William Hagen, Blake Pouliot, Jan Gruning, Joshua Roman, Lizzie Burns
Violins, Viola, Cello Bass
WILLIAM HAGEN & BLAKE POULIOT, violins, JAN GRUNING, viola, JOSHUA ROMAN, cello, LIZZIE BURNS, double bass
A concert honoring much-loved violinist Geoff Nuttall whose artistry and program choices have been such an important element of our summer concert series for many years. Geoff selected pieces for this concert with his usual quirky commitment to presenting the unexpected.
Geoff is unable to perform, but we are thrilled to present two violinists who are generating rapturous acclaim and signal honors across the globe. The riveting 29-year-old violinist William Hagen has appeared as soloist with many of the world's great orchestras and been hailed as a “brilliant virtuoso” (Dallas Morning News). Blake Pouliot has established himself as “one of those special talents that comes along once in a lifetime” (Toronto Star). They are joined by Munich-born violist from the acclaimed Ariel Quartet, Jan Grüning, Joshua Roman, “a cellist of bold character and poetic grace” (The Plain Dealer), and bassist Lizzie Burns, who performs with the International Contemporary Ensemble, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, A Far Cry, The Knights, and Decoda.
The program features a work by 12-year-old Rossini, written long before his success as an opera composer, and a quintet composed at the height of George Onslow’s artistic powers. The Rossini String Sonata is full of confident optimism, the Onslow work has movements entitled Suffering, Fever, and Delirium, Convalescence, and Recovery and was a creative outlet for Onslow while returning to health after a shooting accident.
Between the two quintets, a piece for cello and double bass by Matthew Aucoin written for Yo-Yo Ma; Dual is a playful piece, a dual effort which is also a duel.
PROGRAM:
GIOACHINO ROSSINI String Sonata No. 5 in E-flat Major
Matthew Aucoin Dual
GEORGE ONSLOW String Quintet No. 16, The Bullet
