Orcas Chamber Music Festival Welcomes Familiar Faces and New Artists

They’re back!

Many of the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival musicians have become familiar faces around the island the last two weeks of summer… Andrés Cardenes and his wife, Monique Mead, Chee-Yun, who dazzled the audience with her violin virtuosity last summer, Owen Kotler, clarinetist, Jeffrey Kahane, pianist, and three of the four members of the Miro Quartet – Daniel Ching, John Largess and Joshua Gindele.

But this festival season there’s a full complement of “newcomers” bringing their brilliant and unique contributions for the first time to the 12^th year of the Chamber Music Festival. All were born post-Baby-Boom, and have worked in popular media such as movies and bands as well as in international chamber music venues and recordings.

Among them are Jeffrey Kahane’s son Gabriel, featured as the Composer-in-Residence, and Orcas’ own Gene Nery.

The following article was written with material from the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival program.

Gabriel Kahane, Festival Composer-in-Residence

Gabriel Kahane, composer, piano, voice

Born at home in 1981, singer, pianist, and composer Gabriel Kahane is the son of frequent OICMF pianist Jeffrey Kahane.

As a child Gabriel sang in operas in Germany, competed in international chess tournaments, and obsessively compiled baseball statistics. Then he discovered a pair of rickety Martin guitars in the attic of his parents’ Tudor home; his fascination with them gave way to the attractions of the piano in Kahane’s later high school years.

His unique hybrid of blistering, chromatic counterpoint and traditional singing and song-writing has won over audiences and critics alike. His works defy classification through a sonically challenging, emotionally resonant, yet deeply accessible language.

Kahane’s debut album Gabriel Kahane, offers snippets of string quartets juxtaposed with strummy folk songs, brass chorales right beside jangly piano pop, and yet, he would argue, it’s very much of a piece, an album meant to be heard as a whole.

Gabriel’s best known work, Craigslistlieder (2006) — an eight movement song cycle which comprises settings of anonymous classified ads from craigslist.org — has been heard in venues ranging from the dankest bars of the Lower East Side to Carnegie Hall, in a recital by critically-acclaimed baritone Thomas Meglioranza.

In 2009 Kahane premiered three concert works: For the Union Dead, a chamber song cycle on poems by Robert Lowell; Django: Tiny Variations on a Big Dog, a solo piano work premiered in April at Lincoln Center in New York by Jeffrey Kahane; and the Piano Sonata, written for Natasha Paremski.

An evening-length work for piano, voice, and chamber orchestra, exploring his family’s genealogy and journey from Germany to the United States will premiere in the spring of 2010. A commission for 2009 OICMF cellist Alisa Weilerstein is in the works for the 2010–11 season.

An avid theatre artist, Kahane is the recipient this year of a new fellowship through the Shen Family Foundation and the Public Theater in New York with the aim to create and develop a new musical entitled February House.

He recently performed at the Apollo Theater with Rufus Wainwright, Elvis Costello, and Bill Frisell, and has recorded with the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Loudon Wainwright III, and former Nickel Creek front-man Chris Thile.
Sponsors: Marsha and Jim Seeley

Mark O'Connor, to perform Orcas~trations solo recitals, Aug. 23 and 24

Mark O’Connor, violin

OICMF Artistic Director Aloysia Friedmann performed in the studio recording of Mark O’Connor’s Fiddle Concerto several years ago. When she met him again at the Chamber Music America (CMA) Conference in New York (where she received the CMA’s “Acclaim” award for “outstanding contributions to a community or region” ), she invited him to perform in this year’s Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival.

O’Connor is a Seattle native who has melded folk, classical and flamenco music in his compositions. He studied with American folk fiddler Benny Thomasson, and then with the French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli, and forming his “new American Classical music, O’Connor has transcended styles to create a totally individualistic art.

His compositions include Appalachia Waltz and Appalachian Journey, which received a Grammy. His first full-length orchestral score was Fiddle Concerto followed by Fanfare for the Volunteer, which was recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

His other works include the violin concerto American Seasons: Seasons of an American Life, Double Concerto for violin and cello (For the Heroes) and the CD Hot Swing! a tribute to Grappelli.

O’Connor says, “To add to the repertoire with new literature as well as add to the technical and stylistic language of the violin, the instrument that is so close to the human soul, has been my great passion.”

At the Orcas~trations concerts, on Aug. 23 and 24, O’Connor will give his rarely-heard solo recital, a one-man violin concert which features “foot-stomping fiddle tunes, electrifying caprices, ragtime, free improvisation, jazz and blues.”

O’Connor has also formed a piano trio to perform his Poets and Prophets composition inspired by the music of Johnny Cash. He often performs it in a collaborative concert concept with Mr. Cash’s daughter, Rosanne Cash.

O’Connor is the founder and president of the internationally recognized Mark O’Connor Fiddle Camp and Strings Conference as well as the new Mark O’Connor String Camp to be held in New York City in 2009

C.J. Camerieri, trumpet

C.J. Camerieri, a Brooklyn-based trumpet player, enjoys an active, diverse, and exciting career as a freelance performer. Since completing his classical training at Juilliard, he has become an indispensable collaborator for numerous indie rock groups.

As a member of Rufus Wainwright’s band, Camerieri has played trumpet solos and sung background vocals across the world on stage, television and radio including performances at Radio City Music Hall, the Coachella and Glastonbury Festivals, and on the “Late Show with David Letterman.”

Camerieri also collaborates extensively with Sufjan Stevens as the lead soloist in his horn section. Since joining his ensemble for a Lincoln Center “American Songbook” performance in 2006, C.J. has performed with Sufjan at such prestigious venues as Town Hall, the Kennedy and Barbican Centers, and on the PBS show, “Austin City Limits.”

C.J. has appeared in gala  performances such as “Revenge of the Bookeaters” at the Beacon Theater and Philip Glass’ “TibetHouse Benefit” at Carnegie Hall. In addition to recording on “Songs for Christmas Volume V: Peace,” Camerieri performs with Sufjan on Nonesuch Records’ “Tribute to Joni Mitchell” and the soundtrack to Todd Haynes’ film, “I’m Not There.”

Camerieri maintains an active career as a freelance performer of classical and new music in New York City. C.J. placed first in the 2000 National Trumpet Competition’s Jazz Division.
Sponsor: Sara Jane Johnson

Rob Moose, violin, guitar

Rob Moose has established an exciting and eclectic presence as performer, arranger and conductor in the rapidly changing atmosphere of contemporary performing arts. A graduate of The Manhattan School of Music in violin performance, Moose was recently called a “stunning multi-instrumentalist” by the Boston Globe.

In 2005, Moose joined the Mercury Prize-winning band, “Antony and the Johnsons” as guitarist, violinist and backup vocalist. In 2008, Moose conducted two concerts pairing Antony with a chamber orchestra at Disney Hall, Los Angeles and the Apollo Theater, New York. The L.A. Times described the performance as “executed with grace and restraint by the players under Moose’s direction.” More recently, Moose served as concertmaster for The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s premiere of Stevens’ critically acclaimed BQE, and conducted the orchestra in a set of songs.

In 2008, Moose began touring in a duo with electronic/folk sensation, Beth Orton. After a London performance, The Independent described Orton as “beautifully supported by one-man band Rob Moose, who switched with ease from guitar to piano to violin and back again.”

In addition to his work with various bands and orchestras, Moose is currently developing two independent projects: “Bach Reformed,” a duo that recasts Bach’s unaccompanied pieces for cello and violin in a spirited, folk setting, and “yMusic,” a collective of New York’s pre-eminent young freelance performers, actively engaged and equally comfortable in the often overlapping classical and pop music worlds.
Sponsors: Carroll and Terrence Neill

Gene Nery, Chamber Music Festival's Favorite Son

Gene Nery, electric guitar 4667

Currently residing on Orcas Island, Gene Nery is a guitarist/bassist/vocalist originally from Vancouver, British Columbia.

After performing extensively around the world on Princess Cruises, he debuted with Pure & Simple Music, located on Orcas. He performs on, produces, engineers and mixes other artists’ CDs on Pure & Simple Music’s roster as well as working with independent artists.

Gene regularly performs with multi-instrumentalist Martin Lund, and was one of the main entertainers for Rosario Resort on Orcas for 20 years.

In 2009 Gene received a platinum record, commemorating one million copies sold, for a song that he sang on an album by the group Mannheim Steamroller.

The song “Above the Northern Lights” appears on Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas Song album. Music for the song was written by Grammy-Award winner Chip Davis, with lyrics by Orcas Islander Ed Wilson.
Sponsors: Cindi and Rick Gould

Tereza Stanislav, performing with the Miró Quartet, Aug. 25 and 26

Tereza Stanislav, violin

Last year, the Miró Quartet made a huge impact with Orcas audiences, and Aloysia Friedmann said, “I have been looking forward to playing one of the great masterworks by Mozart with these elegant musicians.

“But I’m especially happy that they can return to Orcas this summer, as Sandy Yamamoto and Daniel Ching are about to have their second child. Sandy is staying home, but she insisted that Daniel come. We are grateful to violinist Tereza Stanislav, who is already busy as assistant concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, for keeping the“Quartet” in “Miró!”

Violinist Tereza Stanislav was appointed Assistant Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in 2003 by Artistic Director Jeffrey Kahane. Dividing her time among solo, orchestral, chamber, recording and educational projects, Tereza has been hailed for her “expressive beauty and wonderful intensity” (Robert Mann) and her “sure technique and musical intelligence” (Calgary Herald).

As a founding member of the Ensô String Quartet, Tereza was awarded the Second Prize of the 2004 Banff International String Quartet Competition, and led the quartet to win the Special Prize awarded for best performance of the Piece de Concert commissioned for the competition. The quartet was a winner of the 2003 Concert Artists Guild, Chamber Music Yellow Springs and Fischoff competitions.

An advocate for new music, Tereza traveled to Israel to represent the United States as the violinist in the New Juilliard Ensemble at the World Composer’s Symposium, under the direction of Dr. Joel Sachs. Tereza holds a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University where she studied with Miriam Fried, and a Master of Music from the Juilliard School.
Sponsor: Martin Friedmann

Wendy Wilhelmi

Wendy Wilhelmi, flute, piccolo

Wendy Wilhelmi is active as a teacher and performer throughout the Pacific Northwest, playing frequently with some of the regions finest ensembles, including the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Northwest Sinfonietta and the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra.

The past two seasons Wendy served as assistant principal flute and piccolo of the Vancouver (B.C.) Symphony and prior to that engagement was a regular member of the Spokane Symphony for ten years.

She has also been active in the studio recording world and can be heard playing flute, piccolo and alto flute on numerous commercial and movie soundtracks including Eloise at the Plaza, About Schmidt, Die Hard 3 and Air Bud.

In addition to her orchestral engagements Wendy has been involved in many chamber music ventures, most recently presenting a new work for the family concert of Seattle Chamber Music Society’s winter season.

Ms. Wilhelmi received her Bachelor of Music in music history magna cum laude from the University of Washington and her Masters of Music in flute performance from Northwestern. She was principal flute of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and co-principal flute of the Philarmonica de Queretaro (Mexico) prior to returning to her native Northwest.

In 1998 Ms. Wilhelmi won first place in the National Flute Association’s Piccolo Artist Competition. When not playing or teaching the flute, Wendy can be found studying romance languages, running, hiking, biking or helping out in her family’s winery and tasting room in Seattle.
Sponsors: Judy and Eugene Flath

Alisa Weilerstein, to be featured at "Flurry of Styles" concerts on Aug. 18 and 19

Alisa Weilerstein, cello

Alisa Weilerstein began playing the cello at just four years old after her grandmother assembled a makeshift instrument out of cereal boxes for her to play with while she was sick with the chicken pox. She showed a natural
affinity for the instrument and performed her first public concert six months later. She often plays with her parents, Donald and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, as the Weilerstein Trio, which is the Trio-in-Residence at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

Her Cleveland Orchestra debut was in 1995, at age 13, playing the Tchaikovsky “Rococo” Variations. She made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Youth Symphony in March 1997. Ms. Weilerstein is a graduate of the Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Richard Weiss. In May 2004, she graduated from Columbia University in New York with a degree in Russian History.

Weilerstein has attracted widespread attention for playing that combines a natural virtuosic command and technical precision with impassioned musicianship. New York magazine recently asserted: “At 26, she is arguably Yo-Yo Ma’s heir as sovereign of the American cello.”

In 2008 Alisa Weilerstein was awarded Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal prize for exceptional achievement and she was named the winner of the 2006 Leonard Bernstein Award, which she received at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival in Germany. She received an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2000 and was selected for two prestigious young artists programs in 2000–01.
Sponsors: Judith and Edgar Zimmerman