Nichols Concert Hall Opening Night

Faculty & Guest Artist Series 2018-2019

Opening Night:  Jennifer Koh, violin

Saturday, September 15 at 7:30 pm
Nichols Concert Hall | 1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston

The Music Institute of Chicago welcomes back alumna violinist Jennifer Koh for the opening concert of its 2018–2019 Faculty and Guest Artist Series Saturday, September 15 at 7:30 pm. The acclaimed Glen Ellyn native returns to play a program featuring solo works by Bach juxtaposed with a contemporary piece for solo violin, For Violin Alone, by John Harbison. Critics have described her playing of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas as intense, beautifully shaped, and mesmerizing. “Koh’s arresting tone and emotional interpretations of Bach are a perfect fit for the acoustics of Nichols Concert Hall,” said Music Institute President and CEO Mark George.
 
Violinist Jennifer Koh is recognized for commanding performances delivered with dazzling virtuosity and technical assurance. An adventurous musician, she collaborates with artists from multiple disciplines and curates projects that find connections between music of all eras from traditional to contemporary. She has premiered more than 60 works written especially for her and has made 11 recordings for the Cedille Records label. Her concert program for the Music Institute includes repertoire from two recent initiatives: Shared Madness, a project comprising short works for solo violin that explore virtuosity in the 21st century, written by more than 30 of today’s most celebrated composers, and Bach and Beyond, a recital series that traces the history of the solo violin repertoire from Bach’s Six Sonatas and Partitas to 20th and 21st century composers. Koh is Musical America’s 2016 Instrumentalist of the Year, a winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition, and a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant.

$50 for VIP seating, $40 for adults, $25 for seniors and $15 for students.

Music Institute of Chicago students may request 3 free tickets to MIC sponsored concerts unless otherwise noted.

PROGRAM

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

Sonata No.1 in G minor

JOHN HARBISON

For Violin Alone

INTERMISSION

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

Partita No. 2 in D minor

A Short Interview with violinist Jennifer Koh

How did you come to the Music Institute? What was the impact of your education here?
My first violin teacher, Jo Davis told my parents I had some talent as a violinist and recommended that I change teachers. She recommended that I study with Roland and Almita Vamos at the Music Institute.
 
As the Music Institute starts a new school year, an important area of focus is “music as service”—the idea that, whether you become a professional musician or enjoy it as a hobby, you can play an important role in people’s lives with your music. Do you have any thoughts about the idea of music as service?
I think that music and arts give all of us a chance to have experiences that are outside of our own lives. I strongly believe and advocate for composers that haven’t been given voice in the history of classical music.

What have been some of your favorite experiences as a musician?
Most of my experiences as a musician have been good! It was very meaningful to play all six of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas in one concert, and it was a new and wonderful experience to work with Robert Wilson and Philip Glass: I played Einstein in a revival of Einstein on the Beach in 2012 for Glass’s 75th birthday.

How did you become interested in exploring repertoire for solo violin?
Initially, I began playing solo recitals because I truly believe that the violin can hold an audience captive for an evening, and I didn’t understand why pianists did solo concerts and not violinists! At this point, I just have more creative control in terms of programming when I do solo violin recitals.

Watch and Listen

Please enjoy Jennifer Koh's performance and remarks at the 73rd National Conference of the League of American Orchestras

"The individuals who opened doors for me at crucial points in my life, both for my musical development and for my career, transformed the course of my life, and gave me the life I have today. I want you to know that each and every one of us in the music world, has the capacity to create great impact on individual lives in our communities and each one of us has the power to be an active and transformative participant in history."  ~ Jennifer Koh

See the complete 2018-2019 Faculty & Guest Artists Series >>