Imani Winds and Ensemble Dal Niente
Present Diverse Program of
Ligeti’s Chamber Works
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –9/14/2017
PHOTOS
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PRESS CONTACT
Daniel Meyers
Marketing Coordinator
University of Chicago Presents
773.702.8068
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CHICAGO – On Friday, November 10, 2017 at 7:30 PMat the Logan Center,UChicago Presents’ Ligeti Series continues with Imani Winds and Chicago-based artistsEnsemble Dal Niente, DoyleArmbrust(viola), Winston Choi(piano), and Kuang-Hao Huang(piano). The evening features a diverse program of GyörgyLigeti’ssmaller format music and that of his most renowned student, Unsuk Chin. Before the concert, University of Chicago doctoral candidate in composition David Clay Mettens will deliver a lecture on the evening’s music.
Born in Hungary in 1923, GyörgyLigeti lived through the tumultuous events of the 20th century, including the Hitler/Nazi and Stalin/Soviet regimes. As a composer, Ligeti was caught between – and wanted to escape from – the limitations of tonality and the avantgarde. He found his way through many musical influences to his own original music, which, toward the end of his life, he characterized as “non-atonality.” His music has beenwidely heardin films by Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey)and Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island), among others, and he has been called “the poet of sonorous matter.”This program presents music spanning Ligeti’s compositional career, from the Six Bagatelles composed in 1956 to one of his last works, the Viola Sonata, premiered in 1994, and it exemplifies the ways Ligeti has applied modern compositional techniques to traditional styles and forms and through allusions to canonical composers.
Unsuk Chin moved from Seoul to Hamburg in 1985 to study with Ligeti. Now based in Berlin, Chin has become one of the premier composers of today. Her work has been performed by leading symphony orchestras and soloists across the world. Her Piano Etudes, selections of which are on this program, combine the fractal formal rules inherited from Ligeti with her own modal colors and 20th century allusions.
Imani Winds begins its second and final season as the Don Michael Randel Ensemble in ResidenceatUChicago Presents performing Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles. Since 2016, Imani Winds has brought its diverse, dynamic, and culturally poignant programming and outreach programs to the South Side of Chicago. This season, Imani presents three concerts at the Logan, ranging from contemporary to gospel.
Since 2004, Ensemble Dal Nientehas presented contemporary and 20th century music in ways that redefine the listening experience, drive musical discourse, and advance the art form. On November 10, the ensemble presents Ligeti’s Horn Trio, declared by the composer an“Hommage à Brahms.”
Also on the program: Doyle Armbrust, founding member of the Spektral Quartet and core member to Ensemble Dal Niente, performs Ligeti’s Viola Sonata, a modern call back to Bach’s solo violin works, and pianists Winston Choi and Kuang-Hao Huang present Ligeti’s study on rhythm, Three Pieces for Two Pianos, and selections of Chin’s extraordinarily technical Piano Etudes.
FRIDAY / NOVEMBER 10 / 7:30PM / THE LOGAN CENTER
Pre-concert lecture with David Clay Mettens / 6:30pm
Doyle Armbrust, viola
Winston Choi, piano
Ensemble Dal Niente
Kuang-Hao Huang, piano
Imani Winds
LIGETI: Viola Sonata (1994)
CHIN: Etude I: in C (1999)
LIGETI: Three Pieces for Two Pianos (1976)
INTERMISSION
LIGETI: Horn Trio (1982)
CHIN: Etude II: Sequenzen (1995)
CHIN: Etude III: Scherzo ad libitum (1995)
LIGETI: Six Bagatelles (1956)
CONCERT LOCATION
Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E 60th St, Chicago, IL 60637
TICKETS
$38 / $20 Under 35 / $10 Students
Call773.702.ARTS (773.702.2787) or visit tickets.uchicago.edu
BOX OFFICE
UChicago Arts Box Office, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th Street
Regular hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 12 pm – 6 pm and through concert intermission;
1 – 4 pm on concert Sundays.
Concert information online atchicagopresents.uchicago.edu
ABOUT IMANI WINDS
Extolled by the Washington Post as "exuding a sultry sophistication during performances," Imani Winds has established itself as one of the most successful chamber music ensembles in the United States. Since 1997, the Grammy nominated quintet has taken a unique path, carving out a distinct presence in the classical music world with its dynamic playing, culturally poignant programming, adventurous collaborations, and inspirational outreach programs. The group continues its Legacy Commissioning Project, in which the ensemble is commissioning, premiering, and touring new works for woodwind quintet written by established and emerging composers of diverse musical backgrounds. With two member composers and a deep commitment to commissioning new work, the group is enriching the traditional wind quintet repertoire while meaningfully bridging European, American, African, and Latin American traditions.Imani Winds’ is also committed to education. The group participates in residencies throughout the U.S., giving master classes to thousands of students a year, andin 2010, it launched its annual Chamber Music Festival.
Imani Winds have five releases on E1 Music, including their 2006 Grammy Award nominated recording entitled The Classical Underground. They have also recorded for Naxos and Blue Note, and their most recent release,The Rite of Spring on Warner Classics, was on iTunes Best of 2013 list. Their 7th commercial recording was released in 2016.
A full bio can be found at and is available upon request.
ABOUT ENSEMBLE DAL NIENTE
Noted for its presentation of "bracing sonic adventures" (Chicago Tribune), Ensemble Dal Niente, "a superb contemporary-music collective" (The New York Times), aims to drive musical discourse with adventurous projects that exhibit an ambitious range of aesthetic values tied to contemporary life and culture. The ensemble performs music written for large ensemble, chamber music, and solo works, each with relentless attention to interpretation. Dal Niente works with a range of composers, from emerging and established living artists to the post-World War II avant-garde generation. Recent projects include a collaboration with Deerhoof and Marcos Balter; a tour of Latin American countries; performances and recordings of works by George Lewis; an East Coast tour of German music; the Hard Music, Hard Liquor concert series; and its annual Party. With each project, programs are curated and presented in ways that highlight the music’s relationship with our culture and society.
A full bio can be found at and is available upon request.
ABOUT WINSTON CHOI
Winston Choi is the Head of the Piano Program at Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts. His professional career was launched when he was named the Laureate of the 2003 Honens International Piano Competition and winner of France’s 2002 Concours International de Piano 20e siècle d’Orléans. His solo, collaborative, chamber, and concerto appearances have taken him across 4 continents. Known for his colorful approach to programming and insightful commentary from the stage, Choi has recently appeared in recital at the National Arts Centre of Canada, Carnegie-Weill Recital Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Kravis Center, the Library of Congress, and Merkin Recital Hall.
A full bio can be found at and is available upon request.
ABOUT KUANG-HAO HUANG
Pianist Kuang-Hao Huang has performed throughout the United States as well as in Europe and Asia. Mr. Huang is most often heard as a collaborator, performing concerts and radio broadcasts with Chicago's finest musicians, from instrumentalists of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to singers with the Lyric Opera. He has been a guest of the Chicago Chamber Musicians and has performed with the Avalon, Chicago, Spektral, and Vermeer String Quartets. Mr. Huang can be heard in recordings on the Cedille and Naxos labels.
A full bio can be found atand is available upon request.
ABOUT THE LIGETI SERIES AND UCHICAGO PRESENTS
This season, UChicago Presents offers a series dedicated to exploring the life, works, influences, and legacy of GyörgyLigeti (1923-2006), one of the most significant 20th century composers.
The series begins and ends with artists who had close and deep associations with Ligeti, bookending performances of his works by younger generations of artists and ensembles who continue to perpetuate his legacy. Each concert will be preceded by a lecture one hour prior to the performance.
Now in its 74th year of bringing the world's best artists to Chicago, The University of Chicago Presents offers 25 unique performances in six distinct series in the 2017/18 season, from early music to classical, contemporary, and jazz. This season celebrates the richness that music has to offer with unrivaled musical experiences that bring passion and virtuosity to the stage.
We are grateful to all of our supporters and partners, including:
Presenting Partners:
Promotional and In-Kind
UChicago Partnerships
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