PARMA Artists Live in Concert: Carnegie Hall, DiMenna Center, and Beyond

What makes live classical music so special? Perhaps it’s the natural acoustics, the robust, organic output of sound, or the joy of experiencing the creation of a celebrated artform with a room full of like-minded enthusiasts. One thing is certain — classical music is thriving and abundant.

There are several opportunities to join in on the magic this fall as PARMA artists bring their music to the concert hall, and classical productions like Wild Symphony make their way around the world.

The Juventas New Music Ensemble brings several works from their recording catalog to stages across New England this fall, including music by PARMA artist Jonathan Sheffer. Juventas is a dynamic contemporary chamber group with a special focus on emerging voices. They reimagine classical music as a vibrant living art form, uplifting rising voices and bringing audiences music from a diverse array of composers that live in today’s world and respond to our time.

The di.vi.sion piano trio presents new music that reflects on the effects of climate change on our planet in this program of works by Cynthia Miller, Raphael Crystal, Steven Burke, and PARMA artists Douglas Anderson and Melissa C. Shiflett. Presenting captivating programming and collaborating with composers that inspire them to work on innovative recording projects, the di.vi.sion piano trio is an active and driven chamber ensemble.

Mezzo-soprano Megan Ihnen employs her formidable talents as a 21st-century vocalist to shine a light on a varied array of contemporary composers with CURRENTS IN TIME. This program showcases the profundity of the human voice in a prime selection of modern compositions from the 2022 Navona Records release, whose lyrical foundations are as diverse as the emotional states transported: from grief to joy, modesty to hubris, and self-doubt to unshakable faith and valor.

RESURGENCE is a thoughtful exploration into the expressive capabilities of the cello and piano, highlighting cellist Ovidiu Marinescu and pianist Noreen Cassidy-Polera. This program offers reflections on emergence and transformation, the throes of long-distance love, great artists of our past and present, and more.

An immersive experience at the intersection of contemporary classical music and educational storytelling, author Dan Brown’s Wild Symphony has been performed in concert halls around the world by the Iceland Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic, and many more of classical music’s leading ensembles. Wild Symphony is steadfast in its trajectory of increasing wide-spread exposure — set to be performed with the Nashville Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony, and more soon.

Christina Petrowska Quilico joins lauded composer and champion of new music David Jaeger on GAMES OF THE NIGHT WIND, a dreamy musical landscape premiering 12 of Jaeger’s original nocturnes in addition to seven 20th century solo piano works. This program plays to the unfettered wildness of the night, a force of nature encapsulated in every aspect of Petrowska Quilico and Jaeger’s musical and poetic collaboration, an elegant exploration for the night owl in us all.

The Hevreh Ensemble embarks on a journey to Portland OR this fall to present several live performances of works from their catalog on Ansonica Records. Formed from long standing friendships and mutual musical interests, whose distinctive sound has been embraced internationally, the Hevreh Ensemble’s performances serve to prove their core belief as artists: “good friendship makes for good music, and great stories.”

Described as “easy to enjoy and difficult to forget” by Take Effect, the music on DIVISION OF MEMORY is inspired by traditional Paiute Indian melodies, sounds borrowed from Asian bowed string instruments, traditional fiddle playing, and more. Cellist Thomas Mesa is accompanied by pianist Yoon Lee in this cello-oriented program.

“Masterful music invites performers to accept and rise to all challenges,” says flutist Lindsey Goodman, who along with pianist Clare Longendyke brings an exhilarating cross section of contemporary chamber works to life on IN THE COMPANY OF MUSIC. These pieces are remarkably diverse, and so are the inspirations behind them — from major events in human history to pure musical curiosity and more.

Peter Drew’s Symphony No. 1, Reminiscence is a pastiche of sorts; it gathers up the musical moments that have touched the composer throughout his life. These musical reminiscences recall his excitement as a very young boy, listening to the works of the great western composers through the speaker of a portable radio, and musically encapsulate his discovery of jazz and popular music. Performed alongside works by Beethoven and Rossini in this concert by the Boulder Symphony, Drew’s symphonic work reflects his lifelong fascination with music in all of its forms.

Looking to bring the magic of a concert hall to your home? Dive into this digital concert featuring The Works of Carl Vollrath Live from Carnegie Hall. This program features a variety of colorful chamber works from Vollrath’s oeuvre, from his flute and piano sonatas to his widely-performed The Glass Of Absinthe, the world premiere of his Ravel Revival, and more, each in the masterful hands of the critically acclaimed Trio Casals, flutist Heather Small, and pianist Benjamin Crook.