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If you’re looking for a delightful night of Mozart, a little 18th-century bel canto diversion, Ensemble ACJW's March 31 performance of Zaide is probably not your concert.

The first thing you’ll hear won’t even be Mozart: The fluttering rush of orchestral color will be music that one-time New York composer Berio (he was a Juilliard faculty member from 1965 to 1971) wrote in 1995 to fill out the incomplete singspiel. He also wrote an epilogue and two interludes; in all, about a third of the music is his.

Onstage, Italian text written on blackboards will remind you that what you’re about to hear is a work of fiction, set by a young musical visionary from the Classical period for the audiences of his time. You'll see those blackboards a lot, and they’ll be as jarring as Berio’s funhouse-mirror modernism.

The March 31 Zaide will probably be more like walking through Jean-Claude and Christo’s The Gates in Central Park. Interspersed throughout a piece rich with historical resonance is a separate work, one that in its obvious distinctiveness helps highlight the significance of both.

Related: March 31 Ensemble ACJW
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On March 31, David Robertson conducts Ensemble ACJW and soloists in a performance of Mozart's Zaide. The unfinished opera is paired with the New York premiere of Luciano Berio's Vor, während, nach Zaide, the Italian composer's imaginative musical commentary on Zaide.

Here, Robertson discusses connecting the music of the past with the musicians of today, and the importance of this in the mission of The Academy.


David Robertson on Zaide, Berio, and Ensemble ACJW

Related: March 31 Ensemble ACJW

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Leelanee SterrettWe've recently returned from our biannual residency at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, and I can say with no hesitation that it was the best week of my Academy experience so far. The mission of our five-day residency was to infiltrate as many corners of the campus and community as possible with an exciting and fresh approach to classical music. We did this through a number of unannounced performances in non-traditional settings: student dormitories at 9 PM, a nursing home the next morning, and the campus library on a quiet afternoon. We became an integral part of the music department by appearing in composition, history, and orchestration classes; teaching individual lessons; and sitting in to play with the school orchestra and several chamber groups. And, of course, our visit culminated in an Ensemble ACJW performance featuring works by Beethoven, Janácek, and the world premiere of David Bruce's Steampunk.


Rehearsing with David Bruce for the Steampunk performance.

All of these aspects of our residency allowed us to become a big part of the Skidmore community. The nature of our unconventional, informal performances—"informances"—brought classical music into the contexts and spaces of everyday life. A favorite moment of mine, for instance, was when our woodwind quintet performed Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles in the common area of a campus dorm. Our audience was an unusually attentive and enthusiastic crowd of fifty underclassmen in their pajamas. Dressed as we were in jeans and winter boots, and sitting between vending machines and a row of mismatched couches, the atmosphere was relaxed and casual. It was conversational, even, as we paused between movements to share some insight about the music, introduce ourselves, and talk about what we do as young artists. We constantly hear about the need to break down that invisible, but often insurmountable, barrier between the concert stage and the audience. This performance, crammed as we all were into the same small common room, with the front row of the audience lounging on the floor not five feet from the ensemble, accomplished exactly that—and not just in terms of physical space. Presenting the music in this format was sheer fun. It gave us the freedom to bring our individual personalities into our speaking and playing, and I think the audience enjoyed seeing how those pieces came together during the performance.

In this experience, I felt that the channels of interaction between the musicians, the audience, and the notes written by the composer were wide open. This was classical music presented under a microscope, in a way, and the human element of the whole endeavor was so much more evident than it is in a concert hall. In the end, the piece came off brilliantly. While packing up afterwards, I even heard one student singing the tune from the first movement as she headed back to her room. Removed from the trappings of a formal concert presentation, the door was open for new listeners to hear classical music in a fresh way.

This sort of experience, which occurred many times on a daily basis, really made me feel that Ensemble ACJW was a part of something very meaningful happening at Skidmore. We had so many outlets for sharing our love of music, and the community as a whole was extremely welcoming and supportive. The whole week was also an incredible bonding experience for us as a group. There's a real feeling of camaraderie and friendship among this class of Academy fellows, which only became stronger after spending nearly every moment of the residency together. There really is something special about playing music with good friends, and in our final concert at Skidmore, many of us were struck by how exciting it was to perform together. We're getting to a point now where communication while playing is becoming effortless, and people feel free to take risks, try new things, and just have fun in bringing the music to life.

For my part, I had another realization during the performance: After all we had done that week, Skidmore felt like home. Sitting on stage, I had an overwhelming sense of comfort and belonging. In just five days, we had really become a part of the community. That was an incredible feeling, and a testament to how enriching this residency was. Now back in New York, I look forward to continuing my work in The Academy with a renewed enthusiasm for sharing great music on a personal, earnest, human level.
—Leelanee Sterrett
Related:
The Academy—a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education
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Ensemble ACJW is an inspirational collective of outstanding young professional musicians that has earned accolades from critics and audiences alike for the quality of its performances, as well as its fresh and open-minded approach to programming.

The ensemble performs all over the world, but you can hear them throughout the 2011--2012 season in the intimate Weill Recital Hall.

More information about Ensemble ACJW's 2012--2012 subscription series is available here.


The Academy: An Introduction

Related:
Ensemble ACJW's 2012--2012 subscription series in Carnegie Hall's 2011--2012 Digital Subscription Brochure
Chamber Sessions I Subscription Series
Chamber Sessions III Subscription Series
Carnegie Hall 2011--2012 Digital Subscription Brochure
Carnegie Hall 2011--2012 Season
The Academy--a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education

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The incredible talent and sheer musical diversity of Ensemble ACJW--the performing arm of The Academy--will be on display in an array of guises and venues throughout the next month. Comprising fellows and alumni of The Academy, the ensemble performs three very different Carnegie Hall-presented concerts, as well as performances in The Julliard School and Skidmore College.

On January 16, Academy alumni perform a Carnegie Hall Family Concert in Zankel Hall, with pre-concert activities beginning at 12 PM, one hour before the beginning of the concert.

Two days later, on January 18, the ensemble performs a program of Wuorinen, Ligeti, Harrison, and Piazzolla in Paul Hall at The Juilliard School.

Ensemble ACJW performs the same program during a Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert at Music at Our Saviour Atonement, Washington Heights on January 23.

The musicians then head north to Skidmore College for a concert in the Arthur Zankel Music Center at Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall on February 4. This performance includes the world premiere of David Bruce's Steampunk. A commissioned work by Carnegie Hall, Steampunk evokes an alternative universe of a technologically-advanced dystopian cityscape, where electricity never existed and everything is steam-powered. This five-movement piece features Bruce's trademark colorist textures and tightly controlled structure.

The whirlwind month concludes three nights later on February 7 when Ensemble ACJW returns to "home base" for a concert in the intimate Weill Recital Hall, during which Steampunk receives its New York premiere.

So, with your kids, in your neighborhood, or in your college, and whether you enjoy Beethoven, Ligeti, Piazzola, or want to witness a premiere performance, the next few weeks are a great time to hear "the brightest, most promising postgraduate musicians the city has to offer" (The New York Times).

Related:
January 16, 2011 Ensemble ACJW Carnegie Hall Family Concert, Zankel Hall
January 18, 2011 Ensemble ACJW at The Juilliard School
January 23, 2011 Ensemble ACJW Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert, Music at Our Saviour Atonement, Manhattan
February 4, 2011 Ensemble ACJW at Skidmore College
February 7, 2011 Ensemble ACJW Weill Recital Hall
The Academy--a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education

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Ensemble ACJW performs David Bruce's Gumboots at Skidmore College's Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, on February 5, 2010.

Related:
David Bruce's Gumboots in New Music at Carnegie Hall
December 19 Ensemble ACJW; Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor; Christian Tetzlaff, Violin; Barbara Hannigan, Soprano

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Ligeti’s madcap, end-of-the-world opera Le Grand Macabre is one of the 20th century's most compelling works of musical theater. Its grotesque, fantastical flavor is distilled in a short spinoff, Mysteries of the Macabre, which combines the coloratura soprano's three arias in a bracing display of daredevil vocal feats.

Mysteries of the Macabre piece will be performed in Zankel Hall on December 19 by Ensemble ACJW and Barbara Hannigan, soprano, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.


An excerpt from Ligeti's Mysteries of the Macabre performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker; Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor; Barbara Hannigan, Soprano.

Related: December 19 Ensemble ACJW; Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor; Christian Tetzlaff, Violin; Barbara Hannigan, Soprano

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Leelanee SterrettOn December 19, Ensemble ACJW will join forces with Sir Simon Rattle, violinist Christian Tetzlaff, and soprano Barbara Hannigan to perform a program of works by Rameau, Ligeti, and Richard Strauss. Two members of the ensemble--Brian Ellingsen and Leelanee Sterrett--share their thoughts on working with these luminaries of the classical music world. Today, Leelanee Sterrett writes about the complexity of Liegti's Violin Concerto and the importance of working with the highest caliber artists.

In less than two weeks, Ensemble ACJW will be performing the works of Rameau, Strauss, and Ligeti in Zankel Hall, led by Sir Simon Rattle and featuring soloists Christian Tetzlaff and Barbara Hannigan. This is a concert and collaboration I've been looking forward to with giddy anticipation all season. Add to that, since receiving my French horn part to Ligeti's Violin Concerto two months ago, a fair bit of trepidation as well. The piece is kaleidoscopic, wild, and haunting.

Ligeti's sonic palate is vast; for me, the experience of hearing this piece is visceral and emotionally involved. It's also really, really challenging to play. Maybe the most challenging piece I have ever prepared in an orchestra. For starters, the horn players are instructed to play without the modern convenience of our valves throughout the first three movements. Ligeti writes, "Play always as a Waldhorn, keep the right hand away from the bell, do not correct the natural tones." Essentially, this entails playing extended passages using a single combination of depressed valves. The sound and technique emulate the natural horn ("Waldhorn") of the past by using only those pitches belonging to the natural overtone series. However, things are complicated by the fact that not all of these natural tones align with our more evenly tempered sense of pitch, so many of the notes sound quite out of tune. In fact, Ligeti even asks that several string players "de-tune" their instruments to match the natural harmonics as played by the bass. It's a bear to work out these passages, but the resulting effect is satisfyingly nostalgic and eerily ethereal.

Considering several other requirements in the score, I guess I should be happy that at least I'm playing on my own, familiar instrument: the woodwinds, in addition to doubling on standard auxiliary instruments (piccolo, E-flat clarinet, etc.), are tripling on various ocarinas and recorders. Mechanical complexities aside, there still remain the various challenges of rhythm, structure, and ensemble in the piece.

In all of this, Ensemble ACJW could not find more capable leadership than Maestro Rattle and Mr. Tetzlaff. I cannot wait to hear how this performance will come to life under their leadership. These two artists are so much a part of the here-and-now of classical music, and their expertise and versatility as performers informs our highest standards in music making today. It is tremendously exciting, not to mention a little nerve-wracking, of course, to work with such icons in the field. But more than that, this collaboration is a terrific reminder that we emerging professionals belong to a living, evolving tradition of music making and sharing.

While I've focused primarily on the Ligeti Violin Concerto here, the full program for December 19 is fantastically varied. It will be fascinating to see how Maestro Rattle approaches Rameau's suite from Les Boréades in comparison to Ligeti's Mysteries of the Macabre. Mr. Tetzlaff, after performing the Ligeti concerto, will lead a string ensemble as concertmaster in Strausss' Metamorphosen. To be a part of this concert reinforces my belief that live performance is a vibrant and relevant experience for everyone involved. I think Ensemble ACJW's performance will have as much to do with the relationship between musicians, composers, and listeners, as it will with individual virtuosity or compositional complexity. At least, that's how I see it! In any case, December 19's concert is going to be something special, and I hope you'll come share the experience.

--Leelanee Sterrett

Related:
December 19, 2010 Ensemble ACJW; Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor; Christian Tetzlaff, Violin; Barbara Hannigan, Soprano
The Academy--a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education

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Too Hot to Handel Introduction

The new fellows of The Academy--a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education--have arrived!

Through a rigorous application and audition process, The Academy selected 20 of the world's finest young professional musicians to be part of the program for the next two years. The fellows were selected based on their extraordinary level of musicianship, deep commitment to education and community engagement, and leadership qualities.

Their first public performance of a busy 2010--2011 season takes place today, when they perform the national anthem before the New York Mets double-header against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field.

Related: The Academy
Ensemble ACJW concerts 2010--2011

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