Tag Archives: Artspree

First UALR Artspree of the season features Saint Louis Brass Quintet

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SLBQNewSmall-825x510The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s first Artspree event of the 2015-16 season will feature one of America’s longest standing brass quintets, Saint Louis Brass Quintet, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, in Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall.

Originally formed by members of the St. Louis Symphony, the Saint Louis Brass Quintet has performed more than 2,500 engagements throughout the world during its 40 years.  Current members of the Quintet are Allan Dean, trumpet; Ray Sasaki, trumpet;  Jeff Nelsen, horn; Melvyn Jernigan, trombone; and Daniel Perantoni, tuba. Jernigan is the only original member still with the group.

General admission for the concert is $15 and $10 for non-UALR students. Admission for UALR students, faculty, and staff is free. For tickets call 501.569.8993 or order online at ualr.tix.com.

Artspree is a performing arts series funded in part by the UALR Chancellor’s Circle Foundation and supported by KLRE Classical 90.5.

Artspree aims to bring unique musical and cultural performances to central Arkansas. In addition to the opening concert by the Saint Louis Brass Quintet, the series will feature an award-winning mime who has appeared on Broadway and two trios — one jazz and another that specializes in a wide array of musical periods.

Thanks to a partnership with the Little Rock School District, Artspree also is steeped in its commitment to educational outreach to young students.

For more information, contact Dr. Naoki Hakutani, Artspree director at 501.683.7230 or nxhakutani@ualr.edu.

The UALR Artspree 2014-15 series concludes tonight with William Bennett, flute

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flutistBennet3The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s final Artspree event of the 2014-15 season will feature a musician regarded as the “greatest flute player alive” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 10, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall of the Fine Arts Building.

Flutist William Bennett will perform including a rendition of Piano and Flute Sonata in A Minor from opus 64 by Mel Bonis accompanied by pianist Kaeko Suzuki.

General admission is $15 and $10 for non-UALR students. Admission for UALR students, faculty, and staff is free.

By raising the profile of the flute to that of an instrument capable of a wide range of tonal colours, dynamics, and expression, Bennett is considered one of the foremost musical artists performing today.

He studied in London with Geoffrey Gilbert, and in France with Jean-Pierre Rampal and Marcel Moyse.

According to Artspree Director Naoki Hakutani,  Bennett is a legend in the music world and in many circles is considered the greatest flute player alive.

His long list of accomplishments include earning the title of “Flute of Gold” from the Italian “Falaut” Flute society and the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E) for his distinguished Services to Music from Queen Elizabeth II.

Prior to the April 10th performance, Bennett will host a free master class featuring students from UALR and local high schools at 12:15 pm. Thursday, April 9.

For more information, contact Hakutani at 501.683.7230 or nxhakutani@ualr.edu.

Artspree is funded in part by the UALR Chancellor’s Circle Foundation and KLRE Classical 90.5.

Kathakali, South Indian Classical Dance-Drama today at 3 as part of UALR Artspree

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Kathakali is an Indian dance drama by V. Kaladharan, K. Shanmukhan and K. Sukumaran showcasing India’s highly stylized classical dance and drama. Kathakali combines dancing, acting, vocal music, percussion and costumes in one art form dating back to 17th century India. Kaladharan and Shanmukhan will present selected scenes from prominent Kathakali plays. Kaladharan will explain the story and context, and then Shanmukhan will perform each scene. Sukumaran will present the costuming and makeup for the performance.

The performance will begin at 3pm today in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall on the campus of UALR.  The program is the first of four Artspree programs during the 2014-2015 school year.

Artspree features Nikita Mndoyants

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Coming from the family of professional musicians, pianist Nikita Mndoyants began to play piano and compose music at a very young age. He entered Central Music School in Moscow in 1995, and gave his first public recital two years later, when he was eight years old. In March of 1999, the ten-year old Nikita appeared at the Sibelius Academy Concert Hall in Helsinki. His extraordinary performance there was recorded and issued on a CD in 2001.
Nikita Mndoyants graduated from the Moscow Central Music School with honors as a pianist and composer in 2006.

In 2011 Nikita graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire where he studied with Professor Alexander Tchaykovsky (composition), Prof. Alexander Mndoyants and Prof. Nikolay Petrov (piano).
During his studies at school, he won several national and international piano and composition competitions.
He took part in master-classes in Verbier Festival and Academy (2004).

In summer of 2005 N. Mndoyants studied in the Tel-Hai Piano Master-classes in Israel. He won the 1st prize of The Concerto competition, that took place there. In November of 2007 he won the First prize of The VII International Paderewski Piano Competition in Poland and also special prize for the best semi-final recital. Following his successful recital in Helsinki, during the last decade Nikita toured throughout Russia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latvia, Estonia, China, Switzerland, Israel, France, and the United States.

Nikita took part in numerous music festivals, including “Musical Kremlin”, “Moscow Autumn”, 14th Piano Festival in Liepae (Latvia), International Keyboard Institute & Festival (New York) and the 63rd Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdroj (Poland), festival dedicated to World Economic Forum in Davos, (Switzerland).

Nikita appears with recitals in the best concert halls in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Cortot Hall and Louvre Auditorium in Paris, Warsaw Philharmonic. In 2004, he appeared with the famous Borodin Quartet, performing Quintet by Shostakovich.

Guitarist Rovshan Mamedkuliev at Artspree today

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Rovshan MamedkulievArtspree continues today at 3pm on the UALR campus.
Rovshan Mamedkuliev was born on 12th May, 1986 in Baku, Azerbaijan, laureate of All-Russia and international competitions. He started his studies in classical guitar at the age of 11. Graduated from school of art №7 and Music College named after M. A. Balakirev in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) as a higher achiever.
In 2004, he entered the Nizhniy Novgorod Conservatoire (academy) named after M.I. Glinka and in 2009, with honours completed his education at the classical guitar for an associate professor, laureate All-Russia competition of Aleksey Petropavlovsky. He also is currently in graduate school. As evaluated by a teacher, R.Mamedkuliev possesses such important for musician qualities, as an “excellent ear, tenacious memory, developed sense of rhythm and form, bright artistry”, which contributed to his rapid professional growth. Since September 2009, a graduate student of Nizhniy Novgorod Conservatoire, he teaches in the Department of folk instruments, as well as in the Arzamas Music College.

Participating from 1999 in the creative contests of All-Russia and international level, Rovshan Mamedkuliev has won more than twenty Awards, including: First Prize on the 6th International competition of the performers on the national instruments «Cup of the North» (Cherepovets, Russia, 2006), Finalist and Special prize for the best interpretation of the compositions of Francisco Tarrega on the 41th International competition of performers on a classic guitar “Francisco Tarrega” (Benicasim, Spain, 2007), First Prize and Special Prize for the best interpretation of the compositions of Leo Brouwer on the 10th International Guitar Competition L. Brouwer (Paris, France, 2009), First Prize, Prize of Public and Special Prize for the best interpretation of the compositions of Heitor Villa-Lobos on the 1st International Guitar Competition “Heitor Villa-Lobos” (Spain, 2011), First Prize on the II International competition of named after A.Frauchi (Moscow, Russia, 2011). In 2012 Rovshan Mamedkuliev won one of the most prestigious classical guitar competitions – XXX Guitar Foundation of America’s International Concert Artist Competition (GFA) (Charleston, USA).

For high achievements in the art of Rovshan Mamedkuliev received an award from the President of Russia (2006), grants the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region and the Mayor of Nizhny Novgorod.

Artspree 2013 kicks off with Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano

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(Photo by Dario Acosta, courtesy of UALR Artspree)

(Photo by Dario Acosta, courtesy of UALR Artspree)

Radiant American mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke caused a sensation as Kitty Oppenheimer in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of John Adams’ Doctor Atomic, the DVD release of which won the 2012 Grammy Award® for Best Opera Recording. She was praised in The New Yorker for her “fresh, vital portrayal, bringing a luminous tone, a generously supported musical line, a keen sense of verbal nuance, and a flair for seduction.”

Cooke will be in recital today at 3pm at UALR’s Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall to kick off the 2013-2014 Artspree season.  Tickets are $15 for the general public, free to UALR faculty staff and students, and $10 for other students.

During the summer of 2012, Sasha Cooke opened the Hollywood Bowl’s summer season in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Leonard Slatkin and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and also appeared at Music@Menlo and the RoundTop Festival. She appeared in the closing concerts of the Aspen Music Festival and the Mostly Mozart Festival, with Robert Spano in Mahler’s Eighth Symphony and with Louis Langrée in Beethoven’s Mass in C, respectively. Returning to the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Sasha performed songs by Bernstein, Copland, Bolcom, Barber and Gershwin in the inaugural concerts of new music director Tugan Sokiev in Berlin and at the Beethovenfest in Bonn. The new season marks her San Francisco Opera debut as the title role in the world premiere of Mark Adamo’s The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, as well as her role debuts as Magnolia in Francesca Zambello’s production of Show Boat at Houston Grand Opera and as Sonja in Dominick Argento’s The Aspern Papers at Dallas Opera.

She returns to the San Francisco Symphony in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas, gives the world premiere of Augusta Read Thomas’s Earth Echoes with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, appears with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center both in New York and in Mecklenberg, Germany, and sings Mahler’s Third Symphony with the Orchestre de Lyon. She also sings Bernstein’s “Jeremiah” Symphony with Leonard Slatkin and the Detroit Symphony, and Alexander Nevsky with Pinchas Steinberg and the Cleveland Orchestra. She returns to the New York Festival of Song for a program exploring the lives of women, joins the Mirò Quartet for music of Respighi and Schubert with Friends of Chamber Music Denver, and sings Das Lied von der Erde with the Columbus Symphony.

 

Artspree closes 2012-13 with Triple Play

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tp-without tastyUALR’s Artspree series concludes the 2012-2013 season today with a performance at UALR at 3pm.

Triple Play is the name given to three outstanding and versatile musicians, Peter Madcat Ruth (on harmonica, guitar, jaw harp, percussion & vocals), Joel Brown, (folk and classical acoustic guitar and vocals) and Chris Brubeck (electric bass, bass trombone, piano & vocals).

Collectively they bring a rare level of joy, virtuosity, and American spirit to the folk, blues, jazz and classical music they perform. Triple Play’s musical roots go way back (nearly 40 years!) in each member’s history. Chris and Madcat have toured and recorded together in different settings since 1969, first as young rock musicians in the group “New Heavenly Blue” (with albums on RCA and Atlantic Records), “Sky King”(on Columbia), and then as jazz musicians touring the world with Dave Brubeck

With an ever-expanding repertoire, the Trio continues to play in concert halls, clubs and festivals all over the country, including performing many of Chris’ symphonic arrangements with orchestras across the U.S. Recently they played a set at the Monterey Jazz Festival and later that evening were featured in the premiere of Dave Brubeck’s Cannery Row Suite.

Paul deBarros, writer for the Seattle Times and Downbeat, commented: “Triple Play is what jazz always was and always should be about: good-time rhythm, unbridled joy and the sweet release but bittersweet aftertaste of the blues. If there’s a better old-time blues and jazz harmonica player out there than Madcat Ruth, I’d sure love to know where he lives.”