Orion Weiss, one of America’s most sought-after virtuoso pianists, will return to New Canaan to dazzle with his passionate, lush sound on February 6 and 7. Weiss will join two other nationally recognized musicians, Andrew Armstrong, virtuoso pianist and Artistic Director of New Canaan Chamber Music, and gifted young guitarist Mak Grgić.
The concert is Thursday, February 6 at 3 pm and Friday, February 7 at 7:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in New Canaan at 173 Oenoke Ridge, and includes favorite composers George Gershwin, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Gabriel Fauré Tickets are available at www.newcanaanchambermusic.org
Weiss is widely regarded as a “brilliant pianist” (The New York Times) with “powerful technique and exceptional insight” (The Washington Post). He has performed with dozens of orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, and at Carnegie Hall, and New York’s 92nd Street Y.
Armstrong, Artistic Director and Founder of New Canaan Chamber Music, is praised by critics for his passionate expression and dazzling technique. He has delighted audiences worldwide, performing at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, and Warsaw’s National Philharmonic.
New Canaan Chamber Music audiences can again “Anticipate the Unexpected” when, for the first time, the program will include a classical guitarist, Grgić, who is a two-time Grammy nominee. In constant demand, he averages eighty-five performances a year — nearly two bookings per week. Highlights of the 24-25 season include appearances with the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, the Pacific Symphony, Charleston Symphony, and others.
Weiss and Armstrong will perform Gershwin’s famous “An American in Paris,” in an arrangement exploiting the expressive and virtuosic possibilities offered by two fantastic pianists playing together on one piano. Grgić will perform Joaquín Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez,” one of the most famous and beloved pieces in the classical guitar repertoire.
In just four years, New Canaan Chamber Music has become a thriving new addition to the concert scene. It also provides growing and inclusive programs of outreach with the Children’s Concerts and programs during the year that bring great music to seniors, youth orchestras, and local schools in New Canaan, Stamford, and Norwalk. NCCM is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
The Program
“Americans in Paris”
Orion Weiss, piano
Andrew Armstrong, piano
Mak Grgi, guitar
Chaconne from Partita in D minor, BWV 1004 (1720) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Dolly Suite, for piano 4-hands, Opus 56 (1896) by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
• Berceuse • Mi-a-ou • Le jardin de Dolly • Kitty-valse
• Tendresse • Le pas espagnol
Laments, Dances, & Lullabies, Vol. 1 for solo guitar (2008) by Miroslav Tadić(b. 1959)
• No. 5: Chicho • No. 4: Jovka • No. 3: Walk Dance
INTERMISSION
Transcendental Etude, Opus 11, No. 10, ‘Legshinka’ (1905) by Sergei Lyapunov (1859-1924)
Adagio, from Concierto de Aranjuez, arr. for guitar and piano (1939) by Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999)
An American in Paris (1928), by George Gershwin (1898-1937) arr. for 4-hands piano by Alessandra Gelfini
