Tickets: $15, $10 for students and seniors
call (212) 854-1623, e-mail rw2115@columbia.edu, or visit www.cuarts.com/tickets

Michel Galante will lead the Argento Chamber Ensemble in performances of two seminal large ensemble works by leading Italian composers Luca Francesoni and Salvatore Sciarrino.

A protégé of the late Luciano Berio, Francesconi conceived Riti Neurali III as a concerto for violin and 8-piece chamber ensemble. To create a distinctive instrumental effect, Francesconi scored the concerto accompaniment for clarinet, bassoon, horn, and string quintet, which is the same combination as Schubert’s Octet. But unlike Schubert’s famous piece, Riti Neurali III requires an aggressive Paganini-like virtuosity from all the musicians. Argento’s feature soloist is violinist Miranda Cuckson, recently hailed by the New York Times as “a brilliant young performer who plays daunting contemporary music with insight, honesty, and temperament.”

Salvatore Sciarrino’s Introduzione All’oscuro, is a focused meditation for woodwind quintet, brass trio, and string quintet, which juxtaposes low continual heartbeat like gestures with sparse injections of brilliant instrumental color.

As contrasting perspective, the concert also features several short works. Flutist Erin Lesser and clarinetist Carol McGonnell will perform Carter’s Esprit Rude, Esprit Doux. Joanna Chao will give the NY Premiere of American composer Keeril Makan’s Afterglow, a study in piano resonances. She will also perform Berio’s Luftklavier, a short work whose texture recalls Schubert’s G-flat major Impromptu. Stephanie Griffin will perform Arthur Kampela’s Bridges, a two minute work for solo viola which explore the extremes of virtuoso extended techniques.

This season made possible in part by the generous support of: