Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts concludes its tenth anniversary season with concerts on March 17 at Grace Church and March 21 at Desert Hot Springs High School. More details and a complete schedule can be found at: https://www.dhsclassicalconcerts.org/2024 No tickets or reservations are required, but cash donations at the door are appreciated.
“This has been our most ambitious concert season to date, and it’s been amazing to see the outpouring of enthusiasm and support from the community for these concerts” said series Founder & Artistic Director, Danny Holt. Holt was recently honored by the City of Desert Hot Springs with a Proclamation marking January 21, 2024 as “Danny Holt Day” in recognition of a decade of cultural enrichment to the community through Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts.
Holt continued: “On a personal note, I’m excited to perform on the next concert at Grace Church, with guest violist Molly Gebrian: we’ll be performing music from our new album, featuring rarely-heard sonatas by three trailblazing women from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Then the final concert of the 2024 season features the Wisconsin Wind Orchestra at Desert Hot Springs High School–the second large ensemble we’ve been able to include on our season.”
The March 17 concert, Trailblazers, shines a spotlight on music from the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Henriëtte Bosmans, Ethel Smyth, and Dora Pejačević–women who were unabashedly themselves, defying the social expectations of their time against the backdrop of world wars and a global pandemic. Originally written for cello and piano, all three sonatas are presented here in new arrangements for viola and piano, marking a significant contribution to the viola repertoire. All three sonatas are featured on the new album, Trailblazers, from Acis Productions.
Violist Molly Gebrian prioritizes the works of living composers and those who have traditionally been excluded from the culture of classical music. She holds degrees in both music and neuroscience from Oberlin College and Conservatory, New England Conservatory of Music, and Rice University. Previously, she was the viola professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of Arizona. After a decade of teaching viola at the collegiate level, she will join the faculty at New England Conservatory of Music in Fall 2024 to teach courses on the science of practicing.
Called “phenomenal” by the late music critic Alan Rich, and hailed as one of the “local heroes” of the Los Angeles music scene (LAcitybeat.com), pianist Danny Holt performs around the globe in concert halls (Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl), clubs (Joe’s Pub, The Blue Whale, Copenhagen Jazzhouse) art galleries (MASS MoCA, Hammer Museum), churches, living rooms, and wherever else he can find a piano and someone to listen. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Blue Man Group, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, the California EAR Unit, and the Calder Quartet. He is the Founder & Artistic Director of Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts.
WHAT: Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts Molly Gebrian (viola) & Danny Holt (piano): Trailblazers
WHERE: Grace Church 17400 Bubbling Wells Road, Desert Hot Springs, CA, 92241
WHEN: Sunday, March 17, 2024 4:00 – 5:00 PM
WHO: Molly Gebrian (viola) | www.mollygebrian.com Danny Holt (piano) | www.dannyholt.net
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On March 21, the Wisconsin Wind Orchestra presents Play of the Imagination, a program that encourages listeners to engage the imagination through expressive, evocative music and highly descriptive titles. Conductor Lawrence Dale Harper established the Wisconsin Wind Orchestra in 1995 as one of the few professional wind ensembles in the world. The WWO is committed to expanding the repertoire for winds through commissions, and has given the premiere performance of several works by prominent American and European composers. The musicians of the WWO enjoy taking its audiences on adventures in programming to explore the intersections between the various art forms that can enliven our experience in the concert hall. The WWO has collaborated with professional actors (e.g., Stravinsky L’Histoire du Soldat and Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream), dancers (e.g., Milhaud’s Little Symphony), painters, partner ensembles (e.g., Global Percussion Network, Sweden), and a wide array of regional and international soloists.
WHAT: Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts Wisconsin Wind Orchestra: Play of the Imagination
WHERE: Desert Hot Springs High School – Theater 65850 Pierson Blvd., Desert Hot Springs, CA, 92240
WHEN: Thursday, March 21, 2024 7:00 – 8:00 PM
WHO: Wisconsin Wind Orchestra | www.wisconsinwindorchestra.com
Admission to both concerts is free, thanks to underwriting from the City of Desert Hot Springs and generous contributions from individual donors. Cash donations are accepted at the door, and donations can also be made online at: www.DHSclassicalconcerts.org/donate.
To learn more about Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts, visit: www.DHSclassicalconcerts.org
