Manhattan Chamber Players to Make New York Debut at Le Poisson Rouge, 12/7

With a roster comprising some of today's most respected chamber music performers and composers, Manhattan Chamber Players (MCP) makes its official New York debut on December 7th at 7pm at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleeker St.) closely followed by a December 15th concert at 7:30pm at Baruch College (55 Lexington Ave.)

Professional chamber groups, like many performing groups, can often become victims of their own form and success. They can fall into a routine with a set group of players, performing a set, consistent repertoire. This creates challenges for presenters looking to diversify their offerings and to provide programming that is intriguing, fresh, and targeted towards specific audiences. Enter the newest player on the chamber music stage, the Manhattan Chamber Players (MCP). Founded by violist Luke Fleming, MCP looks to break the chamber music mold with innovative programming and a flexible stable of musicians drawn from among the best players working professionally today.

"For the past six years, I have played in the Attacca Quartet, but before I joined this group I spent a good bit of time in the 'ad hoc' chamber music world, coming up through festivals like Marlboro and Ravinia and playing with musicians who became some of my best friends and most respected colleagues," said Fleming. "While there were many aspects of the lifestyle and ensemble work that I love about being in a string quartet, I found that I shared with many of these friends and colleagues a yearning to come together and collaborate more often. I formed MCP as a response to a desire I felt among the members of its roster to continually rekindle that fire and passion for performing chamber music. That passion is what fills an MCP performance with a unique spontaneity and joy."

The core repertoire of Manhattan Chamber Players will be the standard Classical/Romantic/20th Century chamber music repertoire, but unlike a set group of players that is often limited in their programming, MCP can present virtually all the string and piano chamber repertoire with its roster of players. And, two members on MCP's roster are accomplished artists who represent the very best in the next generation of great composers: Vivian Fung and Chris Rogerson. Both have enthusiastically committed to writing new works specifically for MCP.

Audiences will have two opportunities in December to hear MCP in their New York City debut. In keeping with the "newness" element of MCP, on December 7 at Le Poisson Rouge, the group performs early chamber works by Mendelssohn, Brahms, Schubert, Fauré, Chausson, Shostakovich, and Piazzolla, which will also include world premieres of works by Vivian Fung and Chris Rogerson. At Baruch College on December 15, on the first half of the program, MCP performs early chamber works by Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvo?ák, and Shostakovich. For the second half of the program, MCP performs pieces by the same composers, but written later in their careers. This program will also repeat the works by Vivian Fung and Chris Rogerson premiered at Le Poisson Rouge, but with different performers. Also at this performance MCP will be joined by internationally celebrated Argentinian bandoneon player and composer JP Jofre as a special guest artist for chamber works by himself and Astor Piazzolla.

IF YOU GO:

Where: Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleeker Street
When: Mon, December 7, 2015 at 7:00 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM)
Program: Early chamber works by Mendelssohn, Brahms, Schubert, Fauré, Chausson, Shostakovich, and Piazzolla
World premieres by Vivian Fung and Chris Rogerson
Tickets: $20 Seated (pre-sale), $15 Standing (pre-sale); $25 Seated (Day of), $20 Standing (Day of). Available at www.lepoissonrouge.com or by calling 212.505.FISH.

Where: Engelman Recital Hall, Baruch College, 55 Lexington Avenue
When: Tues, December 15, 2015 at 7:30 PM, pre-concert talk w/musical demonstrations by MCP at 7 PM; Wine and cheese reception will follow the performance
Program: Chamber works by Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvorák, Shostakovich, Fung, and Rogerson
Tickets: At the door: $20; $10 students; free for children

For more information on Manhattan Chamber Players, visit www.manhattanchamberplayers.com.

The Manhattan Chamber Players is a chamber music collective of New York-based musicians who share the common aim of performing the greatest works in the chamber repertoire at the highest level. Formed by Artistic Director Luke Fleming, its members all come from the tradition of great music making at the Marlboro Music Festival, Steans Institute at Ravinia, Music@Menlo, Yellow Barn Chamber Music Festival and Perlman Music Program, and are former students of the Curtis Institute, Juilliard School, Colburn School, New England Conservatory, and Yale School of Music.

At the core of the Manhattan Chamber Players' inspiration is the joy in playing this richly varied repertoire with longtime friends and colleagues, with whom they have been performing since they were students. Building upon that foundation, new works commissioned from its composer members keep the ensemble firmly grounded in the music of both the past and present. Its roster allows for the possibility of programming the entire string and piano chamber music repertoire, from piano duos to string octets. While all its members have independent careers as soloists and chamber musicians, they strive for every opportunity to come together and again share in this special collaboration.

Members of the Manhattan Chamber Players are current and former members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, ACJW, and the Amphion, Attacca, Dover, Escher, and Ying Quartets, and the Lysander and Sheridan Piano Trios. They are prizewinners in the Banff, Concert Artists Guild, Fischoff, Melbourne, Naumburg, Osaka, Primrose, Queen Elisabeth, Rubenstein, Tchaikovsky, Tertis, and Young Concert Artists Competitions, and are some of the most sought after solo and chamber performers of their generation. During its inaugural season, in addition to a Le Poisson Rouge debut in New York and numerous concerts across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the Manhattan Chamber Players will be the Ensemble-in-Residence at both the Northern Lights Music Festival in Mexico and the Crescent City Chamber Music Festival in New Orleans.