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Contact: Gabriel Langfur
info@chameleonarts.org
617-427-8200
Chameleon Arts Ensemble presents "for that transforming touch"
January 6, 2010 – Boston, MA – On the heels of three sold-out performances in October and November, the Chameleon Arts Ensemble opens the second half of its twelfth season on Saturday, February 6at 8 PM and Sunday, February 7 at 3 PM. Both concerts are at the Goethe-Institut Boston, 170 Beacon Street in the Back Bay. Chameleon’s member musicians will be joined by acclaimed pianist Spencer Myer, in his Boston debut. The program, entitled for that transforming touch, examines the art of borrowing existing music and transforming it into something new, a practice as old as music itself.
Gold Medalist of the 2008 New Orleans International Piano Competition, Spencer Myer is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most outstanding pianists of his generation. The Cleveland Plain Dealer praised his “poised, polished performance, for which he won the type of standing ovation usually reserved for renowned keyboard heroes.” He has been soloist with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Louisiana and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestras, and the China National Symphony Orchestra, and made recital appearances at New York City’s Weill Recital Hall, 92nd Street Y and Steinway Hall, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and London’s Wigmore Hall. In 2004, Mr. Myer captured First Prize in the 10th UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa, and he is also a laureate of the William Kapell, Cleveland, Busoni (where he was awarded the Audience Prize), and Montréal International Piano Competitions. An avid chamber musician, he has performed with the Blair, Jupiter, Miami and Pacifica String Quartets, and was a winner of the Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition, leading to a growing reputation as a vocal collaborator.
The concert program includes Pablo de Sarasate’s Concert Fantasies on Carmen for violin & piano, Op.25; Pierre Boulez’s Dérive I for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, vibraphone & piano; Irving Fine’s Partita for wind quintet; and Brahms’ beloved Piano Quintet in f minor, Op. 34 which existed first as a string quintet and then in a version for two pianos before the enduring work we know today. American composer Libby Larsen gives us a clever yet heartbreaking addition to the repertoire in Try Me, Good King for soprano & piano. Throughout the cycle, based on the final letters and gallows speeches of Henry VIII’s wives, she weaves lute songs by Dowland, Praetorius, and Thomas Campion. She writes “these songs were composed during the reign of Elizabeth I, and while they are cast as some of the finest examples of the golden age, they also create a tapestry of unsung words which comment on the real situation of each doomed queen.”
Since its founding in 1998, Chameleon and artistic director Deborah Boldin have earned unqualified praise for integrating old and new repertoire into unexpected chamber music programs that are themselves works of art. They were recognized nationally with 2009 and 2007 ASCAP/CMA Awards for Adventurous Programming. The Boston Globe praised Ms. Boldin’s “carefully curated blending of classic and contemporary repertoire,” and her “discerning ears and cosmopolitan tastes,” and remarked, “during intermission, concertgoers could be heard marveling at the program’s breadth and wondering why other groups aren’t as adventurous. Chameleon makes daring seem easy.”
This innovative ensemble now draws capacity audiences of those who love the adventure of music—classic and contemporary. A Chameleon concert is a multifaceted experience in an intimate environment joining audience and musicians in an exuberant celebration of music. The musicians are among Boston’s most highly-respected and sought-after performers, with growing national and international reputations. Their superb artistry and finely honed collaborative skills ensure luminous performances and dynamic musical dialogues.
For tickets or more information, concertgoers can call 617-427-8200 or visit www.chameleonarts.org. Individual tickets are $38, $28 and $18. $5 discounts for students and seniors are available. The Goethe-Institut is a wheelchair accessible venue.
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