2012-13 Series

Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire featuring guest artist Lucy Shelton

100 years after its creation, Pierrot Lunaire still shocks and fascinates. Come hear Schoenberg’s seminal song cycle performed by acclaimed soprano Lucy Shelton, known for her charismatic and hair-raising interpretation of the work.

Sunday, October 7, 2012
8 p.m.
Harper Hall,
Music Drama Center

Featuring Lawrence faculty musicians: Erin Lesser, flutes • David Bell, clarinets • Samantha George, violin • Matt Michelic, viola • Janet Anthony, cello • Catherine Kautsky, piano • John Daniel, trumpet • Dane Richeson, percussion

Erica Scheinberg will moderate a discussion with the musicians during the concert.

NOW Ensemble

“Terrific…both powerful and new.” –The Wall Street Journal

NOW ENSEMBLE is a dynamic group of performers and composers dedicated to making new chamber music for the 21st century. With a unique instrumentation of flute, clarinet, electric guitar, double bass, and piano, the ensemble brings a fresh sound and a new perspective to the classical tradition, infused with the musical influences that reflect the diverse backgrounds of its members. Increasingly focusing on work that fearlessly crosses boundaries of musical genre and artistic media, NOW Ensemble’s recent collaborations span work with home-made electronics guru Dan Deacon to multimedia opera with producer Beth Morrison and Missy Mazzoli.

Thursday, November 15, 2012
8:00 p.m.
Harper Hall
Music Drama Center

Crossroads: The Music of Evan Chambers

Top Lawrence musicians join acclaimed composer Evan Chambers for an evening of chamber music inspired by such diverse sources as Irish traditional music, gamelan, hymnody, and Albanian folk music. At the crossroads of contemporary classical and traditional music, Mr. Chambers’ compositions fuse evocative lyricism with invigorating emotional power. The concert features Crossroads, Come Down Heavy, Cold Water, Dry Stone, and other works for instrumental ensemble.

Sunday, January 20, 2013
8:00 p.m.
Harper Hall
Music Drama Center

Big Spinoff

The New Music at Lawrence series culminates with the Lawrence University premiere of acclaimed American composer Charles Wuorinen’s Big Spinoff for sixteen players. Faculty from every instrumental department of the Conservatory of Music will join together in performing the work, which was composed for a consortium of organizations of which Lawrence was a member including Alarm Will Sound, Arizona State University, and several others. The piece, which will be conducted by Director of Bands Andrew Mast, is an enlargement of his 1981 work, Spinoff. Also included on the program is an eclectic mix of 21st-century chamber works showcasing the members of the celebrated Lawrence faculty, including works by Asha Srinivasan and Howard Niblock.

Sunday, April 21, 2013
8:00 p.m.
Harper Hall
Music Drama Center