Summer in Mexico!

Not only was I (Paula) lucky to spend the whole summer in lovely San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (in the cool central highlands, great climate! ) -- but 6 other ACP musicians joined me there for 4 concerts as part of the San Miguel International Chamber Music Festival! Also joining us were 11 other Board members and Soiree subscribers, making a total of 18 of us from Atlanta in San Miguel for the week of August 12-20. Highlights included George Crumb's Voice of the Whale trio in the 19th century Angela Peralta Teatro (complete with masks, blue lighting and excellent amplification) and Mendelssohn's powerful and dazzling Cm Pf Trio AND the world premiere of a work we commissioned from ASO bassist Michael Kurth featuring Latin rhythms galore (and Alcides on maracas!) for all 7 of us ACP musicians all together in one encore piece. We were proud to be on the Festival roster with the Pacifica Quartet, Cassatt Quartet and Onix Ensamble from Mexico City. In addition to traditional works by Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms, we performed American music of Ned Rorem and John Harbison. Congrats to the group for 4 strong performances! (And everyone really enjoyed the sunsets and colors and excellent restaurants and jazz clubs in San Miguel. Indeed it was a memorable summer first for ACP!)

Crossing Over!!

It's fun for us too!! We're looking forward to this Sunday's "Classical Crossover" concert when - after a first half of classical masters Mozart & Beethoven - we can let our hair down and play some of the excellent jazz crossover / classical music by Frenchman Claude Bolling. ACP flutist Christina Smith and cellist Brad Ritchie will alternately be featured with the jazz trio of pianist Brent Runnels, bassist Kevin Smith and drummer Justin Varnes for several of the most popular movements from Bolling's Suite for Flute / Cello with Jazz Trio. Brent is a really special pianist, a real crossover expert, as he is one of the rare superb classical pianists who also feels right at home in the jazz world. I can't wait to kick my shoes off (after performing my favorite Mozart piano trio, K. 502) - and sit with you in the audience to enjoy Claude Bolling's crossover music exactly as it was envisioned... performed by first class classical musicians with first class jazz artists. See you this Sunday Jan 29th, 3:00 pm!  www.atlantachamberplayers.com  for details

Soiree Tomorrow

Our soiree series is such a way to charge my personal batteries! I go a bit nuts before hand, producing all the program details, coordinating the various and differing venues (from private homes to luxury hotels to consul general's residences, among many others) -- but afterwards I always feel I've really connected with the soiree audience. It's like turning off the hectic world for a few minutes and returning to the roots of chamber music, music making in small, intimate venues for an elite gathering. It's great to have a soiree family with whom one can celebrate the holidays and the joys of chamber music!

British Geoffrey Bush's lovely lovely trio

Today was so much fun! Got together with Liz Koch and Carl Nitchie to rehearse our upcoming Trio for Ob/Bsn/Pf by British composer Geoffrey Bush. It's a treat!! Declamatory, sweeping, tender, quixotic, full of yummy solos...  we really enjoyed the piece. And you will too, I feel sure! It begins our season on Sun Oct 23rd. Hope it's on your calendar and you've already gotten your 2 for 1 tickets in advance. We haven't played it before, haven't heard it before... but it's a keeper. (Whew! *sigh of relief*)

And we're off!

Finally, FINALLY, after all the weeks of talking ABOUT music, writing about music, raising money and writing grants to make music ---- TODAY we had our first rehearsal for our first performance coming up this Sunday, our first soiree. It feels like I am bathing in a heavenly shower after a dry desert storm... :))))))))

TWO NEW Rapido Partners!!

I am thrilled to announce that our upcoming 2012 Rapido Composition Contest cycle will include two outstanding new partner ensembles. From Dallas, the Voices of Change is one of our country's most respected new music ensembles and they are about to launch their 37th season. From San Francisco, the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble is an acclaimed ensemble of 12 musicians which presents both traditional and new music in their varied programming. With the addition of these two amazing ensembles covering applications from all the Southwestern and Western U.S. states, our Rapido contest will cover all 48 states coast to coast! Boston Musica Viva will coordinate composition applications from the entire Northeast, Chicago's Fifth House Ensemble will coordinate the extensive Midwest, and we in the ACP will coordinate applications from Maryland and Washington D.C. to Louisiana and Florida. We are proud of the artistic umph of these five partner ensembles and look forward to an even more exciting cycle of our Rapido Competition in 2012-2014. Stay tuned for much, much more!

Programming is almost finished!!!!!!!

I'm getting VERY CLOSE to being finished with next season's four public concerts. It's such a puzzle to put together, with the musicians special requests and date restrictions, the availability (and not) of the four venues, plus the special requests and restrictions of the presenters themselves. No wonder I am pooped... Stay tuned. In just another day or two, I'll be announcing the next season! Make sure you've signed up for emails so we can stay in touch with you about details and deals!