CU Presents -- January 8, 2023

January-March 2023

Takács Quartet Jan. 8-9 An Evening With Branford Marsalis Feb. 11

Takács Quartet March 12-13 Cendrillon March 17 and 19

Jupiter Ensemble with Lea Desandre March 22

JANUARY-MARCH 2023

Editors: Laima Haley, Sabine Kortals Stein

Designer: Sabrina Green

Contributors: Adam Goldstein

Photo/image credits: Eric Ryan Anderson, Glenn Asakawa, CU Boulder Photography, Allison Burke, Jim McGuire, Alina Sepp, Amanda Tipton, Robert Torres

Cover, Artist Series: Eric Eyan Anderson Cover, Eklund Opera: Glenn Asakawa Cover, Takács Quartet: Amanda Tipton

The University of Colorado Boulder—founded the same year Colorado became a state in 1876—recognizes that it sits on the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ute and many other Native American nations. Recognizing the history of the state, the university and the campus’ origin story, however difficult, and the histories and experiences of the Indigenous peoples who have lived in these territories for millennia aligns with the campus’ academic and research missions as Colorado’s flagship public research university. Full CU Boulder land acknowledgment: colorado.edu/land-acknowledgment

Artist Series Advisory Board: Daryl James, Chair; Gil Berman, Donalee Brown, Shirley Carnahan, Mike Gallucci, Alan Halpern, Willie Hill (emeritus), Maryann K. Jaross, Erika Randall, Greg Silvus, Ellen Taxman, Ann Yost

Music Advisory Board: Laurie Hathorn, Chair; Sue Baer, Chris Brauchli, Bob Bunting, Jan Burton, Bob Charles, Marty Coffin Evans, Paul Eklund, Jonathan Fox, Dave Fulker, Grace Gamm, Lloyd Gelman, Doree Hickman, Daryl James, Maria Johnson, Caryl Kassoy, Ben Nelson,

CU Presents is the home of performing arts on the beautiful University of Colorado Boulder campus. With hundreds of concerts, plays, recitals and more on our stages each year, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

The Artist Series, which for more than 80 years has welcomed worldrenowned musicians and dance troupes to historic Macky Auditorium.

The Colorado Shakespeare Festival, a professional theatre company devoted to the Bard’s works.

The Takács Quartet, a world-renowned chamber ensemble in residence at CU Boulder.

The CU Performing Arts, offering a broad range of both free and ticketed performances from CU Boulder faculty, students and guest artists: exciting new and classic works from the College of Music, spellbinding performances at the Department of Theatre & Dance and CU Boulder’s beloved annual Holiday Festival

This CU Presents program is published by: The Publishing House, Westminster, CO.

Publisher: Angie Flachman Johnson

Production Manager: Stacey Krull

President Emeritus: Wilbur E. Flachman

For advertising, call 303-428-9529 or email sales@pub-house.com. ColoradoArtsPubs.com

Redubbed “CU Boulder SoundWorks” celebrates new approach to composition + conception

By Adam Goldstein

Labels aren’t a priority for the creative directors behind the College of Music’s Pendulum New Music series.

The live performance/forum for new works, which will officially change its name from Pendulum to CU Boulder SoundWorks in January 2023, doesn’t place the same emphasis on formal categorization that obsesses many music fans and scholars alike. According to Egemen Kesikli, Pendulum/SoundWorks’ newly appointed artistic director, the focus of the concert series is more about inclusion, exploration and innovation than it is about classification.

“We value a broad aesthetic range of sound-based art that is inclusive of all genres and manners of music making, ranging from concert music to songwriting, electroacoustic to jazz, experimental and beyond,” says Kesikli, a composer, performer and educator who earned a doctorate in composition from CU Boulder and a master’s from the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to his new role, Kesikli serves as instructor of music theory at Colorado State University.

On that note, the program’s new title will represent its all-encompassing mission. Kesikli’s own creative output represents an ambitious creative approach, one that includes orchestral works, concertos and chamber works that spotlight traditional Anatolian instruments as well as unorthodox ensemble arrangements. He wants to bring that same spirit to a concert series that’s pushed musical boundaries since its inception in 2001 by CU Boulder faculty Michael Theodore, Andrew May and Daniel Sher. The series kicked off thanks in part to a generous donation by Tom Higley.

“The Pendulum Committee and College of Music have thought long and hard about the mission of this wonderful series and decided that it’s time to rebrand, to better capture its spirit of innovation and inclusivity,” Kesikli says, pointing to the program’s recent achievements under the direction of Elizabeth McNutt, Hsing-ay

Hsu, Clay Allen and Annika Socolofsky. “‘SoundWorks’ embraces all visions, creative processes, genres, theories and manners of music making.”

For the CU Boulder Soundworks’ 2022-23 season, that mission translates into a broad range of performers who represent a wide spectrum of backgrounds, musical styles and creative approaches—from two new string quartets by Keenan Powell and Spencer Stepanek, pieces written specifically for the College of Music’s Lírios Quartet; to three new saxophone quartets by Rain Michael, Isabel Goodwin and Ilan Blanck, written for ~Nois, one of the preeminent contemporary music ensembles and saxophone quartets in the country; to two new chamber works by graduate composers Abby Kellems and Jessie Lausé, written for the Boulder Altitude Directive (BAD).

These new works push the vision and accomplishments of the CU Boulder SoundWorks series, even as it honors the achievements of the past. Since its creation more than 20 years ago, the series has featured artists and innovators like Alarm Will Sound, Bang on a Can All Stars, Eighth Blackbird, HOCKET, loadbang, ~Nois and annual appearances by the BAD ensemble, directed by Carter Pann. The CU Boulder Wind Symphony, directed by Donald McKinney, and Renova—the college’s newly established choir founded by Jessie Flasschoen—have also been featured in the series.

For Kesikli, this lineup reflects the all-encompassing heart of CU Boulder SoundWorks, a performance series and format to celebrate new music, deconstruct preconceptions and open the world of composition to a whole new crowd of artists and audience members.

“SoundWorks is inclusive, and avoids a binary of artistic polarities and stylistic dichotomies such as ‘high and low,’ ‘tonal and atonal’ or ‘East and West,’” he concludes. 

“In my position for CU Boulder Soundworks, I strive to promote diversity in contemporary music and decolonize the canon.”

Ms Holmes & Ms Watson by Kate Hamill

Catapult

A BFA dance concert Feb. 3-5

Charlotte York Irey Theatre

An Evening with Branford Marsalis

The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul

Saturday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. Macky Auditorium

Open Space

Curated by CU Dance Connection Feb. 24-26

Charlotte York Irey Theatre

Antigone, Presented by the Girls of St. Catherine’s

A play by Madhuri Shekar

Feb. 24-March 5

Old Main Chapel

Takács Quartet

March 12-13

Grusin Music Hall

Streaming March 12-20

Company

A musical comedy by Stephen Sondheim March 10-19

Charlotte York Irey Theatre

Ticketed Event Key Artist Series

Takács Quartet

CU Boulder Performing Arts

Cendrillon

An opera by Jules Massenet

March 17 and 19 Macky Auditorium

Takács Quartet

April 16-17

Grusin Music Hall Streaming April 16-24

Scan this QR code or visit cupresents.org/performances to explore all upcoming (free and ticketed) performances.

Jupiter Ensemble with Lea Desandre

All Vivaldi

Wednesday, March 22, 7:30 p.m. Macky Auditorium

Zakir Hussain and the Masters of Percussion

Tuesday, April 4, 7:30 p.m. Macky Auditorium

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

Tuesday, April 18, 7:30 p.m. Macky Auditorium

The Current Dance works by faculty and guest artists

April 20-23 Charlotte York Irey Theatre

An Evening with Branford Marsalis

The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul

Saturday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m.

Macky Auditorium Tickets start at $24

Spring 2023 Artist Series Tickets

Jupiter Ensemble with Lea Desandre

All Vivaldi

Wednesday, March 22, 7:30 p.m.

Macky Auditorium Tickets start at $18

Zakir Hussain and the Masters of Percussion

Tuesday, April 4, 7:30 p.m.

Macky Auditorium Tickets start at $23

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

Tuesday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.

Macky Auditorium Tickets start at $24

Zakir Hussain’s Masters of Percussion performance to summon cultural traditions and break musical barriers

By Adam Goldstein

Zakir Hussain doesn’t want to assign boundaries to his music.

Hussain’s legendary work as a composer and percussionist has solid roots in the traditions and culture of India. As a tabla player and as an artist, Hussain has spent decades pushing the boundaries of Hindustani classical music, work that echoes the legacy of his father, percussionist Alla Rakha.

But that component has always been just one part of Hussain’s broader approach to creating music and breaking down creative barriers. His professional accomplishments are hardly confined to simple labels; in work with rock, jazz and pop artists ranging from George Harrison to Mickey Hart to Bill Laswell, Hussain has sought to spotlight commonalities in lieu of silos.

“When we play music, we don’t think of all of those forms—jazz, rock, pop—as something other than what we do. We think of all of those forms as music,” Hussain told an interviewer in 2019. “When you have that kind of a mindset, it becomes easier to interact. If you arrive with your flag and say, ‘I’m an Indian musician and I’m just going to do that,’ then obviously the languages won’t meet, you won’t be copasetic or sympathetic to whatever is coming at you.”

Hussain brings that same, all-encompassing approach to “Masters of Percussion,” a concert tour set to arrive at the Macky Auditorium on April 4.

The performance serves as a showcase of percussion and drum styles from around the world, with Hussain’s Grammy Award-winning virtuosity on the Indian tabla drum as its fulcrum.

This all-star approach spreads the spotlight to musical idioms and beats from across the globe, including progressive jazz styles from the United States. Hussain’s dedication to offering a platform for a diverse array of drummers (and even the occasional string player) to flourish didn’t spring from a vacuum. “Masters of Percussion” is an offshoot of similar tours with his father who made his own strides in fusing Indian musical traditions with other forms from around the world.

As a teacher, a mentor and an artist, this tour offers Hussain the chance to spotlight the work of other players striving to find common musical ground among different musical traditions. Hussain’s performance at Macky is bound to summon ancient traditions and introduce new trends at the same time … and he won’t be doing it alone.

“I’m not the only one who’s known for fusion,” Hussain says. “There are so many musicians in India, especially young musicians these days, who are really crossing boundaries in very commendable ways.” 

ARTIST SERIES

Zakir Hussain and the Masters of Percussion

April 4, 2023

Macky Auditorium Tickets at this QR Code:

Spring 2023

Department of Theatre & Dance Events

Catapult

A BFA dance concert

Feb. 3-5

Antigone, Presented by the Girls of St. Catherine’s

A play by Madhuri Shekar

Feb. 24-March 5

Open Space

Company

A musical comedy by Stephen Sondheim March 10-19

“Pieces for the woman who sees jewelry no differently than the art she displays on the walls of her home.”

Designer, Sara Freedenfeld

Jupiter Ensemble’s collection of virtuosos sheds new light on classical standards

By Adam Goldstein

The Jupiter Ensemble is made up of musical prodigies.

Founded in 2018 by lute player Thomas Dunford, the group boasts no shortage of sheer skill. Each player brings their own extraordinary talent on instruments ranging from violin to mandolin to viola to harpsichord—and that’s no accident. From the very beginning, Dunford made a point of assembling an ensemble of classical music rock stars, artists who could easily be featured as soloists in any showcase worth its salt.

“With Jupiter, I wanted to bring together a group of exceptional musicians from the new generation, encountered while working with a large number of ensembles,” Dunford has said of his approach as creative director of the ensemble. “All of the artists invited to take part in the project are brilliant masters of their instruments … (This) means we can perform the various repertoires in question with passion, power and emotion.”

In this ensemble of musical masters, it also means that the content benefits from the collective expertise and experience of all members. Rather than a clash of egos, the Jupiter Ensemble represents a collaborative meeting of brilliant minds. For example, the group’s approach to live performances and recordings has been overwhelmingly democratic. Players have voted on which compositions and composers they’d like to feature; and original compositions have featured creative input from every member.

The Jupiter Ensemble’s performance on the Artist Series at Macky Auditorium on March 22 is sure to demonstrate the dual dynamic of expertise and cooperation, featuring its fine musicians, including mezzo soprano Lea Desandre. The program will focus entirely on the work of Italian composer and impresario Antonio Vivaldi, with instrumentation and arrangements designed to spotlight his music in unique and authentic ways.

At the same time, the concert will represent the combined input of the entire ensemble. In summoning the spirit of the baroque composer, the Jupiter Ensemble draws on its own interpretations of both popular and lesser-known works. As Dunford told The New York Times earlier this year, the group’s approach to Vivaldi relies on the interpretive skills of a cadre of top-notch young musicians, players who put their “personalities into it.” Considering the resumes of musicians like Desandre, who has performed in opera houses spanning the globe, those personalities are bound to bring a new dimension to music that stretches back centuries. 

ARTIST SERIES

Jupiter Ensemble

All Vivaldi MArch 22, 2023

Macky Auditorium

Tickets at this QR Code:

Takács Quartet

Haydn, Mendelssohn and Beethoven

4 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023

7:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 9, 2023 Grusin Music Hall Streaming Jan. 8-16

Program

String Quartet in F Major, Op. 77, No. 2 Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

I. Allegro moderato

II. Menuetto

III. Andante

IV. Finale

String Quartet in E-flat Major Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)

I. Adagio ma non troppo

II. Allegretto

III. Romanze

IV. Allegro molto vivace

—Intermission—

String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

I. Assai sostenuto - Allegro

II. Allegro, ma non tanto

III. Molto adagio

IV. Alla Marcia, assai vivace

V. Allegro appassionato

PLEASE NOTE

• Masks are optional in public indoor spaces on the CU Boulder campus as of March 7, 2022.

• Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the house manager.

• Photography and video recordings of any type are strictly prohibited during the performance.

• Smoking is not permitted anywhere. CU Boulder is a smoke-free campus.

· cupresents.org · 303-492-8008

Program notes

By Henry Michaels

The history of the string quartet as a genre is inextricably linked to the ever-shifting interplay between the private and public musical spheres. By the late eighteenth century, instrumental music’s public realm was increasingly defined and dominated by the symphony, while the private realm was the domain of the string quartet. This was music that was played in well-to-do homes amongst family and friends, music that was part of a certain type of domesticity. The string quartet was pulled further and further afield from this domestic association in the nineteenth century, however, until eventually it became the central repertoire of its own type of public-facing musical entertainment.

This concert program in some ways illustrates this shift from music that was intended for private gatherings to music that was intended for the stage. But it also shows how fuzzy these lines of demarcation were. Take, for example, publishing. Although the issuing publications of music is, in fact, a public act, the publishing industry was in many ways tied up with musical domesticity. The public and private musical worlds of the late 1700s and early 1800s, then, were not so much opposing arenas as they were two parts of a venn diagram whose section of middle overlap was always shifting and up for debate.

As the composer dubbed the “Father of String Quartet,” it is perhaps appropriate that Joseph Haydn’s career mirrored this move from the private realm to the public one. For the bulk of his career, Haydn served as music director for a wealthy and powerful Hungarian nobleman named Prince Nicholas Esterházy. Of Haydn’s remarkable 68 string quartets, 28 of them date from the first two decades of his employment with Prince Nicholas. These quartets—indeed, all of Haydn’s music at the time—were the legal property of his patron.

This changed, however, when the prince, after nearly two decades as Haydn’s employer, agreed to a relaxation of the exclusivity clause in the composer’s contract. This allowed Haydn not only to write works for publication, but also to receive one-off commissions from other wealthy patrons. Haydn was further freed up when the musicobsessed Prince Nicholas died in 1790 and was

succeeded by the more music-agnostic Prince Anton. Although he still remained in the employ of the Esterházy family, he had more time for commissions, publications, and, eventually, touring and public concerts. The remaining 39 quartets were written during this period of publication and outside commissions.

Which brings us back to the sometimes messy “divide” between the public and private domains, both of which Haydn inhabited during the final decades of his life. Because whether he was writing for publication or for the prince, the inherent “private-ness” of the quartet remained. While publication did make them, well, public, these were still a vehicle for domestic musicmaking regardless of whether the domicile in question was the home of a work’s noble commissioner or of some other talented musician who simply purchased the sheet music (or both as would have been the case with a work like Haydn’s String Quartet in F Major, Op. 77, No. 2).

Haydn began work on Op. 77, No. 2 in 1799 as part of a planned set of six quartets commissioned by Prince Joseph Franz von Lobkowitz. This quartet, along with the first in the proposed set, were completed by the end of the year, but the remaining four never materialized (although he did compose and later publish two movements of a third quartet). Haydn, who had almost always published his quartets in sets of three or six, resisted calls from his publisher to issue the extant quartets as a set of two. He eventually gave in, however, and in September of 1802 released a two-quartet Op. 77 dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz. It has been suggested that Haydn may have abandoned the remaining Op. 77 quartets in order to avoid direct comparison with Beethoven’s opus 18 quartets, which had appeared in 1801 and were also commissioned by and dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz. Regardless of whether or not there is any truth to this interpretation, it certainly underscores the increasingly public nature of the discourse surrounding quartets. Although commissioning a work could in many ways seem to be a private act, the publicity that resulted from the accompanying dedication was anything but.

By 1834, the year Fanny Mendelssohn composed her String Quartet in E-flat Major, the private-topublic shift of the string quartet was well under way. While there were certainly still plenty of

quartets being written with an eye toward homebased amateur music-making, the genre’s growing importance—and the Capital-S Seriousness with which it was treated—meant that composers increasingly produced dramatic music whose difficulty meant it was really best suited for professional-caliber musicians.

From the intense fugal section in the second movement to the third movement’s repeated denials of tonal expectations (throughout the movement Mendelssohn prepares for but ultimately evades the key of G minor), there is difficulty and drama aplenty in Mendelssohn’s quartet. Fanny Mendelssohn, however, was never afforded the opportunity to see how this work would go over with an audience. When she showed the quartet to her brother, Felix, who was also a composer, he was extremely critical of it, arguing that the ways in which she approached to keys and form were too meandering (or, perhaps, too original?). Fanny had this to say in response to Felix’s criticism of some of her large-scale pieces:

I’ve reflected how I, actually not an eccentric or overly sentimental person, came to write pieces in a tender style. I believe it derives from the fact that we were young during Beethoven’s last years and absorbed his style to a considerable degree. But that style is exceedingly moving and emotional. You’ve gone through it from start to finish and progressed beyond it in your composing, and I’ve remained stuck in it, not possessing the strength, however, that is necessary to sustain such tenderness. Therefore I also believe that you haven’t hit upon or voiced the crucial issue. It’s not so much a certain way of composing that is lacking as it is a certain approach to life, and as a result of this shortcoming, my lengthy things die in their youth of decrepitude; I lack the ability to sustain ideas properly and give them the needed consistency.

Her discouragement is as clearly discernible as it is tragic. Equally tragic (and certainly discouraging) was the fact that despite requesting Felix’s help in arranging for a public premiere, the String Quartet in E-flat Major was performed just a single time—in a private reading. Nor was it published. Despite the increasingly public-facing nature of the string quartet, Fanny Mendelssohn was confined to a

more extreme type of musical privacy for one reason and one reason only: her gender.

As a cultured woman of means, Fanny Mendelssohn’s music making was still expected to adhere to gender norms. She understood these expectations as well as anyone. The conclusion at which she arrived in the letter quoted above is that she should stick to writing song (“Lieder suit me best”). Unlike the string quartet, lieder were still primarily connected with home music making and involved musical forces that were considered gender-appropriate (voice and piano).

Whether public or private, the string quartet was simply not associated with women musicians, and the String Quartet in E-flat Major is one of the first contributions to the genre by a female composer. For Fanny Mendelssohn to have undertaken that without the support of her family and musical collaborators must have been daunting. And while it certainly seems that she took her brother’s lack of support to heart, it’s entirely less clear whether she took his judgments nearly as seriously. While she did not dispute his feedback, she also made not one single revision to the work as originally composed.

While it has been argued quite convincingly that Ludwig van Beethoven’s most important audience in the late quartets was himself, it can’t be denied that they were written with a larger audience in mind. By 1825, the year in which Beethoven composed the String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132, Vienna boasted a thriving public concert scene for string quartets. In 1823 the violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh— with whom Beethoven had worked before—had returned to the city after a nearly decade-long absence, reformed his professional quartet and started a new concert series. Within a year Beethoven’s nephew Karl was able to write to his uncle that one of Schuppanzigh’s concerts was popular enough to have been standing room only.

Beethoven’s late quartets pushed the expected boundaries of the genre, frequently asking much from both performer and audience. But the relationship between the composer, his audience and his professional musical collaborators was a symbiotic one. For his part, Beethoven received access to musicians capable of executing the increasingly difficult music he was producing, as well as an audience—many of whom were

musical connoisseurs—who could appreciate the staggering importance of what he was creating, even if they couldn’t always understand. For Schuppanzigh, on the other hand, there was the marketing advantage of premiering works by Vienna’s greatest living composer; he told Beethoven in 1825 that featuring one of his quartets could have a “big difference in my present subscription [series].”

Op. 132 was publicly premiered by Schuppanzigh’s quartet in November of 1825 after having been performed some months prior in an intimate homebased gathering (the lines are, as always, fuzzy). It was a great success, with Beethoven’s nephew Karl writing that there was “a lot of applause.” In this quartet, Beethoven undertook an expansion of the traditional four-movement form by adding in a short march movement that leads straight into the finale. When Fanny Mendelssohn referred to Beethoven’s late style as “exceedingly moving and emotional,” one has to think this quartet was one of those in her mind, as it includes one of the composer’s most glaringly personal moments. Beethoven, having dealt with a life-threatening illness earlier in the year, labeled the chorale in the third movement with the words, “Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der Lydischen Tonart,” or, “Holy Song of Thanksgiving by a Convalescent to the Divinity, in the Lydian Mode.”

About the performers

The world-renowned Takács Quartet is now entering its 48th season. Edward Dusinberre, Harumi Rhodes (violins), Richard O’Neill (viola) and András Fejér (cello) are excited about the 2022-2023 season that begins with a tour of Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea, and includes the release of two new CDs for Hyperion Records. A disc of Haydn’s opp. 42, 77 and 103 is followed by the first recording of an extraordinary new work written for the Takács by Stephen Hough, Les Six Rencontres, presented with quartets by Ravel and Dutilleux. As Associate Artists at London’s Wigmore Hall, the Takács will perform four concerts there. In addition to programs featuring Beethoven, Schubert and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, one concert consists of works by Britten, Bartók and Dvořák that highlight the same themes of displacement and return explored in Edward Dusinberre’s new book Distant Melodies: Music in Search of Home The book is published by Faber and the University of Chicago Press in the Fall of 2022. The quartet will perform the same program at several venues in the U.S., complemented by book talks. During this season the quartet will continue its fruitful partnership with pianist Jeremy Denk, performing on several North American series.

Throughout 2022 and 2023 the ensemble will play at prestigious European venues including the Edinburgh and Schwetzingen

Festivals, Madrid’s Auditorio de Música, Bilbao’s Philharmonic Society, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and the Bath Mozartfest. The group’s North American engagements include concerts in New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Ann Arbor, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Tucson, Portland and the Beethoven Center at San Jose State University.

The Takács Quartet is known for innovative programming. In 2021-22 the ensemble partnered with bandoneon virtuoso Julien Labro to premiere new works by Clarice Assad and Bryce Dessner, commissioned by Music Accord. In 2014 the Takács performed a program inspired by Philip Roth’s novel Everyman with Meryl Streep at Princeton, and again with her at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto in 2015. They first performed Everyman at Carnegie Hall in 2007 with Philip Seymour Hoffman. They have toured 14 cities with the poet Robert Pinsky, and played regularly with the Hungarian Folk group Muzsikas.

The Takács records for Hyperion Records, recently winning awards for their recordings of string quartets by Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, and—with pianist Garrick Ohlsson—piano quintets by Amy Beach and Elgar. Other releases for Hyperion feature works by Haydn, Schubert, Janáček, Smetana, Debussy and Britten, as well as piano quintets by César Franck and Shostakovich (with Marc-André Hamelin), and viola quintets by Brahms and Dvorák (with Lawrence Power). For their CDs on the Decca/London label, the Quartet has won three Gramophone Awards, a Grammy Award, three Japanese Record Academy Awards, Disc of the Year at the inaugural BBC Music Magazine Awards, and Ensemble Album of the Year at the Classical Brits. Full details of all recordings can be found in the Recordings section of the Quartet’s website.

In 2014 the Takács became the first string quartet to be awarded the Wigmore Hall Medal. In 2012, Gramophone announced that the Takács was the first string quartet to be inducted into its Hall of Fame. The ensemble also won the 2011 Award for Chamber Music and Song presented by the Royal Philharmonic Society in London.

Based in Boulder at the University of Colorado Boulder, the members of the Takács Quartet are Christoffersen Faculty Fellows, and the grateful beneficiaries of an instrument loan by the Drake Foundation. The members of the Takács are on the faculty at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, where they run a summer string quartet seminar, and Visiting Fellows at the Guildhall School of Music, London.

The Takács Quartet was formed in 1975 at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest by Gabor Takács-Nagy, Károly Schranz, Gabor Ormai and András Fejér, while all four were students. The group received international attention in 1977, winning First Prize and the Critics’ Prize at the International String Quartet Competition in Evian, France. The Quartet also won the Gold Medal at the 1978 Portsmouth and Bordeaux Competitions and First Prizes at the Budapest International String Quartet Competition in 1978 and the Bratislava Competition in 1981. The Quartet made its North American debut tour in 1982.

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Cendrillon combines fairy-tale magic with classical grandeur

By Adam Goldstein

Good opera doesn’t always have to be about spurned lovers, untimely death and bitter betrayal.

Sure, all of those elements have their place in the tragic operatic canon, but the genre can also convey plot elements and themes that offer audiences magic, wonder and hope. Jules Massenet’s Cendrillon is a perfect example, an opera in four acts that the composer aptly described as “a fairy tale.”

Of course, anyone who’s grown up with the story of Cinderella knows the gist of this particular fairy tale. Massenet’s opera, with a libretto by Henri Caïn, debuted in Paris in 1899 and takes its plot cues from Charles Perrault’s 17thcentury version of the tale.

Nevertheless, anyone who grew up with the 1950 Disney film version or any subsequent takes on the ragsto-riches story of a heroine seeking love, kindness and redemption will find plenty to recognize in this opera, to be presented by the College of Music’s Eklund Opera Program on March 17 and 19 at Macky Auditorium.

“Massenet’s opera sticks pretty close to the traditional story that we all know from Disney,” says Eklund Opera Program Director Leigh Holman, who will direct the upcoming production. “There’s the Fairy Godmother, the glass slipper, the carriage. I think people will enjoy all that, because it’s fantastical and familiar.”

What may come as a revelation for some audience members is the scope of the production and the lavishness of the score. Massenet puts the story of Cinderella in a lush, grandiose musical frame—one that melds French, German and Italian operatic cues. Associate Professor of Opera and Music Director Nicholas Carthy will work with student performers to bring this dynamic to life.

“The music is just really, really beautiful,” Holman says. “There are a lot of quotes and inspiration that Massenet pulled from the work of Richard Wagner. Of course, Wagner was famous for his really huge, glorious orchestral moments—that will be an interesting through-line for some opera buffs.”

For audience members—young and old—who may not be as familiar with the classical opera catalog, Cendrillon could serve as a perfect introduction. With a story made familiar in folk stories, films and cartoons over centuries, this production combines sensibilities in a dazzling way.

“It’s going to be a beautiful production,” Holman says, noting that as the performers deliver the lines in French, supertitles will translate the text into English. “This will be the first time we’ve done this opera. We’ll have a brand-new set, brand-new costumes. Visually, it’s going to be really exciting for young folks.”

“This opera is a good opportunity for our students and for audiences of all backgrounds. There are fairies, magic—all that grand, fun stuff that makes people love the opera.” 

EKLUND OPERA

Cendrillon March 17 and 19

Macky Auditorium Tickets at this QR Code:

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College of Music Dean’s Annual Fund

The Dean’s Annual Fund provides critical support for programs throughout the College of Music. It enriches student and faculty experiences through diversity, equity + inclusion initiatives, faculty and staff professional development, student performances at Boettcher Concert Hall, distinguished visiting lecturers ... and more!

Thank you to all individuals who have contributed already. The below list consists of all gifts of $50+ made to the College of Music Dean’s Annual Fund between Jun. 1, 2021 and Nov. 30, 2022. If you are interested in making a donation to the Dean’s Annual Fund, please contact Assistant Dean for Advancement Andrew Todd at atodd@colorado.edu

$50,000+

The Estate of David Turner Maria Johnson

$10,000-$49,999

Paul and Kristina Eklund Wright Family Foundation

$5,000-$9,999

Daniel Trump Renaissance Charitable Foundation, Inc. (1) Chris and Margot Brauchli Lloyd and Mary Gelman Rudy and Margaret Perez Jack and Sophie Walker

$2,500-$4,999

Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund (1)

Babs and Mike Gerber National Philanthropic Trust Donor Advised Funds (1) Mikhy and Mike Ritter

The Seaver Institute

Community Foundation Boulder County - Aronson Family Fund

The R. David & Suzanne A. Hoover Charitable Trust

$1,000-$2,499

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund (2)

Schwab Charitable Fund (3) Dave Fulker and Nicky Wolman

Doree Hickman

Charlotte Kilpatrick* Bonnie Kirschenbaum

Ben and Pattie Nelson Vivianne and Joel Pokorny

Tyler Little Family Foundation

Lucinda Waldron and Paul Ward

Margie and Tom Whittington

The Benevity Community Impact Fund (1)

Ayco Charitable Foundation (1) Bob Bunting

Karen Connolly

Diane and Niles Flanders Val and Bill Mooney gReg Silvus

The Dayem Family Foundation

The Halverson Foundation

Normie Morin-Voillequé and Paul Voillequé

Barbara Wagner Anne and Peter Wood Coco and Bret Peterson

$750-$999

Coco and Bret Peterson Marty Coffin Evans and Robert Trembly Ruth and Richard Irvin Heather and Brian O’Neill Xcel Energy

$500-$749

Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund (1)

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund (2) Dave Grusin and Nan Newton Tana and Joe Rocco, Jr. Linda Laird Giedl

Robert Short Frank Spaid

Sylvia and Charles Coats Fox Trust Ithiel Frame

Thomas Godfrey Daryl and Kay James John Moore

Lawrence Robins Suan and Russell Schnell

$300-$499

Anonymous (1)

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund (1)

Laura and John Courier Edward Kellenberger Madalynn Schmidt Becky and John Shockley Robert Garnett Nicole and Thomas Hasenpflug James and Donna Klausman

Maria Vouras and Vasilios Lekkas Debbie and Rob Phillips Cindi and John Stetson The Boeing Company

$150-$299

The Benevity Community Impact Fund (1) David Becher Deanna DeMarco Ann Johnson and Robert Sprinkle Jennifer and Bob Kamper Kim and Bob Larsen Donna Meckley Diane Phillips* The Boeing Company Heidi and Scott Vangenderen Trenton Warner Xilinx, Inc. Timothy Brown Barbara and Myron Caspar Connie and Allen Hayden Jon and Liz Hinebauch Lenna and Jon Kottke Jeff and Lois Linsky Mark Melendy Jan Schiff Elisabeth David Rose Community Foundation (1) Emily Andrews and Brian Ross Jon and Liz Hinebauch Harold and Joan Leinbach Pamela Rafferty Sarah Royall Rose Terada

$50-$149

Anonymous (1)

The Benevity Community Impact Fund (1)

Gregg Miller

Sue and Barry Baer Sandra and Bruce Dudley Roberta and Cliff Goldstein Helen and Christopher Gray Jonnie and Virgil Hoffman Joan Hooper and Aaron Walters

Diana Kahn

George Kiteley

Gretchen and James Lewis Kerry Lightenburger Marian Matheson

Cathy and Byron McCalmon Kate and John McFerrin Andrea Martyn and Craig McKenzie Ken and Maria Mendelsberg Jason Mieger

Deborah and Brian Mooney Constance and Robert Primus Carol and Alvin Rivera

Firuzeh and Navid Saidi Susanne Skyrm

Barbara and John Wollan Ann and Gary Yost Sharon and Robert Young Bill Lockhart

Terri Albright and Howard Bittman

Janice Sanders Patricia and Jim Wilmore Kelli and Evan Pfaff Laura and Dale Embleton Tanya Ramond Joann and Gerhard Wolter Tyler Benjamin Trent and Mary Ellis Susan Garland Lois Gould Brenda and Yoshiyuki Ishikawa Judy Cisel and Andrew Kramer

Marianne and Johnny Martin, Jr.

Janie and Harry McDonald, Jr. Usha and Ramkumar Narayanswamy Brooke and Gary Palumbo Rojana Savoye

Gayle and Thomas Smith Vivienne and Stephen Smithers

*Deceased

Founded by Musicians. Supporting Musicians.

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Takács Quartet launches CU Series, expands community engagement

By Adam Goldstein

It would seem that members of the College of Music’s Takács Quartet don’t need any help creating a dynamic and engaging musical ambience.

The musicians of the world-renowned, Grammy Award-winning ensemble are widely recognized for their musical qualifications and achievements. Violinists Edward Dusinberre and Harumi Rhodes, violist Richard O’Neill and cellist András Fejér are all veterans of the international classical music scene; and all four of them—artists-in-residence at our college— regularly perform for audiences worldwide, holding their own on the most prestigious, storied stages.

Even so, the quartet is committed to collaborating with others to make their performances extra special, particularly in our local community.

“We love playing for our home crowd in Boulder,” says Rhodes, who recently returned from a busy, international tour with the quartet. “The energy in the concert hall is a huge part of our music making. Audience members might not always realize this, but they are actively contributing to what is happening on stage.

“Having a ‘home’ audience of loyal Takács fans is a huge honor and when we hear the buzz of conversation among friends in the hall, it makes the concert experience more than just about the music itself. It’s about the relationships formed through the shared love of music.”

Nurturing and drawing inspiration from those relationships is a major focus for the quartet as they look to 2023. Coming up on Jan. 8 and 9, they will perform Haydn’s String Quartet, Op. 77, No. 2, Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 132 and Fanny Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in E-flat Major. These concerts will celebrate several milestones for the group, including the release of new Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn and Haydn string quartets recordings, and the publication of Dusinberre’s new book, Distant Melodies: Music in Search of Home

The January concerts will also signify a new push from the quartet to deepen and expand its relationships with fans. Beginning in 2023, the Takács Quartet’s new CU Series will allocate 16 free tickets for each Monday night concert to engage new audience members.

“Over the summer, I spoke with our friends and colleagues at the College of Music and CU Presents about how we can continue to serve our loyal patrons alongside cultivating relationships with possible new audience members, especially young music students in our community,” Rhodes explains. “The opportunity to grow our audience is exciting to us—and we think engaging

with young musicians in our local community is a beautiful place to start.”

Reaching out to young musicians isn’t a new priority for the quartet, now entering its 48th season. Most recently, Takács members worked closely with members of youth orchestras to instill a sense of engagement and investment in orchestral music among young local musicians. In September, the quartet invited alumna Emily Bowman—artistic director of the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestras—and 16 of her students to attend one of the ensemble’s Monday night performances.

“We loved having them in the audience and talking with them afterwards,” says Rhodes. “Their observations, comments, impressions and questions were full of curiosity and insight—and their presence in the hall added a joyful energy to the concert.”

Such efforts are slated to continue. The quartet has invited Boulder Suzuki Strings Executive Director Amy Gesmer-Packman and 16 of her students to attend their concert on Jan. 9. And In March and April, the quartet will welcome Executive Director of the Colorado Music Festival Elizabeth McGuire and Center for Musical Arts Education Director Kathy Kucsan, along with 16 students, to join the audience.

Alongside her individual work with Boulder Suzuki Strings, the GBYO chamber music ensembles and students from the Colorado Music Festival Young Musicians Seminar, Rhodes says such community engagement activities add deeper meaning and impact to the quartet’s performances.

Indeed, it’s part of what makes playing at CU Boulder unique for a group of musicians that’s welcomed with open arms in classical music venues around the world. For all the excitement and glamor that comes with traveling nationally and internationally, there’s something special about returning home. 

Takács Quartet

livestreams offer front row seats every time

By Laima Haley

If it’s possible to find silver linings from the COVID-19 pandemic, one of them would surely be the dramatic growth of virtual performances. The Takács Quartet’s continuing livestreamed performances are one such happy outcome, offering access to viewers worldwide as well as flexibility to local patrons. Enjoying a virtuoso performance at home, perhaps with one’s beverage of choice is, after all, a delightful way to spend the evening.

The College of Music’s expert technical team produces six HD-quality livestreams each year (one of which features a guest quartet). These streams include close-up views, exceptional audio quality and can be viewed on most devices including smart TVs. Performances stream live on Sunday evenings but are available to view on demand for an entire week afterwards.

Convenience is another key advantage of livestreamed concerts. In-person season ticket holders also receive free digital access so they can watch if they are unable to attend… or even relive the performance after attending in person!

In-person and streamed performances continue this spring, Jan. 8, March 12 and April 16. Single tickets for livestreamed or in-person performances can be purchased up until the day of the event. In-person and virtual season tickets for the 202223 season will be available this spring. Visit cupresents.org to purchase tickets or to log in to your account to view Takács Quartet livestreams.

Thank you to our donors

Annual contributions provide essential support for the Artist Series, Eklund Opera and Takács Quartet. With these gifts, donors support concert performances, opera productions, faculty recitals, guest artist appearances, the Takács Quartet residency and many other vital projects. Each contributor listed here helped make these performances possible. We are profoundly grateful for the generosity of our donors. If you would like to join our community of supporters, please contact our Advancement team at 303-492-3054 or visit cupresents.org/giving

Annual support listed below consists of all gifts of $50+ made to the Artist Series, Eklund Opera and Takács Quartet between Jun. 1, 2021 and Nov. 30, 2022. It is our intention to acknowledge each donor’s generosity as accurately as possible. Please contact Development Assistant Rachelle Dizon to address omissions, misspellings or other inaccuracies at rachelle.dizon@colorado.edu. Thank you!

Artist Series

$10,000+ Dick Dunn

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund (1)

Paul Bechtner Foundation

$5,000-$9,999 gReg Silvus Chris and Barbara Christoffersen $2,500-$4,999

Vanguard Charitable Gift FundGil and Nancy Berman Fund

$1,500-$2,499

Anonymous (1) Ruth Kahn* Mike and Carol Gallucci

Ellen and Josh Taxman Daryl and Kay James Mary Lamy

Larry and Ann Thomas

Vanguard Charitable Gift Fund (1)

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund (1)

Jane and Ric Reverand

Joan McLean Braun

$750-$1,499

Anonymous (1)

Ann and Gary Yost

Barbara Springer and Clay Robinson

$500-$749

Toni and Douglas Shaller

Gail Mock Melanie Mason Maryan Jaross and Thomas Lepak Heather Van Dusen

Flo Phillips Bob and Sandy McCalmon

$300-$499

Evelyn Taylor

Bev and Bruce Fest Jerry and Heidi Lynch Janet and Scott Martin

Carson-Pfafflin Family Foundation Jacqueline and Mark Wong Kumiko Iwata

Cynthia Reichman

$150-$299

Anonymous (1)

Marty Coffin Evans and Robert Trembly

Pauline and Noel Clark Cathy Cloutier

Alice and Judah Levine Kim and Richard Plumridge

$50-$149

Anonymous (1) Carol and Peter Tierney

Leslie and Merrill Glustrom

Penina Axelrad and Tim Perley Elizabeth Bradley and Andee Rubin

Lucy Buckley and William Waggener Rose and Dean Enix Mary Ann Shea and Steven Meyrich

Judith and James Heinze Chris and Vicki Meyer

Eklund Opera

$10,000+

The Academy Charitable Foundation, Inc.

$5,000-$9,999

Leonard & Alice Perlmutter Charitable Foundation

$2,500-$4,999

John Hedderich

$1,000-$2,499

Vanguard Charitable Gift Fund (1)

Margaret and Chet Winter Vivianne and Joel Pokorny

$750-$999

Lloyd and Mary Gelman Barb Grogan Rudy and Margaret Perez Toni and Douglas Shaller

$500-$749

Helen Stone Jeanie Davis Dennis G. Peterson Alan and Stephanie Rudy Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund (1)

Larry and Ann Thomas Marti and Patrick Ritto

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Global Impact Funding Trust Ruth and Richard Irvin Ruth Schoening

Vanguard Charitable Gift Fund (1)

$300-$499

Evelyn Taylor

Lori and Bob Schuyler Mikhy and Mike Ritter Annyce Mayer

Becky Roser and Ron Stewart Jack and Sophie Walker Jim and Judith Bowers Sarah Ashley Judy and Neil Bicknell

$150-$299

Harold and Joan Leinbach Dave and Ann Phillips Jerry and Heidi Lynch Marty Coffin Evans and Robert Trembly Sara-Jane and Bill Cohen Jessica Catlin

$50-$149

Ann and Gary Yost Betsy and Richard Armstrong Frieda and Richard Holley Jim Topping Katherine Hansil Martha and Irfan Hussain Susan and Robert Burton Traci and Brian Bruckner

Walter Taylor Susan Graber Cheryl and James Hogan Joyce Spencer Mutsumi Moteki and David Kirtley

Takács Quartet

$10,000+

Community Foundation Boulder County (1) Judy and Gary Judd

$5,000-$9,499 Carol Kovner Chris and Margot Brauchli

$2,500-$4,999 Chris and Barbara Christoffersen Rosemary Phelps

$1,000-$2,499

P.J. Decker and Beth Saperstein Marion Thurnauer and Alex Trifunac Vivianne and Joel Pokorny Robbie Dunlap Tom and Carol Cech Takács String Quartet

$750-$999

Anne Heinz and Ran Yaron John and Carson Taylor Larry and Ann Thomas Doree Hickman

Kathleen Sullivan Stanley Brown* Keith and Nancy Hammond Carol and Tony Keig

$500-$749

Kyonggeun and Bruce Johnson Mikhy and Mike Ritter

Helen Stone

Carolyn and Don Etter Eleanor Sims Ellen and Dean Boal JoAnn and Richard Crandall Judith Dows and Norman Paulu Lauren Frear Lena and James Wockenfuss Ruth and Richard Irvin Vanguard Charitable Gift Fund (1)

$300-$499

Jerry and Heidi Lynch Patience and Jim Linfield Louise and Bill Bradley Lynn Streeter Walter and Eileen Kintsch Jon and Liz Hinebauch

Artist Series Sponsors

Corporate Sponsors

Albert Lundell

JoAn Segal

Pauline and Noel Clark

$150-$299

Harold and Joan Leinbach Lise Menn

Barbara and Carl Diehl Andrew Skumanich

Laurie and Arthur Travers, Jr. Ruthanne and John Hibbs Alice and Judah Levine Ann and William Ford Grietje Sloan

$50-$149

Anonymous (1) Carrie Malde Charlotte Corbridge Ingrid Becher

Jeffrey Zax Lloyd and Mary Gelman

Lois and Gordon Ward, Jr. Mayumi Fujita William Hoffman William Wood

*Deceased

In-kind Sponsors

5585 Arapahoe Avenue (behind Boulder Dinner Theater) Boulder, CO 80303 303-442-7033

Hospital 1730 15th Street (between Arapahoe & Canyon) Boulder, CO 80302 303-442-7036 www.arapahoeanimalhospital.com

Personnel

As of Jan. 2, 2023

CU Presents

Executive Director

Joan McLean Braun

Marketing and PR Director Laima Haley

Operations Director

Andrew Metzroth

Marketing Manager Elise Zabala

Multimedia and Content Manager

Lara Minichiello

Publications Manager Sabrina Green

Senior House Manager Rojana Savoye

Marketing Communications Assistant Emma St. Lawrence

Box Office Manager Christin Rayanne

Box Office Services Coordinator Adrienne Havelka

Box Office Assistants

Alejandra Chavarria

Kyra Cole Macy Crow Skylar Pongratz

Morgan Ochs

Lily Valdez

Macky Auditorium

Director

Rudy Betancourt

Assistant Director for Administration Sara Krumwiede

Assistant Director for Production Trevor Isetts

Assistant Director for Patron Services Amanda Wells

Production Managers

Richard Barrett Chris Evans

Senior House Manager

Rojana Savoye

Assistant House Manager Devin Hegger

College of Music

Dean

John Davis

Executive Assistant to the Dean Lauren Petersen

Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Margaret Haefner Berg

Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Leila Heil

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies + Enrollment Management Matthew Roeder

Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity + Inclusion

Susan Thomas

Assistant Dean for Concerts + Communications Joan McLean Braun

Assistant Dean for Budget + Finance Carrie Howard

Assistant Dean for Advancement Andrew Todd

Director of Communications Sabine Kortals Stein

Communications + Programs Assistant Kathryn Bistodeau

Communications Assistant MarieFaith Lane

Program Manager for Stewardship + Donor Relations Shih-Han Chiu

Assistant Director of Development Elise Collins

Interim Senior Program Manager for Events Cindy Kraus Development Assistant Rachelle Dizon

Operations Manager + Head Piano Technician

Ted Mulcahey

Scheduling Coordinator

Brooke Balbuena

Piano Technicians

Mark Mikkelsen

Phil Taylor

Recording Engineer

Kevin Harbison

Facilities + Operations Coordinator

Peggy Hinton Media Specialist

Dustin Rumsey

Policies Accessibility

The University of Colorado is committed to providing equal access to individuals with disabilities.

For more information, scan this QR code or visit cupresents.org/ accessibility

Contact Us

Online: cupresents.org

By Phone: 303-492-8008

In Person: University Club, 972 Broadway, Boulder Box Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m

Parking

Paid parking is available in the Euclid Parking Garage, and in Lots 310 and 204. Contact the box office or check the CU Presents website for more information.

Photography

Photography and video/audio recordings of any type are strictly prohibited during the performance.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted anywhere. CU Boulder is a smoke-free campus.

Ticket Sales

Ticket sales are final; no refunds. Exchanges are subject to availability and must be made at least one business day prior to the performance date.

Subscribers may exchange tickets for free. Single-ticket exchanges are subject to a $3 exchange fee. Upgrade fees may apply in all cases.

Please return your tickets to the box office prior to the performance if you are unable to use them.