Exploring Gravity with A Far Cry: Friday, April 12 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET

Posted on April 12, 2019 by maestrobeats

Music of earth, sky, and celestial stars come together on A Far Cry’s concert program this Friday.

Aptly titled Gravity, the concert brings together mystical and corporeal musical meditations from such wide-ranging composers as Arvo Pärt, Iannis Xenakis, Aaron Jay Kernis, Béla Bartók, and Osvaldo Golijov. From heavenly harmonies to earthly textures and the cold weightlessness of space, the concert explores the vast and ever-changing sounds of our universe today.

And no matter where you are in that vast expanse of space, you can stream the performance live right here.

Visit this page on Friday, April 12 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET for a LIVE video stream of A Far Cry’s Edge of the World concert, streaming here:

Check out the full program below, and click here for program notes.

Arvo Pärt: Silouan’s Song
Iannis Xenakis: Aroura
Aaron Jay Kernis: Musica Celestis
Béla Bartók: Divertimento for String Orchestra
Osvaldo Golijov: Tenebrae

A Far Cry’s Gravity performance streams live on this page on Friday, April 12 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET. For more information about the orchestra, click here.

At the Edge of the World with A Far Cry: Friday, Sept. 21 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET

Posted on September 20, 2018 by maestrobeats

Composer Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol.

This Friday’s A Far Cry concert takes audiences to the edge of the world for a world premiere: Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol’s A Gentleman of Istanbul. Join us Friday, September 21 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET for a LIVE video stream of the Boston-based chamber orchestra as they perform Sanlıkol’s new symphony.

Scored for strings, percussion, piano, oud, ney (an end-blown flute), and tenor, A Gentleman of Istabul is inspired by the expansive travelogue of Evliya Çelebi, a 17^th century Ottoman explorer. Born in Instanbul in 1611 and educated in the Ottoman court, Evliya’s travelogue is among the longest ever written, its pages filled with bold colors and vivid descriptions of his adventures.

Through its four movements, Sanlıkol’s symphony depicts the gentleman of Istanbul as an observer, an epic storyteller, a novelist, and a historian. Like Evliya’s travelogue, the symphony traverses vast musical territory, drawing from classical music, jazz ballads, African polyrhythms, Koranic chant, and various types of Turkish music. Plus, the composer himself performs with A Far Cry on piano, oud, ney, and voice parts.

Also on the travel itinerary are John Corigliano’s poignant Voyage, Jean-Philippe Rameau’s mythical Suite from Les Indes galantes, and Claude Vivier’s visceral Zipangu.

Visit this page on Friday, September 21 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET for a LIVE video stream of A Far Cry’s Edge of the World concert, streaming right here:

Check out the full program below, and click here for program notes.

John Corigliano: Voyage
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Suite from Les Indes Galantes
Claude Vivier: Zipangu
Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol: A Gentleman of Istanbul (World Premiere)

A Far Cry’s Edge of the World performance streams live on this page on Friday, Sept. 21 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET. For more information about the orchestra, please click here.

Why Philip Glass is Not Such A Far Cry from J.S. Bach

Posted on June 26, 2018 by maestrobeats

by Dacia Clay

Photo by Richard Guérin.

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein recently teamed up with the Grammy-nominated string orchestra A Far Cry for Circles, an album of piano concertos by both J.S. Bach and Philip Glass. Dinnerstein and AFC violist Jason Fisher recently chatted with Second Inversion about the album.

In this audio piece, you’ll hear each of them talk about the album’s inception, breakfast with Philip Glass, the creative partnership between Dinnerstein and AFC, the important connections between the two composers, and the power that this music has over audiences.

Circles by Simone Dinnerstein and A Far Cry is available now on Philip Glass’ record label, Orange Mountain Music. Click here to purchase the album.

LIVE VIDEO STREAM: A Far Cry on Friday, May 18 at 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET

Posted on May 18, 2018 by maestrobeats

by Gabriela Tedeschi

Photo by Yoon S. Byun.

Next Generation is the name of tonight’s A Far Cry concert, which centers on the experiences of young musicians. Not only does the program focus on early experiences with music—with variations of Mozart’s beloved children’s song, “Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman” and works from Benjamin Britten and Galina Ustvolskaya that allude to their music mentors—it will also feature several young musicians.

A Far Cry welcomes the Honors Quartet from Project STEP, a program that provides comprehensive musical training to students from underrepresented communities, for a pre-concert performance at 7:30 p.m. During the concert, the ensemble will be joined by Sean Diehl (violin), Keina Satoh (cello), and Julide San (double bass), winners from A Far Cry’s New England Conservatory Prep School Competition. Click here to learn more about the student performers.

Visit this page on Friday, May 18 at 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET for a LIVE video of A Far Cry’s Next Generation.

Check out the program below, and click here to read the full program notes.

W.A. Mozart / Ethan Wood
Variations on “Ah! Vous dirais-je, Maman”

Galina Ustvolskaya
Concerto for Piano, String Orchestra, and Timpani

Benjamin Britten
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10

A Far Cry’s Next Generation performance streams live on this page on Friday, May 18 at 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET. For more information about the orchestra, please click here.

LIVE VIDEO STREAM: A Far Cry on Friday, January 19 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET

Posted on January 19, 2018 by maestrobeats

by Maggie Molloy

England across the ages is the theme of tonight’s A Far Cry concert, poetically titled Albion after the oldest known name for the island of Great Britain. Join us Friday, Jan. 19 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET for a LIVE video stream of the Boston-based chamber orchestra as they perform music by a handful of England’s most iconic classical composers.

Internationally acclaimed tenor Nicholas Phan joins the orchestra for Benjamin Britten’s timeless Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Op. 31. Composed during World War II, the piece sets six poems by British poets on the subject of night, in all its darkness and splendor. Also on the program is Ralph Vaughan Williams’ 1950 Concerto Grosso for string orchestra, plus a Baroque throwback to the music of Henry Purcell, Matthew Locke, and Nicholas Lanier.

Visit this page tonight, Friday, Jan. 19 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET for a LIVE video of A Far Cry’s Albion, streaming right here:

Check out the full program below, and click here for program notes.

Henry Purcell
Overture and Air from King Arthur
Sweeter Than Roses
She Loves and She Confesses Too (arr. René Schiffer)

Matthew Locke
Lilk and Curtain Tune from The Tempest

Nicholas Lanier
No More Shall Meads be Deck’d with Flowers (arr. René Schiffer)

Matthew Locke
Prelude to Act V from The Fairy Queen
Evening Hymn (arr. René Schiffer)

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Concerto Grosso

INTERMISSION

Benjamin Britten
Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Op. 31
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Hazel Dean Davis, horn

To learn more about our live-streaming video broadcasts of A Far Cry, click here.

A Far Cry’s Albion performance streams live on this page on Friday, Jan. 19 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET. For more information about the orchestra, please click here.