David Amram returns for the tenth time to Symphony Space with a unique presentation of three of his most popular classical compositions and performs with his Jazz Quintet.
Program:
The Wind and the Rain
Sonata for Piano
Greenwich Village Portraits
Featuring Thomas Weaver, piano
Intermission
St. Thomas (Sonny Rollins)
Waltz for Arthur Miller's "After the Fall"
Theme from "Splendor in the Grass"
Les Ouiseux de Montparnasse with Alexander Calder Story*
Two Readings of Kerouac with Adira Amram
"Pull My Daisy" collaboration with Jack Kerouac
Featuring David Amram, Adira Amram, Adam Amram, Kevin Twigg, Jerome Harris, and Rene Hart
*Written in Paris 1954-54 during David's friendship with Terry Southern and the Calder family
Program subject to change
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Like all composers whose work has stood the rest of time, David Amram's 1960 Piano Sonata, like Amram himself, is a reflection of all his experiences in music and life. Each movement celebrates the many worlds of the neoclassical . masters, middle Eastern, jazz and global folklore, all inspired by the architecture of traditional classical music, so that the soloist and the listener can both feel that they are being spoken to.
As his 93rd birthday approaches, Amram is now regarded as one of the most influential living composers of his time, since his appointment by Leonard Bernstein as the NY Philharmonic's first-ever composer-in-residence in 1966.
With over 100 symphonic , chamber, choral , theatrical, and operatic scores, all published C.P Peters, as well as his classic scores for "Splendor the Grass", "The Manchurian Candidate" and Jack Kerouac's " Pull my Daisy.”
A new book, The Many worlds of David Amram: the Renaissance Man of American Music by Dean Birkenkamp is being released for worldwide distribution by Routledge/Francis & Taylor this November . with essays written by symphony conductors, jazz journalists, college professors, Native American activists, film historians, folk musicians, musicologists, orchestral and chamber music performers, singer -songwriters, theater and film directors, novelists and people from all the places in Amram's life where music has taken him to.
In addition to constantly writing new music, and a fourth book, he continues to perform around the world as a guest conductor, soloist, multi-instrumentalist, band leader at jazz, folk and classical festivals and narrates them in five languages.
All of David Amram’s classical concert music for the past 60 years is published by CF. Peters Corporation. He is represented by Douglas A. Yeager. His continuing adventures in music and life can be seen on his webpage www.davidamram.com
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Thomas Weaver is an American pianist, composer, and conductor currently on faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music and Boston University Tanglewood Institute. An active soloist and chamber musician, Weaver has been presented by organizations including Carnegie Hall, La Jolla Music Society, Princeton University Concerts, New York Chamber Music Festival, Waterford Concerts, and the Kimmel Center. This has brought him to many cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, San Diego, Washington DC, Nashville, Dallas, and Berlin, in addition to festival appearances at Tanglewood Music Festival and Red Rocks Music Festival. Weaver has performed with a number of eminent musicians such as Jess Gillam, David Amram, Elmira Darvarova, Kenneth Radnofsky, Philip Myers, Eric Ruske, Jennifer Frautschi, Gene Pokorny, and members of the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Boston Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared as a featured soloist with ensembles including Curtis Institute’s 20/21 Ensemble, Alea III, and Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artists Orchestra. An active chamber musician, Weaver is currently a member of the Amram Ensemble, Trio Ardente, and New England Chamber Players. A champion of new music, Weaver has premiered many new compositions, including works by David Amram, Reena Esmail, David Loeb, Anthony Plog, John H. Wallace, Francine Trester, Alistair Coleman, and Christopher LaRosa. He has multiple albums with Affetto Records including From Liszt to Ligeti, featuring Hungarian music for violin and piano and Horn Trios From Mozart to Piazzolla and Beyond, which both were released in 2024.
As a composer his music has been performed across four continents, including countries such as the United States, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Australia. His works have been commissioned by a number of organizations and musicians including Boston University (150th Anniversary), Penn Museum, The Marian Anderson Historical Society, The New York Chamber Music Festival, Elmira Darvarova, Dr. Brittany Lasch, Kenneth Radnofsky, Pharos Quartet, Alea III, and the Daraja Ensemble. Weaver’s works have been performed by large ensembles such as the Boston University Symphony Orchestra and Mannes American Composers Orchestra and was the winner of the Bohuslav Martinu Composition Award.
An active educator, Weaver has presented lectures and classes at a variety of locations, including Northwestern University, Murray State University, and Austin Peay State University. Recent students have been accepted to Princeton University, Juilliard Pre-College, and have won awards including the Morton Gould Young Composers Award from ASCAP. Weaver is the former music director of the Marian Anderson Historical Society. For more information please visit www.thomaseweaver.com.