MAY 9–11, 7:30 PM MAY 11, 2:00 PM
WELCOME NOTE
PARISIAN REFRACTION
A Micro-Festival of Recent Masterworks for Soloists and Ensemble
Parisian Refraction explores contemporary works and composers that either embody the City of Light, have been commissioned by groups in Paris (EIC, IRCAM), or are deeply inspired or affected by the French capital. Pairing composers who were friends walking the streets of Paris (Boulez and Stockhausen), artists coming to Paris from around the world to work with its great institutions (Saariaho and Chin), those who spent time in the city to find inspiration (Kurtag) and those influenced deeply by French compositional history (Otte), each of the four concerts in this series are unique in instrumentation and sonic landscape. Heard together, these programs showcase the extraordinary breadth and diversity of musical ideas that came out of just one geographical hub.
It has been a particular joy to share in rehearsing and studying these contemporary masterpieces with our outstanding Sarasota-based colleagues and renowned guest artists from around the country, bringing together some of the new music’s brightest talents from around the world to perform these pieces.
We are thrilled to collaborate with The Ringling to bring these programs to fruition.
Enjoy!
George and Samantha
Artistic Directors, ensembleNEWSRQ
PARISIANREFRACTIONFESTIVAL PROGRAMME 1
enSRQ Presents Soloists&Sinfoniettas
May 9, 2024
7:30 PM
The Ringling HistoricAsoloTheater
UnsukChin:Akrostichon-Wortspiel(Acrostic-Wordplay)
(1991, rev.1993) 17’
Seven scenes from fairy-tales for soprano and ensemble
I Hide and Seek
IIThe Puzzle of theThree Magic Gates
IIIThe Rules of the Game – sdrawkcab emiT
IVFour Seasons in FiveVerses
VDomifare S
VIThe Game of Chance
VII From the OldTime
Lucy Fitz Gibbon, soprano
Maurice Cohn, conductor
Kaija Saariaho: Graal Théâtre (1994) 25’
I Delicato
II Impetuoso
Samantha Bennett, violin
Maurice Cohn, conductor
Unsuk Chin: Double Concerto (Doppelkonzert) (2002)
Conor Hanick, piano and George Nickson, percussion
Maurice Cohn, conductor
Joined by enSRQ Ensemble Musicians
PARISIAN REFRACTION FESTIVAL
PROGRAMME 2
enSRQ Presents
Conor Hanick in Recital: Hans Otte’s The Book of Sounds
May 10, 2024
7:30 PM
The Ringling Historic Asolo Theater
Hans Otte: The Book of Sounds (Das Buch der Klänge) (1979-1982)
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Conor Hanick, piano
PARISIAN REFRACTION FESTIVAL
PROGRAMME 3
enSRQ Presents Kafka Fragments
May 11, 2024
2:00 PM
The Ringling Historic Asolo Theater
György Kurtág: Kafka Fragments, Op. 24 (1985-86)
Part 1
1 Die Guten gehn im gleichen Schritt…
2 Wie ein Weg im Herbst
3 Verstecke
4 Ruhelos
5 Berceuse I
6 Nimmermehr (Excommunicatio)
7 “Wenn er mich immer frägt”
8 Es Zupfte mich jemand am Kleid
9 Die Weißnäherinnen
10 Szene am Bahnhof
11 Sonntag, dem 19 Juli 1910 (Berceuse II): Hommage à Jeney
12 Meine Ohrmuschel
13 Einmal brach ich mir das Bein (Chassidischer Tanz)
14 Umpanzert
15 Zwei Spazierstöcke (Authentisch-plagal)
16 Keine Rückkehr
17 Stolz (1910/15 November, Zehn Uhr)
18 Träumend hing die Blume (Hommage à Schumann)
19 Nichts dergleichen
Part 2
1 Der wahre Weg (Hommage-message à Pierre Boulez)
enSRQ Presents Plucked&Struck
May 11, 2024
7:30 PM
The Ringling HistoricAsoloTheater
KarlheinzStockhausen:FREUDE(Joy,SecondHourfromKlang)fortwoharps (2005) 41’
Emily Levin and Michelle Gott, harps and voice brief intermission
PierreBoulez:surIncises(1996/1998) 40’ for three pianos, three harps, and three percussion
Conor Hanick, Han Chen, Ryan McCullough, pianos
Emily Levin, Michelle Gott, Emily Melendes, harps
MichaelTruesdell, Marcelina Suchocka, Jose Uzcategui, percussion
George Nickson, conductor
ensembleNEWSRQ is one of many cultural institutions in the artistically rich community of Sarasota, Florida, but is the only local organization whose mission is exclusively oriented toward commissioning and producing the work of living composers. Since our inception in 2015, we have presented over 200 works, 15 commissions, 12 world premieres, 21 North American premieres, and over 100 Florida premieres from a wide-ranging and ever-increasing demographic of outstanding composers. Spearheaded by Artistic Directors George Nickson and Samantha Bennett, ensembleNEWSRQ is a multi-faceted collective of Sarasota-based core players and guest artists from around the world. www.ensrq.org
Conor Hanick, piano (Programs 1, 2, 4): Pianist Conor Hanick is regarded as one of his generation’s most inquisitive interpreters of music new and old whose “technical refinement, color, crispness and wondrous variety of articulation benefit works by any master.” (New York Times) A fierce advocate for the music of today, Hanick has premiered over 200 pieces and collaborated with composers ranging from Pierre Boulez, Kaija Saariaho, and Steve Reich, to the leading composers of his generation, including Nico Muhly, Caroline Shaw, Tyshawn Sorey, Samuel Carl Adams, and Anthony Cheung. Hanick is the director of Solo Piano at the Music Academy of the West and serves on the faculty of The Juilliard School, Mannes College, and the CUNY Graduate Center, and is a founding member of AMOC*.
Emily Levin, harp (Programs 1, 4): Praised for her “communicative, emotionally intense expression” (Jerusalem Post) and “technical wizardry and artistic intuition” (Herald Times), harpist Emily Levin has forged a multifaceted career as a soloist, orchestral musician, chamber collaborator, artistic director, and advocate for new music. Levin is now in her seventh season as principal harp with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, where she holds the Elsa von Seggern Chair. Guided by her mission to expand the harp repertoire, Levin works extensively with established and emerging composers alike. In 2021, she founded GROUNDWORK(S), an initiative commissioning 52 American composers — one from each state, plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico — to write new works centered on the harp. Levin lives in Dallas with her husband, composer Jonathan Cziner, and their dogs Charlie and JoJo.
Han Chen, piano (Programs 1, 4): Pianist Han Chen has emerged among the new generation of concert pianists as a uniquely fearless performer in a wide variety of musical settings. Gold Medalist at the 2013 China International Piano Competition and a prizewinner at the 2018 Honens International Piano Competition, Chen’s virtuosity is enriched by a probing commitment to new and lesser-known works as well as the great cornerstones of the piano repertory. He made his Lincoln Center debut with Riverside Symphony at Alice Tully Hall in December 2022 performing Mozart’s early masterwork, the Piano Concerto No. 9 le Jeunehomme. In 2021, Chen launched Migration Music, an ongoing series of interviews and performances featuring immigrant composers. Chen has studied with Yoheved Kaplinsky, Wha Kyung Byun, and Ursula Oppens at The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, and CUNY Graduate Center. He is represented by Black Tea Music.
George Nickson, percussion and conductor (Programs 1, 4): A percussionist and conductor of great versatility and virtuosity, George Nickson holds the Margie and William H. Seay Chair as Principal Percussionist of The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, serves as Chair of the Percussion Department and Professor of Practice at Southern Methodist University, is co-founder and co-artistic director of ensemblenewSRQ and heads contemporary chamber music studies at SMU, including the musical collective SYZYGY. Nickson received the Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School where he studied with Daniel Druckman and completed his undergraduate studies at the New England Conservatory with Will Hudgins. Nickson has appeared as conductor in many notable performances of ensemblenewSRQ, including numerous world premieres, U.S. Premieres and Florida Premieres, including Sebastian Currier’s WAVES, Wuorinen’s New York Notes, Boulez’ Le Marteau sans maître, and Sofia Gubaidulina’s Lyre of Orpheus.
Samantha Bennett, violin (Programs 1, 3): Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as a violinist “full of subtlety and poise,” Samantha Bennett is an active and varied performer around the globe. Bennett is a violinist in The Dallas Opera Orchestra, having previously served as the Principal Second Violin of the Sarasota Orchestra from 2016-2022. She was a member of the Fort Worth Symphony and The Florida Orchestra. She performs frequently with the Fort Worth Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra and the Boston Symphony. Alongside her husband, percussionist George Nickson, Bennett is the founder and co-artistic director of ensemblenewSRQ (enSRQ), a new music collective based in Sarasota, FL, where she is known for her performances of some of the most challenging contemporary repertoire. Born in Ames, Iowa, Bennett completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the New England Conservatory in Boston studying with Donald Weilerstein and Malcolm Lowe.
Lucy Fitz Gibbon, soprano (Programs 1, 3): Noted for her “dazzling, virtuoso singing” (Boston Globe), Lucy Fitz Gibbon is a dynamic musician whose repertoire spans the Renaissance to the present. She believes that creating new works and recreating those lost in centuries past makes room for the multiplicity and diversity of voices integral to classical music’s future. As such, Fitz Gibbon has given modern premieres of rediscovered works by Baroque composers as well as works by 20th-century composers. In helping to realize the complexities of music beyond written notes, the experience of working with these composers translates to all music: the commitment to faithfully communicate not only the score, but also the underlying intentions of its creator. A graduate of Yale University, Fitz Gibbon also holds an artist diploma from The Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory and a master’s degree from Bard College-Conservatory’s Graduate Vocal Arts Program.
Maurice Cohn, conductor (Program 1): A two-time recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, Maurice Cohn currently serves as assistant conductor for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He was recently named as the 11th music director of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and is also the artistic partner and conductor of New York City’s Camerata Notturna. Cohn spent two summers as a conducting fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, where he received the Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize and the Aspen Conducting Prize, and he received an M.M. in conducting from the
Eastman School of Music, where he worked frequently with the Eastman orchestras and OSSIA New Music Ensemble. He holds a B.M. in cello performance from Oberlin Conservatory and a B.A. from Oberlin College, where he studied history and mathematics. When not conducting or playing cello, you can find him reading mystery novels, playing tennis, or continually searching for the best podcast app.
Ryan MacEvoy McCullough, piano (Program 4): Born in Boston and raised behind the redwood curtain of northern California, pianist Ryan MacEvoy McCullough has developed a unique career as soloist, vocal and instrumental collaborator, composer, recording artist, and pedagogue. Ryan’s music-making encompasses work with historical keyboards, electro-acoustic tools and instruments, and close collaborations with many of today’s foremost composers. Ryan’s growing discography features many world-premiere recordings, including solo piano works. He is also founder of False Azure Records, an independent label dedicated to new and unusual repertoire. Mr. McCullough has collaborated closely and toured with the Mark Morris Dance Group, contemporary ensembles eighth blackbird and yarn/wire. Ryan is on faculty at Bard College Conservatory, and lives in Kingston, NY, with his wife, soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon.
Michelle Gott, harp (Program 4): A native of Las Vegas and a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, harpist Michelle Gott is ever seeking to expand her creativity through interdisciplinary artistic collaborations, contemporary commissions, and improvisation. In early 2024, Michelle founded HarpSparks – an initiative to celebrate unfamiliar soundscapes and build a community of “sonic explorers” through workshops, performances, and a biannual festival in Ottawa. On the orchestral stage, Michelle has extensive experience subbing as guest principal and second harp with the major orchestras around the continent. As a soloist, she has appeared with numerous organizations around North America. Michelle deeply values her work as educator and mentor for students of all ages and backgrounds. She maintains a small private studio of both in-person and virtual students. Michelle received her BM, MM, and DMA degrees from the Juilliard School, where she studied with Nancy Allen.
Emily Melendes, harp (Program 4): Emily Melendes, the newly appointed principal harpist of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, finds artistic inspiration in both orchestral and solo playing, and has performed under the baton of numerous conductors including Alan Gilbert, Tan Dun, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Matthias Pintscher, in addition to competing in various solo competitions and winning the national Anne Adams Award. Praised for her precision and expansive sound, Emily has enjoyed performing with leading orchestras around the country including the New York Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Kansas City Symphony, and the Dallas Symphony. Emily holds her Bachelor’s of Music from The University of Texas at Austin studying under Delaine Leonard, her first Master’s from The Juilliard School under tutelage of Nancy Allen, and a second Master’s degree in orchestral curatorial studies from Bard College where she held the position of principal harp in The Orchestra Now under Leon Botstein.
Michael Truesdell, percussion (Program 1, 4): Percussionist Mike Truesdell once again finds himself in the presence of the inspiring ensembleNEWSRQ. Unbeknownst to him, Mike was listed as one of the organization’s founding board members and had
no idea what that meant. He still doesn’t, really. With youthful excitement, Mike found his way to Sarasota to perform in the inaugural concert, which featured percussion works alongside the violin stylings of Co-Artistic Director Samantha Bennett. After the rousing success of that first concert, the hungry Florida audiences seemed to keep coming back for music that stretched their minds and ears, and Mike kept being invited back to provide those crunchy sounds and rhythmic beauty. Some of Mike’s greatest memories have come from enSRQ programs, but most recently he was able to break the shackles of the back row and storm his way to the front of the stage to be the leading chansonnier in HK Gruber’s Frankenstein with a full ensemble on stage and a packed audience at the Sarasota Opera House in spring of 2023.
Marcelina Suchocka, percussion (Program 1, 4): Born in Bialystok, Poland, Marcelina Suchocka is the Principal Percussionist of the Sarasota Orchestra. Ms. Suchocka enjoys a diverse career spanning orchestral, chamber, new music, and solo playing. She was a fellow at the New World Symphony in Miami and has performed with major orchestras around the country. She has also performed as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra playing the Koppel Marimba Concerto. Ms. Suchocka is one of the founding members of Excelsis, an all-female percussion quartet based in New York City. She is also a founding member of Pathos Trio, which is a NYC based group whose focus is to play new commissioned pieces and mix styles of music. Ms. Suchocka is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music.
Jose Uzcategui, percussion (Program 4): Jose Uzcategui is a multi-percussionist born and raised in Venezuela. He began his musical studies at the age of five in El Sistema Nacional de Orquestas in Venezuela and then started playing percussion at the age of eight in La Orquesta Sinfónica de Ciudad Guayana and La Academia Latinoamericana de Percusión. An advocate for new music, Jose is often performing solo recitals featuring contemporary music, commissioning new works, and performing in new music ensembles. Jose is an active freelancer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and has performed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Winds, Metamorphosis Ensemble, Verdigris Ensemble, and others. In addition to performing, Jose has also been commissioned to write music for short films, advertisements, and fashion shows.
PARISIAN REFRACTION ENSEMBLE MUSICIANS
Jennifer Best Takeda*, Chris Takeda violins
Stephanie Block, Jonas Benson violas
Christopher Schnell, Jamie Clark cellos
John Miller bass
Rafael Ramirez mandolin
Betsy Hudson Traba*, Angela Massey flutes
Logan Miller, Michael Drapkin clarinets
Nicholas Arbolino oboe and English horn
Fernando Traba bassoon
Donovan Thomas trumpet
Josh Horne, R. Scott Sanders horns
Jemmie Robertson trombone
Nate Seman tuba
*Core enSRQ Artist
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR 2023/24 ART OF PERFORMANCE SPONSORS
This program is supported in part by the Art of Performance Fund, Arthur F. and Ulla R. Searing Endowment, Dorothy Jenkins Endowment at the John and Mable Ringling Museum, Ellin Family Art of Our Time Endowment, Ed & Elaine Keating Endowment, Ringling Art of Performance Endowment, Selby Foundation Ringling Museum Endowment, Cowles Charitable Trust, Huisking Foundation, David and Mary Benfer, Michael and Kathy Bush, Warren R. and Marie E. Colbert, Leon and Marge Ellin, Judith and Stephen Shank, and Marge and Irv Weiser.
THE RINGLING’S ART OF PERFORMANCE delivers broad access to provocative and timely performing arts that reflect a wide range of experiences, disciplines, and relevant cultural expressions. The series embodies The Ringling’s values of inclusion, inspiration, and excellence through programs that elevate community engagement, equitable partnerships, and the plural exchange of ideas in tandem with visiting artists. Besides public programs, we support Florida-based, national, and international performance makers in developmental residencies and creative research.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the State Art Museum of Florida administered by Florida State University. It features an art museum, historic mansion, circus museum, historic theater, conservation laboratory, arboretum, and research library, situated on 66-acres of bayfront property in Sarasota. The Ringling is an extraordinary center of art and culture engaging with the local, state, and global communities, and is accessible to and inclusive of all.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Ringling respectfully acknowledges that we are located on the traditional Homelands and the ancestral territories of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, as well as the ancient tribes of the Calusa, Uzita and Tocobaga. We also acknowledge the local freedomseeking community called Angola, and the people later known as Black Seminoles.
We honor the resiliency of Indigenous communities, and we extend our gratitude as we live and work on their Homelands. We pay our respect to the Elders, both past and present, who have stewarded these lands and waters through generations since time immemorial.