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Happy New Year! |
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FALL/WINTER HIGHLIGHTS:
Following
the exciting opening of the fall season with the Spontaneous
Combustion recital, the Fall '06 continued.
November 2nd
through 5th, Blair collaborated with the Pam
Tanowitz
Dance Company at Danspace. He performed Charles
Wuorinen's
The Blue
Bamboula with a handful of talented dancers. Here are some of
the dance reviews for the performance:
Village Voice,
Dance Magazine
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 On
November 7th, Blair participated in the first night of New York’s only festival
of contemporary solo piano music, "Keys
to the Future."
Blair performed renowned jazz pianist/composer Fred Hersch's 24 variations on
a Bach Chorale. The festival continued for three nights, in the
midst of the heated mid-term elections! (6 pianists presented 27 recent
solo piano works, including 10 premieres.)
The other pianists
on the first night's program were Lisa Moore and the artistic director of the
festival, Joe Rubenstein. Kudos to Joe for the entire festival.
(Read
New York Times and
MusicWeb International reviews)
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 On
the chamber music front, Da Capo Chamber Players were very active through the
fall. On November 21st, they presented a program of music composed for
the group, titled "Commissions Past and Present."
(Read
New York Times and
MusicWeb International reviews, photo: Hiroyuki Ito for NY
Times)
In addition to the
Merkin concert, Da Capo had their Nov. Bard residency and concerts, as well as
two performances with Japanese mime Yass Hakoshima, all within the space of
only a week!
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 The
first concert of the new year was in New Canaan (CT) on January 7th,
with Da Capo clarinet colleague Meighan Stoops. The program was titled "Fascinatin'
Rhythm." Meighan and Blair performed solo and duo works by
Gershwin, Stravinsky, Debussy, Bernstein, Bolcom and Hersch, all
somewhat or greatly influenced by jazz rhythms. The concert was
the first of this year's New Canaan Library's "Notes in Mid-Winter" concert
series, and drew a large and enthusiastic audience.
(photo:
Dave Stewart)
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Crazy busy January
continues with a solo appearance at New Music Collective series at
Brooklyn Conservatory (Jan. 13), solo recital presented by Hudson Valley Piano
Club (Jan. 21), counter)induction concert A Little Night Music (Jan.
22), and Da Capo's
Second Viennese Roots and Shoots
(Jan. 28).
Then, Feb. Bard
residency and concerts, and Martinu Triple Concerto with Bard Conservatory
Orchestra follow. So many notes to learn!
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click here for
past news...
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