2007-2008

10th Anniversary Season:  "Essential Art: Essential Elements"

Chicago's most embitious advocate of new music from around the world, concludes its five-year exploration of the essential elements–water, earth, wind and fire–as life-giving resources, life-changing forces and creative inspiration.

We're refreshed ourselves with water, cultivated the earth, sighed a breath of fresh air and been drawn to the flame. This season we're bringing it all together–including eight pieces that have never been heard live in Chicago–to honor the alpha of light, air and water to predict the omega of earth and fire.

 

Season at Harris Theater for Music and Dance:

 

Other concerts:

 

October 27, 2007

Nurture Nature - Create Tomorrow Together

Chicago Humanities Festival
Thorne Auditorium, 375 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL. 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Nurture NatureA multi-media performance of Music, Art, Poetry and Theater delves into the relationships between generations as we re-address our relationship with the world and consider: How do we take care of the world? What are we passing on to future generations and last but not least: What is our role as stewards of the earth? Performed by the Fulcrum Point Ensemble, The Albany Park Theater Project, the Merit School of Music Choir and the Side Project. Suitable for all ages.

Pre-show presentation by Barrel of Monkeys


This program is created in collaboration by Adam Webster (TSPTC), David Feiner (APTP), Jacalyn Rauch (MM), and Stephen Burns (FPNMP) Artistic Director, commissioned by the Chicago Children's Humanities Festival for Oct 27, 2007 opening night performance.

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December 11, 2007

Songs of Love and War

Harris Theater for Music and Dance
205 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL.  7:30 p.m.
View the press release

Songs of Love and War"The concert was a kind of meditative bearing witness – I loved it and you were a jewel in the despair and compassion of the emotions! The first songs about the poems in the camp – were so surreal in a sense – putting such grim poetry to beautiful music….a very different kind of bearing witness where my feelings ranged from horror to amazement at the courage to write and to sing this…and the songs of love were heartbreaking – thank you so much for allowing me and my friend to experience it!"

Fulcrum Point marks this 10th Concert for Peace by presenting four Midwest premieres exploring relationships and the nature of love and war through music and poetry from the perspectives of soldiers, spouses and prisoners. The program includes Midwest premieres of “Songs of Love and War” by Paul Moravec, “Three Letters from the Unknown Soldier” by Poul Ruders, “Camp Songs” by Paul Schoenfield and “Peace” by David Schiff.

The audience is invited to stay for a post-concert reception and discussion with the composers and performers.  There will be complimentary wine from VinDiVino and refreshments.

  • Peace -- David Schiff (World Premiere)
  • Camp Songs -- Paul Schoenfield (Midwest Premiere)
  • Three Letters from The Unknown Soldier -- Poul Ruders
  • Songs of Love and War -- Paul Moravec (Midwest Premier)

Featured Artists:
  • Stephen Burns, trumpeter/Artistic Director
  • Julia Bentley, mezzo soprano
  • Kuang Hao Huang, pianist
  • Jeffrey Strauss, baritone
  • Mary Stolper, flutist
  • New Classic Singers, Lee Kesselman, conductor

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January 29, 2008

Alpha: Air and Water

Harris Theater for Music and Dance
205 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL. 7:30 p.m.
View the press release

AlphaThe culmination of a five-year visceral exploration of music, visual art and literature inspired by the essential elements of water, earth, wind and fire, this is the second-to-last concert of the Essential Arts: Essential Elements series dramatizing the forces of nature as metaphors for physical, passionate and spiritual energy, generators of renewal and a fundamental force in both the creation and destruction of civilization. This program depicts the very beginning of time with premieres of “Nightmaze” by Sebastian Currier; “Lux Solis Aeterna” by Geoffrey Gordon. "River of Light" by Richard Danielpour and "The River Suite" by Edward K. "Duke" Ellington.  The audience is invited to stay for a post-concert reception and discussion with the Fulcrum Point Ensemble featuring complimentary wine from Vin DiVino and refreshments catered by C'est Si Bon!

  • Nightmaze -- Sebastian Currier (Midwest Premiere)
  • Lux Solis Aeterna -- Geoffrey Gordon (World Premiere)
  • River of Light -- Richard Danielpour
  • The River Suite -- Edward K. "Duke" Ellington

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February 10, 2008

Passport to World Music

Harris Theater for Music and Dance
205 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL.  3:00 p.m.

PassportBring your family on a multi-media musical adventure around the world exploring traditional and new art music from Asian, Middle East, African, and Latin cultures. Using children's literature, projected photos of the wonders of the world, legends and mythology, "Passport to World Music" will transport you through cultures around the world and introduce you and your family to the richness of the music, art, architecture, natural beauty and stories. Featuring the "Cat and Rat: the Legend of the Chinese Zodiac," (Commissioned by the Chicago Children's Humanities Festival and premiered Nov 2, 2003 at the Chicago Humanities Festival) based on the illustrated book by Caldecott Award winner Ed Young and "Frida," (Commissioned by the Chicago Children's Humanities Festival and premiered Nov 5, 2005 at the Chicago Humanities Festival) an illustrated children's book by Jonah Winter and Ana Juan, new and World Music will be performed by musicians from Fulcrum Point New Music Project, with international guest artists including Foday Musa Suso, Diego Alonso and Yang Wei.

Featured Artists:
  • Diego Alonso, Flamenco Guitarist
  • Foday Musa Suso, Mandingo Griot
  • Yang Wei, pipa virtuoso
  • Kalyan Pathak,  tabla master
  • CBS News Anchor, Roseanne Tellez, reader for "Frida"

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March 18, 2008

Omega: Earth on Fire

Harris Theater for Music and Dance
205 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL. 7:30 p.m.
View the press release

Omega“Essential Art: Essential Elements” concludes with a searing, earth-moving performance featuring “Continental Divide” by Derek Bermel, “Ground Swell” by Steve Mackey with guest artist Hsin-Yun Huang (Violist), “Inner Demons” by Stacy Garrop, “Racconto dall'Inferno” by Louis Andriessen. In the beginning there was light and water, but in the end the earth rises up and is consumed in flames!

The audience is invited to stay for a post-concert reception and discussion with the composers and performers.  There will be complimentary wine from VinDiVino and refreshments.

  • Continental Divide -- Derek Bermel (Midwest Premiere)
  • Ground Swell -- Steven Mackey (Midwest Premiere)
  • Inner Demons -- Stacy Garrop (American Premiere)
  • Racconto dall'Inferno -- Louis Andriessen

Featured Artists:
  • Hsin-Yun Huang, violist
  • Tony Arnold, soprano

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May 17, 2008

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Graduation

Pritzker Pavilion - Millennium Park
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. and again at 12:00 p.m.
Rock 'N Roll inspired new art music for Brass & Drums performed by
Fulcrum Point New Music Project musicians

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Legacy Music Series: "A Celebration of Diversity in Music"

Horticulture Hall at the Garfield Park Conservatory
300 N. Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL
7:00 p.m. performance

Program:
  • Lullaby and Doina -- Osvaldo Golijov
  • String Quartet op. 15, Mvt. 2 -- Reza Vali
  • Sanvare Rang Rach -- H. Mangeshkar/Kalyan Pathak
  • Bhaj Govindam -- Adi Sankara/Kalyan Pathak
  • Oonchi Talavadi -- A. Vyas/Kalyan Pathak
  • 7 Popular Spanish Songs -- Manuel de Falla
  • Witch Hunt -- Wayne Shorter/Jim Gailloreto
  • Well You Needn't -- Thelonious Monk/Jim Gailloreto
  • Shadow Puppets -- Jim Gailloreto
  • Sunjata / Serekunda / Debo -- Foday Musa Suso

Featured Artists:
  • Stephen Burns, trumpet
  • Foday Musa Suso, a 7th generation Mandinka Griot
  • Kalyan Pathak, tabla
  • Jim Gailloreto, saxophone

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