PROGRAM
J.S. Bach: Ricercar a 3 voci (1747)
Charles Wuorinen: Horn Trio #1 (1981)
Paul Lansky: Three Moves (1998)
J.S. Bach: Ricercar a 6 voci (1747)
Arnold Schoenberg: Ode to Napoleon (1942)
Featuring the Ulysses String Quartet; Leelanee Sterrett (horn), Alan Feinberg (piano), Brandon Ilaw (percussion), Eric Huebner (piano), Miranda Cuckson (violin), and David Adam Moore (reciter, Ode to Napoleon)
The highlight of House Blend I on June 24 is Arnold Schoenberg’s Ode to Napoleon (1942), written in protest of the tyranny and terror of World War II, as Byron had condemned Napoleon’s quest for empire in 1814. Written for string quartet, piano, and reciter, the performance features the Ulysses String Quartet, singled out for embodying “the kind of chemistry many quartets long for, but rarely achieve” (The Strad), New York Philharmonic pianist Eric Huebner at the piano, and baritone David Adam Moore as reciter.
Among the evening’s surprises is Charles Wuorinen’s Horn Trio (1981) for horn, violin, and piano, which Andrew Porter, writing in The New Yorker after the premiere, described as “a play of musical ideas so dexterous, inventive, and happy that a listener to them smiles with pleasure.”
The Ulysses Quartet
Ulysses Quartet has been praised for their “textural versatility,” “grave beauty,” as well as their “avid enthusiasm . . . [with] chops to back up their passion” (San Diego Story), “delivered with a blend of exuberance and polished artistry” (The Buffalo News).
The quartet—Christina Bouey and Rhiannon Banerdt on violin, Colin Brookes on viola and Grace Ho on cello—hail from Canada, the US, and Taiwan. They recently debuted at Alice Tully Hall and have performed in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, have performed at the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, and internationally at the Harbin Grand Theatre, the Taiwan National Recital Hall, and other celebrated venues. Recent performance highlights have included their debut at Alice Tully Hall and appearances at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Naumburg Orchestral Concerts. Their debut album will be released later this year, and four more albums, quartet works and collaborations with flutist Ransom Wilson and guitarist Ben Verdery, will follow.
Eric Huebner
Since his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at age 17, pianist Eric Huebner has won worldwide acclaim for his performances of new and traditional music.
In January 2012, he was appointed pianist of the New York Philharmonic where he currently holds the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Piano Chair. A passionate devotée of twentieth and twenty-first century music, his artistic touchstones include György Ligeti, whose études and Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano he recorded on the album Désordre. A devoted teacher as well as performer, he is an Associate Professor of Music at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), where he mentors undergraduate and graduate pianists and teaches courses in twentieth- and twenty-first century piano music and literature.
Leelanee Sterrett
Leelanee Sterrett joined the New York Philharmonic in 2013 and is the orchestra’s Acting Associate Principal Horn.
In recent seasons, she has made solo appearances at Carnegie Hall, in recitals and master classes throughout the US and at numerous International Horn Symposia, and has presented recitals and masterclasses around the country. She has performed as guest principal horn with the London Symphony Orchestra, appears frequently at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and was a member of the 2022 National Brass Ensemble. A passionate advocate for women composers, her world-premiere recordings of their works include Fernande Breihl-Decruck’s Poëme Héroïque for trumpet, horn, and orchestra.
Brandon Ilaw
Brandon Ilaw, versatile multi-instrumentalist, recently toured North America as percussionist in Les Misérables. After winning 2nd prize in the 2014 TROMP International Percussion Competition, he completed a two-year fellowship with Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect.
His band, Empire Wild, which plays everything from classical music to folk, pop, jazz, and beyond, won the Ambassador Prize at the 2020 Concert Artist Guild Competition. Empire Wild frequently tours throughout the US, with concerts scheduled this summer at Mannes School of Music (July 13), the Sembrich Museum (July 16), and the Arkell Museum (July 17). Apart from his musical endeavors, Brandon is also an internationally published photographer specializing in portraits and live concerts.
Support for the House Blend Concerts is provided by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, and the Alice M. Ditson Fund.
