By Roy Ziegler
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart premiered the first trio for violin, viola and Cello ever written for classic chamber music about 220 years ago treating the instruments as absolute equals. Eric Ewazen first presented his Trio for Trumpet, Cello and piano about 220 days ago. So, the stage is set for a remarkable afternoon of wonderful contrasts in musical composition at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Solebury on Sunday, January 13 at 3:00 PM.
Mozart’s Divertimento for String Trio, K563 is an intensive, yet intimate journey through one of the great composer’s masterpieces. It exemplifies his unique ability for treating a simple melody with such freedom in the variations that completely different melodies seem to be heard. The great Mozart gift for flawless counterpoint is another great treat which this work offers the listener.
Ewazen’s work is one of the only works for trumpet, cello and piano. The Ukrainian composer premiered the work in Zagreb, Croatia earlier this year. “I’m delighted to be presenting my Trio here in New Hope,” he said. “The U.S. premier of my work featured Chris Gekker, who will perform with Concordia,” he noted
.The masterful trumpet playing of Chris Gekker, in a performance of the Christmas Oratorio in Carnegie Hall was praised by the New York Times as “bright virtuosity” and “clear-toned and pitch perfect.” Gekker appears as soloist on more than twenty recordings and as a performer on more than one hundred chamber music, orchestra and jazz recordings. CD Review called his recording of Copland’s Quiet City “a model of quiet perfection.”
Cellist, Michelle Djokic, Music Director of the Concordia Chamber Players, will be featured in both performances. “This concert shows how true it is that good things come in threes,” said Djokic. “These trios will be performed for the first time in the New Hope area and I believe that our audience will find them thoroughly enjoyable,” she added.
Violist, Mark Holloway, will join the Concordia Players in the Mozart Trio. He performs with the New York Philharmonic, the American Symphony and has played on tour with Les Miserables. Holloway has also been principal violist at Tanglewood and has been feature in numerous festivals in the United States, Russia and Puerto Rico.
Peter Winograd, violinist, a frequent member of Concordia concerts will round out the ensemble. Winograd is first violinist for the American String Quartet and performs on national tours of North America and Europe. His recording of the complete string quartets of Mozart has recently been released by the Musical Heritage Society.
Tickets for the Concordia Chamber Players are $25 and can be purchased at the door or online at concordiaplayers.org. Children under twelve years of age are admitted free to Concordia concerts when accompanied by a paying adult.