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Friends of Music of Stamford, NY presents the Blue Sky Trio in a classical chamber music concert on Sunday, September 19th at 3:00 PM at the Cyr Center in Stamford. The Trio features husband-and-wife team Karl Kramer-Johansen (horn) and Monica Bauchwitz (violin), and pianist Irina Nuzova.
Norwegian horn player Karl Kramer-Johansen is best known to Catskill-area residents as founder of the ever-popular Bombastiq Brass Quintet and as horn player for the Dorian Wind Quintet, which performed the final concert for the Honest Brook Festival’s summer series in August. Mr. Kramer is also a member of the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players and is a much sought-after chamber musician and recitalist who performs regularly in New York City as well as touring across the country. A champion of new music, Karl is a member of Ensemble PI, American Modern Ensemble and a guest with Parnassus, Sequitur and other groups. He has premiered works by Marc-Antonio Consoli, Kile Smith, Wolfgang Plagge, Eric Moe and others. As principal horn of the Jupiter Symphony for four seasons, he soloed in the well-known concerti by Strauss and Mozart, as well as in rarities by Dubois, Reinecke, Chabrier and Saint-Saens. He is a winner of many prizes and awards – including a two-time winner of the American Horn Competition, the George and Elizabeth Gregory Award and the American Scandinavian Society Cultural Award.
Mr. Kramer is also active as a lecturer, conductor and composer. In June 2007, he conducted the world premiere of John Eaton’s opera “Pumped Fiction” at Manhattan’s Symphony Space, and for two seasons he has been composer-in-residence for “Concerts in the Heights,” a chamber music series in upper Manhattan. He has recorded for the Philips and Aurora labels, as well as for several major motion picture soundtracks. Karl is a faculty member at Rowan University in New Jersey, the international Festival-Institute at Round Top and also maintains a private teaching studio in NYC.
Of his chamber music performances, the New York Times has said: “The performance could hardly have been more energetic.” “horn-lines played with a rich tone by Karl Kramer.” The New York Times wrote of his performance of Milton Babbitt’s “Around the Horn”: “…is essentially a stand-up routine for a virtuoso soloist, excellently communicated by Karl Kramer.” Leading Norwegian paper “Verdens Gang” wrote of his performance of Ligeti’s Concerto: “Especially impressive was the soloist Karl Kramer.”
Hailed as an “excellent violinist” by the Washington Post, Monica Bauchwitz performs extensively in chamber music, orchestral and solo settings. Ms. Bauchwitz has studied and worked both in the United States and in Europe. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Conservatoire de Geneve, she has held positions with L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Esbjerg Ensemble-the national Danish chamber ensemble. She has toured widely across Europe with classical and contemporary chamber music repertoire and has participated in such festivals as Great Irish Houses Music Festival in Ireland and the Schleswig-Holstein Chamber Music Series in Germany. She has performed as soloist with orchestras in Scandinavia, Central Europe, and the New York region and has recorded chamber music under the Philips label.
As a former member of the critically acclaimed Contrasts Quartet, she has received the Chamber Music America Residency grant, as well as performed in numerous world premieres and recordings of works by Aaron Jay Kernis, Ned Rorem, and Derek Bermel. Ms. Bauchwitz is the founder of the Manhattan chamber music series “Concerts in the Heights.” This series brings together world-class musicians for performances and educational projects. She is co-concertmaster and Artistic Director of the conductor-less String Orchestra of New York City- SONYC, which just released its first CD (First Takes on the Albany label). This dynamic 14-member ensemble wins over audiences with its energetic, impassioned style; Pulitzer Prize winning composer Paul Moravec calls it “a composer’s dream”.
Irina Nuzova “rises above mere virtuosity” (Washington Post) in her thoughtful rendition of the classical repertoire both as soloist and as chamber music partner. Ms. Nuzova has performed overseas in Europe and in South America, and in the U.S. at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC, for Boston¹s WBGH, the Kosciuszko Foundation in New York and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, among others. Ms. Nuzova won top prizes as piano soloist and as chamber ensemble pianist in international competitions such as the Vincenzo Bellini and Citta di Senigallia International Competitions in Italy, the Bruce Hungerford Award at the Young Concert Artist Auditions in New York, the Beethoven Piano Sonata International Competition in Memphis, Tennessee, and at the Vittorio Gui and the Premio Trio di Trieste International Chamber Music Competitions in Italy.
September 19, 2010 The Blue Sky Trio Monica Bauchwitz, violin
Adagio und Allegro for Horn and Piano, Op. 70 Robert Schumann (1867-1950) Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op.82 Edward Elgar
Intermission
Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano, Op.40 Johannes Brahms
Andantte
We also wish to thank the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation.for their continued financial support, which has made these concerts possible.
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