DU Lamont Winter Season Presents Outstanding Collection of Faculty & Guest Artists

January 3, 2020 - DENVER – The Lamont School of Music heats up the Colorado winter with a sizzling collection of faculty and guest artists presenting solo recitals and performing with the symphony orchestra, jazz and wind ensembles. Performances are in the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Denver campus.

The winter season begins in January with performances by cellist Horacio Contreras, one of the finest Venezuelan cellists of his generation and pianist Ana Maria Otamendi, a studio artist at the Houston Grand Opera Studio on Wednesday, January 8; on Sunday, January 12, faculty organist Joseph Galema performs works by Bach, Brahms and Vierne, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of French organist and composer Louis Vierne’s birth; and faculty members Igor Pikayzen, an award-winning Russian-American violinist, and Steven Mayer, a Lamont favorite and versatile pianist, combine to perform on Friday, January 24.

February brings recitals by faculty favorites violinist Linda Wang, praised by critics for her “world-class artistry” and “masterful technique,” and cellist Matthew Zalkind, who recently was reviewed by Gramophone for the “sheer joyousness he communicates in every movement” on stage Friday, February 7; in her debut Lamont solo faculty recital, cellist Alice Yoo, having performed at prestigious venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall, and pianist Hsiao-Ling Lin take the Hamilton stage on Wednesday, February 19; and CATS (Celebrated Artist Teacher String Series) guest artists Kathleen Winkler, having earned the plaudits of critics and audiences alike worldwide, and Timothy Pitts, who has distinguished himself as one of the most versatile double bassists of his generation, perform on Friday, February 21.

In March, pianist Frederic Chiu, with a legacy of 27 recordings and a stream of accolades from around the globe, comes to Denver to perform on Friday, March 13.

All faculty and guest artist recitals are in Hamilton Recital Hall with $10 tickets. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. except for Joseph Gelama, who is performing at 4:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Gates Concert Hall, Newman Center Presents and National Geographic will present JANE – In Concert, the Colorado premiere of a new film telling the story of Jane Goodall set to a rich orchestral score from composer Philip Glass. The Lamont Symphony Orchestra will perform the score live with the film. Tickets for this special performance range from $16–$47. Tickets

Faculty and guest artists will also be soloing with three major ensembles: on Wednesday, January 29, Grammy-nominated Estonian-born faculty bassoon virtuoso Martin Kuuskmann performs with the Lamont Wind Ensemble in a “Prism” themed concert (free admission); guest saxophonist Adam Larson, described by critic Howard Reich of the Chicago-Tribune as “a player for whom the word ‘prodigious’ was coined,” joins the Lamont Jazz Orchestra on Thursday, March 5 (free admission); and the Lamont Symphony Orchestra is joined on Tuesday, March 10 by South African saxophonist Karendra Devroop in the Piazzolla Suite and popular faculty pianist Steven Mayer in Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and rounding out the program Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5. (Free ticket required, $5 Reserved Seating). All major ensemble concerts are at 7:30 p.m. in Gates Concert Hall.

Completing the winter season are the Lamont Chorale with a preview on Monday, March 2 of their performance at the 2020 Southwestern Regional Conference of the American Choral Directors Association; a reprise of the unique pairing of the Lamont North Indian Classical Dance and Bluegrass Ensembles on Friday, March 6; and the Lamont Steel Drum Ensemble on Monday, March 9 (free ticket required). These concerts all begin at 7:30 p.m. with the Chorale in Gates Concert Hall and the other two performances in Hamilton Recital Hall.

These concerts (with the exception of JANE – In Concert) have complimentary parking in the Newman Center Garage one hour prior to the performance (Enter on E. Wesley Ave.).

For more information and a complete list of concerts, master classes and events, please visit the Lamont School of Music website. For updated weekly information, call the Concert Line at 303.871.6412.

Tickets: Newman Center Box Office or call 303.871.7720

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