Thanksgiving nears, and Fanfare will be taking next week off to account for a quiet week and holiday plans. In the meantime, there’s plenty happening throughout the region in the week ahead, with a new option to consider almost every night — something to be grateful for!
Spotlight Galilee Chamber Orchestra — Wednesday, Perelman Theater
The Galilee Chamber Orchestra prides itself on being Israel’s first professional orchestra comprising musicians of both Arab and Jewish backgrounds. Uniting these cultures in that part of the world is no small task, and is a source of this ensemble’s magic. Although they have existed for more than a decade, they gained international acclaim only in the last few years. A seasoned concertgoer will surely notice the sound and swagger that they bring to even the most standard repertoire – something we might not get from an American ensemble of a similar size.
This is all under the direction of Saleem Ashkar, who is also a concert pianist. For this tour, audiences are treated with piano soloist Bruce Liu, someone who consistently ignites audiences. He will perform Mozart’s delightful Piano Concerto No. 23, K. 488. Also on the concert is Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony, a surefire crowd pleaser.
Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m., Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $39-$89.60; tickets and information.
Nicolas Altstaedt & Thomas Dunford — Thursday, Perelman Theater
Fans of Baroque music should pay attention to one of this week’s offerings from PCMS. Lutenist Thomas Dunford makes a return visit to the concert series, this time with a somewhat mysterious duo partner, cellist Nicolas Altstaedt. Although there is no mystery about his virtuosic musical talents, he brings a particular depth and meaning to his performances that is fitting for music of the Baroque and early-Romantic eras. The two will join for a few works by French composers who lived over the span of three centuries. At the end of the program, Dunford will take on J.S. Bach’s First and Fifth Cello Suites arranged for the lute, including the famous Prelude in G Major.
Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m., Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $32; tickets and information.
The Crossing: Christopher Cerrone's Of being numerous — Friday, Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill
Just over a week ago, The Crossing earned its 10th Grammy nomination in as many years, in the Best Choral Performance category, an award they have already won four times. If this is not already an indication, you can expect them to take things to the next level both with their vocal mastery and the depth of their repertoire. This Friday is a perfect showcase of this; they will premiere a work by composer Christopher Cerrone, who was born in the 1980s and studied at the Yale School of Music with many teachers who are considered to be leaders of the post-minimalist style. His work, Of being numerous, is based on the poem written in the 1960s of the same name by George Oppens, which involves the topic of political dissent. The Crossing is joined by musicians from the Milwaukee-based new music collective Present Music. Also on the program is Caroline Shaw’s Ochre, which stands on its own a deep piece of art.
Nov. 21 at 7 p.m., Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Avenue, $20-$40; tickets and information.
Judith Ingolfsson — Friday at Rhoden Theater, Nov. 23 at Church of the Holy Trinity
Violinist Judith Ingolfsson visits us this week in her debut with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. She will lead the ensemble in a quasi-conducting and soloing capacity. The program is filled with double violin concertos from beginning to end. The second soloist is the Chamber Orchestra’s concertmaster Min-Young Kim, who is absolutely up to the task to match Ingolfsson’s magnetic artistry. The program is split between new and old, and the first half features the familiar sounds of double concertos by Handel and J.S. Bach. If the older repertoire is more of your interest, I implore you to not leave at intermission. The second half will lure you into a more modern sound world with works by Luciano Berio and Alfred Schnittke, both of which will delight you in surprising ways.
Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m., Rhoden Theater, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 118-128 North Broad Street, $50;
Nov. 23 at 2:30 p.m., Church of the Holy Trinity, 1904 Walnut Street, $30-$90; tickets and information.
Tri-County Band’s 75th Anniversary Concert — Friday, Poquessing Middle School, Feasterville
For those that live in the northern reaches of our listening area, you have an amazing concert offering this week that is sure to inspire some heartfelt hometown feelings. The Tri-County Band of Feasterville is a community band that performs around 25 concerts a year in Bucks County and the surrounding area. This week they will celebrate their 75th anniversary in a concert that might act as a pre-Thanksgiving comfort food appetizer. It’s a great opportunity to experience live music if you do not want to commute to Center City and are looking for a relaxed audience atmosphere.
Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m., Poquessing Middle School, 300 Heights Lane, Feasterville, free; more information.
Joseph Keckler: A Good Night in the Trauma Garden — Saturday, ArtYard, Frenchtown, NJ
In 2005, Jill Kearny began producing various art events and performances in an old barn on her property in Bucks County, PA. Eventually, she set up shop across the river in Frenchtown, NJ with a more audience-friendly space; and it’s now called ArtYard. They still maintain their industrial chic aesthetic, and feature some of the most cutting edge and original artists around. Saturday’s offering features a quasi-chamber music set led by vocalist Joseph Keckler, whose style edges on operatic. He will be joined by a band made up of guitar, violin, piano and drums.
Nov. 22 at 8 p.m., ArtYard, 13 Front Street, Frenchtown, NJ, $28.52; tickets and information.
