Carnegie Hall presents Helen Sung: Quartet+ with Harlem Quartet
$54+
- Helen Sung, piano
- John Ellis, saxophone / flute
- David Wong, bass
- Rudy Royston, drums
- Ilmar Gavilán, violin
- Melissa White, violin
- Jaime Amador, viola
- Felix Umansky, cello
Best known as a leading figure in jazz, pianist and composer Helen Sung also has an extensive background in classical music and violin performance, bringing these musical worlds together in Quartet+. In this program, her outstanding jazz quartet is joined by the infinitely versatile, Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet to apply the uniquely powerful double-quartet treatment to works by iconic women in jazz, as well as new original pieces by Sung.
"Quartet+ is music composed and arranged by women, made possible by a grant from the NYC Women's Fund. Conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, this project celebrates the dynamic creativity of the city I call home, a place that I still find magical, where wonderful things can happen that probably aren’t possible anywhere else. In addition to my originals, I arranged works by landmark women in jazz: Mary Lou Williams, Geri Allen, Marian McPartland, Carla Bley, and Toshiko Akiyoshi – true pioneers and giants all. It was a thrill to write for strings in a double-quartet format, getting the chance to draw from my years of studying classical violin. Looking back over these past couple of years, if I remember anything it will be the bittersweet reminder of the impermanence of all things. Live performance is similarly fleeting – once the last note is played, the song, the moment is over, the concert ends, and we move on. But there is something deeply soul-satisfying about the experience, so we come back again and again to share music together. And may we always do so, as we delight in how the arts connect and enrich us in our common humanity." ~ Helen Sung
The program will last approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.
About Harlem Quartet
Harlem Quartet advances diversity in classical music while engaging new audiences with varied repertoire that includes works by minority composers. Their mission to share their passion with a wider audience has taken them around the world; from a 2009 performance at the White House for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, to a highly successful tour of South Africa in 2012, and numerous venues in between. The musically versatile ensemble has performed with such distinguished artists as Itzhak Perlman, Ida Kavafian, Carter Brey, Fred Sherry, Misha Dichter, Jeremy Denk, and Paquito D'Rivera. The quartet also collaborated with jazz masters Chick Corea and Gary Burton on the album Hot House, a 2013 multi-Grammy Award winning release.
http://harlemquartet.com/About Helen Sung, piano
Helen Sung is an acclaimed jazz pianist and composer, and a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow. A native of Houston, she eschewed her classical piano upbringing after a jazz epiphany during undergraduate studies at UT Austin. Helen went on to become part of the inaugural class of the Thelonious Monk Institute (now the Herbie Hancock Institute) at the New England Conservatory of Music. Helen is a Steinway Artist and has served on the jazz faculties at Berklee College of Music, the Juilliard School, and Columbia University, where she also was the inaugural jazz artist-in-residence at Columbia's prestigious Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute.
https://www.helensung.com/About John Ellis, saxophone / flute
Gifted, versatile saxophonist/clarinetist/composer John Ellis occupies an imaginary (and extremely imaginative) space directly between the celebratory, welcoming spirit of New Orleans and the edgy, frantic streets of New York City. Both as the leader of his own eclectic projects and as an in-demand sideman for a mind-boggling number and variety of artists, Ellis expresses a keen intellect and easy virtuosity while maintaining a mischievous gleam in his eye and never letting tongue stray far from cheek.
https://www.johnaxsonellis.com/About Ilmar Gavilán, violin
Cuban-American violinist Ilmar Gavilán, a native of Havana, has had a remarkable performing career that has taken him all over the world. This fascinating journey ranges from performing for world leaders such as President Obama at the White House and Queen Sofia of Spain at The Royal Palace of Madrid to performing with top stature artists of diverse styles such as Itzhak Perlman and Chick Corea.
https://www.msmnyc.edu/faculty/ilmar-gavilan/About Melissa White, violin
American violinist Melissa White has enchanted audiences and critics around the world as both a soloist and a chamber musician. White emerges from the summer of 2022 resplendent with new achievements and milestones in a skyrocketing career that continues to span the globe.
https://melissawhiteviolin.com/About Jaime Amador, viola
Hailed by the Washington Post for his "sophisticated and precise playing," violist Jaime Amador has distinguished himself among the latest generation of musicians to emerge from Puerto Rico.
https://www.foosamusic.org/jaime-amadorAbout Felix Umansky, cello
Praised for his "sublime" playing by Cleveland Classical, cellist Felix Umansky is a frequently sought-after recitalist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. His versatile career has taken him all over Europe and North America where he has performed in some of the most prestigious concert halls including Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, the Krannert Center, and the Kennedy Center.
https://www.micm.org/school/faculty/cello/felix-umansky/