On Friday, May 5 at 8 p.m., Apollo Chamber Players presents its season-finale concert of its 2016-2017 Season, Irish Odyssey at the MATCH in Midtown featuring a commissioned piece by native Texan and 2017 Grammy-nominee Christopher Theofanidis, who is now one of the top composers in the world.
“What impresses me about Theofanidis… is his ability to blend several musical languages once thought to be mutually exclusive… “
-The Washington Post
Apollo Chamber Players challenges the traditional notions of classical music and audience engagement by highlighting folkloric traditions and multicultural influences.
The stories, journeys, hardships and triumphs of a people from long ago still resonate with us today as we reflect on our similar human condition.
Irish Odyssey is a multi-genre exploration of the music of Ireland.
Matthew J. Detrick, Apollo Chamber Players artistic director, stated, “This program epitomizes the cultural melting pot of America – its beauties, intricacies and challenges. Grammy-nominated composer Christopher Theofanidis, of Greek heritage, composes for Apollo a piece exploring his interest in Irish music and passion for the poetry of Samuel Beckett. This program also raises questions about what classical music represents in the 21st century, showcasing the fusion of the traditional (classical) and contemporary (electroacoustic).”
Arrangements of folksong from the Petrie Collection of Ancient Irish Music and music spotlighting the plight of the Irish Palatine community bring this Irish journey full circle.
“The story of the Irish Palatine community is fascinating and timely,” said Detrick. “Forced from their German homeland in the early 1700’s due to religious and political persecution, they found refuge in Ireland and – like countless others – freedom in the United States.
The eleventh commissioned piece by Apollo Chamber Players, created by the collaboration of Christopher Theofanidis and Mark Wingate fuses traditional classical instruments with electronic recording melding the past and the future.
Christopher Theofanidis has had performances by many leading orchestras from around the world, including the London Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony, among many others. He holds degrees from Yale, the Eastman School of Music and the University of Houston and is the recipient of the International Masterprize, the Rome Prize, a Guggenheim fellowship, a Fulbright fellowship to France to study with Tristan Mural at IRCAM.
Nominated for a Grammy award for best composition for his chorus and orchestra work, Theofanidis has written a ballet for the American Ballet Theatre, a work for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra as part of their ‘New Brandenburg’ series and two operas for the San Francisco and Houston Grand Opera companies.
Mark Wingate composes and teaches electroacoustic music in Austin, Texas. His music has been performed at numerous festivals in North America and Europe and has garnered awards such as the Stockholm Electronic Arts Award (Sweden, 1992) and the Prix de la musique Prix de la musique électroacoustique Caractère (Bourges, France, 1996). He has received fellowships with the Fulbright Commission, the University of Texas and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Juilliard-trained University of Houston faculty pianist Timothy Hester has performed on many of the worlds finest stages, including Carnegie Recital Hall, Wigmore Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Concertgebouw and The National Concert Hall of Taiwan.
Also on the program:
Beethoven: Irish, Welsh, and Scottish Songs for Voice and Piano Trio
Guest Artists: Timothy Hester, piano
Yelena Dyachk, soprano
Timothy Jones, baritone
Howard Ferguson: Five Irish Folk Tunes
Irish Palatine folk songs: Arr. Apollo
For more information, go to www.apollochamberplayers.org
To purchase tickets, go to https://matchouston.org/events/irish-odyssey
Apollo Chamber Players sees a unique opportunity to challenge the traditional notions of classical chamber music presentation and audience engagement by highlighting the rich cultural influences and folkloric traditions of various world cultures. Apollo achieves its mission through thematically programmed concerts; educational, community and touring initiatives; collaborations; and the creation and commissioning of new music.