North/South Consonance to Host Free Concert Featuring New American Compositions

North/South Consonance, Inc. is continuing its 46th consecutive series of free-admission concerts on Monday evening, February 9.

The event will showcase four recent works by American composers for a "Pierrot ensemble" comprising flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano. Special guest soprano Anna Elder will join the group for one of the pieces on the program, inspired by the writings of James Joyce.

The concert will begin at 7:00 PM and is expected to conclude around 8:30 PM.

It will take place at the welcoming and acoustically superior Christ & St. Stephen's Church, located at 129 West 69th Street, New York, NY.

No tickets or reservations are required; admission is on a first-come, first-served basis.

ABOUT THE COMPOSERS AND THEIR MUSIC

Robert Carl composes music that aims to create a sense of spaciousness, inviting listeners to explore new possibilities of perception and openness. He has received awards from several organizations, including the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Chamber Music America, and the National Endowment for the Arts. His Sentient Serenade was inspired by the sounds of various animals in nature. In three sections performed without pause, the music reflects a dawn chorus of birds, the sounds of frogs, and an incantation of cicadas. The work carries an elegiac quality, as Carl has observed a decline in morning bird songs over his lifetime.

Rocco Di Peitro is an active composer and writer. Originally from Buffalo, NY, he studied with Lukas Foss and Bruno Maderna. For ten years, he worked in various prisons, from Attica to San Quentin, gathering life stories that inspired his book, "The Normal Exception: Life Stories from Prison." His most recent book is titled "Yours in Beethoven: A Memoir in Music with Julius Eastman." In the preface to his work, Di Peitro mentions that each of the eight movements of his Pierrot Serrata represents different imaginary clown friends who join him for an imaginary evening of joyful music-making. The clowns include: Pierrot, Columbina, Ronald, Ubu Roi, Doink Pulcinella, Joker Arlecchino, Krusty Scaramouche, and Saltembanque.

Max Lifchitz is the founder and director of the North/South Chamber Orchestra. The San Francisco Chronicle described him as "a stunning, ultra-sensitive pianist" while The New York Times praised Mr. Lifchitz for his clean, measured and sensitive performances." The American Record Guide remarked, "Mr. Lifchitz is as good on the podium as he is behind the piano." His compositions and performances are available on most streaming platforms. Lifchitz's piece, Eulogy for Tyre, seeks to express the anger and frustration surrounding the untimely and tragic death of Tyre Nichols on January 27, 2023. Additionally, the composer hopes the music serves as a heartfelt plea for social justice and racial equality.

Thacher Schreiber is an emerging composer based in Los Angeles, where he studies with Richard Danielpour at the Herb Alpert School of Music. He is also an active oboist and has appeared as a soloist with the Palisades Symphony and the CSUN Symphony. Inspired by the writings of James Joyce, Schreiber's four-movement song cycle, Chamber Music, personifies love as a wandering musician, blending pastoral elements with ethereal suggestions.

MEET THE PERFORMERS

Soprano Anna Elder specializes in interpreting and performing contemporary classical music that pushes the boundaries of traditional vocal performance and virtuosity. Ms. Elder describes herself as a full-service musician, often pushing the limits of the human voice. She can be heard and seen in settings ranging from a basement to a concert hall.

Flutist Lisa Hansen's critically acclaimed EMI/Angel recording of Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto Pastoral with the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has been broadcast worldwide. The New York Times described her playing as "irresistibly lyrical" while Fanfare proclaimed: "One might well prefer Hansen to Galway." She has performed and recorded with North/South Consonance since 1988 and is the featured soloist in several North/South Recordings.

Clarinetist Megan Shumate Beaumont is a much sought-after orchestra and chamber music participant. She has performed with the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Albany Symphony, and joined the Wicked Orchestra on Broadway as a regular member in October 2022. She earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University after training at Indiana University and Florida State University.

Violinist Dylan Hamme was featured on NBC's Today Show, performing with violinist Joshua Bell. Currently completing his graduate studies at The Juilliard School, Dylan has performed at the Colorado College Summer Festival and in Europe at the AIMS and Schleswig-Holstein Festivals. He has been a featured artist in many recital series, including the IVC Gold Winners' Concert in NYC, Montclair Music Club's Annual Young Artist Concert (NJ), and the Music for the Soul livestream concert series honoring NYC's Healthcare heroes and Women's History Month.

Cellist Laura Masferrer trained at the Liceu Conservatory in her native Barcelona, Spain. A versatile musician, she has performed at first-rate venues and internationally broadcast festivals throughout Europe and Asia. Now based in New York, Ms. Masferrer is a highly sought-after freelancer who performs with new music ensembles and on- and off-Broadway orchestras.

Pianist Huizi Zhang is recognized for her wide-ranging repertoire and adventurous programming spanning more than three centuries. A graduate of the University of Michigan and Florida State University, she has appeared as a soloist at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing Concert Hall, Esplanade Performing Arts Center in Singapore, National Sawdust, and Carnegie Hall. Zhang has been invited to music festivals as a soloist, collaborative pianist, and instructor, including the Amalfi Coast Music and Arts Festival in Florida.

Active since 1980, North/South Consonance, Inc. is devoted to the promotion of music by composers from the Americas and the world. Its activities are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; as well as grants from the Music Performance Fund, the Zethus Fund, the BMI Foundation, and the generosity of numerous individual donors.