Tuesday, 26 October 2004, 7:30pm
Chicago Historical Society, Rubloff Auditorium

Musicians to include: 

Brad Mehldau  jazz piano
Valdine Anderson  soprano
eighth blackbird
Pacifica Quartet
Cliff Colnot  conductor 

George Crumb
   Black Angels  for amplified string quartet
Chen Yi
   Qi  for flute, cello, piano and percussion
Jonathan Harvey
   Song Offerings  for soprano and chamber ensemble
Brad Mehldau
   Music for Solo Piano

Join Contempo as they kick off their 40th Anniversary Season with a unique double bill. Bringing their characteristic intensity, elegance and precision to the near northside Chicago Historical Society, Contempo performs modern masterworks by George Crumb, Jonathan Harvey and Chen Yi, followed by a rare solo performance by acclaimed jazz composer/pianist Brad Mehldau, whose artistry defies familiar categories of genre and style.

Sunday, 23 January 2005, 3pm
Court Theatre

Musicians to include: 

Michael Maccaferri  clarinet
Abraham Stokman  piano
eighth blackbird
Pacifica Quartet
Cliff Colnot  conductor 

Ralph Shapey
   Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Group 
Marta Ptaszynska
   Moon Flowers  for cello and piano
Ruth Crawford Seeger
   String Quartet
Kotoka Suzuki
   Slipstream  for flute and tape (Chicago Premiere)
John Austin
   Celebrations  for piano and chamber orchestra (World Premiere)

Celebrating 40 years of new music in Chicago, Contempo presents a diverse concert of works by some of the area's most prominent compositional voices, both past and present. Music by CCP founder Ralph Shapey and U of C faculty composers Marta Ptaszynska and Kotoka Suzuki (newly joining the U of C in 2004-05) will be featured, along with the world premiere of John Austin's piano concerto Celebrations and an encore performance of Ruth Crawford Seeger's groundbreaking String Quartet.

Tuesday, 15 February 2005, 7:30pm
Court Theatre

Jennifer Higdon
   Zaka
Frederic Rzewski
   Les Moutons de Panurge
George Crumb
   Vox Balaenae
Kaija Saariaho
   Cendres (Chicago Premiere) 
Derek Bermel
   Tied Shifts (Chicago Premiere)

The University of Chicago's electrifying resident ensemble eighth blackbird pays homage to American master George Crumb on his 75th birthday with a boldly dramatic performance of his masterpiece Voice of the Whale and introduces recently-commissioned works by Jennifer Higdon and Derek Bermel, two striking new figures on the American contemporary music scene. Also featured are Kaija Saariaho’s searing Cendres and Fredric Rzewski’s quirky musical game Les Moutons de Panurge, a wildly unpredictable celebration of human error in the face of overwhelming difficulty.

In this special 40th-anniversary concert event, Contempo's resident pianist Lisa Kaplan presents the world premiere of Murmurations, a set of variations on the classic Beatles tune Blackbird jointly-composed by eleven University of Chicago graduate student composers. Also included on the program are new works by Wolfgang Rihm and Frederic Rzewski.

Performance of student compositions has always been an integral part of Contempo's mission. These annual offerings give students a chance to turn their mental sound-images into reality and gives young composers a rare opportunity to interact with the CCP's world-class artists-in-residence throughout the compositional process. Come hear the results!

Tuesday, 3 May 2005, 7:30pm
Court Theatre

Musicians to include: 

eighth blackbird
Pacifica Quartet
Cliff Colnot  conductor

YouNa Ko
   Three Images of Autumn  for sextet (World Premiere)
Jean Milew
   A Stone That Cries  for string quartet
Benjamin Hartman
   Tinder  for flute, marimba and cello (Chicago Premiere)
Allison R. Ogden
   Arya Tara  for septet (World Premiere)
Yao Chen
   Afterglow - String Quartet No. 3  (World Premiere)

Tuesday, 17 May 2005, 7:30pm
Mandel Hall

Musicians to include: 

Tony Arnold  soprano
Lisa Kaplan  piano
eighth blackbird
Pacifica Quartet
Cliff Colnot  conductor

Pelarin Bacos III
   Through Midnight  for sextet (Chicago Premiere)
Krzysztof Wolek
   Changing Lanes  for string quartet and electronics (World Premiere)
Eun Young Lee
   Nok-du-cot (Mung-bean flower)  for viola and sextet (World Premiere)
William Coble
   Awakening Captive  for solo piano, soprano, 14 players and computer (World Premiere)