Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Curtis Institute musicians set to perform at Uptown!
WEST CHESTER » Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center is pleased to announce the Curtis on Tour Series in collaboration with the Curtis Institute of Music. Three spring concerts are scheduled featuring talented classical music artists who will appear on the Uptown! stage by special arrangement with Curtis on Tour, the Nina von Maltzahn Global Touring Initiative of the Curtis Institute of Music.
The Curtis Institute of Music pairs tradition and innovation, educating exceptionally gifted young musicians as artist-citizens who engage a local and global community through music-making of the highest caliber. Building upon the performance-focused learning philosophy of Curtis, the Curtis on Tour program offers students real-world, professional touring experience alongside celebrated alumni and faculty. In addition to performing, students also offer master classes and interactive concerts, and participate in community engagement activities.
Each season leading orchestras, opera houses, and chamber music series around the world feature Curtis alumni. They are in the front rank of soloists, composers, and conductors, and hold principal chairs in every major American orchestra. Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center is honored to be included along with international and national venues such as Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts in California and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
Artists are programming repertoire for each performance, which will be announced as it becomes available along with more complete biographies of these distinguished performers on Uptown!’s website. Dates and artists performing in the Curtis on Tour at Uptown! series are as follows:
Monday, April 2, Violin and Guitar: Wanchi, violin and Jordan Dodson, guitar. Wanchi has received critical acclaim for her recordings and performances of chamber music, solo recitals, and as a soloist with orchestras throughout North America and Asia. She is currently a professor of violin at the James Madison University School of Music. Jordan Dodson is an award winning soloist and chamber musician with degrees from degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music He was one of two students selected to inaugurate the Curtis Institute of Music’s classical guitar studio.
On May 22, Musicians from the Curtis Opera Theatre: Ashley Marie Robillard, soprano, Dennis Chmelensky, baritone and Mikael Eliasen, piano. Ms. Robillard has performed the roles of Musetta (La bohème), Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro), Bianca in Puccini’s La rondine during previous seasons at Curtis, and has also performed in Italy. Mr. Chmelensky is the recipient of many awards and scholarships, with notable roles including Blansac (La scala di seta), Schaunard (La bohème) and Paul in Empty the House, a world premiere opera in 2016. Coach and accompanist Mikael Eliasen joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 1986 and is currently Artistic Director of the Curtis Opera Theatre and the Hirsig Family Chair of Vocal Studies.
Curtis on Tour concerts are priced at $25 each, with the series of all three at 10 percent off. Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center is located at 226 North High Street, West Chester. Purchase tickets at UptownWestChester. org, at the box office or call 610.356.ARTS(2787).