www.waukeganchambermusic.org

2018-2019 Concert Season AllprogramswilltakeplaceattheFamilyPianoCo.114SouthGeneseeStreet,SundayEvenings.Merling Trio, September16,2018,7:30PM

WineandCheesereception,7:00PM–Guestswelcome!

David Pedraza and Guests, November11,2018,7:30PM

Avanti Guitar Trio, April7,2019,7:30PM

5th House Piano Ensemble, May11,2019,7:30PM

Artist Biographies Merling Trio

September16,2018

TheMerlingTrioisrecognizedasoneoftoday’spremierensembles.Atrulyinternationaltrio,itbringstogethermusiciansfromPolish,Japanese,andDutchbackgrounds.TheMerlingTriohasbeenhailedasabrilliantlydistinguishedgroupendowedwithremarkablegiftsofcommunication,magnificentprecision,and

animpeccableblendofsound.ThetriomadeitsNewYorkdebutinWeillRecitalHallatCarnegieHallin1993,andwasnamedafinalistfortheNaumburgFoundationChamberMusicAwardin1994.

TheMerlingTriohasgivennumerousrecitalsthroughouttheUnitedStates,Canada,andEurope.MembersoftheTriohaveperformedwithorchestrassuchastheEnglishChamberOrchestra,theHonoluluSymphony,theBBCScottishSymphonyOrchestra,theConcertoSoloistsofPhiladelphia,andtheSouthCarolinaPhilharmonic,underthebatonofsuchnotableconductorsasDanielBarenboim,SimonRattle,andChristophEschenbach.RecenttrioperformancesincludeconcertsfortheLagerstromConcertsSeriesatCaltech,theTexasFriendsofChamberMusicSeries,theJewelBoxSeriesinChicago,theCharlestonChamberMusicSociety,MerkinHall,andtheAntiochCollegeProfessionalPianoSeries.PerformancesbytheMerlingTriohavebeenbroadcastwidelyontelevisionandradio,includingWNYC,WFMT98.7inChicago,InterlochenPublicRadio,andPeachstatePublicRadio.The2016-17seasonwillincludetoursofIowa,NewYork,Massachusetts,Florida,NorthCarolina,SouthDakota,Nebraska,Nevada,Illinois,andMinnesota,aswellasthetrio’sinauguraltourtoChina.

David Pedraza and Guests, November11,2018

Violist,borninReynosa,Mexico,Davidstartedhismusicalstudiesat14intheOCJMunderJoseVazquez.LateronhereceivedafullscholarshiptostudytheBachelorofMusicatShenandoahConservatory.

From2003to2005hewaspartoftheYouthOrchestraoftheAmericasunderPlacidoDomingo,CarlosPrietoandGustavoDudamel.

DavidholdsaProfessionalPerformanceCertificatefromLynnUniversityConservatoryofMusicandrecentlyhefinishedhisMasterofMusicatthesameinstitutionwithanawardoffullscholarship.HewontheFirstPrizewithVitaliStringQuartetatthe2004MTNAVirginiachambermusiccompetitionandalsohasreceivedhonorificmentionsin2005and2007fromtheMTNAViolacompetitioninFlorida.HehasparticipatedinmasterclassesofCarolRodland,JeffreyIrvine,RobertoDiaz,KimKashkashian,PeterSlowik,OrlandoCole,ArnoldSteinhardt,EllenRoseBasilVendryesandWilfriedStrehle.

RecentlyheperformedtheBartokViolaConcertowiththeOrquestaSinfonicadelaUAT.Davidhasperformedincountrieslike:Mexico,Bahamas,DominicanRepublic,CostaRica,Panama,Ecuador,Colombia,Venezuela,Brazil,Uruguay,Argentina,Peru,Spain,France,SwitzerlandandtheUK.HismainteacherwasRalphFielding.CurrentlyheispartoftheConBrioQuartet,andPrincipalViolawithSymphonyoftheAmericas.

Avanti Guitar Trio, April7,2019

TheAvantiGuitarTrioisaworld-classchamberensemblewhoseperformancesareexciting,approachable,andwelcoming.GuitaristsJasonDeroche,JulieGoldberg,andWesleyHixsonblendtogetherpristinetechniqueandsensitiveinterpretation,earningcriticalacclaimfortheirengagingconcertsandvariedprogramming.

TheirrepertoirerangesfromtheBaroquetoContemporary,andfeaturesnewlycomposedmusic,engagingtranscriptionsofclassicalmasterpieces,andanoccasionalrock/poporjazztune.

BasedinChicago,Illinois,AGThasperformedfortheWaukeganChamberSociety,ChicagoComposers’Consortium,IllinoisWesleyanUniversity,QuincyUniversity,ChurchofBeethoven,andHaroldWashingtonChicagoPublicLibrary.AGThassharedthestagewithrenownedguitaristsBenjaminVerdery,WilliamCoulter,LasGuitarrasdeEspaña,andEarlKlugh.

Formedin2010theAvantiGuitarTriocontinuestoexpandtheguitartriorepertoirebycomposing/transcribingnewworksandcollaboratingwithestablishedandupcomingcomposers.

Fifth House Ensemble, May11,2019

PraisedbytheNewYorkTimesforits“conviction,authority,andfinesse,”theChicago-basedFifthHouseEnsembleharnessesthecollaborativespiritofchambermusictoreachbeyondthetraditionally-perceivedlimitsofclassicalmusic.Theensemble’sartistic,educational,andcivicprogramsengagetheatergroups,videogamedesigners,corporateinnovators,andfolkbandstosharestoriesasdiverseasthecommunitiesitserves.

Inits2018-2019season,FifthHouseEnsemblepresentsaworld-spanningcollaborationwithTuvanthroat-singingmastersAlashEnsemblethatexploresstorytelling,participation,andritualthroughinterviewsanddocumentaryvideofilmedonlocationintheremoteSiberianrepublic.SonicMeditationsbringstogetherfolkstorytelling,DeepListeningandmeditationpractices,andnewcommissionsfromFreshIncFestivalalumWilliamPearsonandGrammy-nominatedvideogamecomposerAustinWintory.ComposerandFifthHouseArtisticDirectorDanVisconti’smusicalpuzzle,UnchainedMelodies,formsanotherprogramofvirtuosicsolopiecesthatcombineincounterpointtoformduos,trios,andultimatelyafulldectet.TheworldpremiereofprolificoperacomposerDaronHagen’snewestproject,OrsonRehearsed,looksattheprocessofartthroughthelensofpivotalcreativeforceOrsonWelles.

Alsothisseason,FifthHousevisitsBallStateUniversity(Muncie,IN),GeorgiaTechUniversity,TheHarrisCenter(Folsom,CA),andMSUDenverwithJourneyLIVE,aninteractivearrangementforFifthHouseofAustinWintory’sGrammy-nominatedscoreresponsivetolivegameplay,andvisitstheStudebakerTheater,ChicagoLatinoMusicFestival,WaukeganChamberMusicSociety,Fermilab,IllinoisStateUniversity,UniversityofDayton,OldTownSchoolofFolkMusic,andSoutheastMissouriStateUniversityforperformances,trainingworkshops,andresidencyactivitiesthisseason.

PerformancesinpreviousseasonsincludethoseatTexasPerformingArts,LiveConnections(Philadelphia,PA),MAGFestmusicandgamingfestival(NationalHarbor,MD),WFMTImpromptu(Chicago,IL),SteppenwolfTheater,theFormaFestival(Moscow),NationalSawdust(NYC)andtheMillerTheatre(NYC).

Throughtheensemble’sheartfeltsocialandcivicpracticework,FifthHousehasco-createdartisticprojectswithurbanneighborhoods,socialserviceorganizations,andanagriculturalcommunitytosparkconversationsonissuesthatmatter.RecentprojectsincludeBrokenText,acollaborationwithRavenTheatreandDJSearchl1teinspiredbymulti-weekresidenciesattheCookCountyTemporaryYouthDetentionCenterandSt.Leonard’sMinistries;VoicesfromtheDustBowl,acollaborationwithcomposerStevenSnowdenandbluegrassbandHenhouseProwlersexploringstoriesfromworkers’rightsorganizationsnationwide;Nedudim,anexplorationofmusicandculturalidentityincollaborationwithBaladinothatengagesChicago-basedorganizationsrepresentingIsrael,Iran,GermanyandSpain,and

Harvest,ayear-longpartnershipwithDePauwUniversityandtheGreencastle,INcommunityculminatinginaMother’sDaycelebrationofthepeople,places,andstoriesofPutnamCounty.

Reaching17,000studentsannuallythroughitsarts-integratededucationalprograms,FifthHouseconnectsK-12corecurriculatovivid,custom-crafted,andinteractivemusicalexperienceswhichchallengestudentstoshareandlead.AmemberoftheIllinoisArtsCouncilAssociation’sArts-in-EducationRoster,FifthHousehaspresentedperformancesandresidenciesatChicagopublicschoolsandtheChicagoCulturalCenterinpartnershipwiththeInternationalMusicFoundation,theChicagoTeachers’Center,Chicago’sDepartmentofCulturalAffairsandSpecialEvents,ChicagoArtsPartnershipsinEducation,andRavinia’sReach*Teach*Playprogram.

Asanextensionofthiswork,FifthHouseentersitsfourthyearofpartnershipwithLoyolaUniversity’sCenterforUrbanResearchandLearningthisseason,throughwhichtheensembleisinresidenceatsitesservingat-riskyouthandadultsincludingDeborah’sPlace,TeenLivingPrograms,andNancyB.JeffersonAlternativeSchoolattheChicagoTemporaryYouthDetentionCenter.FifthHousealsopartnerswithStorycatchersTheatreaspartofitsresidencyatthedetentioncentertodevelopnewcurriculumculminatinginanewtheatricalworkbasedonparticipants’ownexperiences.

Anestablishedpartnerandresourcetothenation’stopmusicschoolsandconservatories,FifthHouselaunchesthecareersofemergingartiststhroughentrepreneurshipresidenciesandtrainingprograms,includingthoseatYaleCollege,EastmanSchoolofMusic,NewEnglandConservatory,IndianaUniversity,RooseveltUniversity,theClevelandInstituteofMusic,UT-Austin,NorthwesternUniversity,SanFranciscoConservatory,DePaulUniversity,andtheColburnSchool.RecentcreativepartnershipshaveincludedthosewithTheClevelandOrchestraandtheSanFranciscoOpera.In2012,FifthHouselaunchedfreshinc,atwo-week,intensivetrainingprogramforemergingcomposersandperformerswhereFifthHouseworkswithparticipantsonbuildingcareersinmusicinlinewiththeirownunique,visionandvalues.

FifthHouseiscurrentlyanEnsembleinResidenceattheMusicInstituteofChicago.