We are pleased to invite all ticket holders to an “Afterglow” reception following each performance October through May.
Contributing Patrons at all levels are invited to a special Gala reception following the June concert.
October 20 | Saturday | 6 PM
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
“DUALLY” NOTED
Music for Four Hands
Doubling the sonorities and dazzle of the piano, and turning the solitary recital into an eloquent dialogue, this duo piano evening features two Russian virtuosos of the highest order and a panoply of styles: From Mozart and Chopin (two Scherzos) to John Corigliano’s Gazebo Dances, and a saucy Brazilian celebration by Darius Milhaud, the precise coordination of four hands on one instrument is thrilling. Also featured is Franz Schubert’s Fantasie for Piano in F minor, transcendently beautiful and one of the foundational works of the chamber music repertoire.
December 9 | Sunday | 2 PM
Mahaiwe Performing Arts
Center
TRAGICOMEDIA
A Baroque Holilday Celebration
With its unique constellation of leading instrumentalists and singers, Tragicomedia has exerted a
strong influence in the field of early music since 1987, exploring every musical genre from lute song to fully-staged Baroque opera and winning awards for their recordings for EMI, Virgin, Hyperion and Harmonia Mundi. Featuring rarely heard baroque instruments (mandolin, lirone, chitarrone, viola da gamba) for a rich palette of instrumental color, the program offers the repertoire of the Italian Cantata— namely those of Handel,
Steffani and Barbara Strozzi (who takes 17th century women to task for their flightiness!)— in a festive performance.
Artists: Tragicomedia, Baroque Ensemble; Stephen Stubbs, director Catherine Liddell, theorbo; Paul O'Dette, archlute & Baroque guitar; Erin Headley, viola da gamba; Michael Sponsellor, harpsichord, Mireille Asselin, soprano; Douglas Williams, bass-baritone
March 23 | Saturday | 6 PM
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
AN EVENING WITH ELIOT FISK
Old, New, Borrowed and Blues
Back by popular demand, guitarist extraordinaire Eliot Fisk demonstrates again that the versatility and appeal of his instrument are almost limitless. He is joined by Metropolitan Opera star soprano Jennifer Zetlan and Yehuda
Hanani in the world premiere of a newly-commissioned work by American composer Robert Beaser. The wide-ranging program features multiple traditions: German lieder, moody fado, J. S. Bach, tango, transpositions, improvisations, and more. The last student of legendary Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia, Eliot Fisk was awarded the Cruz of Isabel la Catolica for his service to the cause of Spanish music, performing to dazzling critical and public acclaim, including a command performance for King Juan Carlos of Spain.
April 20 | Saturday | 6 PM
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
GRAND PIANO TRIOS I
Schubert and Schoenfield
A 20th century classic side by side with Schubert at the summit: Often described as a Post-Modern Gershwin or
Jewish Ives, Paul Schoenfield combines ingredients of jazz, klezmer and whimsy in his irresistible, irreverent Café Music. Schubert's final year was staggeringly productive. The B-Flat opus 99 captures the meteoric luminosity of his inevitable death, as well as his inimitable melodic lyricism. Both composers utilize folklore and the point of departure for each is the easy charm of the institution of the Viennese café. Violinist Erin Keefe (hailed as “an impressive violin soloist” by The New York Times) and award-winning pianist Jeffrey Swann join for
this evening of fascinating contrasts.
May 18 | Saturday | 6 PM
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
GRAND PIANO TRIOS II
Mozart, Beethoven, and Ravel
The program begins with the great masters of the German tradition, Mozart and Beethoven, then veers off to represent the man who challenged their hegemony and forged his own exotic, shimmering path— Maurice Ravel. Creating totally new sonorities, and contemporary rhythms based on archaic Mediterranean and Basque dances, his groundbreaking Piano Trio is like a Picasso painting in music. Brimming with ardor and ecstasy, it’s the modern that returns to primitive. An all-star line-up includes two brilliant top-prize winners of the Tchaikovsky and Arthur Rubinstein International competitions.
Tickets available for online purchase on our web site until 12:00 noon concert day. Tickets purchased on-line within 6 days of the concert will be available at the "Will Call" desk one hour before concert on performance day.Tickets can be purchased through the box office on concert day. Box office opens at 12:00 pm 413-528-0100 or at the Mahaiwe.PLEASE NOTE: All Mahaiwe tickets include a $2 restoration fee.
Tickets $40.00
June 8 | Saturday | 6 PM
Ozawa Hall | Tanglewood
Lenox, MA
NORDIC LIGHTS
Grieg Revival
Resonating with the season of the midnight sun, this gala performance brings to the fore the national composer of Norway, Edvard Grieg, as well as its present-day leading violinist, Ara Gregorian. Fjords, pine forests, and the enchantment of fairy tales inhabit Grieg’s gorgeous songs and the folkloric Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major. His friendship with Johannes Brahms, another North European master, is marked by the performance of Brahms’s Trio in B Major Opus 8, and a sampling of his superb piano works will demonstrate what earned him the moniker “Chopin of the North.” Readings from Hans Christian Anderson and Grieg’s colleague Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt complement the music. An intoxicating season finale!
Close Encounters With Music presents five concerts this season at the landmark Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington plus our season finale at Tanglewood’s stunning Ozawa Hall. Join the growing number of culture enthusiasts who converge from the Berkshires, Hudson Valley, Northwest Connecticut, New York City, and Boston for each Close Encounters event! Situated in the heart of Great Barrington's historic
district, the Mahaiwe offers modern comfort in the nostalgic atmosphere of
a 100-year-old theater.
Great Barrington, Stockbridge, and Lenox are within 2-1/2 hours of scenic driving
from Boston and New York City. Parking is readily available.
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center Theater 14 Castle Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230 (map it!)
