[music]
Emi Ferguson: Hello, I am Emi Ferguson, and tonight we are continuing our feature of the emerging artists from the 2023 Early Music America Summit here on this edition of the McGraw Family's Young Artist Showcase.
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Now in its 47th year, the Young Artist Showcase is generously underwritten by the Harold W. McGraw Junior Family Foundation. Tonight, we're throwing things back to the Baroque era with performances live from the Early Music America Summit from October, 2023. Early Music America is an organization that believes that early music provides a valuable way to understand histories and human cultures.
Through their historically informed performances, they show that music of the past can inform and shape our lives today. All of our performers tonight are playing on period appropriate instruments, and these are a little different to what you might know today. Some of these differences are gut strings, almost keyless wooden wind instruments, and keyboards like the harpsichord and fortepiano. Starting us off this evening is the McGill University Baroque Orchestra, directed by Dorian Bundy and Elisa Miller playing selections from 16th century composer Michael Praetorius, Terpsichore.
[MUSIC - Praetorius: Dances from Terpsichore - McGill Baroque Orchestra]
[applause]
The McGill Baroque Orchestra led by Dorian Bundy and Elisa Miller playing selected dances from Michael Praetorius's, Terpsichore. If you loved those dances, you'll be happy to hear that Praetorius wrote not only a few more, but an astonishing 300 more. Though they were published in 1612, they're still getting us grooving today. While our next performance isn't quite a dance per se, it's an incredible conversation between clarinetist Maryse Legault and pianist Gili Loftus.
This is a conversation that might sound a little different because we are fast forwarding 200 years from the time of Praetorius to music from a fellow German composer, Carl Maria von Weber, and like all of our performers tonight, Maryse and Gili are both playing on instruments from the time of the music that they are performing. Maryse will be playing on a historical clarinet and Gili on a fortepiano. Here is historical clarinetist Maryse Legault and forte pianist Gili Loftus, performing the Grand Duo Concertant by Carl Maria von Weber.
[MUSIC - Weber: Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 48 - Maryse Legault, historical clarinet; Gili Loftus, fortepiano]
Emi Ferguson: Weber's Grand Duo Concertante performed by rising historical clarinet star, Maryse Legault and fortepianist Gili Loftus. We're going to take a quick break, but when we come back, we'll hear more from the Emerging Artists Awards Concert at the Early Music America Summit here on the McGraw Family's Young Artists Showcase.
I'm Emi Ferguson, and on this week's edition of the McGraw Family's Young Artist Showcase, we're continuing our two-part celebration of the emerging artists and young performers featured at the 2023 Early Music America Summit. This year's summit takes place in Cleveland, Ohio, on the campus of Case Western Reserve University October 20th to 22nd. Since 1985, Early Music America has been working to develop, strengthen, and celebrate early music throughout the Americas by supporting early music lovers at all stages of their careers.
At last year's summit, attendees were wowed by emerging artist and solo violinist, Marie Nadeau Tremblay. Last week we heard her performance of Heinrich Biber's Passacaglia, which is also featured on her most recent album, Préludes et Solitudes, which won an Opus Award in 2023 for album of the year. Here is violinist, Marie Nadeau Tremblay performing Nicolas Matteis' Violin Fantasia in C minor.
[MUSIC - Matteis: Violin Fantasia in C minor, con discretione - Marie Nadeau Tremblay, violin]
[applause]
Emi Ferguson: Baroque violinist, Marie Nadeau Tremblay, performing Nicolas Matteis' Violin Fantasia in C minor. In addition to collegiate ensembles and rising stars, the festival also features performances from even younger early musicians. Here's a performance of music by Scarlatti from New York City's very own Special Music School Baroque Ensemble, led by violinist Jude Ziliak.
[MUSIC - Scarlatti: Concerto no. 3 in F major from Six Concertos in Seven Parts - Special Music School Baroque Ensemble; Jude Ziliak, Director]
[applause]
Emi Ferguson: That was a performance of Scarlatti by New York City's very own Special Music School Baroque Ensemble, led by violinist Jude Ziliak. What Baroque festival would be complete without a feel good chaconne? For our last selection tonight, our two collegiate ensembles, the McGill University Baroque Orchestra and Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra, combine forces into an early music supergroup. Here's their combined performance of Jean-Philippe Rameau's, Chaconne from the Opera Dardanus.
[MUSIC - Rameau: Chaconne from Dardanus - Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra & McGill Baroque Orchestra]
[applause]
Emi Ferguson: Jean-Philippe Rameau's, Chaconne from the Opera Dardanus, performed by the combined forces of the McGill University Baroque Orchestra and the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra. Both groups were featured as part of early Music America's Young Performers Festival at their annual summit last year. We have a little extra time tonight. Let's return to the Special Music School Baroque Ensemble for part of a performance of music by Handel.
[MUSIC - Handel: Excerpt from Suite from Der beglückte Florindo, HWV 3 - Special Music School Baroque Ensemble; Jude Ziliak, Director]
Emi Ferguson: Part of a performance of music by Handel by the Special Music School Baroque Ensemble led by violinist Jude Ziliak. That's all for this week's edition of the Young Artist Showcase. We've been listening to performances from the 2023 Early Music America Summit. If you're in Cleveland October 20th to 22nd, you can attend this year's summit live and catch new performances from emerging artists, awardees, and other astounding young early musicians. Here in New York City, the Young Artist Showcase is generously underwritten on WQXR by The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation. Here's Terry McGraw with more.
Terry McGraw: When my father, Harold W. McGraw Jr., started the Young Artist Showcase in January of 1978, He hoped it would encourage young musicians and alert the rest of us to their remarkable accomplishments. What I don't think he foresaw is that our WQXR program would continue to flourish, becoming the longest such underwritten series in American radio history. I'm proud to be a part of this legacy and I'm proud to be here with you.
Emi Ferguson: Thank you, Terry. Many thanks to our WQXR production team, Laura Boyman, and Max Fine. Our generous program underwriter is the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Family Foundation. I'm Emi Ferguson. Good night.
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