Ensemble News


Orion Wins National Award

The "secret" is out: Orion Ensemble now is known nationally for its excellent programming and performance of the chamber music works of today’s finest composers. Major recognition came in the form of a first-prize award for Adventurous Programming from Chamber Music America (CMA) and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).
Orion received the 2000 award in the Festivals category for its outstanding Millennium project. Mostly Music, Inc., Orion’s consortium partner for the festival, received matching commendation.
The award was presented in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the CMA National Conference in New York City on January 13, 2001. The prize was a standout in its category. ASCAP and CMA deemed that no other application came close to the magnitude of Orion’s and Mostly Music’s accomplishment.
The award-winning Millennium Festival featured concerts, panels, and workshops in several locations throughout Chicagoland. All together, 5 remarkable contemporary composers participated in the panels and presentations of their music.
One of the more renowned composers, Peter Schickele, was called upon at the CMA/ASCAP ceremony to present the award to Orion’s Executive Director (and clarinetist), Kathy Pirtle. Composer James Wintle watched from the audience along with Orion Board member, Roberta Stewart, and Orion volunteer, Lenore DuPree.
In accepting the award, Kathy thanked the many participating organizations who made the Festival possible, including Roosevelt University, Northern Illinois University, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago Cultural Center, Merit Music School (a school for gifted inner-city children), American Women’s Composers, WFMT-FM, WNIB-FM, WBEZ-FM, as well as composers and panelists. These included composers Peter Schickele, William Bolcom, Augusta Read Thomas, James Wintle, and Jean Milew.
Orion is grateful for the financial support received from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council, the Illinois Council for Humanities, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Chicago Millennium Celebration, the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Northeastern Illinois University, and the American Women’s Composers, as well as many individual donors. Without funding, the festival could have been no more than a dream.

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e-mail
Out of Our E-Mail Box

We have known that Orion Ensemble’s music reaches a large, unseen audience through their performances on WFMT-FM, but it is especially gratifying to hear from listeners. We’d like to share the following e-mails that Orion received this past November from Steve Schwartz of Center Moriches, NY:"Hello orionensemble@aol.com"By sheer luck I heard your recorded performance of Amon’s Quartet for Clarinet and Strings on WFMT on Monday, November 12. Happened to be in Chicago on a business trip. What a wonderful piece of music by a composer hitherto unknown to me. (The Martinu Serenade was mighty fine, too!)"Is the Amon music published? Are there any recordings? Do you have a recording?Would welcome any information."Orion’s Executive Director, Kathy Pirtle, stopped to call Mr. Schwartz personally, which brought a further response:"Hello again orionensemble@aol.com"This is a follow-up to my phone conversation this evening with Kathy Pirtle. Thank you again, Kathy, for the phone call. You made my evening. As I mentioned, I was to attend a concert of the Islip Arts council, so I printed out the top page of your web page* and also the reviews from the Chicago papers, and gave them to Lillian Barbash, who is the Executive Director of the series, and I informed her of my having heard your performance on WFMT..."Mrs. Barbash would welcome hearing from your management and receiving an audition tape...I certainly hope something comes of this, as I would love to hear you in performance. By all means as well, please keep me advised of any scheduled performance in the New York City-Long Island area. Thanks again for your call."Thank you to Steve Schwartz for his warm response to our radio performance! Because he took time to contact us, our management, Parsons Artists Management, has contacted the Islip Arts Council. We hope to add their venue to a tour planned for the East coast in 2003.

They say we never know who we touch when we do the work of our heart. Orion Ensemble’s performances are certainly a "work of love" for each of the musicians. Our Chicago-area audiences are able to enjoy Orion’s music four times each season in one of three venues. Those of us who can attend Orion’s concerts near home are fortunate, indeed!

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residency
Taking Up Residence

In April of 2001 the Orion Ensemble was officially named "Ensemble in Residence" at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.  Orion has been giving its Chicago series concerts in beautiful Rudolf Ganz Memorial Hall since 1996. James Gandre, Dean of the Chicago College of Performing Arts, has been collaborating with our ensemble to launch an expanding partnership that will help serve the college’s chamber music program.

Since 2001 we have been involved in the rehearsal and performance of new chamber music pieces written by composition students. It is a tremendous benefit to students to hear their pieces performed by a professional ensemble. As part of the process, we make constructive suggestions from the performers’ perspective that help the students improve their work.

Inspiring young artists in chamber music performance is an important goal of the Orion Ensemble. Since our series began in Ganz Hall, we have offered free series’ admission to the students at Roosevelt University. Listening to world class professional ensembles is integral to the training of a young artist.

A variety of master classes are planned as part of our increasing presence in Roosevelt’s chamber music program. These classes may involve coaching of ensembles, inviting students to observe and participate in open rehearsals, and discussing the building of a chamber ensemble. For the latter, there would be much to share, from building the business, to selecting repertoire, group survival, and artist career development.

Orion is eager to enhance the chamber music program at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, and is honored to be Ensemble in Residence.

– Kathryne Pirtle, Executive Director

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Introducing...


Sally Didrickson
--- by Judy Stone, cellist

The musicians of Orion Ensemble want to take this opportunity to mention someone who is very important to us this season - friend and colleague, Sally Didrickson. In addition to being a fine violist, Sally has a unique hobby. She researches, locates, and even edits obscure pieces of chamber music. Many of the pieces have never been played in this country.

In fact, what probably started out as a hobby has evolved into something much more extensive. Sally has researched chamber works in this country both personally and through inter-library loan. She corresponds and shares her information and "finds" with others, both here and abroad, especially with contacts in Vancouver and Holland. Sally has collected works scored for two players all the way up to octets—and even a few nonets for mixed ensembles.

The common thread in these works is that they include a viola. The reward for Sally comes not only in collecting lost pieces of chamber literature, but in being able to play them. She has collected hundreds of works, from the Baroque period to the present. They come from western and eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the United States, and even Japan. Her extensive knowledge on the subject has led to many published articles in Chamber Music Journal.

Three of Sally's "finds" are on this season's programs. They include the Martinu Serenade for Strings and Two Clarinets, the Amon Quartet for Clarinet and Strings, and the Labor Quintet, scored for the entire Orion Ensemble. As you can imagine, works which encompass our entire ensemble are few and far between, so this work was a real find. The fact that it is also a very good piece is an added bonus!

We’re sure that you will agree that Sally deserves special thanks for her generosity in sharing these works with us so we can enjoy playing them and others can enjoy listening to them.

 

Introducing...

Alicia Berneche

Alicia Berneche, soprano, has attracted attention as a major proponent of new compositions, bringing to them a unique, beautifully produced sound, and an extraordinary acting talent. She has appeared on stages across the country, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Goodman Theatre, Portland Opera, Opera Pacific, and Virginia Opera.

At home with styles as different as those of Mozart, Philip Glass, Massanet and Bolcom, she has sung roles as diverse as Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby  by Harbison, the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti, Constance in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, Despina in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte. and Yum-Yum in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. Upcoming performances include Tartuffe by Kirke Mechem with Skylight Opera and Kurt Weill’s Sweeney Todd with the Austin Lyric Opera. She looks forward to performing Lamentations for the 21st Century by Robert Kritz with the Orion Ensemble.

Keven Keys

Michigan native Keven Keys’ warm baritone voice has delighted audiences throughout the Midwest.  His wide-ranging repertoire extends from Bach to Berstein, from opera to oratorio and art song.
Opera highlights include title roles in Verdi’s Falstaff, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Rachmaninoff’s Aleko, as well as Guglielmo in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, John Brook in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, and Sam in Berstein’s Trouble in Tahiti.  Concert credits include Mahler’s 5 Rückert Lieder, Vaughn-Williams Dona Nobis Pacem, Mozart and Fauré Requiems, Bach solo Cantata #82, “Ich habe genug,” and Elijah in Mendelssohn’s oratorio based on the Old Testament prophet.

Mr. Keys received his Masters in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University, where he studied with Karen Brunssen and Sherrill Milnes, and his BA in physics from Kalamazoo College.

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