Sphinx Virtuosi: Generations
$28
- Xavier Foley, double bass
- Kebra-Seyoun Charles, double bass
- Aundi Marie Moore, soprano
- Abel Selaocoe, cello
Andrea Casarrubios — Herencia (NY premiere)
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson — Sinfonietta No. 2 "Generations" ("Allegro vivace")
Heitor Villa-Lobos — Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, W. 389 ("I. Aria – Cantilena")
Xavier Foley — Concertante for Two Double Basses and String Orchestra, "Galaxy"
Abel Selaocoe — Qhawe
Abel Selaocoe — Lerato
Abel Selaocoe — Ka Bohaleng
The Sphinx Virtuosi is an exemplary chamber orchestra and the "flagship performing entity" of the Sphinx Organization. They pair time-tested string music—both enduringly popular and underperformed—with music by some of today's most compelling composers. Hear New York premieres by the prolific Quenton Blache; and bassist, composer, and 2014 Sphinx Competition winner Xavier Foley. Two of the 20th Century's great composers are represented in a fusion of Bachian and Brazilian-folk styles by Villa-Lobos; and a bustling movement from Perkinson's Sinfonietta No. 2. Also featured are spirited, original songs by cellist and singer Abel Selaocoe, who performs with the ensemble.
About Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall's mission is to present extraordinary music and musicians on the three stages of this legendary hall, to bring the transformative power of music to the widest possible audience, to provide visionary education programs, and to foster the future of music through the cultivation of new works, artists, and audiences.
https://www.carnegiehall.org/About Xavier Foley, double bass
About Kebra-Seyoun Charles, double bass
About Aundi Marie Moore, soprano
About Abel Selaocoe, cello
South African cellist Abel Selaocoe is a rapidly rising star who is redefining the parameters of the cello. He moves seamlessly across a plethora of genres and styles, from collaborations with world musicians and beatboxers, to concertos and solo performances. Selaocoe combines virtuosic performance with improvisation, singing and body percussion, and is devoted to composing works and curating programmes that highlight the links between Western and non-Western musical traditions, broadening the horizons of classical music to reach a more diverse audience.
In 2016, Selaocoe formed Chesaba – a trio specializing in music from the African continent, including many of his own compositions. He enjoys close collaborations with musicians from a medley of genres, including Bernhard Schimpelsberger, Tim Garland, Seckou Keita, Giovanni Sollima, Famoudou Don Moye and Gwilym Simcock. He has a close partnership with Manchester Collective, with whom he devised the hugely successful Sirocco programme which has been enjoyed both live and digitally by audiences since 2019. In 2020/21, Selaocoe performed at Kings Place, Norfolk & Norwich and Ryedale Festivals, and performed with ensembles including BBC Concert Orchestra at the EFG London Jazz Festival, Manchester Collective and Britten Sinfonia.
Selaocoe made his solo BBC Proms debut in August 2021, curating a programme with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Chesaba and Gnawa Ensemble. Other highlights of the 2021/22 season include a tour with Manchester Collective and Chesaba of their new collaboration, The Oracle; debuts with St Paul Chamber Orchestra and at Stanford Live; and performances both solo and with Chesaba throughout the UK and Europe.
Abel Selaocoe is an exclusive recording artist with Warner Classics and his debut album Where is Home? (Hae Ke Kae), on the subject of home and refuge, will be released on Friday 23 September 2022.
Selaocoe completed his International Artist Diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music in July 2018. In May 2021, he was announced as an inaugural Power Up Music Creator participant in PRS Foundation’s new initiative to address anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music sector and in July 2021, he received a Paul Hamlyn Foundation award for his compositional work.
https://www.abelselaocoe.com/