By Michael Johns
Special to The Island News
USCB Chamber Music begins its 45th season at 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 10. Two guest artists, violinist Stefan Jackiw and clarinetist Yoonah Kim, will join Artistic Director, pianist, and host, Andrew Armstrong.
Jackiw is one of America’s foremost violinists, captivating audiences with playing that combines poetry and purity with impeccable technique. Hailed for playing of “uncommon musical substance” that is “striking for its intelligence and sensitivity” (The Boston Globe), Jackiw has appeared as a soloist with the Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco symphony orchestras, among others.
During the 2024-25 season, Jackiw’s schedule is studded with performances in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He plays a violin made in 1705 by Vincenzo Ruggieri.
Clarinetist Kim, hailed by The New York Times for her “inexhaustible virtuosity,” is an artist of uncommon musical depth and musicality. She enjoys a diverse career as solo clarinetist, chamber and orchestral musician, and educator.
Beyond performing solo clarinet repertoire in recitals and with orchestras, Kim is devoted to commissioning and premiering new works for the clarinet. She has given masterclasses throughout the U.S., Canada, and South Korea, serves on the clarinet faculty at New York University’s Steinhardt School; and is currently a Doctoral Fellow at the Juilliard School.
Lowcountry audiences have been impressed with Armstrong for his innovations as Artistic Director — an enthusiastic embrace of all types of music, packaged with programming flare — and demeanor as charming, loquacious host. After years of hearing him perform it is not unreasonable to take his brilliant pianism for granted, but it is occasionally worthwhile to be reminded of what a globetrotting gem we have who chooses to regularly perform in the Lowcountry.
Armstrong is praised around the world for his passionate expression and dazzling technique while delighting audiences in the great cities and iconic concert halls across Asia, Europe, Latin America, Canada, and the United States. His orchestral engagements include a vast repertoire of more than 60 concertos, solo recitals, chamber music concerts, and appearances at chamber music festivals around the country. He remains an unflagging and enthusiastic advocate for the communicative power of live, acoustic, concert music.
The concert begins with Schubert’s calming, transcendent, non-denominational “Ave Maria,” arranged for violin and clarinet. Its mood — comforting and deeply personal, flowing and seeking grace — is graspable and profound. Armstrong then joins Kim for Francis Poulenc’s spirited and sublime Clarinet Sonata, which takes the listener on an emotional roller-coaster ride from nervous and edgy through intimate and tender to hard-charging and circus-music squeaky.
All three artists return for Igor Stravinsky’s trio version of L’histoire du Soldat, his 1919 musical portrayal of a Faustian bargain between a violin-playing soldier and the devil. It exhibits the clarity and tunefulness associated with Classical style while piquant harmonies and unsettled rhythms animate a decidedly unsettled, twentieth-century point of view.
Following intermission, Armstrong and Stefan play Richard Strauss’ multi-movement, extravagant, bursting-at-the-seams Violin Sonata, Op. 18. By the age of 23, Strauss was already an accomplished composer, completely in command of instrumental color and capacity, with an acutely sensitive ear for vocal-style melody and a profound respect for the traditions of western music. Hearing this infrequently-performed sonata played by charismatic virtuosi will be a special treat.
The concert closes with a trio arrangement of Astor Piazzolla’s propulsive, non-stop, beat-driven, “new-tango-style dance,Liebertango. The title blends “liberty” and “tango,” creating a conflation of mid-1970s American disco and dance/pop music with Argentinian tango. It will get the blood running, the toes tapping, then the hands clapping in appreciation for a concert that moved from humble, prayerful calm to dramatic, passionate dance.
USCB Chamber Music prides itself on presenting accessible, thought-provoking music for every palette and sensibility performed by impeccably trained and technically polished artists. Experience in-the-moment creativity in real-time with the musicians and let your spirit soar as the audience basks in the glow of music’s unspoken, sublime power.
There are three ways to enjoy each concert: in person and virtually by Live-Stream and OnDemand. All virtual concerts are professionally produced, creating great viewing opportunities. OnDemand is accessible four days after the concert and available to view at your leisure for three weeks. For concert, artist, event, and ticket information, go to www.uscbchambermusic.com or call 843-208-8246, Monday through Friday. The first concert of the USCB Chamber Music’s 45th season is Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, at 5 p.m. at the USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort, in the downtown historic district.
Want To Go?
Who: USCB Chamber Music
What: Season-opening concert
When: 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 10
Where: USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort
Tickets: For concert, artist, event, and ticket information, go to www.uscbchambermusic.com or call 843-208-8246, Monday through Friday.
