Department of Music

On October 17^th at 3:30 pm the University of Virginia Chamber Music Series presents the first of six performances by UVA's outstanding faculty and guest artists in beautiful Old Cabell Hall on the historic Lawn.  Our first Chamber Music Series concert features various performers in a mixed chamber ensemble.  These intimate concerts are programmed to offer both new and traditional works that will delight the novice as well as the well-tempered critic. 

PROGRAM

I-Jen Fang, Percussion, and Ayn Balija, Viola, will perform Marco Schirripa’s Five Encounters for Viola and Marimba (2014): 1. Sunrise Over Vast Waters, 2. I met the most mysterious man…, 3. ROBO, 4. Into a Snowblind, 5. What is it like to fly?.

Schirripa's passion for video games and technology inspired the composition of this piece. The composer provides program notes for the performers and the audience for insights into the piece:

“1. "Sunrise Over Vast Waters" paints a brief musical portrait of what the title implies, but uses a more personal approach, superimposing dissonant pitch collections over a largely pentatonic accompaniment, representing the combination of existential thinking with what many feels to be a natural and beautiful phenomenon.
2. "I Met the Most Mysterious Man..." was directly influenced by a scene from a video game in which the main characters enter a shop owned by a wizard in a made-up fantasy world. This movement reflects the character and mood of the video game scene's music but contains completely original material.
3. "ROBO" is another reflection on a video game, but this time the character being referenced is a futuristic robot of immeasurable strength, which the hero must bring back to life.
4. "Into a Snowblind," like the opening movement, is meant to create a soundscape, this time of a vast, uninhabitable tundra, within which one would have no hope of survival. There is a juxtaposition of good and bad, as the marimba’s chorale textures at the beginning and end symbolize the undeniable beauty of snowfall, while the dissonance in the viola makes clear the dangers of traveling through a Snowblind.
5. "What is it Like to Fly?" represents not a particular scene, but instead the idea of empowerment and joy that comes with achievement and new experiences. In this case, “flying” is metaphorical and refers to the aforementioned feelings as well as excitement for what the future holds.”

The second piece on the program is "Two Preludes" by Katherine Hoover (1937-2018), performed by Kelly Sulick, Flute, and I-Jen Fang, Percussion. Hoover wrote "Two Preludes" (2012) while living in Manhattan, NY. Listeners can feel New York City vibes in the first prelude, 'Uptown'. This movement is for flute and marimba. They trade the lead voice back and forth in a jazz-inspired atmosphere. The second prelude, 'Out of Town', features a vibraphone with a solo in the middle of the second prelude. Listeners can imagine a summer vacation in the countryside while listening to the second prelude. The composer writes:“My two short preludes are self-explanatory: Uptown is energetic and up-tempo, and Out of Town is pastoral.”  Due to the UVA’s current COVID protocols, this piece will be streamed using a pre-recorded video.

The last piece is Johannes Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor Op.25 (1861). It will be performed by John Mayhood; Piano, David Sariti; Violin, Ayn Balija; Viola, and Adam Carter; Cello. It is comprised of four movements; I. Allegro, II. Intermezzo: Allegro ma non troppo – Trio: Animato, III. Andante con moto, IV. Rondo all Zingarese: Presto.

Brahms began to compose the piece in 1858 but did not finish it until 1861. When it premiered in Hamburg, the piano part was performed by Clara Schumann. This piece is best known for the finale movement: Rondo all Zingarese, also known as the ‘Gypsy Rondo’. The movement demonstrates Brahms’s long-standing interest in Hungarian folk music.

Tickets for this concert  is $15 for general admission, $8 for students, and tickets are free for UVA students who reserve in advance and for those under 18. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Arts Box Office at 434.924.3376, or by visiting artsboxoffice.virginia.edu.

Old Cabell Hall is located on the south end of UVA's historic lawn, directly opposite the Rotunda. (map) Parking is available in the central grounds parking garage on Emmet Street, in the C1 parking lot off McCormick Rd, and in the parking lots at the UVA Corner.  Handicap parking is available in the small parking lot adjacent to Bryan Hall.

To see all concerts in the series, pleave visit https://music.virginia.edu/uvacms
The UVA Chamber Music Series is directed by Jiyeon Choi.

All events are subject to change