Center City Concerts feature Astral’s brilliant artists in recital and chamber music performances. Be the first to hear classical music’s rising stars.
Astral & WRTI Block Party
Saturday, September 14, 2019, 3:00-5:00pm
1213 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
*FREE EVENT*
FULL DESCRIPTION
Zlatomir Fung, cello
Rachel Lee Hall, harp
Beomjae Kim, flute
Brittany Lasch, trombone
Debra Lew Harder, emcee
Astral and WRTI team up for a free block party in Midtown Village. Enjoy picnic fare, family friendly activities and performances by four dynamic Astral Artists.
2019 National Auditions Winners Concert
Wednesday, October 16, 2019, 7:00pm
Stotesbury Mansion
1923 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
FULL DESCRIPTION
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Christopher Goodpasture, piano
Alexander Hersh, cello
Saetbyeol Kim, piano
Mitchell Kuhn, oboe
Alexandra Nowakowski, soprano
Ekaterina Skliar, domra/mandolin
Debra Lew Harder, emcee
Be the first to discover the finest rising-star classical musicians of their generation. Astral’s newest artists debut at the Winners Concert, in a showcase of masterful artistry.
PROGRAM
Giovanni Sollima – Lamentatio
Anton Webern – Two Pieces for Cello & Piano
Alexander Hersh, cello
Federico Mompou – Prelude No. 7 “Palmier d’etoiles” & Prelude No. 9
Franz Liszt/Richard Wagner – “Isolde’s Liebestod” from Tristan und Isolde
Christopher Goodpasture, piano
Robert Schumann – Romance No. 1, Op. 94 for Oboe & Piano
Aaron Severini – Tete-a-Tete for Oboe & Piano
Mitchell Kuhn, oboe
Darius Milhaud – Chansons de Ronsard
Alexandra Nowakowski, soprano
Ignacy Jan Paderewski – Mélodie in G-flat Major, Op. 16, No. 2
William Bolcom – The Serpent’s Kiss
Saetbyeol Kim, piano
Isaac Albéniz – Asturias, mandolin solo
Jacob Gade – Tango Jalousie, domra & piano
Ekaterina Skliar, domra/mandolin
Annie Wu, Flute - Folk x Fantasy x Flute
Saturday, November 2, 2019, 7:30pm
Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square
1904 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
FULL DESCRIPTION
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Annie Wu, flute
Feng Niu, piano
PROGRAM
Béla Bartók/Paul Arma – Suite Paysanne Hongroise
Anna Clyne – World premiere, made possible by Astral’s Micro-Commissioning Program
Claude Debussy/Karl Lenski – Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Gabriela Lena Frank – Selections from Sueños de Chambi: Snapshots for an Andean Album
Pierre Sancan – Sonatine
Robert Schumann – Fantasiestücke, Op. 73
Thierry Lancino – Cinq Caprices
Natalia Kazaryan, piano
Sunday, December 15, 2019, 3:00pm
Benjamin Franklin Hall, American Philosophical Society
427 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia
FULL DESCRIPTION
PROGRAM
Alexandra Gardner – World Premiere made possible by Astral’s Micro-Commissioning Program
Olivier Messiaen – Selections from Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus
Lili Boulanger – Trois morceaux pour piano
Maurice Ravel – Gaspard de la nuit
Katie Hyun, violin
Saturday, January 25, 2020, 7:30pm
Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square
1904 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
FULL DESCRIPTION
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Katie Hyun, violin
Serafim Smigelskiy, cello
Charles Weaver, theorbo
PROGRAM
Heinrich Biber – Passacaglia for Solo Violin
David Lang – Selections from mystery sonatas (2014)
Heinrich Biber – Sonata No. 1 in A Major, from Mystery (Rosary) sonatas
George Meyer – World Premiere made possible by Astral’s Micro-Commissioning Program
Béla Bartók – Sonata for Solo Violin, Sz. 117
Arcangelo Corelli – Sonata Op. 5, No. 12, “La Folia”
Emily Levin, harp
Sunday, March 22, 2020, 3:00pm
Benjamin Franklin Hall, American Philosophical Society
427 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia
FULL DESCRIPTION
PROGRAM
Benjamin Britten – Suite for Harp in C Major, Op. 83
Gabriel Fauré – Une chatelaine en sa tour, Op. 110
Johann Sebastian Bach – French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816
Jonathan Czziner – World premiere made possible by Astral’s Micro-Commissioning Program
Johannes Brahms – Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2
Henriette Renié – Ballade Fantastique (after “The Tell-Tale Heart” of Edgar Allan Poe)
Timothy Chooi, violin
Saturday, April 18, 2020, 7:30pm
Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square
1904 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
FULL DESCRIPTION
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Timothy Chooi, violin
Sejoon Park, piano
PROGRAM
Antonín Dvorák – Romance in F minor, Op. 11
Ludwig van Beethoven – Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30, No. 3
Chen Gang – Sun Shine Over Tashkurgan
Camille Saint-Saëns – Havanaise in E Major, Op. 83
World Premiere made possible by Astral’s Micro-Commissioning Program
Sergei Prokofiev – Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94
Musical Roots
Saturday, May 2, 2020, 7:30pm
Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square
1904 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
Join us for a pre-concert conversation with Artistic Director Dan Visconti at 6:45pm.
FULL DESCRIPTION
Musical Roots is inspired by blues, hip-hop, and Appalachian singing & fiddling. An adventurous chamber music experience where artists and audiences explore genres beyond classical music through improvisation and multimedia. The works selected for the program are built around folk and popular music as interpreted by some of today’s most eclectic classical composers.
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Katie Hyun, violin
Hannah Tarley, violin
Melissa Reardon, viola
Zlatomir Fung, cello
Ronaldo Rolim, piano
Antonina Styczen, flute
Brittany Lasch, trombone
PROGRAM
Robert Dick – Fish Are Jumping
Dan Visconti – Black Bend
Steven Snowden – Appalachian Polaroids
Carolina Calvache – Trombonsillo
Missy Mazzoli – A Thousand Tongues
Anthony Lavelle Barfield – Meditations of Sound and Light; I. Sound
Sulkhan Tsintsadze – (5) Pieces on Folk Themes
Jennifer Higdon – American Canvas
Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) – Hip Hop Etude in C-sharp minor