Aspen Music Festival and School Festival Focus - Week 7

FESTIVALFOCUS YOUR WEEKLY CLASSICAL MUSIC GUIDE

SUPPLEMENT TO THE ASPEN TIMES

MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2022

VOL 32, NO. 7

In Debut, Melissa White Plays Vivaldi’s Four Seasons PIPER STARNES

Festival Focus Writer

On Thursday, August 11, American violinist Melissa White makes her Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) debut as soloist-conductor for Bach’s Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Calling this assignment “a tremendous vote of confidence,” AMFS President and CEO Alan Fletcher says, “we think Melissa can carry this off, and she will.” A brilliant violinist with experience in many areas, White is an artist who can do it all. On stage, she has performed with leading ensembles across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. On screen, White’s violin solo was featured in the soundtrack to Jordan Peele’s 2019 psychological thriller Us. Her musical reach even stretches beyond the classical genre through her performances with pop artists Pharrell Williams, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, and Lauryn Hill. Her next arena to conquer will be none other than Aspen’s Harris Concert Hall this Thursday evening. AMFS Vice President for Artistic Administration Patrick Chamberlain says that the venue’s acoustics will be just right for White’s Baroque program of Vivaldi and Bach. “A lot of times, Baroque music is played in halls that are, frankly, just too big for it. The clarity and sparkle that this music takes on when it’s played in an intimate setting like Harris Hall, I think, will be a revelation for people who have maybe not heard it in this context,” he says. White will play and conduct these

2022 SEASON BENEFIT A FEAST OF MUSIC: TAPESTRY OF TRIBUTES

Melissa White performs a Baroque program on Thursday, August 11, in her Aspen Music Festival and School debut. The concert will include Bach’s Violin Concerto in A minor and Vivaldi’s most famous work, the Four Seasons.

beloved works alongside an ensemble composed of AMFS students—an opportunity for all participants to help craft the interpretation of the repertoire. White says, “I’m looking forward to working with these incredible musicians because I know that they will also take leadership. It’ll be a true collaborative experience, so I’ll guide them to get started, and then hopefully, I’ll create a space that allows them to be their most creative selves.”

A leader in her community, White regularly mentors youth with her fellow Harlem String Quartet members and at New York University’s Steinhardt School, where she serves as music artist faculty. White also co-founded Intermission, a program that “unites body, mind, breath, and music making through yoga and meditation.” In her teaching and performance, she’s found that

Honoring generous contributors who have invested significantly in the education of AMFS students from diverse backgrounds, the AMFS welcomes you to an evening of fine dining and excellent wines paired with performances by its talented artists on the Matthew and Carolyn Bucksbaum Campus. Monday, August 15 | 6 PM Limited availability. Get your tickets today! Please call 970 205 5065.

See Melissa White, Festival Focus page 3

John O’Conor Returns to Perform All-Beethoven Recital PIPER STARNES

Festival Focus Writer

On Saturday, August 13, Irish pianist John O’Conor returns to the Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) to perform some of Beethoven’s most memorable piano sonatas: “Pathétique,” “Moonlight,” and “Appassionata.” Classical music fans may know these pieces but it is its own experience to hear O’Conor’s expert interpretation of them. “John is another figure who needs no introduction to Aspen audiences—he’s been here many years,” AMFS Vice President for Artistic Administration Patrick Chamberlain begins. “When you see his program, at first glance, you might say, ‘why do I need to come to hear these three pieces again? They’re ubiquitous. They’re performed so frequently on Aspen stages, on classical radio, and in concert halls around the world.’ I would say, ‘Well, yes, but you haven’t

heard John O’Conor play them. John has a way of bringing such authority. He owns this repertoire.’” O’Conor is known for his authentic sense of the German-Austrian style and a firm grasp of how Beethoven’s music was intended to sound. O’Conor says,“Haydn taught Beethoven, Beethoven taught Czerny, Czerny taught Liszt, Liszt taught Tausig, Tausig taught Barth, Barth taught Kempff, and Kempff taught me. So, there is a direct lineage back to Beethoven and Haydn.” O’Conor has released several Beethoven albums throughout his career, including the complete piano sonatas, piano concertos, bagatelles, and cello sonatas, making him known as “one of the world’s premier Beethoven interpreters.” The “Pathétique,” “Moonlight,” and “Appassionata” sonatas hold a special place in O’Conor’s heart, as they were the pieces featured on his first recording in 1986. “People often ask me

John O’Conor will perform a solo recital featuring some of Beethoven’s most famous sonatas—the “Pathétique,” “Moonlight,” and “Appassionata”—in Harris Concert Hall on Saturday, August 13.

See John O’Conor, Festival Focus page 3

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