An Ode to Musical Innovator Erwin Schulhoff with Clarion Quartet & Friends

This program is the second in a series of three classical music concerts performed by the Clarion Quartet. The Clarion Quartet restores life to music by composers whose works were once banned due to forces of political oppression. Though once denied their rightful place in the chamber music repertoire, the reemergence of these compositions serves as a clarion call for the works of genius that would otherwise be silenced and forgotten to history. The Clarion Quartet is dedicated to providing renewal, hope, and healing through its music and work. This concert honors composer Erwin Schulhoff, a multi-faceted and multi-genre innovator in music, far ahead of his time.

About the Quartet:

The Clarion Quartet was formed in 2015 by Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra members Marta Krechkovsky (violin), Jennifer Orchard (violin), Tatjana Mead Chamis (viola), and Bronwyn Banerdt (cello), who joined forces to share their passion for chamber music and their particular interest in EntarteteMusik—works that were termed “degenerate” and banned by the Nazi regime. The centerpiece of the Clarion Quartet’s debut season was a unique performance in the former Theresienstadt (Terezín) concentration camp in the present-day Czech Republic. The quartet performed works by composers whose abuses during the Holocaust ranged from exile to execution. The emotional experience of performing in this extraordinary setting became the inspiration for Breaking the Silence, the quartet’s critically acclaimed debut album. The Clarion Quartet’s mission is to perform the works of forgotten composers alongside known masterpieces, thus returning lost voices to their deserved stature.

Featured Musicians:

David Harding has an extensive solo and chamber music career, having performed throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, Central America and Australia, in such renowned venues as Berlin’s Philharmonie, the Beethovenhaus in Bonn, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, to name a few. David has performed at music festivals around the world, including the Edinburgh International Festival, Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, Seattle Chamber Music Society, and others. David was formerly a member of the Toronto String Quartet and the Chester String Quartet as well as the Canadian string trio “Triskelion.” With his wife, flutist Lorna McGhee, and harpist Heidi Krutzen, David is a member of “Trio Verlaine.” As a devoted and sought-after teacher, David is currently Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He has given masterclasses throughout North America, at institutions such as the University of Michigan, Oberlin Conservatory, Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, and Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity. 

Angela Park began playing the cello at age 10 with Sungeun Hong and Kyungmi Lim. Performing from an early age soon thereafter, Angela won virtually every competition in Korea and made her debut with the Seoul Philharmonic at the age of 12. Equally at home as a soloist and chamber musician, Angela has performed throughout the North and South Americas, Europe, and East Asia. She has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic, and made appearances at the Marlboro, Verbier, and Ravinia Festivals. In addition to performing early music, she has a deep interest in the music of our times and is dedicated to playing the works of living composers. Her multifaceted performing career has led her to be a sought-after teacher, and has taught multiple years at the Korean National Institute for the Gifted in Arts, the Curtis Young Artist Summer Program, Festival de los Siete Lagos of Argentina, in addition to teaching privately. Angela plays a Paolo Antonio Testore cello and a 19th century Flemish baroque cello, both generously on private loan.

Lorna McGhee, Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Flutist, is equally at home in a solo, chamber, or orchestral setting. She has performed concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Chamber Orchestra, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Toronto Philharmonic, Victoria Symphony, and the Kyushu Symphony among many others throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. Her career highlights include a performance of Penderecki’s flute concerto under the baton of the composer, Bach’s B Minor suite with both Yannick Nézet-Seguin and Nicholas McGegan, and Saariaho’s Concerto, “Aile du Songe,” under the baton of Osmo Vanska to name a few. Having taught at the University of Michigan and the University of British Columbia, Lorna is now an Artist Lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University and has given master classes at universities and conservatories around the world, including Juilliard School and the Royal Academy of Music. 

Dimitri Papadimitriou is a pianist of refined musicianship and remarkable verve. As a chamber musician he has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Augustin Hadelich, James Ehnes and Alexi Kenney, as well as with principal musicians from major European and U.S. orchestras. Dimitri is currently an assistant teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University School of Music in Pittsburgh where he coaches chamber music, teaches piano, and lectures on Beethoven and his choice of key. Dimitri also serves as the administrator for the school’s opera productions and as the Artistic Director of the Carnegie Mellon Chamber Series, a successful series now in its eighth season that brings together distinguished artists, members of the CMU faculty and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musicians. Dimitri also spent some time studying conducting in order to deepen his musical knowledge and develop a more holistic understanding of the industry. 

James Rodgers has been the Principal Contrabassoonist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since September of 2001. Formerly, he was the Principal Bassoonist with the Jacksonville Symphony, Associate Principal Bassoonist with the Florida Orchestra, Second Bassoonist with the Houston Symphony, and Contrabassoonist with the Colorado Symphony. He studied bassoon with Norman Herzberg at the University of Southern California, and with Benjamin Kamins at the Rice University Shepherd School of Music. A founding member of the Pittsburgh Reed Trio, Jim has performed to critical acclaim. Jim also enjoys opportunities for study and performance on his Heckelphone, a rare double-reed instrument. As a pioneer of electric/acoustic bassoon and contrabassoon development, Jim is ever creatively exploring the possibilities of his instruments’ capabilities, both in sound and genre. Jim serves on the faculty of the Duquesne University Mary Pappert School of Music.In addition to a home studio, Jim is the woodwind coach for the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra. Jim lives in Moon Township with his wife, Sue, and their feline family.

About Your Visit: 

The in-house restaurant 40 North will be closed, but a cash wine bar will be available.