Frisson Ensemble to perform at the Square
In a series of YouTube videos, you can witness as Frisson Ensemble tackles Prokofiev, Martinu, Haydn. Every note is perfect, as each swift movement of the bow glides against the strings of the viola, an assemblage of artists follow the rhythmic sweeps led by its ballad. A harmonious sound drifts from the ensemble's instruments into the ears of the audience. Each note played serves as an exalting fete that evokes a spectrum of glorious emotions ranging from joy and excitement, to peace.
Next Tuesday, Frisson Ensemble will take the stage at Hutchins Street Square. There, led by artistic director and oboist Thomas Gallant, they will treat Lodi’s music lovers to a classical concert that promises to both entertain and enlighten.
“The ensemble features a playlist that encompasses classical pieces, Celtic music, and American composer George Gershwin,” Gallant said.
The ensemble is led by Gallant, who opens each show with “Gabriel's Oboe,” a piece composed by Ennio Morricone. The famous piece was composed for the film “The Mission,” which won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for best original score.
“We like to select a music playlist based on the city we visit. We focus on the audience we will be playing in front of, and we let that and the theatre's size indicate the playlist,” Gallant said.
The ensemble features musicians from Julliard, Yale, and Curtis, and the group is composed of musicians that play wind and string instruments.
“Every person that is part of the ensemble auditioned, but each of them was recommended,” Gallant said.
The ensemble has toured throughout the Northwest and California and is planning a tour in Germany in 2020. The ensemble has played in concert halls and auditoriums. The venue variation allows the group to introduce new pieces to their program.
The acoustics of their venues help set the ambiance for their performance. The milieu, accompanied by the composed sounds, is meant to invigorate the sense of melodic bliss that members of the audience feel as they listen, Gallant said.
“We want people to enjoy the show and feel that music.”
The term frisson is French for a thrill or a sudden strong feeling of excitement, which Gallant says they hope to evoke as they play. The musicians in the ensemble are always constantly testing the sound of their instruments to the generations of listeners.
Gallant, who is an award-winning oboist, received First Prize Winner of the Concert Artists Guild International New York Competition, just one of a select few musicians ever to win this competition as an oboe soloist.
His associate director, Caeli Smith, is a fellow at Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, a two-year program for the finest young professional classical musicians at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center.
Both Gallant and Smith’s passion for music encouraged the creation of the ensemble. Their desire to preserve the classic sounds of Mozart and Beethoven led to the formation of the group and the production of Frisson pulled Gallant back into the music scene after he had taken a sabbatical.
“I wanted to do something different with a different age group because I am a bit older, I wanted to help the next group of artists that come from Julliard and Yale, and give them an opportunity to tour,” Gallant said.
Gallant and the Frisson Ensemble will be touring the West Coast and are excited to bring their group to Lodi for the first time.
The group was contacted by the Lodi Community Concert Association, which formed in 1946 with the mission of bringing top musicians and performers to Lodi. The volunteer-run nonprofit hosts several concerts each year, ranging in genre from classical to country, Latin and pop. To learn more about the Lodi Community Concert Association and its upcoming concerts, visit