University Of Chicago Department Of Music Joins Architecture And Performance In New Concert Series

As one of the world's leading institutions of higher learning, the University of Chicago combines critical research and understanding of the past with free and open inquiry that drives new ways of thinking. The University's campus reflects this duality with dramatic neogothic structures juxtaposed with provocative modern architecture conceived by some of the most forward-thinking designers in the world. In a new series called Sound Sites, the University of Chicago Department of Music and UChicago Presents join past and present in music and architecture with performances by the Department's performance faculty in some of the University's most notable spaces.

Beginning in November, Sound Sites will feature recorded performances of classical and contemporary music in spaces including Bond Chapel, Mansueto Library, the Booth Winter Garden, the Botany Pond, and more. The first performance by pianist Clare Longendyke, Director of Chamber Music and Artist-in-Residence, will feature music by Schumann and Debussy in Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, as well as works by contemporary composers Amy Williams and Emily Koh in the Penthouse of the Logan Center for the Arts.

"We are very excited to be presenting these performances," says Professor Berthold Hoeckner, Chair of the Department of Music. "Since the pandemic has severely curtailed live concerts with audiences, we found ourselves looking for new modes and media of presentation. We are excited to explore how music and sound are shaped by space, and to showcase our amazing artists within the University's dramatic architecture. With the help of local video artists, these programs will offer new ways for audiences to experience music."

Later productions in 2020-21 will feature cello Artist-in-Residence Seth Parker Woods and violin Artist-in-Residence Tricia Park. Piano Program director Eugenia Jeong and Percussion Director John Corkill will provide performances in 2021-22. Other composers on the series will include Nathalie Joachim, George Lewis, Pierre Alexandre Tremblay, Jessie Montgomery, George Walker, University Professor Augusta Read Thomas, and more.

"The Department of Music's Artists-in-Residence and Performance Program faculty are exemplars of the University's broad-based, high-quality offerings in the arts," notes Director of Performance Programs Barbara Schubert. "Not only are these artists world-class performers, but they are excellent teachers and important mentors for the many student musicians on campus. They bring an interdisciplinary mindset, an inquisitive spirit, and tremendous creativity to their work in the Department. We are thrilled to be able to highlight their artistry in this new concert series."

"The programs that these world-class artists will share really highlight the missions of UChicago Presents, the Department of Music, and the Humanities Division," adds Amy Iwano, Executive Director of UChicago Presents. "They engage in new ways and bring new perspectives to some of the most beloved music of the past, and they further the future of the artform by presenting some of the most vital voices of today."

The first installment of the Sound Sites series featuring pianist Clare Longendyke will premiere on Friday, November 13 at 7:00 pm central time, and it will be available until 11:59 pm central time on Sunday, November 15. Tickets for the stream can be purchased by visiting tickets.uchicago.edu. Details of subsequent installments will be announced at a later date.

Sound Sites: Clare Longendyke, piano

Streaming Friday, November 13, 7 PM CT - Sunday, November 15, 11:59 PM CT

Amy Williams: Piano Portraits, Book 2 (world premiere)
Debussy: Estampes
Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15
Emily Koh: reitario

Pianist Clare Longendyke has been recognized around the world for her vivid explorations and expressive performances of new and traditional classical music. In this streaming concert, the piano Artist-in-Residence in the Department of Music brings captivating interpretations of music from Debussy and Schumann to contemporary composers Amy Williams and Emily Koh, inside stunning spaces in the University of Chicago's Rockefeller Chapel and Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts.

TICKETS

$15 | free for University of Chicago students

ONLINE LOCATION

This performance is presented with UChicago Presents' streaming partner MyLive. The video stream will be available for a 53-hour period beginning at 7:00 PM CT on Friday, November 13 and ending at 11:59 PM CT the following Sunday.

BOX OFFICE

UChicago Arts Box Office: Regular hours are Monday-Friday, 12 pm-6 pm. Tickets can be purchased online at tickets.uchicago.edu.

Concert information online at chicagopresents.uchicago.edu

ABOUT CLARE LONGENDYKE

Clare Longendyke is an award-winning pianist whose dazzling musicianship and colorful interpretations delight audiences wherever she performs. Recognized by colleagues and listeners for the expressive energy and originality she brings to new and traditional classical music, the effervescent soloist and chamber musician won four national competitions and was a finalist in several others during the past decade. Read more...

ABOUT SETH PARKER WOODS

Hailed by The Guardian as "a cellist of power and grace" who possesses "mature artistry and willingness to go to the brink," cellist Seth Parker Woods has established a reputation as a versatile artist straddling several genres. In addition to solo performances, he has appeared with the Ictus Ensemble (Brussels, BE), Basel Sinfonietta (CH), New York City Ballet, Ensemble LPR, Orchestra of St. Luke's, and the Seattle Symphony. A fierce advocate for contemporary arts, Woods has collaborated and worked with a wide range of artists ranging from the likes of Louis Andriessen, Elliott Carter, G. F. Haas, and Helmut Lachenmann to Peter Gabriel, Sting, and Lou Reed, as well as a number of respected visual artists. Read more...

ABOUT TRICIA PARK

Praised by critics for her "astounding virtuosic gifts" (Boston Herald), "achingly pure sound" (The Toronto Star), and "impressive technical and interpretive control" (The New York Times), Tricia Park enjoys a diverse and eclectic career as a violinist, educator, curator, writer, and podcaster. She is the producer and host of the podcast, "Is it Recess Yet? Confessions of a Former Child Prodigy," a recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, and one of "Korea's World Leaders of Tomorrow" as selected by the Korean Daily Central newspaper. Read more...

ABOUT EUGENIA JEONG

Eugenia Jeong has performed across North America, Europe, and Asia in venues ranging from the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Chicago's Symphony Center, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Banff Center for Arts and Creativity, and Washington D.C.'s Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center for the Arts, to auditoriums in Bangalore, India, Sde Boker, Israel, and South Korea. She has reached diverse audiences ranging from the Chicago Cultural Center's regular attendees to kindergarten children in rural parts of Eastern Washington State. Equally at home as a chamber musician, she regularly collaborates with artist-faculty in the Chicago area and beyond and serves as a staff pianist at Northwestern University. Read more...

ABOUT John Corkill

Percussionist John Corkill is a passionate advocate for the development, process, and creation of new artistic works that provide accessibility to the public at large. He currently serves as percussionist of the Grossman Ensemble, an ensemble-in-residence at the University of Chicago's Center for Contemporary Composition composed of 13 of the nation's leading new music specialists. Read more...