February 1, 2007
Composer Chihara to attend performance of his work Feb. 9
Composer Paul Chihara will be present for the performance of his new piano quintet, La Foce, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9 in Brechemin Auditorium
The concert is the second in the East-West Piano Arts series, which aims to bridge the diverse cultures in our community through the universal language of music. “Paul Chihara is among the most renowned composers alive today,” said Regina Yeh, the UW School of Music faculty pianist who conceived and implemented the new East-West Piano Arts series. “His works have been performed all over the world by the finest symphony orchestras, such as the Cleveland Orchestra, and by outstanding artists, such as pianist Pascal Roge. It is a great privilege to have him here.”
This Piano Quintet was written for and inspired by the international music festival ‘Incontri in Terra di Siena’ at La Foce, Italy, and its wonderful musicians,” Chihara wrote of his composition. “I was also inspired by the diary of the Marchesa Iris Origo, published as War in Val D’Orcia. This very moving narrative of the war years 1943-1944 in Italy touched me with its simplicity and courage, and inspired me to include the resistance song Bella Ciao in the second movement of this three movement quintet. The first movement begins in serenity and simplicity, like a ballad by the Beatles. The second movement is full of ‘sturm und drang,’ with both terror and humor. (It also quotes the Grape Song Canto dei Vendemmiatori.) The final movement resolves the conflicts in a return to serenity and peace. I want the final moments of this piece to reflect joy and a return to innocence.”
La Foce will be performed by violinists Carmelo de los Santos, University of New Mexico; and Xiao-Po Fei, Seattle Symphony; violist Mara Lise Gearman, Seattle Symphony; cellist Amos Yang, Seattle Symphony; and pianist Oksana Ezhokina, Cornish College of the Arts.
Also on the program are chamber works by Gabriel Fauré, Francis Poulenc, Bright Sheng, Henri Vieuxtemps, and Zhou Long. Seattle pianist Jennifer Li will perform on the Fauré, Poulenc, and Vieuxtemps works.
Tickets for the concert are $10 and are available at the door.
