Concordia Chamber Players

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 2, 2001

Contact:

Dan Bauer (609) 258-6524  dbauer@mccarter.org
Laura Hahn   (215) 862-0308  laurahahn@yahoo.com

THE BEST MUSIC & FREE FOR KIDS, CONCORDIA CHAMBER PLAYERS OF NEW HOPE CONTINUES THEIR TRADITION OF MUSIC EXCELLENCE FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY

 On Sunday, April 22 at 3pm, Concordia Chamber Players will present its final concert of the 2000-2001 season at the Stephen Buck Theater on the grounds of New Hope-Solebury High School on West Bridge Street (Route 179) in New Hope. As in the October and February concerts, the renowned chamber musicians are expected to perform with a passion that takes the audience’s breath away.  To encourage children’s enjoyment and introduce them to classical music, children are admitted free with a reservation and an adult ticket. Tickets are $20 and may be reserved by calling 215-297-5972 or on line at www.concordiaplayers.org

Founded in 1997 by artistic director Michelle Djokic, Concordia has presented artists who are among the world’s most respected chamber musicians; professionals who  regularly play the best venues in the world such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society and the Boston Chamber Music Society Orchestras.  This season alone has brought, among others, Ani Kavafian, Carmit Zori, Cynthia Phelps, Carter Brey and William Wolfram.

The program for the April 22 concert will pay tribute to some of the most significant chamber music landmarks of the early 20th century — Suite for Unaccompanied Cello by the great Spanish cellist Gaspar Cassado, -- Igor Stravinsky’s captivating L’Histoire du Soldat, a story of a soldier's encounter with the devil. Frequently the music accompanies a narration of the story, but this time we will be treated to the music all by itself, -- and the Gabriel Faure’s sensuous Piano Quartet in C Minor, a work counted by many as among their favorite chamber works.

The musicians are pianist William Wolfam, violinist Carmit Zori, violist Robert Rinehart, cellist Michelle Djokic and clarinetist David Krakauer. 

American pianist William Wolfram has gained recognition as an artist who combines powerful Romantic instincts with a truly formidable command of the keyboard.  A Silver Medallist at both the William Kapell and Naumburg competitions, as well as Bronze Medallist at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Mr. Wolfram has drawn plaudits from critics both here and abroad for his musical integrity and compelling pianism.  Mr. Wolfram performs regularly throughout North America as recitalist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician.  After making his debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony under the direction of Leonard Slatkin, Mr. Wolfram has gone on to perform with the symphony orchestras of San Francisco, San Diego, Indianapolis, North Carolina, New Jersey, Fort Worth, and the National Symphony of Washington, D.C.

Violinist Carmit Zori was firmly established in her native Israel as an important young musician, when she was chosen at age 13 by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation to perform on the international television special "Music from Jerusalem.”  Two years later, at the recommendation of Alexander Schneider and Isaac Stern, she came to the United States to study at the Curtis institute of Music. Since then Ms. Zori has appeared with a wide variety orchestras in the U.S. and has performed throughout Latin America, Europe, Japan and Australia. An active chamber musician, she appears regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and as a guest artist at the Mostly Mozart Festival, Marlboro Music Festival and others. Ms. Zori is one of the musical directors of Bargemusic, New York City.

Robert Rinehart joined the New York Philharmonic's viola section in September 1992.  He has an extensive background in chamber music; as a founding member of the Ridge String quartet, he has toured extensively in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America beginning in 1979.  The quartet was featured on all of New York's major chamber music series as well as the Spoleto, Schleswig-Holstein and Helsinki festivals.  In addition to the Ridge Quartet’s recordings on the RCA Victor Red Seal label – which earned Mr. Rinehart a 1992 Grammy nomination – his recording credits include 1991 Grammy-winning chamber music collaboration with soprano Dawn Upshaw. He has also performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Brandenburg Ensemble conducted by Alexander Schneider, and has participated in numerous chamber music festivals around the world.

Clarinetist David Krakauer is in demand worldwide as a guest soloist with the finest chamber music groups.  In the past two seasons he has collaborated with the Tokyo String Quartet, the Eroica Trio, the Kronos Quartet, the Lark Quartet, the Mendelssohn String Quartet and the Empire Brass Quintet.  As one of the foremost musicians of the vital new wave of Klezmer, David Krakauer tours the globe with his Klezmer Madness! ensemble.  Colliding old world with new, Klezmer Madness! delivers a modern brand of Klezmer with equal parts angst and elation.  While firmly rooted in traditional Klezmer folk tunes, the band “hurls the tradition of Klezmer music into the rock era” (The New York Times).  As a member of the Aspen Wind Quintet, he won the 1984 Naumberg Chamber Music Award. 

Cellist Michelle Djokic made her debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of thirteen. Her many prizes in competitions include the Prince Bernard Award for Excellence in the 1989 Scheveningen International Cello Competition, the coveted People’s Prize in the 1980 Pablo Casals International Cello Competition in Budapest, Hungary, first prize in the Chicago Civic Orchestra Competition, as well as capturing first prize in the young artists competitions of the New Jersey Symphony, the North Carolina Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Juilliard School Concerto Competition and the Aspen Festival Concerto Competition.  Active as a solo and chamber musician, Ms. Djokic has performed with Emanuel Ax, Menahem Pressler, Lynn Harrel, the Boston Chamber Players, American Chamber Players as well as at Aspen Music Festival, Banff Music Festival, and Newport Music Festival, among others. A student of  Leonard Rose and Channing Robbins, Ms. Djokic completed her Masters Degree at the age of twenty from the Juilliard School of Music.

For tickets or to learn more about Concordia Chamber Players, call 215-297-5972 or visit their Web Site at www.concordiaplayers.org.  

EDITORS NOTE:  WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THE PERFORMANCE. 

PLEASE CALL FOR DETAILS.