiences of all ages. To the melodic tones of standing drums, with dramatic choreography, bright, layered rhythms, and gorgeous call-and-response vocals, a vibrant cast of 22 performers, ages 10–20, bring to life the sounds and movements of East Africa.

Pre-Concert Fireside Chat by Alexis Hefley, Founder/President, Empower African Children at 6:30 p.m. at the University Club.

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Artist’s website
Facebook: SpiritOfUganda
Twitter: @spiritofEAC

Saturday, March 1, 8 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, Chamber Seating
$30, 25, 15; Five College/GCC/STCC Students and Youth 17 & under: $10

His concerts have been called magical. As a sarod virtuoso he is a superstar in India, revered for his expressive, vocalized playing. In his hands, the sarod’s 25 strings produce a rich palette of overtones mimicking the complex tone colors and expressive range of the human voice. His two sons on tablas will add to spellbinding the audience with their musical prowess.

Website

CONNECT

Artist’s website
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UstadAmjadAliKhan?sk=wall
Twitter: @AAKSar