Astrid Schween

Rhapsody
For electric cello and electronics by Gordon Green
“…a soaring melody of aching beauty... a very
memorable, tuneful, and captivating piece”
– Boston Musical Intelligencer
Astrid Schween
With the Lark Quartet, she won numerous awards, including the Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the gold medal at Russia’s Shostakovich competition. She appeared at some of the world’s most prestigious concert venues and festivals, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Lincoln Center, Lockenhaus, the Schleswig-­‐Holstein, Beethoven and Mostly Mozart festivals, and commissioned dozens of new works and recorded CDs for the Arabesque, New World, CRI, Point, Agora and Decca/Argo labels. Cellist Astrid Schween and composer Gordon Green bring to ůŝĨĞĂƵŶŝƋƵĞĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟǀĞĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĨĞĂƚƵƌŝŶŐĐŽŵƉŽƐĞƌĂŶĚ
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“phantom orchestra.” Rhapsody is a state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art experiment in lyricism and tonal color, combining the virtuosic brilliance of cello playing at its best with the rich and varied timbral possibilities of fully integrated digital sound. Rhapsody… She is now a regularly featured artist with the Boston Chamber Music Society, the Interharmony International Music Festival in Germany, and the Aria International Academy. She is on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts, Hartt School of Music and Mount Holyoke College, and serves as Valade Faculty Fellow at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Astrid received her degrees from the Juilliard School, participated in the Marlboro Music Festival and studied with Leonard Rose, Harvey Shapiro, Bernard Greenhouse, and in London with Jacqueline DuPré and William Pleeth. She made her debut as soloist with the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Zubin Mehta. More information is available at www.astridschween.com.
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from solo to orchestral, lyrical to percussive, soulful to playful.
x Can be presented as an evening-­‐length program by itself, or as a centerpiece or portion of a more traditional recital program. x Is suitable for performance in venues of all sizes, from large …‘…‡”–ŠƒŽŽ•–‘…‘ơ‡‡Š‘—•‡•Ǥ
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accessible to a wide range of audiences. x Includes stage lighting and video projections for an exciting concert experience.
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Reviewers have called Gordon Green’s music “wonderfully ‡˜‘…ƒ–‹˜‡dzǡDz–‡””‹Ƥ…ƒŽŽ›‹•’‹”‡†ǡdzƒ†Dzƒ‹’”‡••‹˜‡ƒ””‹ƒ‰‡
of technology and art.” He takes advantage of computer technology to create unique musical statements that blend synthetic and acoustic instrumentation. His recordings include Arrangements and Variations for Digital Piano, Impossible Christmas, LightCycles and Other Music for Dancers, and Serpentine Sky and Other Music for Computer-­‐Controlled Pianos. His chamber music has been commissioned by a variety of soloists and chamber ensembles including Ethos Percussion Group, the Lark Chamber Artists, and other performers and choreographers. _____
According to the Washington Post, “If a chinchilla could purr, it would sound like Astrid Schween’s cello…extraordinary musical ability.” Astrid was a member of the world-­‐renowned Lark Quartet for twenty years and currently maintains an active performance schedule touring as a soloist and in recital.
MCM Arts and Entertainment
Thomas P. Gallant tgallant@mcmarts.com
Phone: 845-­‐691-­‐4960 All photographs © Steve J. Sherman