Christopher’s Classics Autumn Series

Christopher’s Classics Autumn Series presents on Wednesday 29th March 2017, Mark Menzies (piano) will team up with American musician friends, Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick (cello) and Julie Feves (bassoon) to perform repertoire ranging from JS Bach and Saint-Saens to Elliot Carter, Alex Wilder, emerging New York-based composer Nina Young and Menzies on scherzo ‘sermon’ for viola, cello and bassoon.

Programme:

JS Bach – Sonata for Cello, Bassoon and Piano G Major
C Saint-Saens – Bassoon Sonata
Nina C Young – Meditation for Violin, Cello
Elliot Carter – Cello Sonata (1948)
Alex Wilder – 2nd Bassoon Sonata
Mark Menzies – scherzo ‘sermon’ for viola, cello, bassoon

Jet setting musician Profession Mark Menzies has an established international music career based in the US as well as his new role as Head of Performance at Canterbury University’s School of Music.  For his Christopher’s Classics concert, Mark has teamed up with two American musical colleagues, Erika Duke-Menzies (cello) and Julie Feves (bassoon) to present an adventurous programme.

The Bach and Saint-Saens pieces that open the programme, considered ‘lighter’ examples in the classical canon, reveal a wealth of subtlety, according to Mark Menzies.

Following these, the work by Nina C Young, an emerging composer currently residing in New York, reaches its meditative state of balance only after confronting a world of tensions.  This composer has already assembled an impressive resume of performances and compositions.

Elliot Carter’s work for cellist and pianist is both dramatic and virtuosic – his Cello Sonata is considered a triumph of 1940s musicianship.

While Alex Wilder is known for his writings for Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and other giants of earlier popular culture, he also composed music of an intriguing hybrid style bridging ‘light’ music with a rigorous and honest classical approach.

The concert reaches its finale with Menzies’ own scherzo ‘sermon’, in which he picks up the viola to team with his two colleagues.

Tickets: are available on Eventfinda.  Door sales, cash and eftpos available $40.00; full-time students with ID $15.00.

For information: contact Diana Moir (03) 355 2691; 021 126 5738; dhmoir@xtra.co.nz