Concerts @ First presents
Battle of the Keys Piano and Organ Concert
Battle of The Keys A Piano and Organ Concert October 29th, 2021 8:00 P.M
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E♭ Major, Op. 73 I. Allegro
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Julie Coucheron, piano; Jens Korndorfer, organ
Symphony for Organ No. 6 in G minor, Op. 42, No. 2 IV. Cantabile V. Finale
Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)
Jens Korndorfer, organ
Lyric Pieces op. 43 I. Butterfly VI. To the Spring
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) Julie Coucheron, piano
Poeme Rhapsodique World Premiere Commissioned by First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta
David Briggs (*1962)
Julie Coucheron, piano; Jens Korndorfer, organ
To help support performances like this one, please contribute to the Concerts @ First fund via: firstpresatl.org/GIVE
About the Artists Born in Oslo, Norway, Julie Coucheron began playing the piano at age four. She earned her Bach-elor and Master’s Degree with honors from the Royal Academy of Music in London. At the age of 32, Ms. Coucheron has established an international career, winning major awards in Italy, Ger-many, UK and in the United States. Ms. Coucheron has worked with musicians such as Emanuel Ax, Chee-Yun Kim, Christopher O’Ri-ley, Yo-Yo Ma, and Elton John, and has toured Europe, America, South America and Asia, per-forming in halls like Verizon Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Ms. Coucheron has performed with the Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philhar-monic; Jena Symphony Orchestra, and the Ukrainian Symphony Orchestra in Kiev. Ms. Coucheron regularly performs at festivals such as the Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Bergen International Music Festival and at La Jolla Summer Fest. She is Artistic Director of the Fjord Cadenza festival in Norway and for the Kon Tiki Chamber Music Festival in Oslo, Norway. Ms. Coucheron enjoys a close collaboration with her brother, the Concertmaster of the At-lanta Symphony, David Coucheron, and together they have released two recordings, ‘Debut’ and ‘David and Julie’ on the Naxos label. In addition to her busy concert schedule, Ms. Coucheron is a sought after teacher and pedagogue. In August 2014, she was appointed Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, GA. Ms. Coucheron has given masterclasses and taught at schools such as the New England Con-servatory, Emory University and Mercer University. Ms. Coucheron enjoys a various and wide range of styles and repertoire emerging from her highly trained classical background to the more contemporary and popular music. Recent collaborations include performances with the Steve Miller Band and Elton John.
About the Artists In the last two decades, German organist Dr. Jens Korndorfer has established himself internationally as performer, educator and church musician. Praised as “a virtuoso in the grand Romantic tradition” who creates “performances that are deeply musically satisfying as well as exciting” (The American Organist), Jens has performed to critical acclaim at prestigious venues such as Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, Merrill Auditorium in Portland (ME), Duke University Chapel, the Montreal Bach Festival, the Cathedrals in Washington, Berlin, Paris, Salzburg, Oslo, and Moscow, Westminster Abbey in London, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Kyoto Concert Hall, and the Cultural Centre in Hong Kong. Jens’ repertoire reaches from the Renaissance to the 21st century, including transcriptions, commissions and world premieres. He frequently collaborates with other musicians, has performed with orchestras, and recorded four CDs. He has given master classes and presentations at conventions, universities, and concert halls around the world, and his research has been published in dedicated music journals. Passionate about forming the next generation of organists, Jens taught at Agnes Scott College (2014-19) and, since 2017, has been directing the successful rebuild of the organ program at Georgia State University. In combination with graduate assistantships at major churches in the Atlanta area, the comprehensive program is designed to prepare students for a successful career in church and concert.
As Director of Worship and the Arts, and Organist at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, GA, Jens oversees a thriving music and arts ministry. Under his leadership, the sanctuary organ was completely rebuilt, enlarged, and re-voiced by organ builders Klais (Bonn, Germany) and Schlueter (Lithonia, GA), and a new Steinway Concert Grand Piano was purchased. Thanks to collaborations with major cultural players (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, HIGH Museum of Art, Atlanta Opera), the introduction of programs that raise awareness for minorities in the classical arts, and presentations and lecture series on interdisciplinary topics, Jens significantly increased the reach of the church’s music and arts ministry. A top-honor graduate from the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris, the Oberlin Conservatory, the Musikhochschule in Bayreuth and McGill University in Montreal, Jens’ teachers include Olivier Latry, Michel Bouvard, James David Christie, and Ludger Lohmann. During Jens’ tenure as organist in residence at the Concert Hall Kitara in Sapporo, Japan, in the 2005/06 season, he was particularly inspired by the imaginative marketing and highly creative—and successful—outreach efforts of the hall’s administration. Ever since, in his positions he has striven to make the arts and especially the organ as successful as they were in Sapporo. www.jenskorndoerfer.com
Up next:
The Atlanta Chamber Players Sunday, November 14th 4:00 P.M. Tickets available at firstpresatl.org/concerts-at-first
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at First Presbyterian Friday, January 7th 8:00 P.M. Tickets available at firstpresatl.org/concerts-at-first
CD PURCHASE
Premiere recording of FPC's renovated and enlarged Klais/ Schlueter organ (IV/112)
Jens Korndörfer performs spectacular works by Wagner (Flying Dutchman Overture), Reger (A Mighty Fortress), Bach, Decker, etc. On sale now! $15
Thanks to our generous donors for making this concert possible!
Concerts @ First 2021-2022 Donors Maestro
Angel
Orchestrator
Charlotte and Tom Shields
Underwriter
Patron
Benefactor
Elizabeth Fogartie
Mrs. Kenneth Taratus
Margaret Talmadge Howell Cheryl Hughes in memory of Carlton Hughes Clay and Eileen Scofield Friend Joseph Bishop, M.D. and Stuart Noel, Ph.D. Betsy and Lane Feltus
To help support performances like this one, please contribute to the Concerts @ First fund via: firstpresatl.org/GIVE Or scan the code below:
Concerts @ First presents September 10, December 10, February 18, May 13 12:00 P.M. Bach’s Lunch Series Co-presented with the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta
With members of Julliard and Vega string quartets, and Zuill Bailey Friday, October 29, 2021 8:00 P.M. Battle of the Keys Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto mvt. 1 arr. for piano and organ and a world premiere performed by Julie Coucheron and Jens Korndörfer Sunday, November 14, 2021 4:00 P.M. Atlanta Chamber Players Works by Brahms, Krause, Bunch, and more Sunday, December 10, 2021 10:15 A.M. Christmas Concert Telemann’s Latin Magnificat in C FPC Choir and Orchestra Friday, January 7, 2022 8:00 P.M. Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony and Poulenc’s Organ Concerto with Jens Korndörfer Sunday, January 23, 2022 3:00 P.M. Georgian Chamber Players Friday, February 4, 2022 8:00 P.M. Piano Dedication Concert With Chopin Competition Prize Winner Charles Richard– Hamelin Works by Mozart, Schumann, and Chopin Wednesday, February 23, 2022 8:00 P.M. Masterworks Concert Principal Flutist Christina Smith (ASO) with Georgia State University’s Symphony Orchestra Sunday, April 3, 2022 3:00 P.M. Atlanta Chamber Winds Works by Dvorak, Mozart, Shulz Saturday and Sunday, June 18 and 19, 2022 Challenge the Stats Celebrating Artists of Color