Narloch Piano Studio

Mortar/ Noise Bias
2016-12-13 20:30 - 21:30 UTC | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
In the spirit of direct and concrete action following the November election, Noise Bias and Mortar are collaborating to raise money in support of Planned Parenthood, which will continue to be under intense political scrutiny in the coming months.
“Mortar” merges musicians from widely varying musical backgrounds into an ensemble that fuses seemingly incongruous music traditions. “Mortar” subverts expectations of chamber brass playing by frequently utilizing a very reserved, personal brass sound in conjunction with low strings and electric guitar. The result is a combination of composed and improvised elements that strives to be both deeply intriguing and entirely approachable. Chris Shuttleworth, Trombone and compositions; Ben Phillips , Trumpet and Flugelhorn; Zac Nunnery, Electric Guitar; Aaron Brancato, Cello; Eli Broxham, Acoustic Bass
Noise Bias is a new music ensemble consisting exclusively of female-identified musicians and artists who collaborate to perform works by female-identified composers. The women of Noise Bias share a common goal of creating and sustaining an environment where women are in positions of creative power and musical decision-making.

Eric Hollander Trio
2016-12-01 20:30 - 21:30 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
This performative piece is from the mind of Eric Hollander, combining improvisation and 15th century written music.

The base layer is a drone improvised from a binge-eaters anonymous therapy tape, using the pitches of the chant clausula from Domine. The next layer is a poem written and recorded by Eric using similar thematic material to the therapy tape. Then on top of that bed of sound we will play the mass ordinary, Missa Sine Nomine by Jacob Obrecht.

Performers: Min Park, Myra Hinrichs, violins, Eric Hollander, viola

Christopher Narloch, Chris Sies & Isaac Stevenson at Constellation
2016-11-27 20:30 - 21:30 | Constellation, 3111 N Western Ave., Chicago, IL, United States
Michael Pisaro’s “Concentric Rings in Magnetic Levitation” is an evening-length work for 3 musicians, consisting of several rings (or loops) of sounds that are wound around each other, interacting to create a dense counterpoint of contemplative sound. The work will feature Christopher Narloch playing piano and sine tones, Chris Sies on percussion, and Isaac Stevenson on laptop and electronic objects.
The program will begin with a new sound installation by Isaac Stevenson, pulling from a large collection of field recordings made with Pisaro’s music in mind.
http://www.constellation-chicago.com/event/1326623-chris-narloch-chris-sies-chicago/

New Music Study Group: Darmstadt
2016-11-17 20:30 - 22:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
This month’s meeting will be a group discussion on the Darmstadt festival.

Halloween Recital
2016-10-30 13:00 - 17:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Students of Narloch Piano Studio perform in the annual Halloween Recital in costume!

Ursa Ensemble
2016-10-28 20:00 - 21:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Ursa Ensemble performs:
Milhaud suite for violin, clarinet, piano;
Bruch 8 pieces for viola, clarinet, piano;
Stavinsky’s Soilder’s Tale suite;
Lutoslawski Bucolics for cello and viola.

Carolyn Enger
2016-10-27 08:30 - 22:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Carolyn Enger, pianist
Lyricism Then and Now
Franz Schubert 1797-1828
Impromptu in A-Flat Major, Op. 142, No. 2
Felix Mendelssohn 1809-1847
Three Songs without Words
Op. 19, No. 6 “Venetianisches Gondellied”
Op. 30, No. 6 “Venetianisches Gondellied”
Op. 19, No. 1
Ned Rorem b. 1923
Piano Album l
Song Without Words (1978)
(For Jim, to help him on his birthday. With all my faith and most of my love.)
Carol-Pastiche (1984)
(To the only Jim in the world, this Carol-Pastiche to thank him for giving a point to the past seventeen years.)
Golden Notes on Nearing Fifty (1986)
(For Jim at forty-nine, this mirror-image of Christmas 1986 because any mirror into which he gazes turns to gold.)
Another Little Song Without Words (1987)
(For JH on another birthday. Since no words could even describe the depth of my feeling for you.)
For a Perfect Friend (1991)
(For Jim on Christmas Eve 1991)
Marriage Measures (1992)
(To John Simon and Pat Hoag)
Snapshot of Jack (1992)
(For Jack Mitchell)
For Jim (1993)
(On Christmas Eve 1993. With love for longer than forever…)
A Little Waltz for Jim at Fifty-Five (1994)
(For the only Jim in the world without whom I could not write this or any music.)
A Melody for Shirley (1994)
(For Shirley with love from Ned today and forever. A note for every year.)
A Sarabande for the Only Jim in the World (1998)
(For Jim on his birthday with love forever.)
Sixty Notes for Judy (1999)
Alexander Zemlinsky 1871-1942
Albumblatt “Erinnerungen aus Wien”
Arnold Schoenberg 1874-1951
Sechs Kleine Klavierstücke, Op. 19
I. Leicht, zart
II. Langsam
III. Sehr langsam
IV. Rasch, aber leicht
V. Etwas rasch
VI. Sehr langsam
Ludwig van Beethoven 1770-1827
Piano Sonata No. 31in A-Flat Major, Op. 110
I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo
II. Allegro molto
III. Adagio ma non troppo
Fuga: Allegro ma non troppo
Biography
Pianist Carolyn Enger has gained critical acclaim for her lyrical and dynamic playing, her deeply felt interpretations of works from Beethoven and Schubert to contemporary music, and her warm personal approach. In addition to an active performance schedule, Ms. Enger has enjoyed remarkable success as a recording artist, particularly with her 2013release of piano music by Ned Rorem on Naxos Records. The album was selected as one of the “Best in Classical Recordings” by The
New York Times:
Among the 90th-birthday tributes this year to the essential American composer Ned Rorem, this recording especially stands out. The fine pianist Carolyn Enger plays Mr. Rorem’s complete Piano Album I, published in 2003, a collection of tender yet pungent miniatures written for friends, intimates and personal occasions from 1978 to 2001. – Anthony Tommasini, 12/2013
Renowned critic Laurence Vittes wrote in his review for Gramophone (2/2014): “Enger raises the miniatures to a higher level by taking the time and care to capture the emotional impact each must have had when their dedicatees read their inscription and title, and then heard the music for the first time.”
Ms. Enger has a special gift for creating original and intriguing programs that range from European masterworks to fresh discoveries among the compositions of such innovative American and Israeli composers as Ned Rorem, Caroline Shaw, John Luther Adams, Avner Dorman and Lior Navok. Her debut album, In Evening Air, released in 2009, offers a refreshing mix of music by Beethoven, Scriabin, Hanson, Copland, Liebermann and Rorem – all attesting to her command of a wide variety of musical idioms. MusicWeb International lauded her playing as “thoughtful and sensitive… expressive… She plays with fine nuance and tone shading. (10/2010)” And from Fanfare came praise for “Enger’s dynamic control and emotional sensitivity, her keen sense of timing and proportion. (9/2009)”
Ms. Enger’s latest creation, The Mischlinge Exposé, pays tribute to her father, Horst Joachim Enger, who survived forced labor and the Holocaust as a Mischling in Germany. It takes the form of a multimedia concert program set in the World War II period, combining music, literature and images that focus on the haunting memories of the lives of Mischlinge – half-Jews – and converts, in Germany before, during, and after the Holocaust, an experience reflected in Ms. Enger’s own family history. The Mischlinge project will be enriched by a new commission by the acclaimed composer Bruce Adolphe, which will premiere in 2017. Find out more about the project at www.mischlingexpose.com.
Highlights of Ms. Enger’s 2016/17 season include a performance at Michaelis Kirche in Erfurt, Germany; a Chicago residency with recitals at several Steinway Galleries and the Chicago Public Library; a performance at the Chelmsford Center for the Arts in Massachusetts; and a variety of recitals in the Tri-State area. Ms. Enger will present her ambitious multimedia concert experience, The Mischlinge Exposé, at community centers throughout New York and New Jersey, and will premiere a new work written by the acclaimed composer Bruce Adolphe especially for this project at the Center for Jewish History in Spring 2017.
Carolyn Enger is a Steinway Artist.

Seasoned Trio
2016-10-22 20:00 - 21:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
$10 Suggested Donation
Seasoned Trio presents their debut concert as an ensemble.
Program:
Trio in E-flat major, K.498 – W. A. Mozart (1756-1791)
Clarinet Trio, Op.3 – Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871-1942)
I. Allegro ma non troppo
Fantasy Trio for Clarinet, Violoncello, and Piano – Robert Muczynski (1929-2010)
Oblivion – Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Biographies:
Seasoned Trio was formed in July 2016 with the love of music (and food) by three classical musicians, Taiwanese Pianist Li-Ying Chang, Hong Kong Clarinetist Yuen-Yee Richardson, and local Cellist Desiree Miller. They aim to share their passion in music with all kinds of audience while improving their musical and artistic levels through public performances as well as receiving coaching lessons from the finest musicians.
Li-Ying Chang (Piano)
Taiwanese pianist Li-Ying Chang graduated with a Master’s of Music in Piano Performance from Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, under the tutelage of Pianist Benjamin Pasternack. As a musician, Li-Ying seeks to share the transcendent experience of music with others as a solo and collaborating artist. In 2015, Li-Ying graduated with the Artist Performance Diploma at The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, in the studio of Taiwanese Pianist Meng-Chieh Liu and Dr.Winston Choi. Li-Ying is a previous winner of the CCPA Showcase at Roosevelt, and played the opening concert at Pianofest 2013. Li-Ying was chosen to collaborate with the CCPA Wind Ensemble for an annual performance at Ganz Hall, in 2013. Ms. Chang played the piano with CCPA’s Chamber Orchestra as they recorded Thunderwalker, composed by Composer Stacy Garrop, for Cedille Records. Chang actively performs as a solo pianist, Collaborative pianist and chamber musician in the Chicagoland area.
Yuen Yee Richardson (Clarinet)
Yuen Yee Richardson is an active music teacher and performer currently located in Chicago. Originally born and raised in Hong Kong, Yuen Yee studied Clarinet and Piano at Hong Kong Baptist University with John Schertle and Genevieve Wong. In 2010, Yuen Yee moved to Chicago and earned a Master’s degree in Music Performance from Roosevelt University, where she studied Clarinet performance with Carol Lee Smith. After graduating in 2012, Yuen Yee performed with various music ensembles including Chamber Opera Chicago, Chicago Clarinet Ensemble, and Chicago Concert Winds. Currently, Yuen Yee is primarily performing with a classical chamber group the Seasoned Trio and an original music duo Adjacent Cruise. Besides performing, Yuen Yee is also passionate in music education where she is teaching clarinet and piano at her own music studio and at ACM School of Music.
Desiree Miller (Cello)
Desiree Miller has performed in music halls all over the world as a chamber musician, concert soloist and recitalist. She has performed in various music festivals and outreach programs throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, as well as in Haiti and South Korea. An avid devotee to the progress of new music, Desiree has world premiered and recorded numerous chamber and solo works. In the same vein, Desiree composes cello solo works to accompany theatrical plays and dance performances. Many of her works have been performed in New York, Washington DC, Chicago and even as far as Jerusalem!
Desiree holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, where she studied under Dr. Stefan Kartman from 2002 – 2006. She then went on to earn two Master degrees in Cello Performance and String Pedagogy at Ohio University under Dr. Michael Carrera from 2006 – 2009. Wanting more performance experience, Desiree attended the University of Cincinnati – College Conservatory, where she earned an Artist Diploma with Professor Lee Fiser from 2009 – 2011. With nearly a decade spent in the university setting, Desiree moved to the Windy City in the fall of 2011 to perform with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. As a member of this illustrious orchestra, Desiree enjoyed the privilege of performing on the same stage as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, as well as receiving mentorship from both members of the Chicago Symphony and guest conductors.
Overall, Desiree’s focus is on the promotion of new music and the collaborative process between composer and performer. She believes that it is just as important to perform and learn from the great music of the past as well as to explore and create with musicians and artists of the present. Desiree is honored to be a member of the Seasoned Trio with stellar musicians Li-Ying Chang and Yuen Yee Richardson.

New Music Study Group: Ear Taxi Festival
2016-10-20 20:30 - 22:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
This month’s meeting will be a group discussion on Chicago’s Ear Taxi Festival.
Speakers:
Augusta Read Thomas
Ashley Wang
Nomi Epstein
Fredrick Gifford
Joan Pamies
Lydia Penningroth
Pablo Chin
Andrew McManus

Karl Larson and Jim Fusik
2016-10-15 20:00 - 21:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Karl Larson, piano, and Jim Fusik, saxophone
Program:
Scott Wollschleger – ‘That which pushes back is its force’
Sky Macklay – ‘Density Dancity (long)’
George Aperghis – ‘P.S.’
Eric Wubbels – ‘This is This is This is’
Description:
James Fusik (saxophones) and Karl Larson (piano) return to Chicago with an exciting program of cutting edge new works for saxophone and piano. The concert centers around two new works by Scott Wollschleger and Sky Macklay commissioned by the Fusik/Larson duo for the 2016-2017 concert season. Also featured on the program are George Aperghis’s ‘P.S.’ for solo saxophone and Eric Wubbels’s phenomenal memoriam to David Foster Wallace, ‘This is This is This is.’
Biographies:
Dr. James Fusik currently serves as Assistant Professor of Woodwinds at Minot State University (ND), and has previously taught at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. He has degrees from Bowling Green State University (M.M., DMA), and Central Michigan University (B.M. Theory/ Composition, B.M.E. Music Ed), with studies under John Sampen,
John Nichol, and Marilyn Shrude. A frequent clinician and recitalist, Fusik has performed at conservatories and universities throughout the Midwest as well as various new music series events in Chicago, New York, and Omaha. Internationally he has performed in Germany, Poland, Canada, Belgium, and recently as a participant in the 2016 Darmstadt New Music Courses. He has premiered over 100 new compositions from composers including Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Luther Adams, Christopher Cerrone, Ravi Kittappa, and Nathan Davis. He is a frequent presenter and active contributor to the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA). Fusik is a Conn-Selmer Endorsing Artist, exclusively performing on Selmer Paris Saxophones and mouthpieces.
Brooklyn based pianist Karl Larson is a specialist in the music of our time, consistently presenting adventurous programs. Karl has premiered many solo piano and chamber pieces, including works by David Rakowski, Ken Thomson, Robert Honstein, Chris Cerrone, and David Lang. Recent performances of note include Morton Feldman’s Triadic Memories, Olivier Messiaen’s Harawi, and the world premiere of Scott Wollschleger’s Meditations on Dust for solo piano and string orchestra.
A sought after collaborator, Larson has worked with many notable musicians and ensembles including Tristan Perich, Ashley Bathgate, Vicky Chow, Erik Carlson, Mantra, Ensemble Signal, the Eco Ensemble, the Sleeping Giant Composer Collective, and Contemporaneous. He has been featured on many notable series and festivals including the Bang on a Can Marathon, the MATA Festival, WQXR’s Hammered!, the Contagious Sounds Series, the Frequency Series, Make Music New York, the Outpost Concert Series, the Vanguard Series, the Red Note New Music Festival, the Ball State New Music Festival, the Music in the Shape of a Pear Festival, and the Bowling Green State University New Music Festival.
Larson is also a founding member of Bearthoven, a piano, bass, and percussion trio dedicated to the frequent promotion and performance of brand new works. Since the group’s formation in 2013, Bearthoven has commissioned over 15 pieces and is currently working on their first album, which will be released on Cantaloupe Music in the Spring of 2017.
Karl received a Doctor of Musical Arts in Contemporary Music and a Master of Music in Piano Performance at Bowling Green State University, where he studied with Dr. Laura Melton. Larson completed his undergraduate degree at Luther College in Decorah Iowa as a pupil of Dr. John Strauss. He is on faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.

Tamas Vilaghy
2016-09-29 20:30 - 21:30 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Tamas Vilaghy presents an ambient sound installation.
Details TBA.

New Music Study Group: Andrew McManus
2016-09-22 20:30 - 22:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Andrew McManus presents on his work Neurosonics I and speaks about his music created by neurons in rat brains.

Tomorrow is Today: Blade Runner
2016-08-25 20:30 - 21:30 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
$10 Suggested Donation
Ryan Ingebritsen presents sounds from Vangelis’s film score in Blade Runner (1982).
Description:
In 1982, Ridley Scott released what is still today seen as one of the greatest science fiction films of all time, Blade Runner. Set in 2019, the film follows a series of events surrounding a police officer trained and licensed to hunt down and kill “replicants”, artificial human life forms designed for specific functions (labor, war, pleasure, etc…) that have been declared illegal on the planet earth. Based on a novel by Philip K Dick, the film portrays a slightly dystopian future in which most of the earth’s population has moved to off world colonies and the population of Los Angeles speaks a street language that is a mix of Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and English while German is the language used by technicians and scholars. It explores the ambiguity of what it means to be human in a world where a machine can be given human attributes and achieve self awareness, as well as exploring the morality of using self aware machines as servants or slaves. Though the visual world Scott created in Bladerunner is one of the most stunning in the history of film, the sound score and sound track by Vangelis is also completely singular and recognizable and gives the film its completely unique atmosphere and tone. In this film, Vangelis integrated his sound track to at times blend with the already rich sound world that the sound designers had created to interpret what the future would sound like. He creates emotional content that becomes an extension of the sound world we are already in and at times compliments and plays duets off of the sound design itself.
So rich is this world that I one nigh decided to simply listen to the sound score without watching the film. As the “replicants” portrayed in the film were mostly born in 2016, I thought this would be a good year to share this experience with others in celebration of their inception.
For this evening of listening we will sit back, close our eyes, and just listen to an edited version of the film in 5.1 surround that takes out most of the dialogue allowing us to bask in the richly complex sound world that Vangelis and the team of sound designers created. We will follow it with a short discussion about the aspects of sound and composition that integrate in the work using only our ears as the guide for the discussion.
Participants that have not seen the film are encouraged to watch the full directors cut version AFTER this listening as it would be interesting to see what perspective someone takes away form hearing the soundtrack rather than watching the film for the first time.

Jay Pike, viola; Rachel Brown, violin
2016-08-18 20:30 - 21:30 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Suggested Donation: $10
Program:
Rachel Brown, violin
Sonata No. 2 in A minor BWV 1003 – J.S. Bach
III. Andante
IV. Allegro
Sonata No. 4 in E minor (1923) – Eugene Ysaye
I. Allemanda
II. Sarabande
III. Finale
Fire Rainbow Cloud (2015) – Jonathan Hannau
—break—
Jay Pike, viola; William McDaniel, piano
Infanta Marina, Op. 83 (1960) – Vincent Persichetti
Lachrymae (1950) – Benjamin Britten
Lament for two violas (1915) – Frank Bridge, with Sixto Franco, viola
Bios:
Rachel Brown is an active chamber musician, soloist, orchestral performer, and educator. After three years as a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, she is now the Associate Principal Second Violin of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and Associate Concertmaster of the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Brown is currently the Artistic Director of the Chicago-based chamber group, Ursa Ensemble, of which she is also a founding member. The group focuses on engaging unique audiences in the chamber music repertoire by working with collaborative artists and curating programs that directly involve the listener.
Rachel is dedicated to continuing the existence of art music by performing and commissioning contemporary works. She has given countless world premiers, has performed with ensembles such as Ensemble Dal Niente, Fifth House Ensemble, and Ensemble 20+, and has worked with world-renowned composers such as Augusta Read Thomas, Bernard Rands, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Rodolfo Acosta, and Mathias Spahlinger.
Extremely devoted to educating future generations, Rachel is on faculty at both Harold Washington College and Chicago Academy for the Arts, and is a coach for the Chicago Arts Initiative’s New Music Youth Ensemble. She holds a Certificate of Performance and a Master of Music degree from DePaul University’s School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
A native of Montana, Jay Pike studied viola at the University of Montana and later at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Has has performed with many ensembles in the Chicago area including Chicago Opera Theatre, the Elgin Symphony, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and Ensemble Dal Niente. Some highlights include an amazing production of Bluebeard’s Castle at Thalia Hall with the New Millennium Ochestra, and performing alongside college teachers and mentors in a String Orchestra of the Rockies concert last fall.
Jay also keeps a busy teaching schedule. In addition to running Suzuki programs in Morton Grove and Lincoln Square, in January Jay started teaching for The People’s Music School’s new community music program in Back of the Yards, on Chicago’s south side.
Originally from the Washington, DC area, William McDaniel began piano studies at the age of six. He began studies with Lydia Frumkin in 1993 and continued studies with Professor Frumkin at Oberlin Conservatory, graduating in 2002 with a B.M. in Piano Performance. In addition to awards and competition prizes, he has appeared in recitals as both soloist and in chamber music across the country in such locales at San Diego, Cleveland, New York, and the Washington area, and at such venues as the John F. Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, where he made his solo debut in 1998 as a guest of the Russian-American Music Association. William has also given performances abroad in Moscow, Geneva, and across Holland. After winning the college division of the National Symphony Orchestra’s Young Soloists’ Competition, he made his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra in July of 2000. William has also made radio appearances on WQXR in New York and WFMT in Chicago. While at Oberlin, William was extremely active as a chamber musician, performed frequently with the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, studied harpsichord and historical performance under Barbara Weiss and Lisa Goode Crawford, and made his debut as a composer. He is a founding member of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) as pianist and composer and and first appeared with the ensemble in its Chicago premiere in January, 2002. Currently a resident of Chicago, William is a member of ICE’s board of directors.
Violist of the Kaia String Quartet, Sixto Franco, is an active performer, teacher and composer. Besides his presence in the chamber music scene, Mr. Franco has also appeared as soloist in California and his native Spain, performing works of Mozart, Bruch and other contemporary composers.
In addition to commencement with Kaia String Quartet, current projects of Mr. Franco’s include a solo performance in Madrid, Spain as well as Los Angeles featuring Orchestra Camerata Musicalis, Symbiosis Ensemble and various appearances with Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra. His past solo appearances have involved collaborations with contemporary composers such as Nick Gianopoulos, Oscar Navarro, Juan José Colomer, Javier Navarrete and Ferrer Ferran. In 2012, Jason Barabba dedicated his duet for viola and clarinet to Mr. Franco who then premiered and recorded the work June of that year in Madrid, Spain.
As a composer, Sixto Franco made his debut on February 2011 premiering his work for viola and Piano “Blanco y Negro” in a Cancer Benefit Concert promoted by the Spanish Consulate of Los Angeles and the Symbiosis Ensemble.
Sixto Franco has been a member of National Spanish Youth Orchestra, Barcelona Symphonic Orchestra, Shleswig-holstein Musik Festival Orchestra, Youth Orchestra of Netherlands and the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California and has performed with guests artists, Christoph Eschenbach, Lutz Kholer, George Pehelivannian, Lonard Slatkin, Herbert Blomstedt, Mikhail Pletnev among others. He currently performs with the Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Franco began his studies in the professional conservatory, “Rodolfo Halffter” in Móstoles, Madird, studying with Maestro Aurelio Perez de Gracia. He continued his education at the prestigious music center of ESMUC, Escola de Música de Catalunya where he obtained his Bachelor Degree in Viola Performance under the tutelage of Ashan Pillai, a Pinchas Zukerman´s alumnus. In 2008, Sixto Franco moved to Los Angeles to join Mr. Donald McInnes’ studio at the Thornton School of Music at University of Southern California where he obtained his Graduate Certificate and Master Degree in Viola Performance and was awarded the Debora Borda Scholarship, Ruth Valentine Endowed Music Scholarship and Fellowship as well as the Dean´s Scholarship.
Sixto Franco recently completed a Graduate Certificate at Northern Illinois University for the Graduate String Quartet Residency under the tutelage of the Avalon String Quartet.

Min Park and Alexandra Matloff, violin
2016-08-11 20:30 - 21:30 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Suggested Donation: $10
Program:
Min Park, violin
Ignis Fatuus (2008) – Marcos Balter (b. 1974)
Talking in Circles – Robert Honstein (b. 1980), violist Brittany Nelson
At Swim-Two-Birds (2016) – Luke Gullickson, marimba Sean Connors

Three Miniatures (2001) – George Benjamin (b. 1960)
—break—
Alexandra Matloff, violin
Viva (2012) – Michael Daugherty (b. 1954)
STOMP (2010) – John Corigliano (b. 1938)
The Light Guitar, mvt III (2006) – Patrick Zimmerli (b. 1968)
Caprice No. 1 (1986) – Mark O’Connor (b. 1961)
Bios:
Min Park graduated from Northwestern University, with degree of MM in Violin Performance under the tutalage of Almita Vamos. Before NU, she received BM in Violin from University of Texas at Austin under Brian Lewis and Miro Quartet. She has been in masterclasses with Erin Keefe, Catherine Cho, Donald Weilerstein, Augustin Hadelich, to name a few. Min is active as a chamber musician as well. She formed Aoide Quartet at Northwestern University and had masterclasses with St. Lawrence Quartet, Lynn Harrell, Philharmonia Quartett Berlin, Shumul Ashkenasi to name few. In her spare time, you can find her in bikram yoga classes.
A native of Arizona, Alexandra Matloff is recognized as a versatile orchestral musician, chamber musician, and soloist. She currently performs in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and has held positions with the Eastern Festival Orchestra, the Mobile Symphony Orchestra, and the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. While in Florida, Alexandra served as Concertmaster of the Florida State University Symphony Orchestra for the 2014 Naxos release of Dohnányi’s Symphony No. 2 and Two Songs, Op. 22. Alexandra was also a member of the Eppes String Quartet, the graduate string-quartet-in-residence at Florida State.
With a passion for new music, Alexandra frequently premieres contemporary works, having worked with composers Julia Wolfe, David Lang, Michael Gordon, Steve Reich, Yehudi Wyner, and Chester Biscardi, among others. She has additionally collaborated and premiered new works with members of the JACK Quartet, the American Modern Ensemble, and the International Contemporary Ensemble.
As a teacher, Alexandra has worked with violinists and violists of broad ability levels. She is on the faculties of the Chicago Institute of Music Education and the DePaul University Community Music Division as a registered Suzuki teacher in Books 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, and 10. While in Florida, she was a Graduate Assistant to Corinne Stillwell at Florida State University and a violin coach for the Tallahassee Youth Orchestras. Alexandra has additionally taught at Carthage College, Point CounterPoint Chamber Music Camp, and the Innsbrook Institute Summer Music Academy and Festival.
Alexandra earned her Doctor of Music and Master of Music in violin performance from Florida State University. She completed a Bachelor of Music in violin performance at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, where she graduated magna cum laude.

Film Screening: The Holy Mountain
2016-07-24 15:00 - 18:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Join us for a film screening of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain (1973). This is also a potluck, so feel free to bring food or drinks to share. Free.
More info about the film can be found here:
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0071615/

Suzanne Gillen, flute
2016-07-20 20:30 - 21:30 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Suggested Donation: $10
Suzanne Gillen performs works for flute.
Program:
East Wind, Shulamit Ran
Air for Flute, Toru Takemitsu
Troglodyte, Elliott Lupp
Kokopelli, Katherine Hoover
Pathway (—>), by Jonathan Hannau
Bio:
Suzanne Gillen is an active freelance performer and teacher in the Chicagoland area. She earned both her BM and MM in flute performance from DePaul University, studying with Mary Stolper and Jennifer Clippert. While at DePaul, she not only studied orchestral repertoire and performance practice, but she also worked with various clinicians on chamber music and studied new music with DePaul’s Ensemble 20+. Notable masterclasses she’s participated in on flute and piccolo include: Mary Kay Fink, Keith Underwood, Gary Schocker, and Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble.
Upon completing the first year of her MM, Suzanne took some time away from her studies to make her professional theatre debut as “Lily” in Court Theatre’s production of James Joyce’s THE DEAD; the Chicago Tribune described her as “…especially deft at those dual actor/musician duties,” for that role. After working with the combined genius of Doug Peck and Charles Newell, she returned to DePaul to complete her degree and brought with her a new, unorthodox opinion of performance practice. After convincing some other brilliant and daring musicians to join her, Suzanne and her team performed an arrangement of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf from memory while acting as the characters in the beloved children’s tale. Passionate about the marriage of different performance arts in a production, and is always looking for opportunities to combine instrumental doubling with movement, acting, and singing.
Since graduating, Suzanne has been on stage and in the pit orchestras for various theaters in the Chicago area, most notably in TimeLine Theatre’s production of JUNO, Porchlight Music Theatre’s production of SWEENEY TODD, and returned to Court Theatre as an actor musician for SECRET GARDEN (“Robin”). She also turned her energies toward private flute instruction. Suzanne is an invigorating, demanding, and encouraging flute teacher. Though she strives to make music fun and exciting, she requires diligent practice, focus, and a desire to continue improving from all of her students, regardless of skill level. She can be found teaching at the Music Institute of Chicago, Marian Catholic High School, and in her private studio in Lincoln Park.

Arboretum & Chartreuse
2016-07-15 20:30 - 21:30 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Arboretum (Zachary Good+Ben Roidl-Ward) teams up with frequent partners-in-crime Myra Hinrichs and Carrie Frey of Chartreuse to present a program of solos and duos, featuring music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Ashley Wang*, Peter Kramer*, David Bird, and Nathan Heidelberger.

*World Premiere

Summer Recital
2016-07-10 15:00 - 16:30 | Ravenswood Manor Park, Chicago, IL, United States
Students of Narloch Piano Studio perform in the annual outdoor summer recital.

Spektral Quartet
2016-07-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Ravenswood Manor Park, Chicago, IL, United States
Spektral Quartet performs in Ravenswood Manor Park as part of the Horner Park Advisory Council Summer Concert Series.
Program:
White, LJ – zin zin zin zin
Blake, James (arr. Fisher-Lochhead, Chris) – I Never Learnt to Share
Reminick, David 2 – movts
Mendelssohn, Felix – String Quartet No. 1 in Eb Major, Op. 12
1. Adagio non troppo – Allegro non tardante
2. Canzonetta. Allegretto
3. Andante espressivo
4. Molto allegro e vivace
(break)
Arthur Russell (arr. Young, Katherine) – I’m Hiding Your Present From You Spektral Quartet Commission
Pluta, Sam – binary/momentary logics: flow state/joy state Spektral Quartet Commission
Schubert, Franz – Quartettsatz, D. 703
Reich, Steve – Triple Quartet
Biography:
Since its inception, the Spektral Quartet has sought out the discourse between the great works of the traditional canon and those written this decade, this year, or this week. Creating connections across centuries, the group further invites its listeners in with charismatic deliveries, interactive concert formats, an up-close atmosphere, and bold, inquisitive programming.
In addition to its forward-thinking Mobile Miniatures project, which commissioned over forty notable composers to write ringtones for download to mobile devices, the quartet’s recorded output includes Chambers (featuring prismatic works by living, Chicago-based composers), From This Point Forward (a zesty Latin-jazz and tango collaboration with bandoneon virtuoso Julien Labro), Fin de siècle (Ernest Chausson’s Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet with Swiss violin soloist Rachel Kolly d’Alba), and an upcoming, comedy-themed album on the Sono Luminus label, Serious Business.
Keen on frequently treading outside the lines of classical music, Spektral Quartet partnered with avant-pop artist Julia Holter in the 2014/15 season for composer Alex Temple’s Behind the Wallpaper at the Ecstatic Music Festival in NYC and the Liquid Music series in St. Paul, MN. In 2015/16, the ensemble invigorates its ongoing collaboration with Julien Labro, and continues to season its multifarious programs with composer re-imaginings of tunes from artists such as Björk, Wilco, Arthur Russell, Bessie Smith, and James Blake.
Titled UP CLOSE, the Spektral Quartet’s 2015/16 season is studded with new works from composers like Hans Thomalla, Morgan Krauss, Mikel Kuehn, Ryan Ingebritsen, Tomas Gueglio Saccone, and Anthony Cheung as well as cornerstones of the string quartet repertoire by Beethoven, Schubert, Prokofiev, Mendelssohn, and Bartók. Season highlights on the road include a residency with the JACK Quartet at Stanford University, a teaching residency at the New World Symphony, and an appearance with flutist Claire Chase at the University of Maryland’s Common Tone series.
The Spektral Quartet proudly serves as ensemble-in-residence at the University of Chicago’s Department of Music.

Pergolesi: Stabat Mater
2016-06-25 19:30 - 20:30 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736):
Stabat Mater (1736)
Kacey Kurpinsky, Soprano;
Hope Littwin, Mezzo Soprano;
Elikem Fiase, Organ

Jonathan Hannau, piano
2016-06-23 20:30 - 21:30 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
$10 Suggested Donation
Jonathan Hannau performs solo piano works featuring new commissions as part of the Rocking Chair Series.
Program:
A Table of Chords: Dante Thelestam
Contrast (#6): Jonathan Hannau
Chiaroscuro: Jordan Jenkins
Untitled: Shawn Lucas
Intermission

In a Landscape: John Cage
Shadow: Rebecca Saunders
Bio:
Jonathan Hannau is a Chicago-based composer who hails from New England. Starting his musical career as a classically-trained pianist, his exposure to experimental and avant-garde music as an undergraduate sparked an interest in composition. In 2014, he was the winner of the Kleinman Composition Competition for his chamber piece Petite Counterpoint.
Quirky, eclectic, and colorful, his compositions have been performed by Ursa Ensemble, Disquiet Music Ensemble, 20+ New Music Ensemble, Lakeshore Rush, and Opera on Tap. His new solo bass work Restructured Possibilities was premiered in part of a collaboration project with Access Contemporary Music and the Architecture Foundation of Chicago at the Nichols Tower during the Open House Chicago event in October 2015. Other collaboration projects involve a series of songs for New Brew at Opera on Tap.
An avid pianist and performer of new music, he currently plays in two Chicago-based groups: Ursa Ensemble and Disquiet Music Ensemble, both of which perform contemporary and classical music during their concert seasons. His new solo project titled the Rocking Chair Series involves commissions of short solo piano works to be presented alongside an interview with the composer. This is done in an effort to create an inviting atmosphere for the audience as they listen to a wide variety of musical styles and expose them to the ideas that composers think about while writing.
Jonathan completed his graduate studies at Roosevelt University and undergraduate studies at DePaul University where he studied composition with Stacy Garrop, Kyong Mee Choi, Kurt Westerberg, Christopher Jones, Seung-Won Oh and piano with Jelena Dirks. While at DePaul he was the recipient of the George & Rita Flynn Endowed Scholarship in composition. Additionally, while at Roosevelt, he served as a teaching assistant in music theory specializing in 20th century techniques. Jonathan maintains the position of music director for the Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist church and liturgy pianist for the St. Vincent DePaul Catholic church. He also serves as piano teacher at Access Contemporary Music.

VexFest
2016-06-21 12:00 - 20:30 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
In celebration of Make Music Chicago and Summer Solstice, we present VEXFEST.
This is a marathon interactive performance and reading of music / writing by composers Erik Satie, John Cage, and Morton Feldman. In addition to our musicians who will be coming in and out of the space to perform works by these composers–often simultaneously–, passersby will be encouraged to join in, either by playing with the musicians or reading from a variety of texts aloud in the space. Performances throughout the entire event will be organized by chance-determined time slots. The event will also feature a continuous performance of Erik Satie’s Vexations.
Led by:
Andrew Tham
Andy Costello
Christopher Narloch
Performers include:
Valdone Arffa
Stephen Boi
Jason Chen
Sean Connors
Andy Costello
Jonathan Hannau
Eric Hollander
Jeffrey Levin
Christopher Narloch
William Smith
Isaac Stevenson
Susan Tang
Andrew Tham
Ryan Zerna
Works that will be performed but are not limited to:
Erik Satie’s Vexations, Gymnopedies, Gnossiennes
John Cage’s One, One5, Five, ASLSP
Morton Feldman’s For Bunita Marcus, Two Pianos, Vertical Thoughts I for two pianos, Four Hands, Intermission 6, Piano Piece 1952
Books that will be read:
Erik Satie: Cahiers d’un mammifère
John Cage: Silence
Morton Feldman: Give my regards to Eighth Street
So join us at anytime you’re available from noon to sunset on summer solstice to play music and listen to music!
This event is FREE and open to the public.

Benefit Concert
2016-06-15 19:30 - 21:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Presenting pianists Alyssa Conde and Esther Nyberg in an evening of classical piano music
7:30 Concert
8:30 Reception
Suggested Donation $15 at the door.
All proceeds will be contributed toward Alyssa Conde and Esther Nyberg’s trip to the InterHarmony International Music Festival.
Program:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Italian Concerto, BWV 971, mvt. 1
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Sonata in A minor, D. 784
I. Allegro Giusto
II. Andante
III. Allegro Vivace
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
Sonata in B minor, Op. 58
III. Largo
IV. Presto, ma non tanto
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:37
I. Allegro con brio
II. Largo e sostenuto
III. Finale. Presto, ma non troppo
Bios:
Alyssa Conde holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance from Florida Atlantic University where she studied with Dr. Irena Kofman. She recently completed her Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts where she studied under Dr Ludmila Lazar. She has performed within the United States as well as Europe. Some festivals she as taken part in include, The University of Florida’s Summer Academy, Brevard Music Festival where she worked privately with concert pianist Sandra Shen, The Chamber Music Institute in Lincoln Nebraska and the International Academy of Music in Cremona, Italy. In 2012 she was selected to perform at the Palm Beach International Piano Festival representing the USA. As a vocal collaborative artist she attended the 2014 University of Miami’s Frost School of Music Summer Program in Salzburg, Austria where she and duo partner Kacey Kurpinsky received honorable mention in the Schloss Mirabell competition. Ms. Conde has performed in Master Classes by Nelson Delle – Vigne Fabbri, James Giles, Enrico Elisi, Mutsumi Moteki, Francois Germain, the Escher String Quartet, and more. Currently a sought after collaborative pianist, and in pursuit of furthering her performing career, she also teaches privately and strives to develop genuine love for music in the younger generation. With a full commitment to music, other activities also hold great importance. She is currently training for her first half marathon, as a healthy lifestyle is priority, she also loves to travel and explore different cultures, cross off her long bucket list, and devote all she can to those she surrounds. Ms. Conde currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.
Esther Nyberg was born in Chicago, IL to a musical family and began playing the piano at the age of four. Winner of national and international competitions and recipient of numerous scholarship awards, Esther has performed in the United States and Europe, including Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Chicago Symphony Center, and Salzburg’s Wiener Saal. She participated in music programs such as the Cremona International Music Academy (Italy), Young Piano Soloists (Portugal), Green Lake Chamber Music Festival, International Music Academy Orpheus (Austria), Washington International Piano Festival, and the Mozarteum International Summer Academy.
Recent awards include top prizes in the Cremona International Piano Competition, the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra’ s Young Artist Competition, the Musicians Club of Women (Farwell Award), and the American Opera Society of Chicago (Collins Award). She was also selected as a winner in the 2015 Chicago College of Performing Arts Solo Competition and appeared as concerto soloist with the CCPA Symphony Orchestra at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance.
Inspired by her teachers and mentors to serve the community, Esther continues to perform at several Chicago area assisted living centers and thoroughly enjoys teaching. She is also very interested in literature, the visual arts, film, dance, philosophy, and theology.
Esther earned her Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude from The Catholic University of America and recently completed her Master of Music degree at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, where she studied with Ludmila Lazar. Her past principal teachers have included Ivo Kaltchev, Whe Do Kim, and Denis Moffat.
InterHarmony International Music Festival provides a chance to study with internationally renowned faculty of soloists and chamber musicians for two weeks of string, piano, woodwind, brass, percussion, or vocal instruction in Arcidosso, Italy. IIMF’s piano and string professors bring together decades of pedagogical and performance experience, offering an international outlook with an edge honed in the famous Russian school. All students will enjoy a life-changing opportunity to develop their musical abilities, grow artistically, network with fellow musicians and perform in concert. Through our Outstanding Guest Artist Series, participants will be brought together with some of classical music’s brightest lights. Students will receive four one-hour private lessons, ample practice facilities, performance opportunities in master classes, solo and chamber concerts, as well as the chance to perform
at the InterHarmony Concert Series at Weill Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall) in New York City, either solo or with the experience to play alongside faculty in serious chamber pieces.

New Music Study Group: Jesse Langen
2016-06-08 20:30 - 22:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Jesse Langen’s Description:
I’ve been teaching aspects of new music for ten years. Students from the program are at (or graduated from) Oberlin, New England Conservatory, CalArts, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Boston Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Eastman, and USC, in each case with substantial scholarships. My students have written eight operas in the time I’ve been doing this, and won a number of commissions and awards. My youth new music ensemble recently collaborated with Eighth Blackbird at the Museum of Contemporary Art, and is near the end of a yearlong collaboration with Studio Musikfabrik, which will conclude with concerts at Darmstadt and Cologne later this summer.
I believe a significant part of my success has nothing to do with my skills as a performer, composer (I am not at all a composer, for example!) or teacher; rather that I’ve come to understand a handful of things about the environments of new music and of education, and found ways to capitalize on overlaps. I believe that my way of generating and catalyzing these programs is available to anyone in new music who also teaches, and I would very much like to see others create programs like mine.
Wednesday night I’ll describe the history of my work, go into a bit of detail on my curriculum, talk about how my work fits into the national and international picture of new music education (to the extent that I can), and describe strategies for creating youth new music programs.

Ursa Ensemble
2016-05-11 19:30 - 21:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Suggested Donation: $10
Program:
Quartet for the End of Time ~ Olivier Messiaen
I. Liturgie de cristal
II. Vocalise, pour l’Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps
III. Abîme des oiseaux
IV. Intermède
V. Louange à l’Éternité de Jésus
VI. Danse de la fureur, pour les sept trompettes
VII. Fouillis d’arcs-en-ciel, pour l’Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps
VIII. Louange à l’Immortalité de Jésus
Quintet in A minor for Piano and String Quartet, Op. 84 ~ Edward Elgar
I. Moderato-Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Andante-Allegro
Joseph Sanchez, Clarinet; Jonathan Hannau, Piano; Rachel Brown, Violin; Nicholas Jefferey, Viola; Veronica Nettles, Cello
Biography:
The Ursa Ensemble is a Chicago based Chamber group that seeks to present uncommon music to our audiences in unique ways, in unconventional places, and with individual interpretations. The Ursa ensemble is currently in its second official season, and has performed at a variety of locations across the Midwest, including Constellation Chicago, Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, DePaul University School of Music, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the DANK Haus, Tavern of Fine Arts, The Musical Offering, and the Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church.
The Ursa Ensemble consists of some of the best young musicians in the Chicago area, all of whom are dedicated performers and artist-teachers. Clarinetist Joe Sanchez just accepted a position as Alternate Bass Clarinet with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Pianist Jonathan Hannau is also an accomplished composer, who recently won DePaul University’s distinguished Kleinman Award in Composition. Violinist Rachel Brown is the Associate Principal Second Violin of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and teaches violin lessons and chamber music at the Chicago Academy for the Arts. Violist Nicholas Jeffery holds the Principal Violist position with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and maintains a private studio in addition to teaching at the Chicago Academy for the Arts. Cellist Veronica Nettles focuses on performance in classical chamber music and world music collaborations as well as maintaining a private studio at DePaul University Community Music Division.

Goldfeather
2016-05-07 20:00 - 21:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
GOLDFEATHER is a Brooklyn-based folk music band-meets contemporary classical ensemble, with a dash of cabaret for flavor. Led by native Minnesotan singer and violinist Sarah Goldfeather, Goldfeather‘s music explores unusual melodies garnished with three-part harmonies against a lush indie-folk-pop backdrop. Sarah and her fearless conservatory-trained five-piece band – Dylan McKinstry (mandolin/voice), Katie Martucci (guitar/voice), Nathan Koci (accordion/banjo/voice) and Pat Swoboda (double bass) – have collective musical backgrounds in almost every genre imaginable, including classical, contemporary classical, folk, bluegrass, avante-garde jazz, rock, musical theater, electronic music, and more, all of which factor into Goldfeather‘s unique sound. Sarah herself, in her concurrent life as a contemporary music violinist, was recently featured at TEDxMET at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and spent the fall touring with Courtney Love. The band, which was recently featured at the Ecstatic Music Festival in New York City and the Times Two Series in Boston, has a 2014 EP called Goldfeather (released under their previous moniker, Sarah Goldfeather) and will release their first full-length album, Patchwork Quilt, in 2016. Goldfeather is licensed by Finegold Music.

Crook & Folly
2016-04-28 20:30 - 22:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Crook & Folly, DePaul University’s art and literature magazine, is hosting an Open Mic, featuring readings from their staff and a special sneak preview of the 36th edition. Come join fellow writers and artists and celebrate the annual publication. Music, refreshments, and snacks will be served.
Get your free ticket here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/crook-folly-open-mic-sneak-preview-tickets-24661701814

Eric Hollander and Jason Chen
2016-04-02 20:30 - 21:30 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Suggested Donation: $10
Eric Hollander, viola, and Jason Chen, accordion, perform as a duo
ERIC HOLLANDER is a multidisciplinary artist in search of mind-opening concepts and better methods for the globalization of original ideas. With extensive exposure in classical viola repertoire (especially focused on 20th and 21st century performance practice), traditional Irish and Celtic music, big band jazz, ska, funk, and free improvisation, Eric has found his way into a wide variety of ensemble, composer-collaborative, and creatively driven experiences. Most notably, he has participated in the Midwest Fleadh Chiol (1st place), the Massachusetts 2014 ASTA competition (2nd place), The Bowdoin International Music Festival, Gamper New Music Festival, and The Lucerne Festival Academy. Besides his musical adventures, Eric is deeply involved in poetry writing and works as the editor-in-chief of Crook & Folly literary magazine. Eric received his BM in viola performance from the Boston Conservatory in 2014 and an MA in writing and publishing from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois in 2015. Recently, Eric has been working extensively with keyboard artist, Jason Chen – whose positive collaboration, enthusiasm, and psychological tolerance he considers to be absolutely unparalleled.
Since his move to Chicago in summer 2015, JASON CHEN has been present primarily as a recent graduate in piano performance from a neighboring university and a freelance accompanist to the performance circle – despite his occasional reluctance. A peculiar tendency to indulge in any activity that would potentially prevent him from practicing the piano has recently brought him to the unexplored territory of playing other types of keyboard instruments, specifically the accordion and melodica. Jason works extensively with Eric Hollander, whom he considers one of the most politically incorrect, lucid and sincere violists and chamber music partners he has known thus far.

Spring Recital
2016-03-27 13:30 - 16:00 | Narloch Piano Studio, 4636 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Students of Narloch Piano Studio perform solo piano pieces
Refreshment sign-up sheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IgtdTPKeq_M8svSQ5nQsvsRHLGX2Jh7_F_oyq3oqGZk/edit?usp=sharing
Live stream:
ustre.am/UH99
