On Monday, March 25, 2024, at 8 pm, violinist-composer Dan Flanagan (danflanaganviolin.com) makes his Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Hall with The Bow and the Brush (thebowandthebrush.com): an evening of solo violin and Carnegie Hall Premiere compositions. With music directly inspired by paintings, pastels, mixed media, and sculptures from Flanagan’s personal collection, the program highlights pieces by the likes of Raffaëlli, Guillaumin, Pinchon, Pissarro, as well as living artists including Paul Gibson, Nikki Vismara, and Elaine Pratt.

Celebrated for his exquisite violin tone and stellar musicianship, Flanagan brings his enthusiasm for music and art to Weill Hall. Created and conceptualized by Flanagan, the program includes two of his own compositions alongside several commissioned works written by 18 celebrated living New Music composers (with intermission). This concert is the centerpiece of Flanagan’s tour, taking The Bow and the Brush to audiences in the United States and across Europe. Select compositions are included on a critically acclaimed album released on MSR Records, with visual video accompaniment of the art on thebowandthebrush.com. “The intrepid violinist puts on a master class of exemplary technique, insightful interpretations and an immediately felt devotion to canvases of both sound and art.” (James Wegg Review)

Tickets are $35-45 and are available at carnegiehall.org, the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, or by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800. Carnegie Hall is located at 881 Seventh Avenue in New York City.

WORKS INCLUDE (all Carnegie Hall premieres, some are New York premieres mentioned below):
The Collection / Shinji Eshima / mixed media by Paul Gibson
Raven’s Dance / Linda Marcel / painting by Nina Fabunmi
Pastel Lake (NY Premiere) / Michael Panther / pastel drawing by George Manzana Pissarro
Émergence / Jacques Desjardins / painting by Susan Bostrom-Wong
Blue Swan / Evan Price / sculpture by Sean O’Donnell
Notre Dame au milieu de l’eau et du ciel / Trevor Weston / painting by Albert-Marie Lebourg (NY Premiere)
Into the Light / Cindy Cox / painting by Victoria Veedell
Island / Maija Hynninen / painting by Elaine Pratt
Shadow Breaking / Nathaniel Stookey / painting by Rachel Dwan
An Animated Street in Autumn / Dan Flanagan / painting by Jean-François Raffaëlli
Guillaumin / James Stephenson / pastel drawing by Armand Guillaumin
Same Old Sadness / Peter Josheff / painting by Peter Canty
Splits (Le Grand Ècart) / Edmund Campion / pastel drawing by Ludovic-Rodo Pissarro
And miles to go… (NY Premiere) / Jessica Mays / painting by Albert Malet
Danses (NY Premiere) / Catherine Neville / lithograph by Henri Fantin-Latour
Couple au Lit / David Mecionis / painting by Jean-Louis Forain
LeGato au Chocolat (World Premiere) / Dan Flanagan / painting by Cynthia Alvarez
The Only Way Through is Slow / Libby Larsen / painting by Nikki Vismara
Cadenza II / José González Granero / painting by Robert Antoine Pinchon

February 14, 2024
Kariné Poghosyan, pianist

On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at 8 PM. at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, pianist Kariné Poghosyan will be performing All That Jazz, a concert in honor of the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue. Also featured will be works by Ginastera, Coleridge-Taylor, Tania León, and Babajanian. This concert is presented by The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Armenia to the United Nations.

“Rhapsody in Blue is to me one of those iconic works that speaks to absolutely everyone,” says Poghosyan. “It is a stellar example of what Gershwin was aiming for with his compositions – erasing boundaries between different genres and styles of music! Therefore, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its premiere, I have created a program that highlights that magical combination of classical, jazz, and Latin elements, alongside works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Alberto Ginastera, and Tania Leon, with a bit of my Armenian roots sprinkled in through virtuosic selections by Arno Babajanian.”

Tickets, $35-75 (seniors and student discounts available at the box office with valid ID), are available at www.carnegiehall.org, the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, or by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800.

COMPLETE PROGRAM:

Alberto Ginastera, I Allegro marcato
II Presto misterioso
III Adagio molto appassionato
IV Ruvido ed ostinato

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, No.2 Andante, A-flat Major
No.3 Allegro, G Minor

Tania Léon, Tumbao

Arno Babajanian, Melody
Two Selections from Six Pictures
No.2 Folk Song
No.3 Toccatina
Elegie
Dance of Vagharshapat

George Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue

Enjoy a recent short video of Kariné playing Gershwin at the Soraya:

and Waltz by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor:

November 30, 2023
Chloé Kiffer, Violin
Justin Bischof, Conductor

On Thursday, November 30th at 6:30 pm, Modus Operandi Orchestra (MOO), under the baton of Maestro Justin Bischof, with Chloé Kiffer, violinist, join MOO for their triumphant return to Merkin Hall in a concert featuring an exceptionally rare performance of Coleridge-Taylor’s sublime Violin Concerto as well as two iconic Romantic masterpieces – Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture & Brahms’ Symphony No. 1.

Taking his rightful place in this concert among romantic era contemporaries Brahms and Mendelssohn is the fine work of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, whose formidable body of work is often overlooked in the musical canon. (Due in part to the prejudices of the day; he was of mixed race.) The composer’s masterful – though rarely performed – work, the Violin Concerto in G minor, with the distinctive influences of African American spirituals, rich orchestrations and harmonies, and inspiring virtuosity, gets long overdue attention in this performance by the Modus Operandi Orchestra.

The performance will take place at Merkin Hall, 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY. Tickets are $39 General Admission, $59 Preferred Seating, $20 Students/Seniors and are available at https://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/modus-merkin-three-great-romantics/
. For more information about MOO, please visit moonyc.org.

COMPLETE PROGRAM:

Hebrides Overture F. Mendelssohn
Violin Concerto S. Coleridge-Taylor
Symphony No. 1 J. Brahms

Here’s what makes this concert so special:

• 42-piece orchestra composed of NYC’s best musicians under the baton of Maestro Bischof.
• Coleridge-Taylor’s rarely performed Violin Concerto in G minor gets long overdue attention in this performance by the Modus Operandi Orchestra.
• Manhattan School of Music’s Chloé Kiffer, recently appointed to the violin faculty, makes her Modus Operandi Orchestra debut
• Maestro Justin Bischof and Concertmaster Eiko Kano are distinguished alumni of the Manhattan School of Music.

Chloé Kiffer, Violin
Justin Bischof, Founder, Artistic Director & Conductor
MOO Modus Operandi Orchestra
Eiko Kano, Concertmaster

Chicago – Thursday, November 16, 2023

Haskell Small, Celebrated Composer and Pianist, Turns a Life-Altering Stroke into a “Celebration of Healing”

Pianist Small will perform Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations around the United States in his 2023-24 concert tour.

Pianist Haskell Small (www.haskellsmall.com) will tour nine key cities in the US with his program Celebration of Healing, performing Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations. His next official out-of-town stop will be at the Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago on November 16th. This event is part of their Golden Hour series, a series in the Cafe/Bar that provides additional free live music with food and drink specials. Haskell will perform the Beethoven Diabelli Variations, then – from the sublime to the ridiculous – Haskell will round out the evening with jazz-influenced free improvisations.

Haskell Small’s Celebration of Healing: Epiphany Center for the Arts
Thursday, November 16, 2023, 5-8 pm
Epiphany Center For The Arts: Epiphany Hall
201 S Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60607

Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations
Jazz-influenced free improvisations

Tickets: Free with RSVP available at https://epiphanychi.com/events/golden-hour-featuring-haskell-small/

Milwaukee – Saturday, November 18, 2023

Following his stop in Chicago,  Haskell will perform at Milwaukee’s Charles Allis Art Museum on November 18th.

Haskell Small’s Celebration of Healing: Charles Allis Art Museum
Saturday, November 18, 2023, 4:30 PM
1801 N. Prospect Avenue Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations

Tickets: $25 in person: https://www.charlesallis.org/events/?eid=202
More information available at www.haskellsmall.com

In 2021, Composer and Pianist Haskell Small suffered a debilitating stroke that rendered his left hand and foot paralyzed. At the time, Small feared his accomplished professional career would come to an end. Two years later, he is not only playing piano again but set to embark on a nationwide Celebration of Healing tour launching in his hometown of Washington, DC in September. He will be the subject of a documentary film entitled Small Steps directed by Christopher McGuinness to be released later this fall. The trailer can be viewed here.

More information available at www.haskellsmall.com

Other stops on the tour will include:
September 30, 2023 – Washington, DC – Columbia Heights (House Concert)
October 7, 2023 – Glen Echo Park, DC – Groupmuse (House Concert)
October 18, 2023 – Chevy Chase, MD – Friendship Heights Community Center
November 4, 2023 – Philadelphia, PA – American Philosophical Society’s Benjamin Franklin Hall
April 7, 2024 – Santa Monica, CA – First Presbyterian Church Santa Monica
April 13, 2024 – San Francisco, CA – Sunset Music and Arts
April 14, 2024 – Berkeley, CA – The Berkeley Piano Club
April 16, 2024 – Vina, CA – Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux
April 23, 2024 – Seattle, WA – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
June 5, 2024 – New York City – Weill Recital Hall
More dates to be added

As captured in The Washington Post, Small used his painstaking journey of rehabilitation as a creative muse. Unwilling to stay away from music, he began arranging and performing classical masterworks for his right hand alone, as well as writing and performing a new composition, Diary of a Stroke: The Adventures of Herb and Pete (playful nicknames Small gave to his paralyzed hand and foot). Today, Small’s rehabilitation has further progressed and he has returned to playing with full use of both hands. Small’s Celebration of Healing Tour will not only mark his full recovery, but fulfill his life-long dream of performing Beethoven’s immensely difficult and sublime Diabelli Variations. 

“To go from thinking my career might be over, to touring the country with one of the most demanding and sublime works in the repertoire has become a life-saving journey,” says Small. “I’m hoping that my story can resonate with others who have suffered setbacks and offer inspiration that you should never give up on your dreams. Sometimes what seems like a disaster can in fact be an opportunity to grow and challenge yourself in a whole new way.”

Philadelphia – Saturday, November 4, 2023

Haskell Small, Celebrated Composer and Pianist, Turns a Life-Altering Stroke into a “Celebration of Healing”

Pianist Small will perform Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations around the United States in his 2023-24 concert tour.

Pianist Haskell Small (www.haskellsmall.com) will tour nine key cities in the US with his program Celebration of Healing, performing Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations. His first official out-of-town stop will be at the American Philosophical Society’s Benjamin Franklin Hall in Philadelphia on Nov. 4th.
In 2021, Composer and Pianist Haskell Small suffered a debilitating stroke that rendered his left hand and foot paralyzed. At the time, Small feared his accomplished professional career would come to an end. Two years later, he is not only playing piano again but set to embark on a nationwide Celebration of Healing tour launching in his hometown of Washington, DC in September. He will be the subject of a documentary film entitled Small Steps directed by Christopher McGuinness to be released later this fall. The trailer can be viewed here.

Haskell Small’s Celebration of Healing: American Philosophical Society’s Benjamin Franklin Hall

427 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Saturday, November 4, 2023, 7PM
Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations
Tickets: Regular: $20 / Students & Seniors: $10 available at https://Haskellphilly.eventbrite.com

Other stops on the tour will include:
September 30, 2023 – Washington, DC – Columbia Heights (House Concert)
October 7, 2023 – Glen Echo Park, DC – Groupmuse (House Concert)
October 18, 2023 – Chevy Chase, MD – Friendship Heights Community Center
November 16, 2023 – Chicago, IL – Epiphany Center for the Arts
November 18, 2023 – Milwaukee, WI – Charles Allis Art Museum
April 7, 2024 – Santa Monica, CA – First Presbyterian Church Santa Monica
April 13, 2024 – San Francisco, CA – Sunset Music and Arts
April 14, 2024 – Berkeley, CA – The Berkeley Piano Club
April 23, 2024 – Seattle, WA – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
June 5, 2024 – New York City – Weill Recital Hall

More dates to be added

As captured in The Washington Post, Small used his painstaking journey of rehabilitation as a creative muse. Unwilling to stay away from music, he began arranging and performing classical masterworks for his right hand alone, as well as writing and performing a new composition, Diary of a Stroke: The Adventures of Herb and Pete (playful nicknames Small gave to his paralyzed hand and foot). Today, Small’s rehabilitation has further progressed and he has returned to playing with full use of both hands. Small’s Celebration of Healing Tour will not only mark his full recovery, but fulfill his life-long dream of performing Beethoven’s immensely difficult and sublime Diabelli Variations.
“To go from thinking my career might be over, to touring the country with one of the most demanding and sublime works in the repertoire has become a life-saving journey,” says Small. “I’m hoping that my story can resonate with others who have suffered setbacks and offer inspiration that you should never give up on your dreams. Sometimes what seems like a disaster can in fact be an opportunity to grow and challenge yourself in a whole new way.”

More information available at www.haskellsmall.com.