By Michael Johns
Jeroen Berwaerts
The New Year kicks off with USCB Chamber Music’s second annual Youth Concert on Saturday, January11, 3:00, and the season’s second chamber music concert on Sunday, January 12, 5:00. Both events lay out a delicious sonic smorgasbord traversing continents, centuries, genres, and instruments. Curated by Artistic Director, pianist, and host Andrew Armstrong, the Sunday concert will showcase the talents of an international trio of guest artists: Belgian trumpeter/vocalist Jeroen Berwaerts, Balkan-American guitarist Mak Grgić, and Hungarian-American violinist Abigél Králik. Music of Baroque composers Leonora Duarte and J. S. Bach, Classical-period friends Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Ludwig van Beethoven, twentieth-century nationalists George Enescu, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Miroslav Tadić, and song composers Richard Rodgers and Jacques Brel will be performed. It promises to be a luscious collage of tuneful, memorable, evocative, and in many cases first time musical delights. On Saturday, January 11, at 3:00, the players present a one-hour, Youth Concert. This FREE-for-Youth event features creative conversations about music and performances of works by Enescu, Beethoven, Tartini, and others.
Sunday’s concert begins with the soothing flow of J. S. Bach’s “Zion hears the watchman singing” from his “Sleeper’s, Awake” cantata, followed by Heitor Villa-Lobos’ mesmerizing Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, a blend of Brazilian folk music and Bach-ian compositional rigor. Beethoven is represented by his stormy Violin Sonata No. 7. Written during the period when he fully realized deafness was inevitable, it is filled with tension, mystery, and heightened emotions. Following intermission is a lighter work, Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto Rondo. Written only months after Beethoven’s Violin Sonata, it is tuneful and pleasing, a world away from Beethoven’s intensity and declamation. Next is a hybrid trumpet blend of two compositions from very different times and places: Richard Rodgers’, “My Funny Valentine” (Broadway), and George Enescu’s,Légende (Paris Conservatory). This creative smashup convincingly combines song-like, poetic expression and virtuosic, heroic display. Three short solo guitar pieces by Serbian guitarist and composer Miroslav Tadić showcase every expressive, pulsing, sentimental, and florid gesture of which the instrument is capable. Seventeenth-century Flemish musician and composer, Leonora Duarte, is represented by three skillfully crafted, early-Baroque movements from her Sinfonie à 5. The concert concludes with something completely different: Jacques Brel’s songs “Ne me quittez pas” and “Mathilde,” two hyper-emotional views of love’s power for rapture and destruction.
Andy has again reached around the globe to bring multi-talented, innovative, top-of-the-class talent to
Abigel Kralik
Beaufort. Belgian trumpeter Jeroen Berwaerts is a musical force to be reckoned with. Highly esteemed around the world for his outstanding technical capabilities and sensitive musicality, his repertoire encompasses every epoch, from baroque to jazz. He has appeared as soloist with leading orchestras across Europe and Asia, continues to be a regular guest of internationally renowned music festivals, and is a sought-after chamber music collaborator, Berwaerts’ all-embracing love of music knows no boundaries; alongside his active career as a trumpeter, he completed jazz vocal studies at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent.
Hungarian-American violinist, Abigél Králik is quickly gaining attention as “a shooting star in the truest sense of the word” (Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk Kultur). Králik, a citizen of the world, began playing the violin in Dublin, continued her musical journey in Budapest, earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from The Juilliard School in New York, and now calls Brussels her home. She is a passionate soloist, chamber musician, and top-prize winner in multiple international competitions. Currently Artist in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, the 24-25 season contains many exciting projects including her first solo album, releasing a series of recordings, and working with TARA Chamber Concerts in Brussels, a music series of which she is Founder and Co-Artistic Director.
Touted as a “gifted young guitarist” by the New York Times, and “a guitarist to keep an eye on” by the Washington Post, two-time Grammy-nominated artist Mak Grgić is a star on the worldwide stage. His expansive and adventurous repertoire attests to versatility and wide-ranging interests. From the ethnic music of his native Balkans to extreme avant-garde and microtonal music, He excels as a soloist and a collaborator, presenting performances fueled by curiosity, imagination, and boundless energy. An avid new music proponent, Mak has commissioned a multitude of new works for solo guitar and guitar with ensemble. He averages eighty-five performances a year, encompassing the western hemisphere, two annual Asian tours, and concerts in Europe every other month. Other pursuits include world championships in karate (now retired) and an assistant professorship (current) at the University of South Carolina.
Mak Grgić
Pianist Andrew Armstrong continues to build on his already substantial career: regularly performing chamber music, recitals, concertos, duo concerts with violinist James Ehnes, and shepherding several successful chamber music series. Avoiding the trap of routine performances, he seeks opportunities to revisit beloved repertoire staples with new audiences. During the 24-25 season that includes Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto. Traveling the world also exposes him to new insights, new talents, and jokes which he gleefully shares with his home-away-from-home Beaufort audience. USCB Chamber Music prides itself on presenting accessible, thought-provoking music for every palette and sensibility performed by impeccably trained and technically polished artists. Experience in-the-moment creativity in real-time with the musicians and let your spirit soar as the audience basks in the glow of music’s unspoken, sublime power.
There are three ways to enjoy each concert: in person at the Arts Center and virtually by Live-Stream and OnDemand. All virtual concerts are professionally produced, creating great viewing opportunities. OnDemand is accessible four days after the concert and available to view at your leisure for three weeks. For concert, artist, event, and ticket information, go to www.uscbchambermusic.com or call 843-208-8246, Monday through Friday. Both USCB Chamber Music’s second concert of its 45th season, Sunday, January 12, 2024, 5:00 and the Youth Concert on Saturday, January11, 3:00 will be at the USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort, in the downtown historic district.
