String Theory At The Hunter To Welcome Chamber Music Society

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, featuring guest artists Christopher Froh, Andy Harnsberger, Gilbert Kalish, Ayano Kataoka, Ian David Rosenbaum, and Randall Scarlata, will perform at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, concluding String Theory’s 2016-17 season. The concert will take place on Tuesday, April 18, at 6:30 p.m. 

Founded in 2009 by pianist and Artistic Director Gloria Chien, String Theory brings acclaimed chamber musicians from around the world to perform in the intimate setting of the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga. Dr. Chien is a Steinway artist and an artist-in-residence at Lee University. She has also been a member of the CMS of Lincoln Center since 2012 and frequently plays at numerous venues around the country with the music society. 

The performance will include Westlake’s Omphalo Centric Lecture for Percussion, Ives’ Selected Songs for Voice and Piano, and Crumb’s American Songbook II: A Journey Beyond Time. 

Prior to the concert, “Musical Dialogues” will take place at 6 p.m. from the concert stage. Dr. Chien will lead an in-depth conversation with the musicians of the CMS of Lincoln Center on their lives, inspirations, and the masterpieces being performed. 

Mr. Froh, critically acclaimed solo percussionist, is known for his energized performances. He is hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “tremendous” and the San Francisco Classical Voice as “mesmerizing.” A frequent collaborator with leading composers from across the globe, Froh has premiered works by dozens of composers, including John Adams, Chaya Czernowin, Liza Lim, David Lang, Keiko Abe, and Francois Paris. He is a member of the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and the Empyrean Ensemble at UC Davis. 

A versatile performer and educator, Dr. Harnsberger is praised by Percussive Notes Journal as “a master of musical nuance.” He has performed in a variety of settings across North America, Australia, Europe, and Japan, and presents numerous solo recitals and clinics throughout the United States each year. Dr. Harnsberger also presents clinics and masterclasses at as many as 40 universities per year. His compositions have been performed at PASIC and around the world, and he is a recipient of the ASCAP PLUS award for his contributions to American Concert Music. He currently serves as an assistant professor of music and percussion coordinator at Lee University. 

Mr. Kalish, making his Chattanooga debut, has developed a profound influence as an educator and pianist in a myriad of performances and recordings, establishing him as a major figure in American music making. In 2006, he was awarded the Peabody Medal for his outstanding contributions to music in America. Mr. Kalish has appeared at the Banff Centre, the Steans Institute at Ravinia, the Marlboro Music Festival, and Music@Menlo. He is a professor at SUNY Stony Brook and has been an artist of the CMS of Lincoln Center since 2006. 

Percussionist and marimbist Kataoka is known for her brilliant and dynamic technique and regularly presents music of diverse genres and mediums. As a member of the Sylvia Smith Percussion Duo, she has given numerous performances and masterclasses throughout the U.S. and Canada at educational establishments such as the Eastman School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, New York University, Stony Brook University, and the University of British Columbia, among others. Ms. Kataoka also appeared as an onstage musician in the Yale Repertory Theater production of Shakespeare’s “All’s Well That Ends Well.” 

Praised for his “excellent” and “precisely attuned” performances by The New York Times, percussionist Rosenbaum has developed a musical breadth far beyond his years. He made his Kennedy Center debut in 2009 and later that year garnered a special prize created for him at the Salzburg International Marimba Competition. Mr. Rosenbaum has appeared at the Bay Chamber, Bridgehampton, Chamber Music Northwest, Music@Menlo, Norfolk, and Yellow Barn festivals. He is a member of Sandbox Percussion, HOWL, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Novus NY, Time Travelers, and Le Train Bleu. 

Mr. Scarlata has been praised by The New York Times as “an intelligent and communicative singer” with a “compelling desire to bring texts to life.” He has been a soloist with the Philadelphia and Minnesota Orchestras, and the San Francisco, American, and New World Symphonies, among others. Mr. Scarlata’s awards include First Prize at the 1999 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the 1997 Das Schubert Lied International Competition in Vienna, and the 1997 Joy in Singing Competition in New York, among others. Scarlata serves on the faculty of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at West Chester University and also of SUNY Stony Brook. 

Tickets for the April 18 concert are $30 for Hunter members, $40 for non-members, $10 for students with a valid student ID, and $25 for groups of 20 or more people. 

For more information on String Theory at the Hunter or to purchase tickets for the event, call 414-2525 or visit www.stringtheorymusic.org.