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Radius Ensemble • FLOURISHES • Ensemble-in-Residence

Friday • March 3, 2023   |   8:00 pm

While this event is open to the public, you must pre-register in order to gain access in person. No walk-ups will be allowed at Longy for performances.

 

The approach of spring Flourishes with The Stone and the Milkweed, a new piece for horn, viola, piano and narrator by frequent Radius collaborator Jonathan Bailey Holland. The title combines “A Milkweed” and “A Stone”—titles from a pithy diptych of poetry by Richard Wilbur  exploring surrender and hubris respectively. The Way of Ideas (2007) for flute, clarinet, violin, and cello by Alexandra Gardner also responds to the written word, in this case Phlip Pullman’s The Golden Compass. The work shimmers with meter games and slides into off-kilter grooves. Luna Pearl Woolf brings back the botanical with her String Trio (Prueraria Lobata) (2000) whose parenthetical subtitle refers to the invasive kudzu vine. A chestnut from Poulenc—the frolicking trio for oboe, bassoon and piano—and a new piece by the winner of the twelfth-annual Pappalardo Composition Competition round out the concert.

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Radius Ensemble liberates classical music for a new generation of music lovers with a fresh combination of eclectic programming and intimate performances by extraordinary musicians.

Named Boston’s Best Classical Ensemble 2016 by the Improper Bostonian, and winner of a 2013 CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, Radius Ensemble’s thoughtfully curated programs balance old and new, with repertoire ranging from beloved masterworks to riveting new music – brilliantly performed by some of the best Boston-based musicians. Radius’s go-for-broke performances are interspersed with “live liner notes,” brief remarks that enlighten and entertain. Musicians, composers, and listeners truly connect.

A chamber music ensemble of winds, strings, and piano, Radius Ensemble was founded in 1999 by oboist and impresario Jennifer Montbach. Radius’s subscription season includes a four-concert series at Pickman Hall at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, where the group has been Ensemble in Residence since 2011. Radius has also appeared on concert series throughout New England, including Rockport Music and Clark University. Radius has commissioned and premiered numerous works by Boston-area composers and has won several Meet the Composer grants. Committed to community engagement, Radius presents a free Saturday-morning family concert in Harvard Square, donates free tickets to disadvantaged children and their parents or mentors through local community service agencies, and works with students at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School.

Nine core members comprise Radius Ensemble. They are joined by additional musicians as repertoire warrants, including (but not limited to) harp, percussion, and double bass. The group has also collaborated with a thereminist, several narrators, and dancers; and has appeared with film, live and recorded electronics, and other multimedia.

Details

Date:
Friday • March 3, 2023
Time:
8:00 pm
Event Categories:
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Venue

Edward M. Pickman Concert Hall
Longy School of Music, 27 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 United States
Thanks to our partnership with the Massachusetts Cultural Council and their “Card to Culture” program, Longy School of Music of Bard College can offer free tickets to many of our diverse and innovative performance offerings. See the full list of participating “Card to Culture” organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.