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Concertmaster Colin Sorgi directs the new National Philharmonic Chamber Players in the program “Hidden Gems: Overlooked Masterpieces from Celebrated Composers,” Friday, November 18, at 8 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis. The performance by master musicians of the National Philharmonic Orchestra will feature compositions by W.A. Mozart, Sergei Prokofiev, and Gabriel Fauré, in the tradition of classical music composed for a small group of instruments and originally intended for performance in a palace chamber. Sometimes described as “the music of friends,” chamber music is ideally suited to the intimate space at UUCA where the National Philharmonic Chamber Players will perform. The audience will experience chamber music as it was originally intended, up close and personal, as the musicians guide them through the selections, offering comments and anecdotes along the way. The November 18th performance is part of the monthly concert series held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, 333 Dubois Road. Tickets are $15 at the door. For more information, visit www.tinyurl.com/UUCA-concerts or call 410-266-8044 Monday–Thursday.
The National Philharmonic Chamber Players made their debut this fall as the ensemble in residence at the John Kendall Recital Hall at Potter Violins in Takoma Park, Maryland. In addition to Concertmaster Colin Sorgi on violin and viola, regular ensemble members include Henry Flory, also on violin, and Kathryn Brake on piano. A guest cellist will perform with the group on November 18.
Colin Sorgi, in addition to his roles as concertmaster of the National Philharmonic and director of the National Philharmonic Chamber Players, is concertmaster for the York Symphony Orchestra and the Hopkins Symphony. He recently appeared as guest concertmaster with the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra (Lucerne, Switzerland), Lake George Music Festival, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Annapolis Symphony, and Annapolis Opera. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, he holds degrees from both the Peabody Conservatory and Indiana University. He made his solo debut at the Aspen Music Festival in 2012 and has since been heard as soloist and in recital on the stages of Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Chicago Cultural Center, Canada’s National Arts Centre, and at the 2012 Naumburg International Violin Competition, among others. An advocate of community engagement and arts education, Sorgi works with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids program. He is also on the faculty of the National Philharmonic’s yearly Summer String Institute, and he is the founder, artistic director, and violinist of Baltimore’s SONAR, promoting the work of contemporary composers.
Henry Flory, described by critics as a “poet” of the violin, is rapidly earning a reputation as a dynamic and charismatic violinist, with a burgeoning career spanning the United States, Europe, and Asia. Since his debut as an orchestral soloist at the age of 12, Flory has captivated audiences all over the world, praised for the depth of his interpretations and his powerful stage presence. As a soloist, he has performed in some of the world’s most famous halls, including Strathmore, Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Austria’s Mozarteum “Great Hall,” Japan’s Ishikawa Museum of Contemporary Art, and other venues in Belgium, France, England, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Spain, Japan, and the U.S. A native of Washington, D.C., Flory studied at the Conservatoire de Montpellier (France) at the age of seven, and later at the Peabody Conservatory and Juilliard.
Kathryn Brake, on piano, is characterized by the Washington Post, as a “compelling and imaginative performer.” She has performed solo recitals in the United States, Canada, Italy, France, Switzerland, and Spain. A winner of the National Young Chopin Competition, the Beethoven Competition, the Kosciusko Foundation Awards, and the Elizabeth Davis Award, she has performed as soloist with the Baltimore Symphony and the National Symphony. A much sought-after chamber music player and recitalist who is equally at ease with a wide range of musical styles, Ms. Brake has performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Phillips Gallery, and the National Gallery in Washington D.C., the Armand Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, the Teatro Real in Madrid, and the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona. She is a regular performer at the Sun Valley Symphony Chamber Music Festival and is pianist for the Washington-based group Musica Aperta.
The November 18 program is part of a ticketed monthly concert series, now in its third year, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis. Normally held on the Fourth Friday at 8 p.m., the November 18 concert will be on the third Friday this month due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Single tickets $15 or a Friday Five-Pack ticket for $60 ($12 per concert) can be obtained at the door.
