APPLETON, WIS. — The Lawrence University Artist Series will begin the 2006-07 “Performing Arts at Lawrence” season with a performance by the chamber ensemble group the Czech Nonet at 8:00 p.m. October 7 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Tickets are $22 and $20 for adults, $19 and $17 for senior citizens, and $17 and $15 for students and are available through the Lawrence University Box Office, located in the Music-Drama Center, or by phone at 920-832-6749. Tickets, if available, will also be sold beginning one hour before the performance at the box office.
The Czech Nonet is one of the oldest and most original chamber ensembles in the world being founded in 1924 by a group of students at the Prague Conservatory. The ensemble, inspired by the instrumental requirements of Spohr’s Nonet, includes violin, viola, cello, bass, and a wind quintet. This unique combination of instruments offers an abundance of rich and colorful combinations therefore its full sound resembles that of a chamber orchestra. The Czech Nonet’s specific combination of instrumentation naturally invites the ensemble to include works from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods in its repertoire. Together with later 20th century works, the repertoire of the Czech Nonet has become exceptionally deep, rich, and varied.
Invited by the leading festivals of the time, the Czech Nonet was quickly recognized as both an important interpreter of classic repertoire and an ardent champion of new music, inspiring the composition of more than 300 works by some of the greatest living composers, including Prokofiev, Lutoslawski, Martinu, and Shoeck. The Czech Nonet has traveled extensively throughout the Czech Republic and the world. They have toured in such countries as Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Latvia, Mexico, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, and the Netherlands, among others. After a 25 year absence, the ensemble resumed touring in North America in 2002 and by early 2007 will have made several highly successful tours in the States performing over 70 concerts, including acclaimed performances for “Saint Paul Sunday” and National Public Radio’s “Performance Today.”
The Czech Nonet’s discography contains many award-winning recordings of works by Mozart, Martinu, Roussel, Schmitt, Schubert, Spohr, Brahms, Dvorak, and more, released by the Praga Digitals label, distributed worldwide by Harmonia Mundi.
Other upcoming Artist Series concerts include vocalist Susan Graham on January 16; cellist David Finkel and pianist Wu Han on March 3; and bassoonist Peter Kolkay ’98 on April 21. For more information on the “Performing Arts at Lawrence” concert series, please visit www.lawrence.edu/news/performingartsseries.
