Pomona College’s Music Department announces its Fall 2017 season featuring an eclectic offering of music from a wide range of genres, eras and musical backgrounds. Special performances and guests will join Pomona College’s performance faculty and student ensembles on the schedule.
Among the special guests are guitar duo Johannes Möller and Laura Fraticelli. CD HotList critic Rick Anderson has called their playing and unique fusion of Swedish perfection and Argentinian passion, “exquisite.” First prizewinner of the 2010 GFA Concert Artist Competition and numerous other competitions, Möller is also an award-winning composer with the Swedish newspaper Göteborgsposten writing, “What is to become of Johannes Möller? A Swedish Mozart – in our time?” Fraticelli has been praised for her beautiful tone and passionate interpretations, “When Laura plays the guitar it sounds as if the strings are made of velvet. Exquisite and sensitive, yet distinct,” (Vimmerby Tidning, Sweden). The duo has performed throughout Europe, North and South America as well as on radio and TV, and released a recording with the works of Johann Kaspar Mertz for the Naxos label. They will perform on Sunday, September 17 at 3 p.m. in Bridges Hall of Music, 150 E. Fourth St., Claremont.
Later in the month, acclaimed baritone Nmon Ford returns to present his new and eclectic production entitled “ORFEUS,” which has been described by Ford as “a mashup of opera, house music, theater and film.” It comes to Bridges Hall of Music on Saturday, September 23 at 8 p.m.
Coming for performances November 17, 18 and 19, Boris Berman will join the Pomona College Orchestra in two concerts – Friday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. – and offer a solo recital of music by Brahms on Saturday at 8 p.m. Praised for his sound imagination, “His ability to transfer it to the keyboard is unique, creating an intriguing world of sound-complexities which makes his performance a very special and unusual experience,” (The Jerusalem Post, Israel) and The New York Times writes of his performance of Brahms’ Opus 118, “The pieces were exemplary: clean, carefully planned and then sensitively played, as if the pianist were in the midst of a meticulously structured reverie. Mr. Berman's playing was technically adept and charged with energy and intelligence.”
In addition to these special programs, the fall season offers a celebratory Inaugural Kick-off concert in honor of incoming Pomona College President G. Gabrielle Starr on Saturday, October 7 at 3 p.m., with performances by faculty and students including: Gwendolyn Lytle, soprano; Scott Graff, baritone; Gibb Schreffler, voice, bass and accordion; Ken Foerch, saxophone; Sarah Thornblade and Alfred Cramer, violin; Cynthia Fogg, viola and fiddle; Sara Murphy ’18, fiddle; Maggie Parkins and Tom Flaherty, cello; Joti Rockwell, banjo and guitar; Genevieve Feiwen Lee, Barb Catlin and Alexander Woods ’18, piano; and William Peterson, organ in music from Bach to the Carter Family and Duke Ellington to a new composition for the occasion by Flaherty.
In addition to these performances numerous student ensembles and faculty members will also be offering a variety of solo and chamber recitals. Among them are a piano and harpsichord solo recital on Saturday, September 30 at 8 p.m. with Genevieve Feiwen Lee who will, on Sunday, October 22 at 3 p.m., join clarinetist Gary Bovyer in music by Brahms. Additionally, pianist Jennie Jung will be joined by violinist Elbert Tsai in a recital on Friday, September 15 at 8 p.m.
The Music Department’s Fall 2017 Season Concert Calendar is available online or can be picked up at the Music Department office in Thatcher Music Building, 150 N. College Ave, Claremont on the campus of Pomona College. All the department’s offerings are free and open to the public.