FORT WORTH, Texas, October 14, 2014—The Cliburn announces the continuation of Cliburn Sessions—a new concert series that began at Live Oak Music Hall & Lounge on Fort Worth’s near Southside last spring. The Sessions, aimed at creating a classically alternative music scene, includes three concerts this season: string trio (and self-proclaimed garage band) Time for Three on Tuesday, November 11, 2014; dynamic string quintet Sybarite5 in their Texas debut on Thursday, December 4, 2014; and the Fort Worth Opera Studio Artists on Thursday, March 19, 2015.
Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m., with doors opening at 7:00 p.m. General admission tickets—which include first-come, first-served seating and also standing room—are $20 in advance at Cliburn.org or $25 at the door on the night of the concert. Attendance is limited, so patrons are encouraged to get their tickets early.
“The concept behind Cliburn Sessions is to present classically-trained artists in a very relaxed environment, where they are free to be casual, to blend genres, to interact with the audience,” said Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis. “It’s an intimate, cool environment—and will allow us to bring even more great talent to Fort Worth. Many of these musicians may venture outside of the classical idiom during the course of the concert—into jazz, pop, world, alternative. In the hands of exceptional artists, good music is good music.”
ABOUT TIME FOR THREE
Time for Three, the world's first classically-trained garage band, defies traditional classification. Performing music from Bach and Brahms to their own arrangements of The Beatles, Katy Perry, Mumford & Sons, Kanye West, and Justin Timberlake, they have played everywhere from Carnegie Hall to jazz clubs, European festivals, NFL games, and the Indy 500. Their hit YouTube anti-bullying video "Stronger," featured on CNN and the Huffington Post, has inspired students around the globe. Comprised of Zachary (Zach) De Pue, violin; Nicolas (Nick) Kendall, violin; and Ranaan Meyer, double bass, the trio played together for fun while students at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music. Zach and Nick discovered their mutual love of fiddling in the country western and bluegrass styles. Then Ranaan Meyer introduced them to his deep roots in jazz and improvisation. After considerable experimentation, the three officially formed Tf3, evolving into a charismatic ensemble with a reputation for limitless enthusiasm and no musical boundaries. More information at http://www.tf3.com.
ABOUT SYBARITE5
Comprised of Sami Merdinian and Sarah Whitney, violins; Angela Pickett, viola; Laura Metcalf, cello; and Louis Levitt, bass, Sybarite5 has taken audiences by storm all across the United States, changing the perception of chamber music performance. From the moment their bows hit the strings, this quintet of talented, diverse musicians takes the audience on an exciting ride that engages the senses and redefines the rules. From Mozart to Radiohead, Sybarite5’s eclectic repertoire and dynamic performance style is turning heads throughout the music world: “…that impassioned playing, those hard-driving rhythms, the blissed-out faces of the mostly young audience…Genuine, spontaneous…excitement” (The Washington Post). The quintet’s debut EP disc Disturb the Silence, featuring music by Radiohead and Piazzolla, plus two original works written for Sybarite5, was released in spring 2011 and quickly reached the top 10 on the Billboard charts. Career performance highlights include Sybarite5’s Carnegie Hall debut at Zankel Hall, Library of Congress and Washington Performing Arts in D.C., UC San Diego, and in New York at Lincoln Center, SubCulture, Galapagos Artspace, and the Museum of Sex. More information at http://www.sybarite5.org.
ABOUT FORT WORTH OPERA STUDIO ARTISTS
Established in 2002, the Fort Worth Opera Studio is a residency program for emerging young artists who are cast from annual national auditions. In addition to receiving professional training while in Fort Worth, the singers perform all of Fort Worth Opera’s in-school educational programming and perform roles in mainstage productions during the Fort Worth Opera Festival, held in the spring of each year at Bass Performance Hall. The 2014–2015 Studio Artists are: Maren Weinberger, soprano; Clara Nieman, mezzo-soprano; Brian Wallin, tenor; and Matt Moeller, baritone. Fort Worth Opera Principal Coach & Accompanist Stephen Carey will join them on piano. More information at http://www.fwopera.org/about-us/fwo-studio/.
ABOUT LIVE OAK MUSIC HALL & LOUNGE
The Live Oak Music Hall & Lounge, located in the Historic Fairmount District of Fort Worth in the old Southside Lion’s club community building erected in 1952, is North Texas’ newest premier listening room and dining experience. The upscale pub cuisine is matched by 91 taps of domestic craft beers and award winning cocktails. The Live Oak has received many awards, including Fort Worth’s best rooftop patio—a favorite place for patrons to get a perfect view of downtown. The Live Oak provides both artist and concertgoers an intimate musical experience with a setting reminiscent of a 1950s lounge and hall, and has played host to many notable artists, including Kevin Eubanks, John Oates, Guy Clark, Darrell Scott, Jeff Coffin & The Mu’tet, BJ Thomas, as well as many up and coming local artists.
ABOUT THE CLIBURN
The Cliburn advances classical piano music throughout the world. Its international competitions, education programs, and concert series embody an enduring commitment to artistic excellence and the discovery of new artists. Established in 1962, the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is widely-recognized as “one of the world’s highest-visibility classical-music contests” and remains committed to its original ideals of supporting and launching the careers of young pianists, age 18 to 30. It shares the transformative powers of music with a wide global audience, through a fully-produced webcast and by providing commission-free, comprehensive career management and concert bookings to its winners. Rounding out its mission, the Cliburn also produces the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs™ for non-professional pianists 35 and older, and recently announced that it will hold its inaugural Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival in June 2015, for exceptional 13 to 17-year-old pianists.
Over a four-year cycle, the Cliburn contributes to North Texas’ cultural landscape with over 170 classical music performances for 150,000 attendees, through competitions, free community concerts, and its signature Cliburn Concerts series at Bass Performance Hall, the Kimbell Art Museum Piano Pavilion, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. It presents 1,000 in-school, interactive music education programs for 200,000 area elementary students. During the same time period, it garners the world’s attention with over one million visits from 155 nations for live concert and competition webcasts; 300 concerts worldwide booked for competition winners; more than 5,000 news articles about the Cliburn and its winners; regular national radio broadcasts to 245 public radio stations; and a PBS documentary airing in a potential 105 million households.
Detailed information about the Cliburn and its programs is available at Cliburn.org.
Official Sponsors of the Cliburn are:
Amon G. Carter Foundation
Ann L. & Carol Green Rhodes Charitable Trust, Bank of America, Trustee
Arts Council of Fort Worth & Tarrant County
BNSF Railway Foundation
Crystelle Waggoner Charitable Trust
Edith Winther Grace Charitable Trust, J.P. Morgan, Trustee
ExxonMobil / XTO Energy
Jane and John Justin Foundation
Mercedes T. Bass Charitable Corporation
Sid W. Richardson Foundation
Steinway & Sons – North Texas / Houston
The Burnett Foundation
Exclusive Print Media Sponsor:
Star-Telegram
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