Together with the Fort Collins Lincoln Center, the CSU School of Music, Theatre & Dance presents the internationally acclaimed pianist Jeremy Denk, the fifth installment in the new Classical Convergence Music Series, on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Griffin Concert Hall at the University Center for the Arts at 1400 Remington Street. This new series features traditional classical solo artists and chamber ensembles, as well as explores the new projects and concepts continually branching out of the genre.
Tickets are $10 for students and $20 for the public. Tickets are available at the Lincoln Center box office at 417 West Magnolia Street, by phone at (970) 221-6730, or online at tickets.lctix.com. Tickets may also be purchased at the door at the University Center for the Arts (UCA). The ticket office in the UCA lobby opens 90 minutes prior to any UCA performance and through intermission.
Known for his virtuosic performances as well as his original and insightful writing on music, Jeremy Denk is one of America’s most thought-provoking, multi-faceted, and compelling artists. The winner of a 2013 MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, the 2014 Avery Fisher Prize, and Musical America’s 2014 Instrumentalist of the Year award, he has appeared as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and London, and regularly gives recitals in New York, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, and throughout the United States.
On Jan. 20, he steps onto the Griffin Concert Hall stage at Colorado State as part of the co-produced Classical Convergence Series between the University Center for the Arts and the Lincoln Center. Building on the classical concert programs of both organizations, the season includes award-winning violinist Joshua Bell, as well as Mother Falcon, the Borromeo String Quartet, Orchid Ensemble, Classical Jam, and the Mendelssohn Trio.
“The series allows us to thoroughly examine the intersection of world-class performers and our community, creating intimate experiences that allow for real interaction with these artists,” said Jack Rogers, general manager for the Lincoln Center.
Denk’s program features master works including Haydn’s Sonata in C major, H. XVI:50; selections from Schubert’s Ländler, D. 366; excerpts from Janáček’s On the Overgrown Path; Mozart’s Rondo in A minor; Schumann’s Carnaval; and more.
So what does it take to be an award-winning pianist? Denk admits that one way is that he never plays a composition the same way twice. Much of his acclaim comes from his ability to bring his own sublime artistry to his work each unique time.
“A conductor I worked with in San Francisco asked me how I played a particular passage when we were playing Mozart last fall,” Denk said from his home in New York. “And I played it for him, then played it again and again. And he said, ‘Do you realize that you just played that three times, and each time it was different?’”
Perhaps it is Denk’s ability to write about music coupled with his virtuosity that contributes to the insight he brings to his work. Denk’s original writing on music has appeared in the New Yorker, the New Republic, The Guardian, and on the front page of the New York Times Book Review. One of his New Yorker contributions, “Every Good Boy Does Fine,” forms the basis of a memoir for future publication by Random House. Recounting his experiences of touring, performing, and practicing, his blog, Think Denk, was recently selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress web archives. For his work as a writer and pianist, Out magazine included Denk on its “Out 100” list celebrating the most compelling people of 2013.
More about Jeremy Denk
In 2014-15, Denk launches a four-season tenure as an Artistic Partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; makes debuts with the Cleveland Orchestra under Susanna Mälkki and the New York Philharmonic led by Esa-Pekka Salonen; appears as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony; and performs Bach concertos with Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London and on tour throughout the US. Future engagements also include his appearances at the BBC Proms, London's Wigmore Hall, and his recital debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Jeremy Denk has earned degrees from Oberlin College, Indiana University, and the Juilliard School. More information can be found at https://jeremydenk.net/
About the Classical Convergence Series:
The 2014-15 season marks the beginning of a partnership between the Colorado State University Dept. of Music, Theatre and Dance and the Fort Collins Lincoln Center with the launch of the Classical Convergence Concert Series. The series features traditional classical solo artists and chamber ensembles, while further exploring the full spectrum of the classical music genre.
2014-15 Season:
Jeremy Denk, Piano
Tuesday, Jan., 20, 2015, 7:30 p.m. University Center for the Arts
Joshua Bell, Violin
Thursday, March 12, 2015, 7:30 p.m. Lincoln Center
Classical Jam
Saturday April 4, 2015, 7:30 p.m. University Center for the Arts
Borromeo String Quartet
Saturday, April 18, 2015, 7:30 p.m. University Center for the Arts
The University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University provides an enriched venue in which the study and practice of Art, Dance, Music, and Theatre are nurtured and sustained by building the skills and knowledge needed by future generations of arts professionals to become contributors to the essential vitality of our culture and society.
For more information, visit UCA.Colostate.edu.