Cherry Street Music's 'Classical With a Twist' Series Comes to The Allen Center

The Allen Center in Newton, MA will present Cherry Street Music’s “Classical with a Twist”, a six-concert series during the 2023-24 season, curated by celebrated cellist and The Allen Center Artist in Residence, Allison Yoshie Eldredge. Tickets and information can be found at newtonculture.org.

Cherry Street Music Director Eldredge says the series will offer programming of classical chamber music paired with diverse works from other artistic genres.  

The series opens October 14th with a program titled Love, which Eldredge says “Is a universal message chosen to inspire an evening of classical music and contemporary poetry.”  Music will include Brahms’ Piano Quartet in C Minor, opus 3 (“Werther”); Liszt’s Liebenstraum no. 3 (“Love Dream”); and Kriesler’s “Liebeslied and Liebesfreud” performed by Aleksandr Poliykov (piano), Sarita Kwok (violin), Amadi Azikiwe (viola) and Allison Yoshie Eldredge (cello).  The “twist” for this program will be poetry written by and read by Newton poets Grey Held and poet Carol Hobbs.

On November 19th, Cherry Street Music will present A Roland Hayes Tribute, honoring the first African American man to win international acclaim as a concert artist.  A tenor, who made his debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1923, Hayes was the first Black performer to appear with the BSO and did so regularly for the next 21 years.  Acclaimed baritone Philip Lima will perform art songs, arias and spirituals that honor Hayes, alongside the Boston Public Quartet: Betsy Hinkle, violin; Jason Amos, viola; Emanuel Feldman, cello; and Joy Cline Phinney, piano.

Beethoven and Beatles, Part 1 on December 16th, explores the frequently noted connections between one of the greatest composers of all time with The Fab Four.  Beethoven’s Cello Sonatas nos. 1 and 2 will be performed by Allison Yoshie Eldredge, cello and Max Levinson, piano, and the “twist” for this program will be Beatles songs sung by Natalie Levinson, backed by a lively “Beatlesque” ensemble.

Eldredge has curated a diverse and invigorating program of Latin inspired music for Nuevo Tango on February 4th. Carlos Gabel’s “Por una Cabeza” arr. John Williams, and Piazzolla’s “L’Histoire du Tango” which features Philadelphia Orchestra principal bassoon, Daniel Matsukawa and Markus Placci, violin.  The “twist” for this program will feature Boston String Academy’s “El Sistema Boston”, along with violinists Markus Placci, Tony Morales and BSA co-founders Mariesther and Marielisa Alvarez in traditional tunes and dances from south of the border.   

On April 14, Beethoven and Beatles, Part 2 features Beethoven’s Twelve Variations in G Major on a Theme from Handel’s Oratorio ’Judas Maccabäus’ and Sonata no. 3 in A Major performed by Allison Yoshie Eldredge, cello and Max Levinson, piano.  The “twist” will feature additional Beatles tunes inspired by Beethoven.

In the spirit of the Juneteenth federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States,  Allison and Cherry Street Music will present an All-American composers program, Forever Free  on June 19th.   Works by Florence Price, H.T. Burlegh, David Baker, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and more will be performed by Artistic Director Allison Yoshie Eldredge, pianist Jeremiah Cossia and other local artists.

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