CHAMBER MUSIC PALISADES WRAPS SEASON WITH WORLD PREMIERE OF TRIO AUXILIO BY DAMIAN MONTANO

Chamber Music Palisades (CMP), one of the Southland’s leading chamber music series noted for presenting an adventurous mix of both traditional and contemporary works and a stellar array of guest artists, concludes the 2010-11 Season on Tuesday, May 3, 2011, at St. Matthews Parish in Pacific Palisades, with the world premiere of a dazzling new trio for alto flute, English horn and bass clarinet, called Trio Auxilio, by Damian Montano, hailed for his “lush orchestrations,” “sweeping themes” and “intricate variations.”  Other works showcased are Beethoven’s landmark String Trio in G Major, Op. 9 #1, and Hummel’s rarely performed Grand Septet, Op. 74.   Guest artists include Ida Levin, violin, Helen Callus, viola, Ronald Leonard, cello, Nico Abondolo, bass, Jonathan Davis, oboe, Helen Goode, Clarinet, Paul Stevens, horn, and CMP Co-Founders/Co-Artistic Directors Susan Greenberg, flute, and Delores Stevens, piano.

“We are very excited about premiering Damian’s new piece,” says Stevens.  “His unique musical voice provides a wonderful dimension to the chamber music repertoire.”

Notes Greenberg, “As we conclude our 14th Season, we are also pleased to showcase an esteemed array of guest artists, all of whom have previously performed at Chamber Music Palisades, except Helen Callus, who is making her series debut.” American Record Guide describes Helen Callus as “one of the world’s greatest violists” and Strings Magazine proclaims she “may just be the best friend the viola ever had.”

Los Angeles-based Damian Montano, whose piece was commissioned by CMP, enjoys an active career as a composer and bassoonist.  According to Montano, he wrote Trio Auxilio, as the title reflects, for some of the auxiliary instruments that audiences rarely hear to showcase them in a solo setting, including bass clarinet, English horn and alto flute.  He has received commissions from ensembles across the country, including the Houston Symphony and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. An NEA grant recipient, his works have been performed by the National Symphony (D.C), Long Beach Symphony, Santa Monica Symphony, Culver City Symphony, Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra, the International Double Reed Society Festival Orchestra, Chamber Music Palisades, the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, and the Albuquerque Youth Symphony, among others. As a film and television composer, his credits include original music for the feature film Steam and the complete series of the NBC Emmy-winning reality drama Starting Over.  A member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Montano has performed with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera and the San Diego Symphony, among other orchestras.  He has also performed on numerous motion picture and television scores, including: Alice in Wonderland, Public Enemies, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and How I Met Your Mother.  Montano graduated cum laude from Rice University with a Bachelor degree in music performance, and received his Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California.

The String Trio in G Major is one of Beethoven’s most important chamber works.  Published in 1798, the calm and serene first and second movements segue into lively and colorful third and fourth movements, imparting radiant color and wit to the remarkable work described as “a landmark in chamber music.”

Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s septet, composed in 1816, was an instant hit.  Spirited, dramatic and brilliantly written for all of the instruments, it weaves together an Austrian folk melody and a rustic dance, ending with a dazzling coda.  Its use of triplets also gives it a Beethovenian flavor.  Hummel was a brilliant piano prodigy and widely regarded as the most virtuosic pianist of his era.  He was the only full-time student Mozart ever taught.  He also studied with Salieri and Haydn.

Chamber Music Palisades – described as “a unique and extraordinary organization” that provides “a transcendent musical experience” – was founded in 1997 by Pacific Palisades residents Stevens and Greenberg, who draw guest artists from their vast pool of talented colleagues in the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Los Angeles Opera, and from other leading instrumentalists based in the U.S. and Europe.  In addition to presenting established chamber works, Chamber Music Palisades has commissioned 15 compositions since its inception by such renowned composers as Peter Golub, Paul Chihara, Jane Brockman, Henri Lazarof, Adrienne Albert, Maria Newman, Gernot Wolfgang and Joel McNeely.

Tickets to the concert are  $30.  St. Matthew’s Parish is located at 1031 Bienveneda in Pacific Palisades, CA 90272.  For tickets or a free season brochure, please call 310-463-4388 or visit www.cmpalisades.org.