All concerts are at 8:00 pm in the Calvin Fine Arts Center

Friday, September 30, 2005Violin and Piano
Dylana Jenson, violin; Aviram Reichert, piano

By the time she was thirteen, Dylana Jenson performed with most major orchestras in the United States and traveled to Europe and Latin America for concerts, recitals, and recordings. She was the youngest and first American woman to win the silver medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition, after which she made her Carnegie Hall debut playing the Sibelius Concerto with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Ms. Jenson has toured Australia and Japan and has recently performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, New Mexico Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and with the Grand Rapids Symphony in its seventy-fifth anniversary concert in Carnegie Hall. Israeli pianist Aviram Reichert won the bronze medal at the tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1997, only months after being awarded the top prize in the First Dong-A International Piano Competition in Seoul, Korea. Mr. Reichert has performed with the Jerusalem Broadcast Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta, National Symphony of the Dominican Republic, Fort Worth Symphony, and Grand Rapids Symphony. His U.S. recital engagements have included Atlanta, San Antonio, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Both Jenson and Reichert are currently on the music faculty at Grand Valley State University.

Friday, October 28, 2005Ensemble Amarcord

Consisting of five former choristers of the famous St. Thomas Boys Choir in Leipzig, Ensemble Amarcord has emerged as continental Europe’s finest young male a cappella quintet. The ensemble has won a number of top international prizes, including the Grand Prix Choir Competition (Spain, 1995), International Mendelssohn Competition (1999), and German Music Competition (2000). In 2002, the ensemble took top honors in the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb, and in 2003, it was the featured choral ensemble at the national convention of the American Guild of Organists in Los Angeles. Its CD releases and performance repertoire vary in musical styles, from sacred and classical to gospel and show tunes.

Friday, November 18, 2005Dallas Brass

Founded in 1983 by Michael Levine, the Dallas Brass is considered one of America’s foremost musical ensembles. It performs solo concerts throughout the world, having appeared numerous times at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Symphony orchestra engagements have included the Cincinnati Pops with Erich Kunzel, the New York Pops with Skitch Henderson, and the Philly Pops conducted by Peter Nero. The Dallas Brass combines a brass quintet with a full complement of drums and percussion, creating a performing entity of extraordinary range—including classical masterpieces, swing, Dixieland, Broadway, Hollywood, folk, and patriotic music. The Dallas Brass concert offering at Calvin will include the participation of three area concert bands in the finale.

Friday, March 3, 2006Cavani String Quartet

We open Women’s History Month with the Cavani String Quartet, winner of the prestigious Naumburg Chamber Music Award. In addition to receiving the Naumburg Award, the Cavani Quartet has been a top prize winner in numerous competitions, including the Coleman, Fischoff, Banff International, and Cleveland Quartet Competition. The Cavani Quartet performs regularly for major series and festivals throughout North America and Europe. Appearances include the Carnegie Hall Centennial Series and Alice Tully Hall in New York City, Corcoran Gallery of Art and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Muziekcentrum De Ijsbreker in the Netherlands, and Festival de L’Epau in France. The quartet has been featured on National Public Radio, and has been seen on NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS. The Cavani Quartet serve as Quartet-in-Residence at the world-renowned Cleveland Institute of Music.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006Natasha Paremski

The Music Department and the Artist Series present the 2006 Gilmore Young Artist Award Winner, Natasha Paremski in piano recital on Wednesday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center. The Gilmore identifies exceptional pianists through a noncompetitive process and provides significant support to enhance their careers; presents a world-class music festival featuring international keyboard artists; provides an outstanding keyboard educational program; and commissions new music for the keyboard.

Tickets are available at the Box Office, (616) 526-6282, ranging in price from $10 for adults, or $5 for students. Special time: 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 29, 2006The Gilmore Sings
Rossini's Petite Messe Solenelle, Joe Miller, conductor

This concert marks an exciting new collaboration between The Artist Series and the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival in Kalamazoo. The Messe, one of Rossini’s last works, is a fascinating hybrid of the early romantic Italian opera tradition with late romantic French liturgical styles. The concert features artists from West Michigan and beyond. The Calvin Alumni Choir and Western Michigan University Chorale form the choir, conducted by Joe Miller of WMU. The accompanists include Laurie Sims and Sylvia Roederer of the WMU piano faculty and Kenneth Bos of Grand Rapids Community College on harmonium. Soloists are soprano Kristen Clayton; Erin Neff, mezzo soprano; Neal Harrelson, tenor; and Bojan Knezevic, baritone. A pre-concert lecture will be given by Brooks Kuykendall, assistant professor of music at Calvin College.

All concerts are at 8:00 pm in the Calvin Fine Arts Center

For additional information call: (616) 526-6800