Chamber music series remains free; registration required
October 17, November 21, January 23, February 27, March 27, April 24, May 22
Adapt. Pivot. Include. Much more than buzzwords, these terms have become a road map for this Dallas institution. Fine Arts Chamber Players (FACP) unveils the 2020–2021 season of its free Hallam Family Concert Series: seven free chamber music programs featuring Dallas’s top professional musicians. As always, the programs are free to enjoy with no admission price.
"In a time filled with so much uncertainty, I am proud to present FACP's 2020-2021 season for music lovers to enjoy,” shares Emily Levin, the Hallam Family Concert (HFC) artistic director. “The mission of FACP is to make music accessible to and for everyone, and this season features a broad range of extraordinary artistic voices. It is a season for our most stalwart supporters and for community members who are not too familiar with classical music. FACP remains an easy entry-point for people of all ages and backgrounds.”
Typically performed in the Horchow Auditorium (Dallas Museum of Art), the 2020-2021 season will be shared online for FACP audiences, and will shift to in-person performances if/when that is an option.
Executive Director Emily Guthrie explains, “We look forward to being on stage in front of an audience, but we do not know when that will be safe for everyone involved. At a minimum, the first three concerts: October, November, and January, will be online only and we will pivot to in-person concerts as we are able.”
There is, however, one other adaptation being made this season: audience members will have to register online for a viewing link to the performance. Once the concert is over, the material will not be available online to be streamed on demand.
“FACP put out quite a lot of content online this spring and our annual Basically Beethoven Festival was entirely virtual and open to all,” Ms. Guthrie continues. “We have had to adapt, however, to the newness of what’s been programmed for the Hallam concerts. Due to performance rights to the music this season, those who wish to see the performances must register online for the private web links for the concerts."
This is something new being asked of supporters. All registration details will be shared via e-newsletters, on the FACP website, and social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Concerts are still free, but registration will be required.
Ms. Levin adds, “Each concert features composers and performers that accurately represent our diverse society, and the result is a concert experience that truly is for everyone. Among the many living composers programmed, I'm especially excited to include two Dallas-based composers on our season: Quinn Mason in November and Jonathan Cziner in March.” Mr. Mason will be familiar to FACP followers: he started his musical journey as a scholarship student in FACP education programs.
Starting last year, this concert series has been sponsored by arts philanthropists and business leaders Fanchon and Howard Hallam. Mr. Hallam shares, “Personally, I am very excited to see what’s been programmed this year: Emily Levin has put together a wonderful mix of traditional chamber music and pieces that are not as well known. Fanchon and I are proud to have our names on a concert series that is inclusive of different voices.”
Ms. Levin sums up, “Music is a universal language, and its power to transcend the everyday has never been more important. Whether virtual or in-person, FACP is committed to bringing excellent musicians and great music to our community.”
Hallam Family Concerts: the 2020-2021 Season
Saturday afternoons: October 17, November 21, January 23, February 27, March 27, April 24, May 22 at 3 p.m.
FREE, but registration is required
All online concerts will premiere at 3 p.m. with interactive elements
Complete performances will not be available on demand after the programs end
October 17, 2020: FROM KEYS TO STRINGS
The 2020-2021 Hallam Family Concert season kicks off with a program of piano masterworks brilliantly transcribed for harp and guitar by the Davin-Levin Duo, including Claude Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque and its famous “Clair de Lune,” Florence Price’s nostalgic Three Roses, and György Ligeti’s arresting Musica Ricercata.
Davin-Levin Duo: Colin Davin, guitar; Emily Levin, Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) Principal Harp
November 21, 2020: WHAT IS AND WHAT WILL BE
Dallas-based MAKE Trio returns to our stage with a program of juxtapositions: reality and imagination, past and future, certainty and unknown. Including Béla Bartók’s Contrasts, possibly the most well-known piece for this combination of instruments, MAKE will also perform works by Maurice Ravel, Darius Milhaud, and Dallas composer Quinn Mason.
MAKE Trio: Grace Kang Wollett, violin (Dallas Opera Acting Assistant Concertmaster); Danny Goldman, Dallas Opera clarinet; Mikhail Berestnev, piano
January 23, 2021: BEETHOVEN: MAGNIFIED
It’s an hour of mystery and music, featuring Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Serioso” quartet performed by The Cezanne Quartet, alongside writings by the Queen of Crime herself, Agatha Christie. Can you solve the case? This concert is especially for young listeners and those exploring the world of classical music.
The Cezanne Quartet: Eleanor Dunbar, violin; Lauren Haseltine, violin; Steven Juarez, viola; Elizabeth White, cello
February 27, 2021: AMERICAN VOICES
In an immersive exploration of America’s diverse composition spectrum, join the principal woodwinds of the Dallas Symphony as they perform an all-American program of virtuoso chamber music, including Samuel Barber’s quintessential Summer Music and living composer Valerie Coleman’s dazzling Tzigane.
David Buck, DSO Principal Flute; Erin Hannigan, DSO Principal Oboe; Gregory Raden, DSO Principal Clarinet; Ted Soluri, DSO Bassoon; David Heyde, DSO Associate Principal Horn and Acting Principal Horn
March 27, 2021: CLARA’S INFLUENCE
A prodigious pianist and a gifted composer, Clara Schumann was a musical visionary, who also championed and inspired the music of Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. Through her music and her writings, alongside works by Robert Schumann, Brahms, and a new piece by Dallas-based composer Jonathan Cziner based on her letters, discover the voice of one of classical music’s most influential women.
Maria Schleuning, DSO violin; Jolyon Pegis, DSO Associate Principal Cello; Benjamin Loeb, piano
April 24, 2021: WHERE THE WATER MEETS THE SHORE
In a musical journey from the ocean to the Andean mountains, immerse yourself in sound worlds inspired by the wonders of nature with works for harp, flute, and string trio. William Grant Still’s heavenly “Summerland” opens the program, alongside pieces by Jean Cras and Miguel de Aguila that explore the personal side of the sea, and Gabriela Lena Frank’s rhapsodic ode to ancient Peru.
Ebonee Thomas, Dallas Opera flute; Eunice Keem, DSO Associate Concertmaster (violin); Sarah Kienle, DSO Acting Associate Principal viola; Jeffrey Hood, DSO cello; Emily Levin, DSO Principal Harp
May 22, 2021: STARS OF TOMORROW, the Charles Barr Memorial
The Charles Barr Memorial Concert showcases the best and brightest of Dallas young musicians. Don’t miss the next generation of musical virtuosi.
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