Chamber Music from the Baltics
$25/$10
Onutė Narbutaitė — Winter Serenade
Ester Mägi — A Tre
René Eespere — Modus Vivendi
Mikalojus K. Čiurlionis — String Quartet
Pēteris Vasks – String Quartet No. 3
Onutė Narbutaitė – Winter Serenade for flute, violin and viola
Ester Mägi – A Tre for guitar, violin and cello
René Eespere – Modus Vivendi for flute and guitar
Mikalojus K. Čiurlionis – 1902 String Quartet (arrangements) and piano Preludes, for four-hand piano
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the Baltic Arts Council Northwest is presenting a year of varied programming of music, film and more, bringing together the three national communities and presenting many programs to the public.
This program will feature:
• Pēteris Vasks (born 1946) – String Quartet No. 3, featuring the composer’s trademark elements of birdsong, emotion and folk music that personify his Latvian roots
• Onutė Narbutaitė (born 1956) – Winter Serenade for flute, violin and viola, where the “borrowed” Schubert song is “magically transformed into nature sounds, sighs, sobs and faltering steps” (Richard Taruskin, writing for The New York Times)
• Ester Mägi (born 1922) – A Tre for guitar, violin and cello, at times motoric, at times lyrical, written by the “First Lady of Estonian Music”
• René Eespere (born 1953) – Modus Vivendi for flute and guitar, merging the composer’s influences of baroque, rock and minimalist styles
• Mikalojus K. Čiurlionis (1875-1909) – arrangements of the 1902 String Quartet and several piano Preludes, for four-hand piano, giving a historical perspective to the program from a composer who lived before independence and who is considered to be an early proponent of European abstract art
Flutist Paul Taub is the curator of this concert. Taub, through his past work with the Seattle Chamber Players, has been performing and recording music from the Baltics since 1989, including first US performances of Pēteris Vasks at the Goodwill Arts Festival as well as in Riga, Moscow, and Seattle. Joining Taub will be the emerging young Skyros Quartet, Seattle’s leading guitarist Michael Nicollela, and Lithuanian-American pianists Dainius and Asta Vaičekonis.
About Dainius Vaičekonis
About Asta Vaičekonis
Asta Vaičekonis holds her MM in Piano Performance from the University of Washington and her Bachelor's degree from the Lithuanian Academy of Music. Asta was granted a diploma for best accompaniment in the International Competition of Chamber Music in Kaliningrad (Königsberg), Russia (1992). She was a soloist with the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra (2002), performed in the University of Washington Summer Arts Festival (2001, 2003), the Bach Fest (2001, 2002) in Lake Chelan, Washington, accompanist for Ladies Musical Club of Seattle's Awards Tours (2000, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2018), and the Bumbershoot Festival (1999) in Seattle. Asta served as an accompanist and coach in the Summer Chamber Music Seminars in Berlin, Germany (1992, 1993), and has performed with the Chamber Dance Company. She has played many recitals and chamber music programs in various cities of the United States, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Russia, and Israel, and made several recordings for the Lithuanian Radio and Television (1993). She was the first solo pianist to play in Seattle’s own Benaroya Hall. Asta is on the piano faculty at Music Works Northwest, has been staff accompanist at Western Washington University, and is currently on the faculty at Seattle Pacific University.
https://spu.edu/academics/college-of-arts-sciences/music/about/faculty-staff-directory/faculty-source/vaicekonis-astaAbout Skyros Quartet
Sarah Pizzichemi, violin |
Brandon Vance, violin |
Justin Kurys, viola |
Willie Braun, cello