Chamber Music Monday at VanderCook

The Musical Imagination:  Exploring the Virtuosic Chamber Music of Arutiunian and Tchaikovsky

5:00 Reception
5:30 Recital 

Hailed by the Chicago Tribune’s John von Rhein as “A group on the cutting edge of chamber music performance,” Orion is currently celebrating its 30th year.  In addition to stirring music, this event will include drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and time for conversation. 

John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune calls Orion “one of Chicago’s most vibrant, versatile and distinctive ensembles.”

We extend our deepest thanks to the members of the Orion Ensemble who graciously donated this performance on behalf of the College’s goal of establishing a chamber music series.

Ticket price 

A $20 donation is suggested. All students with a valid student ID are admitted for free.. All donations will  support Chamber Music at VanderCook.

Program

Alexander Arutiunian (1920-2012) – Suite for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano (1993) [16:00]
     Introduction: Lento
     Scherzo: Allegretto
     Dialog: Adagio
     Final: Allegro non troppo 

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) – Trio in A Minor for Violin, Cello, and Piano, Op. 50
     Pezzo elegiaco: Moderato assai–Allegro giusto
     Tema con variazioni: Andante con moto–Variazione e coda 

About the Orion Ensemble

The Orion Ensemble started 30 years ago when a trio of young artists who were passionate about chamber music decided to present a concert of chamber works for violin, clarinet and piano—an unusual combination at the time. Shortly afterward, the trio added cello and viola, and the possibilities became endless. Since then, they have become a landmark in Chicago’s rich cultural life, reaching listeners throughout the U.S. and Europe. 

They have collaborated with some of the world’s most acclaimed artists, including Dale Clevenger, Alex Klein, Michel Debost, Ian Maksin, Julia Bentley, Stephen Boe, Mathias Tacke, Patrice Michaels, Julian Gray, Kuang-Hao Huang and many more. The ensemble has also expanded the repertoire for this instrumentation, premiering dozens of works written for them by composers such as Augusta Read Thomas, Robert Kritz, Sebastian Huydts, Justinian Tamusuza, Jackson Berkey, Ilya Levinson, James Wintle, Miguel de la Cerna and many others.

Winner of the prestigious Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming for its critically acclaimed millennium celebration “An Inside Look at Contemporary Music,” Orion features a roster of four acclaimed musicians—Kathryne Pirtle (clarinet), Florentina Ramniceanu (violin), Diana Schmück (piano) and Judy Stone (cello)—who have performed throughout North America, Europe and Asia, as an ensemble and individually in solo, orchestral and other chamber music roles. 

The Chicago Tribune called Orion “one of Chicago’s most vibrant, versatile and distinctive ensembles,” and the Chicago Sun-Times said Orion is “what chamber music should be all about: Individual virtuosity melded into a group personality.” The Orion Ensemble is supported in part by grants from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, the John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation Fund and generous donations from its patrons

For more information, go to  http://www.orionensemble.org/