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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

Solo and duo recitals will feature artists from near and far with very different themes. The Lied Center of Kansas presents cellist Matt Haimovitz and pianist Christopher O’Riley (February 18), who will determine their program based on a social media playlist and pre-performance discussion shared with the audience. Contemporary composer Philip Glass (April 3) presents new works of chamber music with violinist Tim Fain on the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The Harriman-Jewell Series will feature rising star Ray Chen, violin (March 11) on its Free Discovery Series. In addition to the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance’s many student and faculty recitals, guest artists this spring include bass clarinetist Matthew Miracle (February 18), alumna Kristín Jónína Taylor, piano (March 17) with Icelandic music, saxophonist John W. Sampen (March 20) performing contemporary music, and the Conservatory’s partnered series with the Friends of Chamber Music, Music Alliance, presents violinist Jennifer Koh and pianist Shai Wosner (April 21).

Several string quartets will grace stages throughout the metro this spring, starting with Chiara String Quartet (January 29) at the Lied Center. The Conservatory will present Pro Arte Quartet (Feb. 1) on their Conservatory Artist Series, Carpe Diem String Quartet (February 26) in a guest recital, and the UMKC Graduate Fellowship String Quartet (April 22). Artemis String Quartet (April 27) appears on the Friends of Chamber Music’s International Chamber Music Series.

Speaking of the Friends of Chamber Music, their Bach Festival 2012 will welcome the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos (Jan. 24) and Bach’s Keyboard Concertos Nos. 1 and 7 with pianist Konstantin Lifschitz (Feb. 14). Lifschitz will also tackle the monumental task of performing Bach's Italian Concerto in F Major, the complete Inventions and Sinfonias, French Overture in B minor, Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II, Prelude and Fugue in E-Flat Major “St. Anne,” Goldberg Variations, and the Art of the Fugue as part of the Bach Festival 2012. Other chamber orchestras playing in Kansas City this spring include Renaissance ensembles Piffaro and King’s Noyse (March 24) on the Friends’ Early Music Series, mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux with conductor Fabio Biondi and the Italian chamber orchestra Europa Galante (February 3) on the Harriman-Jewell Series at the Folly, the Chamber Ensemble of the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra (February 13) at the Lied Center, and the Conservatory’s Chamber Orchestra (April 19) at White Recital Hall.

Small groups are in no shortage in the spring, either. The Bach Aria Soloists (February 12) will have their second Lee Hauskonzert. March will bring two Irish bands to warm up your St. Patrick’s Day spirit: Danú (March 3) on the Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College and the Chieftains (March 7) at the Kauffman Center in Helzberg Hall. In March, the Conservatory presents two special guest artists, contemporary ensemble eighth blackbird (March 4)—their 2012 Barr Laureate ensemble—and presented on their Music Alliance Series with the Friends of Chamber Music, Morgenstern Trio (March 16) will perform at the Folly Theater. The Conservatory’s busiest month, April, showcases many student ensembles, including the UMKC Graduate Fellowship Brass Quintet (April 5) and Woodwind Quintet (April 23).

Local new music organizations seek to expand musical horizons in the spring as well. newEar contemporary music ensemble concludes their nineteenth season with two concerts (both at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church), Worlds Apart (Feb. 11) featuring two Kansas City premieres by local composers, and Road Trip (April 28) with the winner of their annual composition contest and more. KcEMA (Kansas City Electronic Music & Arts Alliance) presents three concerts this spring, starting with guest clarinetist Cheryl Melfi (Jan. 14), Alternating Current (March 9) at La Esquina featuring selections from their recent international call for scores, and their season finale (April 21) at Unity Temple on the Plaza. The UMKC Conservatory's staple new music groups perform twice each: Composers' Guild (Feb. 28 and April 29) and Musica Nova (Feb. 29 and April 20), and Conservatory Connections (Feb. 24) will feature the music of Chen Yi and UMKC Chinese women composers at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. The exploratory, collaborative series ArtSounds (Feb. 14, March 20, and April 24) has varied and intriguing performances lined up which will intermix acoustic and electronic music, visual art, and video. 

Top Photo: eighth blackbird (Photo by Luke Ratray)

By Kristin Shafel Omiccioli

Editorial Assignments Executive Editor; Traditional and New Classical Contributor

Kristin Shafel Omiccioli, a native of Madison, WI, holds composition degrees (M.M., B.M.) from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. Kristin's compositions have been performed at national and regional new music festivals and conferences throughout the United States. During her time at UMKC, Kristin also focused on double bass performance and arts administration. She was a student leader and performer in many of the Conservatory's student organizations and ensembles, including Musica Nova, Composers' Guild, the Conservatory Student Association, the orchestras, and Wind Symphony. Her composition instructors were James Mobberley, Paul Rudy, Zhou Long, and Chen Yi, and her bass instructor was Sue Stubbs. Formerly a guitarist, Kristin performed with big bands and her own jazz combo in Madison, WI, having studied jazz guitar and theory with Roger Brotherhood in Madison and jazz voice and theory with Hal Melia in Kansas City at UMKC.

Kristin enjoys being active in the performing arts community. She has volunteered with the Chamber Music Society of Kansas City and Charlotte Street Foundation, and has played in the bass section of the Northland Symphony Orchestra, among other bass gigs around the metro. Kristin currently serves as principal bass for the Kansas City Civic Orchestra and Heritage Philharmonic, and is a section bassist for Kinnor Philharmonic. She joined the writing staff of KCMetropolis.org in February 2010 and has been KCM’s executive editor since July 2011. Read her blog at mylittleheartmelodies.com.