Tuesday, December 6, 2011
What an Evening!
What an incredible evening last night at Christmas at the Castle. With bright lights and television cameras and microphones everywhere, the Consort played to a full house with standing room only. The audience was awesome and the Madrigali were on fire. Phill Smith's World Premiere of "Fanfare and Rondo" met applause that never ended! The encore of six carols was so cool- the whole house was singing and transitioned to a great reception, with amazing wine, that lasted well into the night. BEST ONE, YET!!! Thanks to all that were involved... and CONGRATS.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Madrigali Et Al.
Monday's featured choir ensemble was founded as a green show performance for Omaha's annual Shakespeare on the Green under the name UNO Madrigal Singers. The group eventually evolved into an adult chamber ensemble, adopting the name Madrigali et al. Members include singers from Omaha and the surrounding areas. Auditions are required for membership. As the name implies, Madrigali et al. performs a variety of literature from the Renaissance to the 21st century.
Matthew C. Harden is both the founder and artistic director of the adult chamber ensemble Madrigali et al. Dr. Harden earned his doctoral degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Choral Music Education) from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, his master's degree from Portland State University, and two bachelor's degrees (Performance and Education) from Southern Oregon State College. His studies and degrees are in the areas of conducting, organ, music education, and voice. He has studied conducting with Bruce Browne, Eph Ehly, Eric Ericson, Gary Hill, and Charles Robinson, while in mater-class settings he has worked with Harold Decker, Helmuth Rilling, Robert Shaw, Muray Sidlin, and dale Warland. In addition, he has performed voice recitals for the Portland Opera Guild and the Astoria Arts Alliance.
Matthew C. Harden is both the founder and artistic director of the adult chamber ensemble Madrigali et al. Dr. Harden earned his doctoral degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Choral Music Education) from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, his master's degree from Portland State University, and two bachelor's degrees (Performance and Education) from Southern Oregon State College. His studies and degrees are in the areas of conducting, organ, music education, and voice. He has studied conducting with Bruce Browne, Eph Ehly, Eric Ericson, Gary Hill, and Charles Robinson, while in mater-class settings he has worked with Harold Decker, Helmuth Rilling, Robert Shaw, Muray Sidlin, and dale Warland. In addition, he has performed voice recitals for the Portland Opera Guild and the Astoria Arts Alliance.
In 1990, Dr. Harden founded the North Coast Chorale which last year celebrated its 20th anniversary with a Gala Concert in Astoria, Oregon. In addition, during his tenure in Oregon he was assistant conductor and tenor section leader for the Portland Symphonic Choir, Music Director for the Early Music ensemble "Sine Nomine," and taught in various Oregon schools for twelve years. He has conducted choirs on tour in the United States, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Russia, and The Netherlands. His adjudication work includes Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Tallinn (Estonia). He has conducted Festival choirs in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and most recently the professional choir Polifonia in Lithuania. His choral singing experience includes four prestigious choirs; these are Choral Cross-Ties, Portland Symphonic Choir, UMKC Heritage Chorale, and the PSU Chamber Choir. Dr. Harden is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, Music Educators National Conference, National collegiate choral Organization, and the International Federation of Choral Musicians. He is Currently Serving as the President of the Nebraska Choral Directors' Association.
Monday's performance will not be quickly forgotten - get your tickets now!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
An Astounding World Premiere In Store,,,
If you live anywhere near Omaha make every effort to attend the Consort's "Christmas at the Castle" presentation on December 5, 7p; Joslyn Castle.
A lucky few (75 max) will witness a world premiere of note when the Consort performs Phill Smith's, Fanfare and Rondo, for brass quintet. We are so pumped after reading it for the first time today at morning rehearsal. I came in with a hot cup of coffee- I left with a cold, still full, cup of coffee. It is the most exciting brass piece I have worked on in many years and I believe it will find its way into the modern cannon of brass quintet works. Yes, I hold this piece in the highest regard!
Also on the program- Omaha premieres of several works including Sterling Procter's, Picardy, a powerful and moving set of variations couched in French folk tunes. Sterling is a friend of mine from Ft. Worth (my hometown) and is known around the country for his intensely beautiful settings for brass ensembles.
Did you miss "The Bach Experience" last spring. That concert featured the Consort's most important partners, the Madrigali et al. This chamber chorus is such a gem for Omaha to have. It is a new group founded and directed by Matthew Harden. It is packed with stellar vocalists, which under Dr. Harden's leadership, make it the finest ensemble of its kind in our area. The Madrigali will join the Consort brass on several antiphonal works and present other choral masterpieces in the festive and beautiful Castle Music Room.
The last time the Madrigali joined us several folks told us that it made for the most powerful concert they had EVER heard in Omaha. I wouldn't miss it this time for the world!
Get your tickets online: joslyncastle.com
Or call the Castle: (402) 595 - 2199
Or hope there are some left at the door Monday night!
I hope to see you there... and please, tell a friend!
A lucky few (75 max) will witness a world premiere of note when the Consort performs Phill Smith's, Fanfare and Rondo, for brass quintet. We are so pumped after reading it for the first time today at morning rehearsal. I came in with a hot cup of coffee- I left with a cold, still full, cup of coffee. It is the most exciting brass piece I have worked on in many years and I believe it will find its way into the modern cannon of brass quintet works. Yes, I hold this piece in the highest regard!
Also on the program- Omaha premieres of several works including Sterling Procter's, Picardy, a powerful and moving set of variations couched in French folk tunes. Sterling is a friend of mine from Ft. Worth (my hometown) and is known around the country for his intensely beautiful settings for brass ensembles.
Did you miss "The Bach Experience" last spring. That concert featured the Consort's most important partners, the Madrigali et al. This chamber chorus is such a gem for Omaha to have. It is a new group founded and directed by Matthew Harden. It is packed with stellar vocalists, which under Dr. Harden's leadership, make it the finest ensemble of its kind in our area. The Madrigali will join the Consort brass on several antiphonal works and present other choral masterpieces in the festive and beautiful Castle Music Room.
The last time the Madrigali joined us several folks told us that it made for the most powerful concert they had EVER heard in Omaha. I wouldn't miss it this time for the world!
Get your tickets online: joslyncastle.com
Or call the Castle: (402) 595 - 2199
Or hope there are some left at the door Monday night!
I hope to see you there... and please, tell a friend!
Monday, November 28, 2011
NETV Filming on Monday!
I'm excited to let everybody know that NETV's Kay Hall will be joining us at the Joslyn Castle to film the Consort for a couple of projects to be aired in 2012. Ms. Hall is a Consort fan and believes that the group is one of Nebraska's true treasures! Come December 5th at 7p to see Christmas at the Castle and become a fan, too!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Recap of Winds Around the World
Last night's concert, "Winds Around the World", featured some of the finest musicians I have ever worked with- anywhere.
The 1-hour program was intense and our stellar group of wind players put on a fine show with only three rehearsals under their belt. The Consort is at its best when the music is fresh and the atmosphere is bubbling with artistic flare and the utmost concentration and communication by our players. The music room was a little chilly to start out last night but by the middle of the first page of Barber's "Summer Music" there was plenty of warmth to go around.
No seat is hotter than a Consort musician's chair. We perform the most difficult, yet masterful, works in the chamber music repertoire... and we do it with our friends, family, and Consort patrons sitting mere feet away from us. Every breath can be heard, every subtle cue can be spotted, and every player feels the connection with the rest of the room.
"Summer Music" is a thrilling way to kick off such an intimate concert. The opening duet with bassoon and horn sounds so dry and pertinent in the Joslyn Castle's Music Room. The continual flourishes in flute and clarinet seem to further amplify the anticipation in the air. The beautiful oboe lines are a revelation to the ear when heard so clearly though the incredibly thick texture that Barber somehow conjures up with only five players. No piece epitomizes ensemble communication better than this work that moves without ever really touching the ground. The audience was locked in and so were we... certainly this was one of my best musical memories- ever.
Speaking of memories... will anybody who attended, or performed, last night ever forget Carmelo Galante and his "Crazy Baby-Clarinet"? We played Medaglia's "Belle Epoque en Sud-America", which has a wicked finale with a screaming Eb Clarinet solo. After nailing the finale Carm stood for a solo bow with accompanying applause that never seemed to end!
The show's headliner was Janáček's "Mladi" (Youth). During our pre-concert discussion I asked our crowd to raise hands if anyone had ever heard "Mladi" in person. Nobody, except Alexandra Rock (Principal Oboe, Omaha Symphony), responded. I let the crowd know that we would be doing something very unique with the work that night... we would actually play it!
"Mladi" is essentially a symphony for wind sextet and is a non-stop roller coaster ride for the audience and the ensemble. Imaging playing chase with a little kid on a sugar high for about half-an-hour straight and you can kind of get the idea. The work never settles down and is difficult to catch. As soon as you think it's in a groove somebody introduces a new tempo, theme, development, or all of the above, which takes the movement (there are four mvts) in a totally new direction. Like the Barber, "Mladi" takes so much concentration and virtuosic performance that it sets the room on fire and ends with a tremendous high that can only be achieved by presenting the work in a beautifully intimate space, like the Joslyn Castle's Music Room.
What a night! So many wonderful and familiar faces make up our Consort family. I am proud to see that our audience members come back loyally each concert and appreciate what we're doing here in Omaha. Why not come check out what it is that we're doing on December 5, 7pm; Joslyn Castle? See for yourself what our brand of music is like and I'm sure I'll be seeing you again and again as we grow year after year!
The 1-hour program was intense and our stellar group of wind players put on a fine show with only three rehearsals under their belt. The Consort is at its best when the music is fresh and the atmosphere is bubbling with artistic flare and the utmost concentration and communication by our players. The music room was a little chilly to start out last night but by the middle of the first page of Barber's "Summer Music" there was plenty of warmth to go around.
No seat is hotter than a Consort musician's chair. We perform the most difficult, yet masterful, works in the chamber music repertoire... and we do it with our friends, family, and Consort patrons sitting mere feet away from us. Every breath can be heard, every subtle cue can be spotted, and every player feels the connection with the rest of the room.
"Summer Music" is a thrilling way to kick off such an intimate concert. The opening duet with bassoon and horn sounds so dry and pertinent in the Joslyn Castle's Music Room. The continual flourishes in flute and clarinet seem to further amplify the anticipation in the air. The beautiful oboe lines are a revelation to the ear when heard so clearly though the incredibly thick texture that Barber somehow conjures up with only five players. No piece epitomizes ensemble communication better than this work that moves without ever really touching the ground. The audience was locked in and so were we... certainly this was one of my best musical memories- ever.
Speaking of memories... will anybody who attended, or performed, last night ever forget Carmelo Galante and his "Crazy Baby-Clarinet"? We played Medaglia's "Belle Epoque en Sud-America", which has a wicked finale with a screaming Eb Clarinet solo. After nailing the finale Carm stood for a solo bow with accompanying applause that never seemed to end!
The show's headliner was Janáček's "Mladi" (Youth). During our pre-concert discussion I asked our crowd to raise hands if anyone had ever heard "Mladi" in person. Nobody, except Alexandra Rock (Principal Oboe, Omaha Symphony), responded. I let the crowd know that we would be doing something very unique with the work that night... we would actually play it!
"Mladi" is essentially a symphony for wind sextet and is a non-stop roller coaster ride for the audience and the ensemble. Imaging playing chase with a little kid on a sugar high for about half-an-hour straight and you can kind of get the idea. The work never settles down and is difficult to catch. As soon as you think it's in a groove somebody introduces a new tempo, theme, development, or all of the above, which takes the movement (there are four mvts) in a totally new direction. Like the Barber, "Mladi" takes so much concentration and virtuosic performance that it sets the room on fire and ends with a tremendous high that can only be achieved by presenting the work in a beautifully intimate space, like the Joslyn Castle's Music Room.
What a night! So many wonderful and familiar faces make up our Consort family. I am proud to see that our audience members come back loyally each concert and appreciate what we're doing here in Omaha. Why not come check out what it is that we're doing on December 5, 7pm; Joslyn Castle? See for yourself what our brand of music is like and I'm sure I'll be seeing you again and again as we grow year after year!
Winds around the World
Last night's show was a blast. We put out posters for the December 5th show, and they all went. Look out for them around town.
Glad to see that our Artistic Director is fully with us at last.
Glad to see that our Artistic Director is fully with us at last.
Friday, November 18, 2011
From Harmonie to Wind Quintet
The Consort has presented several works composed for harmonie band since our debut last spring. Harmoniemusik is typically composed for pairs of winds. Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven all composed for harmonie band at some point in there careers. These bands were the instrumentation of choice in much of Europe's royal courts during the latter part of the 18th Century. If you were a composer looking for solid employment, harmonie was the way to go.
As the Classical era came to a close so did the old royal court harmonie bands. During this time we see the development of a leaner, meaner, wind ensemble; the wind quintet. Most often consisting of a flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn. This group was a smart economical choice and for a short time in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries the quintet enjoyed some great success but it was short-lived.
As patronage made a shift from the courts to the growing outside European Aristocracy the older, and oftentimes cliché, harmonie genre was left behind for newer forms of chamber music. It wasn't until the early 20th Century that we see a renewed interest in the wind quintet as a vehicle for serious art music.
This Monday's concert will feature a wide selection of 20th Century nationalistic approaches to music and the treatment of the wind quintet. Tickets are still available but seating is limited. Take a look at the program and our impressive roster of musicians. If you appreciate the finer music in life, chamber music- of course, than get your ticket soon. I look forward to having a glass of good wine with you after the show.
The Consort; Presenting Music in the Proper Glass... only at the Joslyn Castle!
As the Classical era came to a close so did the old royal court harmonie bands. During this time we see the development of a leaner, meaner, wind ensemble; the wind quintet. Most often consisting of a flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn. This group was a smart economical choice and for a short time in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries the quintet enjoyed some great success but it was short-lived.
As patronage made a shift from the courts to the growing outside European Aristocracy the older, and oftentimes cliché, harmonie genre was left behind for newer forms of chamber music. It wasn't until the early 20th Century that we see a renewed interest in the wind quintet as a vehicle for serious art music.
This Monday's concert will feature a wide selection of 20th Century nationalistic approaches to music and the treatment of the wind quintet. Tickets are still available but seating is limited. Take a look at the program and our impressive roster of musicians. If you appreciate the finer music in life, chamber music- of course, than get your ticket soon. I look forward to having a glass of good wine with you after the show.
The Consort; Presenting Music in the Proper Glass... only at the Joslyn Castle!
Rehearsals Underway for Monday
The Consort is rehearsing for our Monday night show, Winds Around the World. The program is sounding great!
Our bassoonist, James "Jim" Compton, is very busy this week. Come hear him perform as featured soloist with the Omaha Symphony this Saturday night at 7p. He is an amazing bassoonist and a great friend!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Recital featuring works composed by Consort Composer, Phill Smith
Who: Phill Smith is a friend of the Consort. His brass quintet, Fanfare and Rondo, will be premiered on the Dec. 5 Castle concert.
What: Recital of works composed by Phill Smith
When: Tomorrow, November 11 at 6pm
Where: UNO's Strauss Recital Hall. 6001 Dodge Street.
Zen and the Art of Incorporation
>
> If I was of a nervous disposition I would put starting a company, Omaha Consort for instance, up there with divorce and moving house, both of which I have tried more than once. Once you Incorporate, you land in the radar of federal and state agencies who send you pages of lovingly photocopied, single spaced letters about Workers' Compensation and Compliance and other long words. I find I can achieve a zen -like state of nothingness, wandering around the office, trying to remember where I put them. So let's hear it for the guys in the corner office who remind us that the World can be a far, far better place.
>
> Sheila Siegler
> President
> Omaha Consort
Chemistry in action!
With rehearsals set to begin next week I am so looking forward to the Winds Around the Worldconcert at the Castle (Nov. 21, 7pm).
The Musicians:
Erica Peel, Flute
Jason Sudduth, Oboe
Carmelo "Carm" Galante, Clarinet
John "The Hammer" Klinghammer, Clarinet
James "Jim" Compton, Bassoon
Jason "Me" DeWater, Horn
We have four veteran Consort musicians in Carm, John, Jim, and I. We are happy to add two colleagues to the Consort family in Erica and Jason. They are incredible musicians and they are- MARRIED! The cutest couple you'll ever see are joining us as a flute/oboe power punch of the utmost artistry.
This is a crazy-talented bunch and I'm blessed to call them all a friend of mine. We have a fiendishly difficult program to put together for our loyal Consort crowd and I couldn't have dreamed of a better group with more chemistry.
More posts, more often from yours truly as the blog is now rolling... I'm the guy that will be leading you through the evening's presentation- and the guy with the cut-off head in the photo you see here:
Come to the show to see the rest of my face and this super group in action!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Serving Music in the Proper Glass
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| Director, Jason Dewater |
Wow, we have a blog! I want to start out by saying thanks to Lori Benton for her hard work- Thanks, Lori, and welcome to the Consort! You have been such an incredible addition to our team and your energy and expertise are so appreciated.
Has everyone seen our wonderful posters? If not, check out Shelly Jeffries’ amazing work. The Consort team is so fortunate to have her on board this season. Thanks, Shelly, from all of us at the Consort!
Future Plans
We live in interesting times!
We have a new blog and a poster that is so good we are thinking of having tee shirts made...watch this space for more info on that.
One of the producers at NET was so wowed in our ideas and, when the football season is over and they can get their "wandering" technical van back again, they will be coming over to film us at the Castle.
We will have Madrigali et al performing with us for the Christmas concert. Last time they came it was a sell out...so get your tickets now.
We have a new blog and a poster that is so good we are thinking of having tee shirts made...watch this space for more info on that.
One of the producers at NET was so wowed in our ideas and, when the football season is over and they can get their "wandering" technical van back again, they will be coming over to film us at the Castle.
We will have Madrigali et al performing with us for the Christmas concert. Last time they came it was a sell out...so get your tickets now.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
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