This article was originally published in the summer 2012 Harker Quarterly.
The Harker Concert Series season came to a close on March 17 with a distinguished string quartet, who ran a master class with orchestra students and then performed to a full house in Nichols Hall auditorium.
The Afiara String Quartet is a Canadian group with impressive résumés: the foursome have degrees from Juilliard, Peabody, New England Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory and Mannes College among them. Together the result is a tightly knit, focused yet relaxed ensemble that interprets music as though it were coming from just one bow.
In the hands of this quartet, Beethoven’s “String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95” was aggressive, passionate and full of extremes, just as one wants Beethoven to be. Violist David Samuel and cellist Adrian Fung had a chance to show off the rich sonorities they coaxed from their instruments, and the group bobbed and swayed in perfect physical harmony as they dug into the dramatic piece, executing flawless transitions between tempi and movements.
Next was a commissioned work by Samuel’s Juilliard buddy Brett Abigaña, a rising star in the classical world, and the piece seemed perfectly designed to highlight each player’s musicianship and virtuosity. The first movement was hauntingly beautiful, with a stunning dissonant ostinato provided by the two violinists, Valerie Li and Yuri Cho. The piece ended in a flurry of scalar passages, performed absolutely in sync and with clarity and precision that were truly spectacular. This piece was a wonderful mixture of modern atonality and lush melodies, and it was a treat to have such a positive glimpse of classical music’s future.
The Bohemian composer Dvorák is known for infusing his work with nationalistic folk songs, and it didn’t take much imagination to hear such themes in his string quartet, next on the program. The third distinct genre of the evening, this piece received the same flawless interpretation as the others, showing Afiara’s comfort with various styles.
It is truly a learning experience for students and the community alike to witness such a seamless meeting of the minds amongst members of a small ensemble like the Afiara String Quartet.
This story was originally published in the Spring 2012 issue of Harker Quarterly
The Gerald Clayton Trio played to one of the largest Harker Concert Series audiences to date on Jan. 20, a fine night for an indoor show, given the rainy weather. Middle school music teacher Dave Hart introduced Clayton, 27, a three-time Grammy award nominee who has worked with greats such as Roy Hargrove, Lewis Nash and Clark Terry.
Joining him on drums was Justin Brown, a graduate of the Dave Brubeck Institute and Juilliard, attending both on full scholarships. On bass was Matt Brewer, a professional performer since the age of 12 and a highly in- demand sideman, according to Clayton.
Appearing the very portrait of concentration, Clayton put hand to keys, performing a dissonant improvisation before segueing nicely into a slow and soft rendition of the standard “It Could Happen to You.” Brown used his brushes to great effect, adding an ethereal touch to his steady, nuanced technique. Both he and Brewer contributed the first of many tasteful solos that evening, while Clayton’s increasingly dexterous playing brought the song to an exciting finish.
Clayton followed up with “Major Hope,” an original composition that began with rapid staccato chords in shifting times, gradually swelling into an upbeat display of musicianship, featuring Clayton’s fluid improvisational skills and Brown’s exacting touch.
“It was beyond my expectations,” Bill Fraser, a longtime jazz listener, said of the show. “Particularly the couple of ballads they played …. It’s just rare when a jazz trio settles down in that mood and gets it.”
Roger Kim ’07, who studied music at the University of California, Berkeley, was also impressed with the show. “I see a lot of jazz, and this definitely was a unique experience,” he said, mentioning that the Clayton concert was among the best he’d seen.
This story was originally published in the Spring 2012 issue of Harker Quarterly
The Harker Concert Series is in its second year, yet has already established itself as a must-see event for lovers of classical and jazz repertoire. Pianist Adam Golka sold out Nichols Hall auditorium on Feb. 4 as the third installment of this year’s series, following Opera San Jose and the Gerald Clayton Trio.
Texan Golka is only 24 years old and has had a grueling concertizing schedule for some time. Winner of several major international piano competitions, including the Shanghai International Piano Competition in 2003 and the Gilmore Young Artist Award in 2008, Golka added Harker to his list of impressive collaborations, which include Carnegie Hall with the New York Youth Symphony and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
The second star of the show was the piano, a seven-foot-eight-inch Bechstein, generously leant for the evening by Piedmont Piano Company. Golka’s program showed off not only his own technical mastery, but the warmth of this wonderful instrument.
Fittingly for the Bechstein’s rich and dramatic sonority, Golka played a program of Romantic music, with a Beethoven sonata, three intermezzi by Brahms and Liszt’s famous “Mephisto Waltz” in the first half of the concert. After intermission, Golka was a tour de force, playing what is generally considered by pianists to be Beethoven’s most difficult piece, the “Hammerklavier” sonata. Each movement of this 45-minute piece showcased a different strength of both Golka and the Bechstein, with furious staccato passages, flowing, almost post-Romantic interludes and Bach-inspired fugal passages.
Golka met with audience members in the atrium after the performance.
The Harker Concert Series season came to a close on March 17 with a distinguished string quartet, who ran a master class with orchestra students and then performed to a full house in Nichols Hall auditorium.
The Afiara String Quartet is a Canadian group with impressive résumés: the foursome have degrees from Juilliard, Peabody, New England Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory and Mannes College among them, and are clearly each highly accomplished musicians. Put them together, and the result is a tightly knit, focused yet relaxed ensemble that interprets music as though it were coming from just one bow.
Beethoven’s “String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95” was the first piece, a work historians place as the last of his “middle” period before he embarked upon the last works he would write, the Late Quartets. In the hands of the Afiara Quartet, this piece was aggressive, passionate and full of extremes, just as one wants Beethoven to be. Violist David Samuel and cellist Adrian Fung had a chance to show off the rich sonorities they coaxed from their instruments in some melodic interplay, and the group bobbed and swayed in perfect physical harmony as they dug into the dramatic piece, executing flawless transitions between tempi and movements.
The quartet’s second piece was a commissioned work by Samuel’s Juilliard buddy Brett Abigaña, a 32-year-old rising star in the classical world. This “String Quartet No. 2” was written in 2010, and seemed perfectly designed to highlight each member of the quartet’s musicianship and virtuosity. The piece appeared built around ostinato figures – accompaniment lines that repeated over and over while others built melodies around them. The first movement, “Psalm,” was hauntingly beautiful, with the dissonant ostinato provided by the two violinists, Valerie Li and Yuri Cho. Two of the movements ended with just a single player fading away into nothingness, leaving the audience spellbound and silent, waiting for the next movements to begin. The piece ended in a flurry of scalar passages, performed absolutely in sync and with clarity and precision that were truly spectacular. This piece was a wonderful mixture of modern atonality and lush melodies, and it was a treat to have such a positive glimpse of classical music’s future.
After an intermission, which included green food in honor of St. Patrick’s Day provided by Harker’s catering team, the group performed a string quartet of Dvořák’s. The Bohemian composer is known for infusing his work with nationalistic folk songs, and it didn’t take much imagination to hear such themes here. Interestingly, it was the first quartet Dvořák composed after returning from a trip to the United States; one wonders how much American influence found its way into this lovely piece. The third distinct genre of the evening, this piece received the same flawless interpretation as the others, showing Afiara’s comfort with various styles.
It is truly a learning experience for students and the community alike to witness such a seamless meeting of the minds amongst members of a small ensemble like the Afiara String Quartet. Kudos to Harker music teachers Chris Florio and Dave Hart, co-directors of the Harker Concert Series, for bringing a professional quartet of such remarkable skill to play in our own house.
The Harker Concert Series is in its second year, yet has already established itself as a must-see event for lovers of classical and jazz repertoire. Pianist Adam Golka sold out Nichols Hall’s auditorium on Feb. 4 as the third installment of this year’s series, following Opera San Jose and the Gerald Clayton Trio. The 2011-12 season will conclude in March with the Afiara String Quartet.
Texan Golka is only 24 years old and has had a grueling concertizing schedule for some time. Winner of several major international piano competitions, including the Shanghai International Piano Competition in 2003 and the Gilmore Young Artist Award in 2008, Golka added Harker to his list of impressive collaborations, which include Carnegie Hall with the New York Youth Symphony and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. According to his online biography, Golka currently studies with Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore.
The second star of the show was the piano, a seven-foot-eight-inch Bechstein, generously leant for the evening by Piedmont Piano Company. Golka’s program showed off not only his own technical mastery, but the warmth of this wonderful instrument.
Fittingly for the Bechstein’s rich and dramatic sonority, Golka played a program of Romantic music, with a Beethoven sonata, three intermezzi by Brahms and Liszt’s famous “Mephisto Waltz” in the first half of the concert. After intermission, Golka was a tour de force, playing what is generally considered by pianists to be Beethoven’s most difficult piece, the “Hammerklavier” sonata. Each movement of this 45-minute piece showcased a different strength of both Golka and the Bechstein, with furious staccato passages, flowing, almost post-Romantic interludes and Bach-inspired fugal passages.
Golka met with audience members in the atrium after the performance.
The Gerald Clayton Trio played to the largest Harker Concert Series audience yet on Jan. 20, a fine night for an indoor show, given the rainy weather. Middle school music teacher Dave Hart introduced Clayton, 27, a three-time Grammy award nominee who has worked with greats such Roy Hargrove, Lewis Nash and Clark Terry. Joining him on drums was Justin Brown, a graduate of the Dave Brubeck Institute and Juilliard, attending both on full scholarships. On bass was Matt Brewer, a professional performer since the age of 12 and a highly in-demand sideman, according to Clayton.
Appearing the very portrait of concentration, Clayton put hand to keys, performing a dissonant improvisation before segueing nicely into a slow and soft rendition of the standard “It Could Happen to You.” Brown used his brushes to great effect, adding an ethereal touch to his steady, nuanced technique. Both he and Brewer contributed the first of many tasteful solos that evening, while Clayton’s increasingly dexterous playing brought the song to an exciting finish.
Clayton followed up with “Major Hope,” an original composition that began with rapid staccato chords in shifting times, gradually swelling into an upbeat display of musicianship, featuring Clayton’s fluid improvisational skills and Brown’s exacting touch.
Clearly fond of standards, Clayton tossed the much-loved ballad “Blame it on My Youth” into his set, adding his own unique flourishes and syncopations. At one point, Clayton intimated to the audience that the band didn’t know what to play next. “Maybe that’s the genius of youth,” he remarked. “No plans.”
The trio’s version of “Body and Soul” was much appreciated by Bill and Cathy Fraser, both of them first-time attendees of the Harker Concert Series.
“It was beyond my expectations,” Bill Fraser, a longtime jazz listener, said of the show. “Particularly the couple of ballads they played …. It’s just rare when a jazz trio settles down in that mood and gets it.”
Roger Kim ’07, who studied music at the University of California, Berkeley, was also impressed with the show. “I see a lot of jazz, and this definitely was a unique experience,” he said, mentioning that the Clayton concert was among the best he’d seen.
Winston Wey ’07, who played with Harker’s jazz band during his high school years, said he had recently rekindled his interest in music and that Clayton’s performance was an inspiration to him. “I’m really impressed with the caliber of performers they get here,” he said.
The second season of the Harker Concert Series was kicked off Dec. 2 with a stirring selection of pieces by Opera San Jose. Upper school music teacher Chris Florio customarily began the proceedings by welcoming everyone to the inaugural show of the second season.
After the announcement of some changes to the concert schedule (and the introduction of the night’s accompanist, Veronika Agranov-Dafoe on piano, who provided great backing to the singers throughout the concert) by Opera San Jose’s artistic director Matthew Siek, the show began with mezzo-soprano Betany Coffland, soprano Jasmina Halimic and tenor Alexander Boyer performing a section from Mozart’s “Idomeneo,” a retelling of the saga of Idomeneus, who led the armies of Crete in the Trojan War. The singers’ wonderful dramatic interpretation, in addition to their stellar interplay and vocal abilities, were more than enough to keep both opera newcomers and aficionados entertained.
OSJ’s first set was fairly diverse, due in some part to an unexpected absence by bass-baritone Isaiah Musik-Ayala, who was slated to sing “Suoni la tromba” with baritone Evan Brummel. In his place, Michael Dailey injected a little Broadway into the set, singing George Gerswhin’s “There’s a Boat Leaving to New York,” with all the stylistic flair expected from one of musical theater’s most beloved composers.
Boyer, bass Silas Elash and soprano Jouvanca Jean-Baptiste brought the first set to a fittingly grand close with “Alerte, Alerte” from Charles Gounod’s “Faust,” in which the three singers each gave a virtuoso performance.
During the intermission, attendees mingled in the Nichols Hall atrium, enjoying the many refreshments and snacks available, including a popular chocolate fountain.
“I think it’s very welcoming,” said Anne Stauffer, a first-time attendee of the Harker Concert Series of the atmosphere of the event. She added that it offered “the ability to start talking with people and engaging in conversation.”
“I think this is a wonderful thing for Harker to do,” said Debra Edginton. “I think it’s a way for Harker to blend with the community, which I think is very important. And it’s also a boost and a boon for the arts.”
Dailey and Brummel opened the second set with Gaetano Donizetti’s “Venti scudi,” from Donizetti’s opera “L’Elisir d’Amore.” Dailey, who earlier had sung Broadway, had no trouble switching gears to opera, convincingly portraying the love-stricken peasant Nemorino, as Brummel faithfully recreated the pompous swagger of Sergeant Belcore.
Coffland later returned to the stage to give one of the evening’s most impressive solo performances, singing the aria “Una voce poco fa” (“A voice a little while ago”) from Gioachino Rossini’s “Il barbiere si Siviglia,” better known as “The Barber of Seville.” Handling the song’s many challenging passages with confidence and grace, Coffland enjoyed an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd.
For the finale, all of the evening’s singers gathered onstage to sing “Libiamo ne’lieti calici,” from Giuseppe Verdi’s famous “La Traviata.” Their infectious delight in performing one of opera’s most widely known pieces drew a lengthy, well-deserved standing ovation from the audience.
The Harker Concert Series is proud to present jazz pianist Gerald Clayton, recently nominated for his third Grammy award, who will perform with his Gerald Clayton Trio on Fri., Jan. 20, 2012 at 8 p.m. at the Harker upper school campus’ Nichols Hall auditorium. Born in the Netherlands and raised in Los Angeles, Clayton, 27, has become one of the most recognizable young talents in modern jazz, performing with masters such as Lewis Nash, Al Foster and Clark Terry.
Clayton, who has played to acclaim in the U.S. and Europe, has also received rave reviews from The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and DownBeat magazine, and in 2008 was recognized by the readers of DownBeat as one of the top emerging talents in jazz piano. His compositions have been performed by New York City’s Jazz Gallery and the BBC Orchestra.
He netted his first Grammy nominations in 2010 with a composition titled “Battle Circle.” The album on which it appeared, The Clayton Brothers’ release “The New Song and Dance,” which featured his father, John Clayton, on bass, was nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, making the young Gerald a two-time nominee. His latest album, “Bond: The Paris Sessions,” was recently nominated for a Grammy award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. Recorded in Paris, “Bond” finds Clayton and his band exhibiting what he calls “a new level of chemistry.”
Tickets for this event are available for $20 and can be purchased through the Harker Concert Series website. A pre-event reception will start at 7 p.m., and hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be available. For more information, please contact communications@harker.org.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2011 Harker Quarterly.
The second installment of the Harker Concert Series brought the Taylor Eigsti Trio to the stage of the Nichols Hall auditorium on March 25.
Eigsti, the 26-year-old jazz piano phenom and Grammy nominee who started leading bands as early as age 12, was joined on this evening by bassist Reuben Rogers, a collaborator with Wynton Marsalis and Roy Hargrove, among others, and drummer Colin McDaniel, 19, a fellow at the Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific.
The trio began the first of their two sets with an instrumental interpretation of Sachal Vasandani’s “Please Mr. Ogilvy” and performed a diverse mix of covers and Eigsti’s own works as the show progressed. Eigsti’s dexterity was apparent from the outset, but his technical ability was very nearly overshadowed by his expressive syncopation and note choice. Rarely was this illustrated better than in the trio’s rendition of Mussorgsky’s “Promenade” from “Pictures at an Exhibition,” quite possibly the highlight of the first set. At first blush an odd choice of song for a jazz concert, the beloved piece sounded right at home in the trio’s capable hands, as did their cover of Coldplay’s “Daylight.”
What impressed about Eigsti more than anything, however, was the deft sense of placement. Be it a blistering chromatic run, a rapid succession of octaves or even a flurry of closed fists banging against the keyboard, every technique in Eigsti’s vast arsenal was wisely chosen and never overused.
As a special treat, Harker’s own Dave Hart, the middle school music teacher and trumpeter who formed a childhood band with Eigsti, was welcomed onstage to perform Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way” with the band during the second set. Although visibly humbled by the gesture, Hart effused confidence during his extended, skillful improvisations.
Through it all, Eigsti made sure that the talents of his bandmates were as much a part of the show as the marquee name. Rogers’ many solos showcased his astonishing grasp of both theory and feel, and the interplay between him and Eigsti was always a joy to watch. Likewise, the young McDaniel seems destined for great things, his work behind the kit tasteful, layered and, yes, mature.
The first installment of the Harker Concert Series of 2011, held in early March, featured the MarcOlivio Duo, composed of violinists Marc Ramirez and Olivia Hajioff, playing a blend of crushing, heartbreaking and even carnivalesque Eastern European folks songs, art music, and a parody of Mozart’s work.
The MarcOlivia Duo has performed around the world, appearing on radio and television in North America, Europe and Asia, winning Fulbright fellowships, and enjoying a residency at the Tokyo College of Music. On March 9, however, they came to Nichols Auditorium and the audience, feted with sushi and wine, was treated to tunes adapted for two violins.
The concert began with a number of compositions by Béla Bartók, a 20th-century Hungarian composer who traveled through Eastern Europe, listening to and transcribing the folk songs of village communities before they disappeared and melted into a homogeneous global culture. Most of these numbers were short and sudden – thirty seconds of powerful, tragic, arresting, halting, despairing, jagged strikes, followed by ten second fearsomely frenetic and jubilant conclusions. Some were songs of Romanian bagpipes transliterated for violins; others mixed bittersweet reaching and trudging marches with maddeningly twisting, spiraling slashes.
After the most powerful numbers, the audience was paralyzed in frozen silence for several seconds before applauding, digesting the works. The concert finished, however, on somewhat of a lighter note: a blend of a parody and an ode to Mozart’s music, as the two performers wove through a number of his pieces, even using voice and whistling to mimic other instruments.
The Harker Concert Series continues with the Taylor Eigsti Trio March 25 and Areon Flutes, a Bay Area-based flute quartet, at Nichols Auditorium on May 27.