In July, AmiciMusic, the award-winning chamber music organization founded in Asheville in 2011, presents two programs that will be performed in several intimate venues. AmiciMusic means “music among friends,” and the chamber music concerts feature a variety of notable musicians performing in relaxed, informal settings with an emphasis also on educational aspects of the music.
“Audiences consistently tell me that they love our music,” says AmiciMusic artistic director Daniel Weiser, “but what makes them come back for more concerts is the chance to learn some fascinating stories about composers and hear some of the many quotes I have collected over 30 years of performing.” Rather than musical technicalities, the information shared provides a socio-historical context and helps to humanize often larger-than-life composers.
On July 3–6, Double Trouble features works for two violins and piano. Weiser, on piano, will join violinists Emmanuel Borowsky and Glen Mouat. “Double Trouble will include one of the most beloved works ever composed, [Johann Sebastian] Bach’s Double Concerto,” says Weiser, “but we will also perform an early work by English composer Rebecca Clarke that had been lost for many years and was only recently discovered, as well as a very fun piece by Russian composer Igor Frolov that combines a more classical idiom with some jazz and blues.” Performances are Thursday, July 3, at 6:30 p.m. at the Asheville Art Museum; Saturday, July 5, at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Daniel Angerstein and Jerry Schultz, in Hendersonville; and Sunday, July 6, at 2 p.m. at St. Giles Chapel at Deerfield Retirement Community.
July’s second program, titled Four-Hands Fireworks, will be performed by pianists Daniel Lau and Weiser along with mezzo-soprano Kyle Engler and will “include one of the most famous American compositions, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in a virtuoso arrangement, along with a little-known early work by Mendelssohn and a wonderful piece by an often neglected composer, Moritz Moszkowski, that takes the listener on a journey to several countries such as Russia, Spain and Italy,” says Weiser. Performances will be held Thursday, July 24, at 7 p.m. at Bella Vista Gracious Retirement Living; Friday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Giles Chapel at Deerfield; and Saturday, July 26, at 2 p.m. at the Angerstein/Schultz residence.
Since its founding, AmiciMusic’s programs have included more than 60 different musicians. “While some live in the Asheville region, we also try to bring in excellent musicians from around the country and even from countries such as Israel, Germany and Scotland,” Weiser says. “The key element for me is that they all be very passionate performers who want to communicate directly to audiences through their music—and during intermission as well through talking.”
To learn more about upcoming events and to purchase tickets, visit AmiciMusic.org.
