Carnegie Hall comes to Rancho La Puerta
Rancho La Puerta Presents:
8th Annual Chamber Music Festival features some of the world’s finest musicians who will inspire you with extraordinary performances set in the relaxed atmosphere of The Ranch. In addition to daily concerts, you can enjoy talks by the musicians, watch rehearsals, and perhaps encounter “random acts of music” in unexpected places throughout your day.
12 of the world’s finest chamber musicians and one poet come together to delight your senses at Rancho La Puerta.
The King’s Singers have set the gold standard in a cappella singing on the world’s greatest stages for over fifty years. They are renowned for their unrivaled technique, musicianship and versatility, which stem from both the group’s rich heritage and its drive to bring an extraordinary range of new and unique works, collaborations and recordings to life. The King’s Singers’ extensive discography has led to numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, and a place in Gramophone magazine’s inaugural Hall of Fame.
Over the course of 2023, the group has released three diverse, collaborative albums that showcase the breadth of their repertoire. One marks 400 years since the deaths of two great Renaissance composers, Thomas Weelkes and William Byrd. Another celebrates their body of commissioned music, including the six Nonsense Madrigals written for the group by György Ligeti (who would have turned 100 in 2023). And the third honors 100 years of Disney, with almost thirty brand-new arrangements of songs from its iconic films.
To mark their 50th anniversary in 2018, they founded The King’s Singers Global Foundation in the USA to provide a platform to support the creation of new music across multiple disciplines, to coach a new generation of performers, and to provide musical opportunities to people of all backgrounds.
Known for his passionate artistry and engaging stage presence, with multiple solo appearances at the Berlin Philharmonie, London’s South Bank, the Sydney Opera House, and the Beijing Concert Hall, Jon Kimura Parker continues to perform to great acclaim. Conductors he has recently worked with include Marin Alsop, Teddy Abrams, Claus Peter Flor, James Gaffigan, Hans Graf, Giancarlo Guerrero, Jeffrey Kahane, Andrew Litton, Tito Muñoz, Gianandrea Noseda, Larry Rachleff, Lahav Shani, Bramwell Tovey, Xu Zhong, David Zinman, and Pinchas Zukerman. A true Canadian ambassador of music, Mr. Parker has given command performances for Queen Elizabeth II, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Prime Ministers of Canada and Japan. He is an Officer of The Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian honor. In the past two years he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto, and awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of British Columbia.
He performs as duo partner regularly with James Ehnes, Aloysia Friedmann, Lynn Harrell, Jamie Parker, Orli Shaham, and Cho-Liang Lin, with whom he has given world premieres of sonatas by Paul Schoenfield, John Harbison and Steven Stucky. He performs regularly with the Miró Quartet, and is a founding member of the Montrose Trio with violinist Martin Beaver and cellist Clive Greensmith. The Washington Post’s review of the Montrose Trio’s first tour in 2015 proclaimed them “poised to become one of the top piano trios in the world.”
As a member of the outreach project Piano Plus, Mr. Parker toured remote areas including the Canadian Arctic, performing classical music and rock’n’roll on everything from upright pianos to electronic keyboards. In commemoration of his special performances in war-torn Sarajevo in 1995, he was a featured speaker alongside humanitarians Elie Wiesel and Paul Rusesabagina at the 50th Anniversary of the relief organization AmeriCares.
Founder and Artistic Director of the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival (www.oicmf.org) in the Pacific Northwest, Aloysia Friedmann is firmly established as a major influence in the American chamber music scene. In recognition of this fact, Chamber Music America invited Ms. Friedmann to their national Board in 2016. In December 2018, she was named a Musical America Top Professional of the Year.
Ms. Friedmann’s broad ranging career has included national and international tours, performances with New York’s most prestigious musical ensembles including the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and a special onstage role on Broadway alongside Dustin Hoffman in The Merchant of Venice. While in New York, Ms. Friedmann worked with artists including Astor Piazzolla, Mirella Freni, Jessye Norman, Frederica von Stade, John Adams, Charles Mackerras, André Previn and Mikhail Baryshnikov, as well as Elton John and Metallica. The New York Times praised her “fiery spirit” after her Carnegie Recital Hall debut.
Aloysia Friedman has performed as guest artist in the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival, Florida’s Amelia Island Festival, Colorado’s Strings in the Mountains Music Festival, Napa Valley’s Music in the Vineyards, the Cactus Pear Music Festival, the Seattle Chamber Music Society, the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Her chamber music colleagues have included Abbey Simon, Gervase de Peyer, Peter Schickele, Chee-Yun, Gary Hoffman, Jeffrey Kahane, William Preucil, Lucy Shelton, the Miró Quartet, Cho-Liang Lin and Lynn Harrell.
Chamber Music America recognized Aloysia Friedmann’s artistic leadership with its 2008 CMAcclaim. She also serves on the Advisory Council for Chamber Music Houston. Ms. Friedmann is featured as both performer and producer on several festival recordings, and has produced recordings for violinist Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio and pianist Jon Kimura Parker.
Aloysia Friedmann plays on a Grancino violin and the ex-Rebecca Clarke Grancino viola. Ms. Friedmann graduated from The Juilliard School and also studied at the University of Washington with Emanuel Zetlin. Aloysia is the proud daughter of violinist Martin Friedmann and oboist Laila Storch. She is married to concert pianist Jon Kimura Parker and they have a daughter, Sophie.
Awarded as the recent Winner and Audience Prize recipient of the 2023 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition in New York, ArcoStrum became the first-ever violin-guitar duo to win in its competition’s 72-year history. ArcoStrum consists of three-times international First Prize-winning violinist Strauss Shi (violin, erhu, dizi), and the Grand Prize winner of Guitar Foundation of America – International Concert Artist Competition (GFA-ICAC), TY Zhang (classical guitar, electric guitar).
Highlights of their 2023-2024 Season include Friends of Music Stamford, Carnegie Hall Citywide, Rancho La Puerta, Concerts by the Pond, Bohemians New York Musicians’ Club, Strings Music Festival, Madison-Morgan Cultural Center, and Music for Autism. ArcoStrum’s 2022-2023 Season include major debuts at the Omni Foundation for the Performing Arts, Festival Cultural Zacatecas (Mexico), National Sawdust, Austin Chamber Music Festival, and Caramoor.
ArcoStrum captures the hearts of audiences through their charisma, virtuosity, and dazzling on-stage chemistry. The multi-instrumental duo champions unique concert programming through their original transcriptions of beloved classical repertoire, traditional Chinese instrumental music infused with modern instrumentations, as well as virtuosic non-classical instrumental progressive rock.
Initially encountered at The Juilliard School, the two soon discovered unspoken chemistry not only in life but in music making. ArcoStrum is pushing boundaries and redefining the 21st century violin-guitar art form, presenting a new chamber music that is mixed-genre, multi-culture, and cross-era.
The Gold Medal prize winner of the 2023 Stulberg International String Competition, Amelia Zitoun (19) is currently studying cello at the Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles. Recent performances include Haydn D Major Cello Concerto with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Ankush Kumar Bahl and an appearance with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra in their 2024-25 season.
Most recently, Amelia won the 2023 Walgreens National Concerto Competition, performing the Barber Cello Concerto with the MYAC Orchestra. She also won First Prize at the 2023 Bolz Final Forte Competition where she appeared with the Madison Symphony, performing both the Barber Cello Concerto as well as Dvorak’s Rondo at their 2023 Gala. In 2022, Amelia was the winner of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Stars of Tomorrow Competition and performed the Barber Cello Concerto with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Yaniv Dinur.
An active chamber musician, Ameila performs is a member of Trio Callisto.As member of the Pelios String Quartet, she won the Silver Medal at the 2023 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, and the Gold Medal and Haydn Prize at the 2023 St. Paul String Quartet Competition. The past two summers, Amelia attended the Perlman Music Program and is returning again in the summer of 2024. In the past, she has attended the Heifetz International Music Institute.
A passionate ambassador of classical music, violinist Monique Mead enjoys a rich career as a performer, educator, and innovator. Inspired and mentored by Leonard Bernstein, Mead has devoted her performing career to building new audiences and deepening the musical experience for seasoned concertgoers. Her programs with major orchestras and festivals in the United States and Europe have drawn international acclaim for their popular appeal and innovative approach.
Interweaving live music with education and audience engagement at the highest level, her programs have reached millions through television appearances, a six-year radio series with the Munich Radio Orchestra, and nearly 20 years of collaborations with the Cologne Philharmonic, Munich Symphony, Düsseldorf Symphony, Berlin Radio Orchestra, RIAS Chamber Choir, Neue Philharmonie Westfalen, Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and the Mainly Mozart Festival, among others.
Currently, Monique is innovating at the intersection of music and wellness to address the ongoing mental health crisis. During the pandemic, she partnered with a mental health practice, Awareness & Wellness Center to open a sound healing studio in Pittsburgh where she weaves the sounds of singing bowls, violin and other instruments to induce deep relaxation and mental peace. In 2023 she founded the Scottie Sound Bath at Carnegie Mellon University and collaborated with researchers from the University of Pittsburgh to measure the impact on mood and stress in students, faculty, and staff with results showing a 70% decrease in stress. Other music and wellness modalities included performances that integrate full-sensory experiences, collaborative music making, movement, guided breathwork, and mindful listening in a relaxed setting.
A passionate chamber musician, Monique has served as Artistic Director of the Rancho La Puerta Chamber Music Festival since 2018 and prior to that spent eight years as Co-Director of the Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In 2017 she founded a chamber music camp at Olympic National Park for young musicians, and since 2022 has directed Azure Family Concerts, a chamber series for families with autism. She is a member of the Trio con Brio, with her daughter/harpist Isabel Cardenes and son/pianist Tino Cardenes, with whom she presents a series of porch concerts every summer to bring Pittsburgh neighborhoods together.
Monique is on faculty at Carnegie Mellon University as Associate Professor and Director of Music Entrepreneurship, a program she founded in 2012. With a focus on experiential learning and community engagement, she launches new music initiatives and guides students to develop the professional skills needed to succeed in forging their unique paths in the music world.
A. Van Jordan is the author of five collections of poetry: Rise, which won the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award (Tia Chucha Press, 2001); M-A-C-N-O-L-I-A, (2005), which was listed as one the Best Books of 2005 by The London Times; Quantum Lyrics, (2007); and The Cineaste, (2013), W.W. Norton & Co. Jordan has been awarded a Whiting Writers Award, an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, and a Pushcart Prize. He is also a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship (2007), a United States Artists Fellowship (2009), and a Lannan Literary Award in Poetry (2015). His latest collection, When I Waked, I Cried to Dream Again, was released in June, 2023 (W.W. Norton & Co). Among his many academic appointments, he most recently served as the Robert Hayden Collegiate Professor of English Literature at The University of Michigan, before coming to Stanford University, where he currently holds the Humanities and Sciences Chair in English, and he also serves as part of the inaugural faculty in the Department of African & African American Studies.
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Event Details:
The highlights of the festival are performances that combine world-class artistry with relaxed discourse. Whether held at La Cocina Que Canta, Bazar del Sol, Oaktree, or the Dining Hall, you will leave feeling invigorated, inspired and possibly transformed.
Sunday, 8 PM, Oaktree
“Opening Night with ArcoStrum”
The festival kicks off with a nature-inspired world tour, featuring both Vivaldi’s and Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons” as well as Chinese music inspired by orchids, young love, and horse racing. Instruments include violin, classical guitar, electric guitar, Erhu (Chinese two-string fiddle) and Dizi (Chinese bamboo flute).
Monday, 8 PM: Concert
“Close Harmony”
The legendary King’s Singers perform a comical and moving program that offers a chronological tour through some of the most famous and joyful music from their 56-year history. The program includes Rossini’s “Overture to Barber of Seville,” Beach Boys’ “Kokomo,” Arlen’s “I’ve got the World on a String,” Billy Joel’s “And so it Goes,” and The Beatles’ “Honey Pie.”
Tuesday 6 AM
“Sunrise Concert” at Cocina que Canta
Hike to the Organic Gardens and enjoy a sumptuous breakfast followed by a short concert with Aloysia Friedmann and Jon Kimura Parker to get your morning started on a high note.
Tuesday 7:45 PM
A Tapestry of Music and Verse
All 12 festival artists join forces with poet A. Van Jordan for a jazz-inspired program of music and verse. Program features Jordan’s poetry paired music by Oscar Peterson, W.G. Still’s “Suite for Violin & Piano,” Grappelli’s “Minor Swing,” Bono’s “M.L.K.” and Loes’ “This Little Light of Mine.”
Wednesday 6 AM
“Morning Tango” with ArcoStrum
Hike to the Organic Gardens and enjoy a sumptuous breakfast followed by a fun tango-infused program to start your day with a smile.
Wednesday 5 PM Oaktree
“The New World”
The King’s Singers present a program that explores the musical links between Iberia and the ‘New World’ of South America, looking at the glorious European Renaissance music introduced by these conquistadors and merchants. It also remembers the musical traditions already in existence in South America, and celebrates how these two different musical heritages fused to form the seeds of a whole new world of South American music. Songs include Ramirez “La peregrinación,” Abreu “Tico-Tico no fubá,” Villa-Lobos “Woodpecker,” Lopez “Remember me,” and Mendoza “Cielito Lindo.”
Thursday, 7:45 PM Oaktree
“Musical Love Triangle”
A romantic program featuring classical music’s most famous love triangle, Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and Robert Schumann. You’ll hear a Clara Schumann Romance, Johannes Brahms Scherzo from the F.A.E. Sonata, and Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet performed by Jon Kimura Parker, Strauss Shi, Monique Mead, Aloysia Friedmann, and Amelia Zitoun.
Friday, 5 PM Oaktree
“Steinway Spectacular”
The festival concludes with “Jackie” Parker in a program that spans the spectrum of pianistic expression from the lyricism of Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata, to colorful splashes of Ravel’s “Jeux d’Eau” and ending with the brilliant virtuosity of William Hirtz’s “Fantasy on the Wizard of Oz.”
In addition to evening concerts, Chamber Music Week offers some unique opportunities to engage with music and musicians. Whether you visit an open rehearsal, attend a musical talk, relax in sound healing with Monique, stroll the musical gardens, or experience a “random act of music,” we hope these moments add some magic of your week at the Ranch.
Candlelight Sound Healing with Violin & Cello
Saturday, 8 PM, Oaktree
Melt away your travel stress as violinist Monique Mead and cellist Amelia Zitoun guide you to stillness with enchanting melodies and the healing tones singing bowls, setting the stage for a magical week at The Ranch.
Sound Healing with Violin and Guitar
Monday 3 PM Oaktree
Monique Mead creates a meditative sound journey with singing bowls and violin in collaboration with guitarist TY Zhang. Stretch out and dissolve into blissful sound vibration and melody.
Mindful Music Stroll
Tuesday, 4 PM Gazebo (weather permitting)
Begin at the Gazebo to set the tone for your own mindful stroll during the golden hour. You’ll encounter lighthearted solos and duets by all of our festival musicians in scenic places along your path. The experience concludes with a performance by the King’s Singers at the Bazar del Sol.
Wednesday, 1-2:30 PM Oaktree
Drop in/walk out anytime during this interactive rehearsal where festival musicians practice Schumann and Brahms. You’ll get a chance to ask questions as well.
Gaze into the inner workings of the music with talks by Monique Mead, ArcoStrum, Aloysia Friedmann, and Jon Kimura Parker.
This week, it’s likely that you will be disarmed by the beauty of music when you least expect it, perhaps on a hike, during yoga, or at the labyrinth. Festival musicians are dedicated to enhancing the serenity of the Ranch in their own delightful ways.
Spend a week at Rancho La Puerta, one of the world’s top destination wellness resorts, set on thousands of acres of wildlands and landscaped gardens. Customize an ideal routine to energize your body, calm your mind and lift your spirits. In addition to extraordinary musical experiences throughout your week, we offer:
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