Jennifer Koh

Lawrenceville Patch
By Anthony Bellano
January 16, 2018
original link

Renowned Violinist To Explore Bach During Princeton Event

Jennifer Koh presents "Bach and Beyond" on Feb. 8.

PRINCETON, NJ — Violinist Jennifer Koh, a renowned champion of contemporary music, will explore J.S. Bach's famous "Chaconne" from the Violin Partita No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004 through the lens of new music inspired by the work in an evening titled "Bach and Beyond." It will be part of Princeton University Concerts's PUC125: Performances Up Close series, and takes place on Thursday, Feb. 8.

Composers on this program include Missy Mazzoli ("Brooklyn's post-millennial Mozart" (Time Out New York)), revolutionary Italian innovator Luciano Berio, and Finnish composer and celebrated conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen.

The hour-long program will take place at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., in a setting which welcomes the audience onto the stage along with the performer in an intimate, interactive experience. Tickets are $25 ($10 for students), available online at princetonuniversityconcerts.org, or by phone at the Frist Center Box Office at 609-258-9220.

"I believe that the music of today has a thread to the past, and reflects a whole range of who we have become as human beings," Koh said. "The ugliest sides of us as well as the most beautiful sides of us are in that music, and it helps us to experience these things as a whole."

A champion of new music, Koh has premiered over 60 works written especially for her. In the 2017-18 season alone, the celebrated violinist continues her New American Concerto commissioning project. It's a multi-season project that explores the form of the violin concerto and its potential for artistic engagement with contemporary societal concerns and issues through commissions from a diverse collective of composers.

She also continues her Limitless: On Stage Together commissioning project that engages composer-performers to write new duo compositions, exploring the symbiotic relationship and blurred boundaries between composer and performer.

Between performances, all ticket holders are invited to Dancebreak, a groundbreaking series launched this season by Princeton University Concerts to connect audience members with the music that they hear in a completely novel way. Dancebreak will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Nassau Presbyterian Church.

This Dancebreak will feature a group Baroque dance lesson centered on the chaconne as a 17th century dance, taught by professional dancer Carlos Fittante. The inaugural Dancebreak was held in November, between concerts by Cristina Pato.

"Watching concertgoers, and myself, going through the process of learning something new in a communal setting is such a meaningful experience," Pato said. "Princeton University Concerts created a new way of opening the door that reminds us how music has the power to bring us together and how dance can bring the unspeakable emotions of music to life."

The day before the concert, on Wednesday, Feb. 7, Koh will engage in two additional events as part of PUC's "Beyond the Music" programming. She will present a Live Music Meditation at 12:30 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium at Alexander Hall.

This is an opportunity for the community to experience a half-hour meditation, guided by Associate Dean Matthew Weiner of the Office of Religious Life, to live music performed by Koh. The meditation will be followed by a discussion with the artist about the experience over a light lunch.

At 7 p.m. on Wednesday Feb. 7, Koh will teach talented Princeton University violin students in a "Performers as Teachers" workshop in the Taplin Auditorium at Fine Hall. All are invited to witness the process of a musician's preparation from the other side of the curtain. No tickets are required for either event.

Copyright © Lawrenceville Patch