CSU and Lincoln Center Partnership Broadens Horizons for Classical Music
Together with the Fort Collins Lincoln Center, the CSU School of Music, Theatre & Dance presents the innovative chamber group, Classical Jam, the seventh installment in the new Classical Convergence Concert Series, on Saturday, April 4 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.

Expert execution and interpretation is a hallmark of any great classical group, but what audiences find with Classical Jam is that and so much more. Known for their sparkling style and creative concert programs, Classical Jam presents wide-ranging repertoire, including traditional classical works and exciting improvisations, as well as original compositions by group members.

As part of the new co-produced Classical Convergence Series between the University Center for the Arts and the Lincoln Center, Classical Jam takes the stage at CSU with an innovative concert line up. Building on the classical concert programs of both organizations, the inaugural season has also included award-winning violinist Joshua Bell, as well as pianist Jeremy Denk, Mother Falcon, the Borromeo String Quartet, Orchid Ensemble, 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.

Classical Jam’s April 4 program, entitled ‘From the Street to the Concert Hall,’ examines how composers throughout history have incorporated their unique heritages, rhythms of their cultures, and what was considered “popular” during their lifetime into concert music. Works by Mozart, Bartok, Piazzolla, and Gershwin will be featured.

Much of Classical Jam’s focus centers around arts advocacy and outreach to communities. In addition to their concert at CSU, the ensemble will spend time in residency with CSU students.

According to their website, Classic Jam puts forth that arts advocacy is about “artists cultivating their audiences by communicating on levels that transcend the page and the stage. Classical Jam aims to build relationships with audiences outside the concert hall through collaborations with fellow artists, presenters and concertgoers alike.”

Residency activities at the University Center for the Arts include:

Acclaim for Classical Jam

“True to their name, the members of Classical Jam are capable improvisers and brought plenty of high spirits to their playing.”  -Brian Wise, The Strad Magazine

“In addition to performing works by Mozart, Bach and Brahms with the utmost respect and musicianship, these award-winning and internationally performing musicians are not above mixing it up with contemporary pieces, exploring their own arrangements of the classics, and, as their name implies, often adding a healthy dose of improvisation.”   -Steve Siegel, The Morning Call, PA

More about Classical Jam

As a chamber ensemble, Classical Jam aims to develop a more personal relationship between audiences, performers, and composers by inviting audiences to share in the process of creation and discovery. Classical Jam concerts range from subscription concert series, concerto appearances with orchestras, to in-school concerts, bringing the highest caliber of music to a diverse range of audiences. Highlights from this year’s concert season include performances at Impromptu Concerts, Key West, FL, Tenri Arts Center, NYC, the Chamber Music Society of

Detroit MI, The Hong Kong Sinfonietta, HK, The Longy School of Music, Boston, MA, New York University Recital Series,NYC, The Tuba Bach Festival, Big Rapids, MI, The Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC, Rockport Music, Rockport, MA, and the Lincoln Center Neighborhood Concert Series, NYC.

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.

Next Classical Convergence Performance:

Borromeo String Quartet

Saturday, April 18, 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.