St. Louis classical calendar for the week of February 16, 2015

Chamber Music Society of STL
at the Sheldon Ballroom

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The Chamber Music Society of St. Louis presents Belated Love Fest on Monday and Tuesday, February 16 and 17, at 7:30 PM. "Our popular annual Valentine's Day Salut D'Amour to Romance through music of Brahms, Dvorak, and Satie, performing chamber music of the highest quality in a relaxed, informal, cabaret style where audiences can have an entertaining evening as they sit at a table with friends, share a bottle of wine and light snacks while enjoying beautiful music performed by some of the finest musicians in St. Louis." The concert takes place at The Sheldon Ballroom, 3648 Washington. For more information: chambermusicstl.org.

The New Music Circle presents Okkyung Lee (cello) and Lotte Anker (saxophone) on Saturday, February 21, at 7:30 PM. Okkyung Lee has been developing her own approach to cello performance for over a decade. Unbound by any specific genre or style, her visceral yet communicative sound draws from her background in extended instrumental techniques, Korean traditional musics and contemporary experimental aesthetics. Born in Korea but based in New York City since 2000, she has released several albums on labels such as Tzadik, Ideologic Organ, and Ecstatic Peace. In an unforgettable 2011 performance in St. Louis, Danish saxophonist, Lotte Anker, left a lasting impression on all those who witnessed and an eager anticipation for a return visit. Informed by the rich improvised music scene of Copenhagen during the late ‘80's, Anker has honed a dramatic sense of pacing and tone, juxtaposing brisk sounds against long stretches of extended melody, creating an effect that is both moody and responsive.... and occasionally sounding as if Evan Parker were to sit in with Sun Ship-era Coltrane." The performance takes place at Joe's Café, 6014 Kingsbury. For more information: newmusiccircle.org

The St. Louis Symphony's Crescendo Circle presents Sips and Symphonies on Thursday, February 19, at 7:30 PM. "What is Sips and Symphonies? It is a great way to learn about music in a fun, casual environment." A special cocktail is created for each event to accompany the music. The event takes place at The Tavern of Fine Arts, 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Juraj Valcuha
rte.ie

Juraj Valcuha conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra with piano soloist André Watts on Friday at 10:30 a.m. and Saturday at 8 p.m. February 20 and 21. "Slovakian conductor Juraj Valcuha makes his STL Symphony debut conducting Tchaikovsky's "Pathétique" Symphony, noted for its deliberate and emotional finale, which trails off into silence. Andre Watts joins the STL Symphony for Rachmaninoff's passionate Second Piano Concerto, a work the composer performed in front of St. Louis audiences in 1936." The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

Steven Jarvi conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra with the Project Trio in From Bach to Rock to Hip Hop on Sunday at 3 p.m., February 22. "Join this high-energy ensemble and the STL Symphony on an interactive journey for the whole family to explore rhythm and music through the years. Travel through time with familiar pieces, such as the William Tell Overture, Brahms' Hungarian Dances, and some Beatbox Bach! " The concert takes place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents Alison Rolf (violin) and Johanna Ballou (piano) on Friday, February 20, at 8 p.m. "Violinist Alison Rolf and pianist Johanna Ballou team up for evening of music at the Tavern for violin and piano by Paul Hindemith, Bela Bartok, and Zoltan Kodály. Johanna Ballou will also perform solo piano works by Heitor Villa-Lobos and Enrique Granados." The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

Harpsichordist
Maryse Carlin

Unity Evangelical Lutheran Church presents Voices from the Holocaust: Music Makes You Free on Monday, February 16, at 12:15 p.m. " Kathleen Nigro, Gail Fleming, and Barbara Harbach, UMSL faculty members, present a program in honor of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Dachau and Terezin (Theresienstadt) concentration campus. They talk about a visit to Dachau and meeting with a survivor, Mendel Rosenberg, here in St. Louis. They present Fleming's musical arrangement of the Dachaulied taken from the walls at Dachau and original vocal composition Shalom "for the victims of Dachau." Harbach present her song cycle, Terezin Children's Songs, for soprano, violin and piano on children's poetry from the Terezin concentration camp where around 15,000 children between the years 1942-1944 were imprisoned; only100 of them survived. Three outstanding musicians perform the song cycle: Stella Markou, soprano; Julia Sakharova, violin; and Alla Voskoboynikova, piano." Unity Evangelical Lutheran Church is at 8454 Glen Echo Drive in Bel-Nor, MO.

Washington University's Danforth University Chamber Music Series presents harpsichordists Maryse Carlin and Todd Decker in concert on Wednesday, February 18, at 7:30 p.m. The program consists of music by JS Bach, WFE Bach, Gaspard le Roux, and Antonio Soler. The concert takes place at the Danforth University Center, 1 Brookings Drive on the Washington University campus. For more information: music.wustl.edu.