A CONCERT GUIDE FOR STUDENTS BY STUDENTS
Welcome to another year full of glorious music! As the music addicts responsible for this brochure, after-parties with the musicians, student internoshin’ (free snacks at intermission), pre-concert dinners, music picnics, and other (occasionally not-foodrelated) events, we hope you’ll get on our email list to stay in the loop, or come join us! To get tix, earn $$ for writing about music, and learn more about the #awesomesauce Princeton University Concerts series, visit: princetonuniversityconcerts.org/forstudents
US ON
The best musicians in the world are coming to YOUR campus. #fomo Concert Calendar 9/28 Emerson String Quartet + Len Cariou & Jay O. Sanders, actors 10/5 Barokksolistene 10/12 Quatuor Mosaïques 1 0/26 Tabea Zimmermann, viola + Thomas Hoppe, piano 11/9 Benjamin Grosvenor, piano 11/16 Cristina Pato, galician bagpipes 2/8 Jennifer Koh, violin 2/15 Brentano String Quartet + Jonathan Biss, piano 2/28 Danish String Quartet 3/15 Tenebrae Choir 3/29 Sir András Schiff, piano 4/5 Artemis String Quartet 4/12 Lawrence Brownlee, tenor 5/3 Truls Mørk, cello + Behzod Abduraimov, piano
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YOU
In shows with this dot, you sit right on the stage!
#cozytime #cootiesofgreatness
ON STAGE!
PERFORMANCES UP CLOSE
Snatch’a Shastakovitch
Photo © Lisa Mazzucco
Th, Sep 28, 2017
7:30pm Richardson
Emerson String Quartet
+ Len Cariou & Jay O. Sanders, super-famous actors After GRAMMY-winning recordings of all of Shostakovich’s quartets, the Emersons create the intersection of 3 worlds in a groundbreaking multimedia dramatic realization. From Chekhov’s The Black Monk: the mind haunted by a monk in black. From history, the obsessed composer, struggling to create a genuine musical adaptation under the ever-watchful eyes of the Soviet regime. And their own, the consummate interpreters applying their compelling energy, infectious passion, and vast imagination to the ultimate test. @ Xin Rong Chua GS
#monkfunk #funkeymonkey
Shostakovich & the Black Monk:
A Russian Fantasy
Photo Š Matthew Long
Th, Oct 5, 2017
6:00PM Richardson, Court/Theatre Music
9:30PM Forum at the new Lewis Arts complex,
Pub Music
Barokksolistene
(Norwegian Baroque Ensemble)
Don’t expect a traditional classical concert: the fourth wall will be broken. Think of a 17th century Norwegian pub, complete with sea shanties, Scandinavian folk songs, and popular Baroque tunes. All the vibes of an informal jam session, drawing out everyone’s creativity, irresistibile energy, and passion—with you right next to the performers. @ Alicia Lai ‘18
YOU
ON STAGE!
PERFORMANCES UP CLOSE
#it’sjustoldpopmusic
Photo © Wolfgang Krautzer
Th, Oct 12, 2017
8:00PM Richardson
Quatuor Mosaïques The hills are alive with the sound of...a worldrenowned Austrian gut-stringed-instrumentplaying quartet! The group met in Vienna (aka Musician’s Heaven: home of Beethoven and the von Trapps) and the rest is history. Historical gutstringed instruments, beautiful repertoire, fantastic musicians—these are a few of My Favorite Things. Like their name, their music is multi-layered and colorful, bringing visionary interpretations of pieces that are centuries old. If you’re looking for something new, fresh, but classic—I Have Confidence that this is the concert you’re looking for. So Long, Farewell—and see you there! @ Julia Schorn ‘17
#moseyonover
Mozart & Haydn
Photo Š Marco Borggreve
Th, Oct 26, 2017
8:00PM Richardson
Tabea Zimmermann viola +Thomas Hoppe piano Zimmermann understands: the viola isn’t lugubrious or slow, but real, profound. She creates moments that make us say, “How could I have forgotten that feeling? Did I push it down, afraid?” Here’s one of those rare artists who can tell us things we already know, by setting us alight. That’s how I feel when I listen to her play—much like I’m on fire.
@ Sam Matzner ‘17 Brahms’ F Minor Viola Sonata, on this concert, changed my life. It completely altered how I saw the capabilities of my instrument, and of composition. I first encountered it in high school and as soon as the darkly luminous viola entered—impossibly rich yet impeccably polished—I knew I’d been seduced. The arching piano melody, straining dissonance edged with desperation in the viola, and balance of passion and delicacy took my breath away... and I’ve never gotten it back since. @ Brigid Ehrmantraut ‘18
#violagoddess
Brahms, Hindemith, Schubert, Schumann, & Shulamit Ran
Photo c/o Decca Classics, © Sophie Wright
Th, Nov 9, 2017
8:00PM Richardson
Benjamin Grosvenor piano Whether you play or occasionally listen to piano, or have no idea what it looks like, you need to hear Benjamin Grosvenor. Just 25, he’s already an international sensation. His unruly hair and quiet mannerisms remind me of a shy student; but when his fingers hit the keys, he becomes a wizened maestro with Phelps-face concentration. He finds the story within the music, brings the notes to life the way Morgan Freeman brings words to life, synthesizes youthful freshness with gravitas beyond his years, and imbues melodies with a significance that no one else can replicate. You cannot miss one of the first concert pianists of our own generation. @ Hayley Roth ‘17
#phelpsface
Bach, Berg, Brahms, Brett Dean, & Debussy
Photo © Erin Baiano
Th, Nov 16, 2017
6:00PM Richardson, Latin Music
9:00PM Richardson,
Classical, Jazz, & World Music
7:30PM DANCEBREAK!
Blow off Some Steam
Cristina Pato galician bagpipes I did my undergrad work at Carnegie Mellon, where bagpipes were a part of daily life—from upbeat school fight songs to ribbon-cutting celebrations. I thought I knew what bagpipes sounded like. But Cristina Pato’s frenetic Galician gaita, which she plays with such dynamism, power, and pure fun that it rivals the electric guitars of Tenacious D, makes you feel like running up and down the hills of Galicia—with Pato right beside, egging you on to stomp and clap your way to the finish line. Love it or hate it (love it!), you can’t not have an opinion on Pato’s funky, syncretic style of bagpipe music. @ Vivian Chang GS
YOU
ON STAGE!
#pipin’hot #it’sallinthebag
PERFORMANCES UP CLOSE
GOT BACH?
Photo © Jüergen Frank
Th, Feb 8, 2018
6:00&9:00PM Richardson 7:30PM DANCEBREAK!
Baroque Boogie-woogie
Jennifer Koh violin YOU
ON STAGE!
PERFORMANCES UP CLOSE
I heard Jennifer Koh play with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and her impeccable technique, tossed with extraordinary interpretation, left me in awe, eager for more. I can’t wait to hear her perform one of Bach’s most famous works, the Chaconne in D Minor, written after his wife’s death. The emotional eulogy stretches an astounding 15-minutes; but to listen to Jennifer Koh’s mesmerizing sounds echoing in Richardson as you sit on stage, showing how this beautiful eulogy inspired contemporary pieces that we have today, will leave you wanting more, too. @ Haeun Jung ‘20
Bach… & Beyond!
#GETYOURTIX!
Visit princetonuniversityconcerts.org, or stop by the Frist Campus Box Office or the Lewis Arts Complex Box Office.
Princeton’s Passport to the Arts Program makes your tickets FREE. Each year, you have 8 Passports on your prox ID card: 3 Tiger Tickets for campus concerts over $10, 3 for campus concerts under $10, and 2 for student-produced events.
And if you run out,
student tickets are only $10! Student Upgrade Program
Sometimes some of the best seats in the house become available at the last minute, and are reserved exclusively for Princeton University students! Stop by the venue box office before the performance to upgrade.
Photos © Juergen-Frank & © Benjamin Ealovega
Th, Feb 15, 2018
8:00PM Richardson
Brentano String Quartet +Jonathan Biss piano Listening to recordings of Jonathan Biss and the Brentano String Quartet got me thinking about the role of the breath in music. The musicians’ every breath holds the ensemble together, while together they breathe life into a two-dimensional score. This is one way that listening to live chamber music can be an experience that blows recordings out of the water – you get the chance to witness music breathing in unison with its creators. @ Gladys Teng ‘19
#brentanointhehouse #feelthebliss
Mozart, Elgar, Schubert, & Webern
Photo Š Caroline-Bittencourt
Wed, Feb 28, 2018
6:00PM Richardson Jörg Widmann, Brahms
9:00PM Richardson Scandinavian Folk Music
7:30PM DANCEBREAK! Do the Nordic Nutbush
Danish String Quartet Last summer in Copenhagen, I was enamored with the easygoing quirkiness of the Scandinavians. Rune, Asbjørn, Fredrik, and Frederik (known as “Modern Vikings”) are exactly the type you’d want to get to know, complete with an aboveaverage amount of facial hair. One listen to their performances of classical masters, in addition to folk music, and I felt like I was part of musical folklore. Getting to sit on stage with them, you’ll feel plenty of hygge (a uniquely Danish concept of coziness/togetherness). It’s no wonder Scandinavians are the happiest in the world. @ Katie Duggan ‘19
YOU
ON STAGE!
#hungryfordanish #hygge
PERFORMANCES UP CLOSE
Photo Š Sim Canetty-Clarke
Th, Mar 15, 2018
8:00PM Princeton University Chapel Late Night CHAMBER JAM after the concert: sing with the pros!
Tenebrae Choir Path of Miracles starts off as a low hum that begins to grow in volume and complexity. Soon the build is pierced by triumphant voices that move the piece forward. That’s just the beginning of what the Tenebrae Choir has in store for Princeton. Their harmonies range from dramatic and melancholy, to hopeful and uplifting. Listening to them on my phone’s small speakers fills my room, so I can’t wait to hear their gorgeous blending and dynamics fill the Chapel. @ Sergio Cruz ‘18
Joby Talbot
Path of Miracles #prepareforthevoice #what’supbra(e)
Owain Park
Footsteps
Th, Mar 29, 2018
8:00PM Richardson
Sir András Schiff piano Take a break from studying, and come experience the impeccable trills, transcendental melodies, and raw emotion unique to one of the best classical musicians. Regardless of your knowledge of classical music, Sir András Schiff offers something new and wonderfully profound, boasting a four-decade-long career that has garnered him GRAMMYS, Gramophone awards, and even knighthood for his contribution to the arts. His playing will make you understand why this music is timeless. @ Samuel Li ‘20
Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, & Mendelssohn
Photo © Lisa Mazzucco
Th, Apr 5, 2018
8:00PM Richardson
Artemis String Quartet One of Europe’s most renowned quartets brings a beautiful program revealing personal stories of inspiration. Mozart gave the cello quite a few chances to shine in his final quartet, dedicated to King Friedrich Wilhelm II, a talented cellist. Shostakovich paid tribute to his late wife with his wry, melancholy String Quartet No. 7. And Schumann wove the name of his wife and fellow composer, Clara, into the opening of his final quartet. You can tell a lot about a piece of art by who it’s dedicated to, and these artistic gifts are still inspiring audiences worldwide! @ Patrick Brown GS
#artey
Mozart, Shostakovich, & Schumann
Photo Š Derek Blanks
Th, Apr 12, 2018
8:00PM Richardson
Lawrence Brownlee tenor Brownlee is at the top of the opera world - as the Male Singer of the Year for the 2017 International Opera Awards, he’s akin to the “Best Actor” at the Oscars. But I’m most excited for the star’s uniquely diverse program. After the Romantic Era classic Schumann Dichterliebe, Brownlee will perform spirituals in honor of his heritage and the Black Lives Matter movement. Given the diversity of our country today, it’s important that this diversity is represented in all settings, including the concert hall. I can’t wait to experience these different worlds, guided by Brownlee’s unmatched voice. @ Will Atkinson ‘18
#toohottohandel #pavarottihottie
Schumann & Spiritual Sketches
Photos © Nissor Abdourazakov & © Johs Boe
Th, May 3, 2018
8:00PM Richardson
Truls Mørk cello + Behzod Abduraimov piano I first heard Mørk while studying cello in high school, and I was instantly entranced. His playing is pure and full-bodied, singing from the very core of his instrument and his entire being. Mørk is so emotive both visually and sonically. Listen with your eyes closed and every bow stroke seems effortless, every note perfectly— almost magically—placed. Then open your eyes and you’ll see the real magic come to life through the intense concentration, mastery, and passion written on his face.
@ Tammy Tseng ‘19 Whenever young Abduraimov heard his piano teacher mother listen to recordings of various pianists, he asked when he would play the piano too. Ever since, he claims that his love of music stems from believing that “music cleanses the soul.” And whenever I listen to his playing, it’s as if I’m listening to my piano teacher mother listening to recordings of great pianists and wondering when I’ll get to cleanse the soul, too. @ Leora Eisenberg ‘20
#trulsymadlydeeply
Grieg & Rachmaninoff
In case being in the presence of Greatness isn’t enough: Creative Reactions Contest: Win $500 for reacting creatively to one of these concerts, for which you even get a FREE ticket.
#react Live Music Meditations: Find your zen in between precepts by meditating to music performed by Tabea Zimmermann (10/27), Jennifer Koh (2/7), and Jonathan Biss (3/7) at 12:30PM.
#meditate
Dancebreaks:
It’s your chance to learn Latin, Baroque, and Scandinavian Folk Dance moves. Fo’ realz. In between concerts by Cristina Pato, Jennifer Koh, and the Danish String Quartet at 7:30PM.
#dance Performers as Teachers:
Learn from the pros. Artists on the series share their wisdom with you and your crazy talented performer friends in open workshops: Tabea Zimmermann (10/27, 10–12PM) Jennifer Koh (2/7, 7–8:30PM) Jonathan Biss (3/7, 4–6PM) Lawrence Brownlee (4/13, 10–12PM)
#learn
#thesearefree
#somuchtodosolittletime