lasells stewart center

Corvallis-OSU Symphony livestream set for Nov. 22

November 09, 2020 in Orchestra

For Immediate Release: November 9, 2020

Corvallis-OSU Symphony livestream set for Nov. 22

By Zachary C. Person

Source: Marlan Carlson

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Corvallis-OSU Symphony string ensemble under the direction of Maestro Marlan Carlson performs a concert livestreamed from The LaSells Stewart Center at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 22.

The performance is free and open to the public and can be viewed online at: mu.oregonstate.edu/live.

Selected movements from Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings, Op. 22 open the program. Written in 1875 in only two weeks-time, the five-movement string serenade was composed on a smaller scale than Dvořák’s weightier and well known symphonies and remains one of his most popular works.

The program continues with excerpts from Edvard Grieg’s “Holberg Suite, Op, 40,” a work originally written for piano in 1884 and later adapted by the composer for string orchestra. The five movement work, written in the style of a Baroque-era dance suite, was composed on the occasion of the 200th birthday of the distinguished Norwegian writer Ludvig Holberg. Grieg originally penned the work for solo piano, adapting it a year later into the string orchestra version that the Corvallis-OSU Symphony string ensemble performs.

W.A. Mozart’s Adagio and Fugue in c minor, KV. 546 and the opening movement of the Serenade for Strings Op. 13, KV. 525 “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” close the program. Long one of Mozart’s popular compositions, “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” is a lighthearted little “bon-bon” of a work, charming audiences and performers alike since its premiere in 1787.

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About the OSU College of Liberal Arts: The College of Liberal Arts includes the fine and performing arts, humanities and social sciences, making it one of the largest and most diverse colleges at OSU. The college’s research and instructional faculty members contribute to the education of all university students and provide national and international leadership, creativity and scholarship in their academic disciplines.

Conrad Tao opens Corvallis-OSU Piano International Steinway Piano Series Nov. 3

October 10, 2019 in Chamber Music, Piano

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 10, 2019

Conrad Tao opens Corvallis-OSU Piano International Steinway Piano Series Nov. 3

By Zachary C. Person

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Corvallis-OSU Piano International 2019-2020 Steinway Piano Series opens with American pianist Conrad Tao at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 3 at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St., Corvallis.

The 25-year-old Tao has garnered significant critical praise and accolades throughout his already lengthy performing career including being awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2011, and being named a both a Gilmore Young Artist and a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.

He has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. During the 2019-20 season, Tao will perform as soloist with the symphonies of Seattle, Baltimore, Charlotte, Phoenix and others.

Tao’s eclectic Corvallis program juxtaposes three well-known staples of the piano repertoire (J.S. Bach’s “Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue; Rachmaninoff’s “Etude-Tableau, Op. 39 No. 2”; Schumann’s “Kreisleriana”) with innovative late-20th and 21st century works (David Lang’s “Cage” and “wed”; Elliott Carter’s “Two Thoughts About the Piano”; Julia Wolfe’s “Earring”; and Jason Eckardt’s “Echoes’ white veil”).

Tao will also present a masterclass on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 3:00 p.m. in OSU’s Community Hall room 303, 1650 SW Pioneer Place. The masterclass is free and open to the public; space is limited.

Tickets $25 advance, $28 door. College students with ID and youth 8-18 admitted free. Advance tickets may be purchased online at corvallispiano.org or locally in Corvallis at Grass Roots Books & Music. To request accommodations relating to a disability please call (541) 758-0036, preferably at least one week in advance.

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About Corvallis-OSU Piano International: Corvallis-OSU Piano International furthers the appreciation and celebration of piano music and performance in our community by providing high-quality performances, outreach opportunities and educational programs. COPI presents the Steinway Piano Series, an annual concert series featuring world-class performers. Children’s concerts, master classes, lectures and a jazz series also serve as part of a mission to bring people together in a culture of piano through performance, education and advocacy.

Corvallis-OSU Piano International presents “Noche de Alma Latinoamericana” Oct. 20

October 03, 2019 in Piano, Chamber Music

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 3, 2019

Corvallis-OSU Piano International presents “Noche de Alma Latinoamericana” Oct. 20

By Zachary C. Person

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Corvallis-OSU Piano International presents the third annual “Noche de Alma Latinoamericana” on Sunday, October 19 from 2:00 – 5:30 p.m. at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St., Corvallis.

The free, family-friendly event is dedicated to bringing together classical and folk traditions of Latin America. This year’s theme is “Dia de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead), and attendees are invited and encourage to dress in traditional clothing.

Pianists William Villaverde and Fabiana Claure are the featured performers. The husband-wife duo, who are from Cuba and Bolivia respectively, present “A Piano Journey Through Latin America” featuring works such as Bolivian “Cuecas”, Brazilian tangos, classical and jazz-inspired Cuban music, and a four-hand piano arrangement of Astor Piazzolla’s “Tango Suite.”

Local youth musicians Amaia Arismendi (piano), Isaac Heredia (piano), Kai Frueh (piano), Ben Frueh (violin), Elsa Moreno (voice) and Jesus Moreno (guitar) will also present a performance during the festival.

The complete festival schedule of events includes:

· 2:00-5:00 p.m. – Corvallis Arts Center Activities (Dia de los Muertos) (Giustina Gallery)

· 2:00-2:30 p.m. – Dancing Workshop (Giustina Gallery)

· 2:30-3:15 p.m. – Local young musicians perform (Austin Auditorium)

· 4:00-5:00 p.m. – Claure and Villaverde piano duo performs (Austin Auditorium)

· 5:00-5:30 p.m. – Pan dulce and champurrado refreshments (Giustina Gallery)

“Noche de Latinoamericana” is free and open to the public. No tickets are required. To request accommodations relating to a disability please call (541) 758-0036, preferably at least one week in advance.

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Corvallis-OSU Symphony opens season with Mozart, Bruckner October 6

September 19, 2019 in Orchestra

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 19, 2019

Corvallis-OSU Symphony opens season with Mozart, Bruckner October 6

By Zachary C. Person

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Marlan Carlson opens the 2019-2020 season at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 6 in the Austin Auditorium at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th Street, Corvallis.

The program include three works from the classical and romantic eras: W.A. Mozart’s Overture to “Don Giovanni” K.527 and Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds K.297b, and Anton Bruckner’s “Te Deum” for orchestra, choir and vocal soloists.

Mozart’s popular Overture to “Don Giovanni” K.527 opens the program. “The ominous chords at the very beginning,” says Maestro Carlson “show that though this dramma giocoso may include many humorous moments, it is not going to end well for Signor Giovanni. The Overture to Mozart’s masterpiece captures the essence of the opera from the very first note.”

The Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds K.297b by Mozart follows. The 28-minute work in three movements features OSU music faculty members Carol Robe (clarinet), Ann Kosanovic-Brown (bassoon), Lawrence Johnson (horn), and retired faculty member Fred Korman (oboe) as soloists.

Anton Bruckner’s “Te Deum” in C Major, WAB 45, conducted by OSU director of choral studies Dr. Steven Zielke, comprises the second half of the concert. The performance features guest choirs from Corvallis High School, Crescent Valley High School, South Albany High School and West Albany High School. Current OSU music students Grace Dawald, Naomi Bennett, Jacob Hungerford and Tyson Zagelow perform as soloists.

The five-movement, 25-minute work was one of Bruckner’s few successes during his lifetime. Originally sketched in 1881, “Te Deum” is one of only two mature sacred works by the deeply religious composer. Unlike his symphonies, this work was an immediate success and received tens of performances during the final decade of his life. Curiously to the modern audience to whom Bruckner’s music has become a staple of the repertoire, the 50 gulden that Bruckner earned from the publication of “Te Deum” was the only money he earned as a composer.

The Corvallis-OSU Symphony season continues on Sunday, November 24 with works by Shostakovich and Kodály.

Tickets $22-32 advance, $25-35 door. Advance tickets available online at www.cosusymphony.org. Up to three K-8 students accompanied by a ticketed adult, and all high school and college students with ID, may be given free general admission tickets at the door starting one hour prior to the concert, subject to availability. CAFA discounts apply with valid SNAP card, available one hour prior to performance at the LaSells Stewart Center. For accommodations relating to a disability please call 541-286-5580, preferably one week in advance.

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About the OSU College of Liberal Arts: The College of Liberal Arts includes fine and performing arts, humanities and social sciences, making it one of the largest and most diverse colleges at OSU. The college’s research and instructional faculty members contribute to the education of all university students and provide national and international leadership, creativity and scholarship in their academic disciplines.

OSU Wind Ensemble performs Holst, Sousa and more May 23

May 01, 2019 in Wind Bands

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2019

OSU Wind Ensemble performs Holst, Sousa and more May 23

By Zachary C. Person, 541-737-4671, zachary.person@oregonstate.edu

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State University Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Chris Chapman presents its final concert of the 2018-2019 season at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23 at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26thStreet, Corvallis.

Chapman conducts Gustav Holst’s “Fugal Overture” and “Chants” by Oregon-based composer Martin Benhke to open the program. Guest conductor Olin Hannum then joins the stage to lead Percy Grainger’s “Irish Tune from County Derry,” a setting of the tune made famous via the folk song “Danny Boy.”

Anthony Barfield’s “Red Sky” featuring solo trombonist Carson Keeble closes the first half. “Red Sky” is a sonic depiction of the big bang theory, focusing on concepts of space, matter and energy. Keeble is instructor of trombone at OSU and is a former member of the Colorado Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic and New Mexico Symphony. He frequently performs with the Seattle Symphony, Oregon Symphony and Santa Fe Opera, and has performed with the Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic and many others.

John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever” opens the second half. The rousingly patriotic march was designated the official National March of America in 1987, and its rousing melodies and thrilling piccolo solo have delighted wind band audiences for generations.

Symphony No. 2 “Voices” by James Stephenson is the major work on the program. The symphony is a three-movement, twenty-minute exploration of anger, heartbreak and reconciliation written in response to the death of Stephenson’s mother in 2016.

General admission tickets $5 advance, $10 door. OSU students with ID and K-12 youth admitted free. CAFA discounts apply. Advance tickets available online at: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/musicevents. To request accommodations relating to a disability call 541-737-4671.

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Steinway Piano Series presents virtuoso pianist Yeol Eum Son April 14

March 22, 2019 in Chamber Music, Piano

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 22 March 2019

Steinway Piano Series presents virtuoso pianist Yeol Eum Son April 14

By Zachary C. Person

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Pianist Yeol Eum Son performs at Oregon State University as part of the Corvallis-OSU Piano International Steinway Piano Series at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 14 in the Austin Auditorium at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th Street, Corvallis.

Corvallis-OSU Piano International will also host a masterclass and opportunity to meet Son from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 in Community Hall room 303, 1650 SW Pioneer Place.

Son is a prizewinner at the Tchaikovsky and Van Cliburn international piano competitions. She is known for thrilling performances of a wide range of concert repertoire, and is an in-demand performer worldwide. Notable solo engagements have included performances with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; Dresden Philharmonic; Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; the Orchestre Philharmonique du Radio France, and many others. Son has performed solo recitals at many of the most important concert venues in the world, including Wigmore Hall and Cadogan Hall in London, Berlin’s Philharmonie and the Seoul Arts Centre in her native South Korea.

Her Corvallis recital program includes two popular sets of romantic-era preludes: Frederic Chopin’s Op. 28 and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Op. 32.

Chopin’s Op. 28 is a cycle of 24 preludes for solo piano, one each in all 24 major and minor keys. The set of short pieces - none is longer than 90 measures - vary widely in musical content, and are not related thematically as a set. The preludes were composed from 1835-1839. Though Chopin, an acclaimed virtuoso pianist, never performed Op. 28 in its entirety at a single performance, his 24 preludes have since become a cornerstone of the solo piano repertoire.

Rachmaninoff’s Op. 32 is a set of 13 preludes for solo piano written in 1910. Op. 32 was written as a complement to the 11 preludes previously composed by Rachmaninoff, and completed his set of 24 preludes for piano in all major and minor keys.

Tickets $25 in advance, $28 door. Advance tickets are available online at corvallispiano.org or locally at Grass Roots Books & Music. Youth ages 8-18 and all college students with valid ID admitted free. CAFA discounts apply, valid for purchase of up to two $5 tickets at The LaSells Stewart Center starting one hour prior to the concert with SNAP card. Accommodations relating to a disability may be made by calling 541-758-0036, preferably at least one week in advance.

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OSU Wind Ensemble evokes icons Jan. 29 at Stewart Center

December 19, 2018 in Wind Bands

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OSU Wind Ensemble evokes icons Jan. 29 at Stewart Center

By Zachary C. Person

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State University Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Chris Chapman presents “Three American Icons” at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 29 in the Austin Auditorium at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th Street, Corvallis.

Works exploring real and imagined icons comprise the program. Joseph Turrin’s “The Scarecrow Overture” from his opera of the same name opens the program. The 2010 work is based on the Nathaniel Hawthorne short story “Feathertop” about a witch who brings a scarecrow to life. After conjuring mayhem and trouble, the witch is surprised to discover the power of love and a true heart.

“Three American Icons” by English composer Judith Bingham closes the first half. The work departs from traditional icons of Americana, instead evoking three scenes set against the background of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kenned. The mid-century icons Lee Harvey Oswald, Marilyn Monroe and the infamous grassy knoll in Dallas, Texas are depicted in a quirky French Suite-style tableau of 1950’s and 60’s big band music, cult television and cultural change.

Percy Grainger’s 1937 masterpiece “Lincolnshire Posy” opens the second half of the concert. The six movement of Grainger’s “bunch of wildflowers” are all based on folk songs collected during an excursion to Lincolnshire, England in 1905-1906. Grainger resisted the whims of his contemporaries and did not attempt to modernize the folk songs. Rather, he presented them simply as the singers themselves presented them to him. Irregular rhythms, a rough-hewn folk style and brilliant, colorful orchestration abound in the true masterpiece of the wind band literature.

“Rumpelstilschzen” by Jess Turner, closes the program. Over its 19 minutes, Turner sweeps the audience into a land of make believe in three movements each depicting a pivotal part of the fairy tale store: “Spinning Straw into Gold”; “Night (The Maiden’s Lament)”; and “Rumpelstilczhen’s Furiant (Moto Perpetuo).”

General admission tickets $5 advance, $10 door. OSU students with ID and K-12 youth admitted free. Advance tickets available online at: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/SACevents. For accommodations relating to a disability, please call 541-737-4671 at least one week in advance.

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COPI Steinway Piano Series presents MacArthur Foundation ‘Genius Grant’ recipient Jeremy Denk Jan. 13

December 18, 2018 in Chamber Music, Piano

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 18 December 2018

COPI Steinway Piano Series presents MacArthur Foundation ‘Genius Grant’ recipient Jeremy Denk Jan. 13

By Zachary C. Person

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Pianist Jeremy Denk performs at Oregon State University as part of the Corvallis-OSU Piano International Steinway Piano Series at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 13 in the Austin Auditorium at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th Street, Corvallis.

Denk is one of the foremost American pianists on today’s concert scene. He was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (a.k.a. the “Genius Grant”) in 2013, an Avery Fisher Career Prize in 2014 and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016. He is a graduate of Oberlin College, Indiana University and the Juilliard School.

During recent concert seasons Denk has performed as a soloist across North America with the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra. International solo engagements have included soloist engagements with the Helsinki Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the City of Birmingham Symphony and many others.

Ludwig v. Beethoven’s “Five Variations on ‘Rule Brittania’ in D Major” opens the concert. Though well known today, the “Rule Brittania” theme was much more obscure in the early 19th century. Beethoven’s curiosity about British culture also spurred the composition of his earlier “Variations on God Save the King” for piano and “Wellington’s Victory, Op. 91” for orchestra a decade later.

“I Still Play” by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams follows. The inclusion of the five-minute piece is a clever nod towards Denk’s now-famous recording of J.S. Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” on Nonesuch Records. The work was written in celebration of Nonesuch president Bob Hurwitz upon his retirement. Hurwitz is a trained pianist who “still plays” and Adams set a series of short variations on a harmonic progression that acknowledges both Hurwitz’s love of the “Goldberg Variations” and the triumph of Denk’s recording under his watch at Nonesuch.

Two more variation-oriented works follow: Georges Bizet’s “Variations chromatiques” and Felix Mendelssohn’s “Variations sérieuses,” Op. 54. Both works were inspired by Beethoven: Bizet’s variations are a homage to his love of Beethoven’s 32 Variations in C minor; the Mendelssohn was composed as part of a campaign raising funds for a commission of a statue honoring Beethoven in his hometown of Bonn, Germany.

Franz Liszt’s transcription of Beethoven’s “An die ferne Geliebte (To the distant beloved)” and Ralph Schumann’s “Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17” close the program. The Schumann is based on a theme from “An die ferne Geliebte” and like Mendelssohn’s Op. 54 was composed as part of the campaign raising funds for the statue honoring Beethoven.

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COPI Steinway Piano Series presents Lukáš Vondráček Nov. 4 at Stewart Center

October 15, 2018 in Piano, Chamber Music

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 15 October 2018

COPI Steinway Piano Series presents Lukáš Vondráček Nov. 4 at Stewart Center

By Zachary C. Person

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Pianist Lukáš Vondráček performs at Oregon State University as part of the Corvallis-OSU Piano International Steinway Piano Series at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 4 in the Austin Auditorium at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th Street, Corvallis.

Following his first place prize at the 2016 International Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition, the Czech-born Vondráček has emerged as one of the most sought after performers of his generation. During the 2018-2019 season, notable solo engagements include the Pittsburgh Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony, and the Orquestra Sinfônica de São Paulo. Recital dates include the Vancouver Chopin Society, Deutschlandfunk Cologne, the Flagey in Brussels, and many others.

Past seasons have seen him perform as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and the national orchestra of Belgium. Solo recitals have included dates at the most important venues in the world, including Wigmore Hall in London, the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Other international awards include the top prizes at the Hilton Head, San Marino and Unisa International Piano Competitions, and the Raymond E. Buck Jury Discretionary Award at the Van Cliburn Piano Competition in 2009.

Vondráček’s program includes works by three Czech composers: Vítêzslav Novák’s “Memories, Op. 6”; Josef Suk’s “Love Song, Op. 7, No. 1”; and four selections from Bedřich Smetana’s second book of Czech dances. Two works by the German romantic composer Robert Schumann, “Arabesque in C Major, Op. 18” and “Carnaval, Op. 9,” close the recital.

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