Spring music series at Dairy expands classical offerings

The Dairy Arts Center opens its spring 2018 slate of music programs on Sunday with a collaboration that has been constant since the venue’s music series began rather modestly in early 2015 — a crossover concert with Fort Collins-based Off the Hook Arts. Dairy concert series founder James Bailey regularly invited Off the Hook Arts’ artistic director Bruce Adolphe to present programs from Off the Hook at the Boulder facility, and Bailey’s successor Sharon Park continues the partnership.

Sunday’s concert — called “Hollywood Escape” — is the first of 10 total events through the end of May. Park, a prominent area violinist who also has experience in arts administration, smoothly managed the transition from Bailey’s leadership during last fall’s concerts, notably introducing a new series in concert with the University of Colorado’s College of Music, from which she earned her doctorate in violin performance. She is committed to the continuing evolution and expansion of the Dairy programs while still remaining loyal to Bailey’s vision of presenting unique events that would be atypical of other venues.

Four of the 10 concerts, including Sunday’s opener, are on the classical-oriented “One Night Only” series. The “Hollywood Escape” event is a closer for Off the Hook’s WinterFest. Adolphe will lead onstage interviews with the granddaughters of film composers Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Musicians from CU — violinist Harumi Rhodes and cellist David Requiro — join pianist Marija Stroke in Korngold’s Piano Trio. Stroke and clarinetist Deborah Marshall will play Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano.

“We’ll hear about their work in Hollywood, how they shaped cinema music,” Park said. “We’ll get the inside scoop on their lives as composers and people.” The classical chamber works to be performed provide a different side.

The second concert on Sunday, Feb. 11, at 4 p.m. is another joint production with Off the Hook. The renowned Miami String Quartet — regular guests of the Fort Collins program — have played twice before at the Dairy. They will perform quartets of Mozart, Shostakovich and Mendelssohn. This is the first of three “Soundscape” matinee concerts. Those programs have typically been on Wednesdays at 2 p.m., but Park said there is interest in moving them to later times and to the weekends to make things easier for patrons.

CU @ the Dairy features saxophonist

CU composer and saxophonist John Gunther heads the final “CU @ the Dairy” concert after two in the fall. The evening program on Feb. 21, called “Worlds around Us,” will have a strong jazz emphasis, with several styles and ensembles, all featuring Gunther’s saxophone. Most of the works are his original compositions. Gunther’s guests include fellow CU faculty members Chas Wetherbee, David Requiro, Erika Eckert and others. “It will be a really cool mix of genres,” Park said.

March 14 is the first of two “Jazz at the Dairy” events. Jazz pianist and composer Annie Booth will present the world premiere of her original piece based on the poetry of 19th century Frenchman Charles Baudelaire. The work, called “Flowers of Evil,” is a great way to feature what she contributes to the music world as a composer and performer, Park said. It has a unique instrumentation of strings, horns and woodwinds. Before the larger work, Booth will present a mix of media and a fusion of jazz and classical music that showcases the genres she had in mind for the composition.

The second “One Night Only” event on March 21, called “Hope Lives,” is meant to bring awareness to the topic of human trafficking. It is a joint effort with BouldeReach and Pathfinder Center, an organization that creates safe havens for Native American victims of trafficking and domestic violence. The program is divided into three segments — truth, facts and hope. The music is either influenced by or directly related to the topic. Works by Valerie Coleman, Osvaldo Golijov and Julia Wolfe will be presented, along with original spoken word works by Tanaya Winder and Hannabah Blue. Performers include the Altius Quartet and soprano Christie Conover.

Joint event with Boulder Philharmonic

The most ambitious “One Night Only” program is April 5, an event called “Colorado Classics” in collaboration with the Boulder Philharmonic. Violinist Stefan Jackiw — who plays with the Phil on its April 7 concert — is joined by popular CU pianist David Korevaar in works by Brahms and others. The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, which also performs on the Phil concert, will present a series of dance duos and trios. Phil music director Michael Butterman hosts a talkback, and there will be a special post-concert reception. “We’re kind of taking the idea of the Phil’s house concerts and expanding it for a larger audience,” Park said.

The second “Jazz at the Dairy” concert on April 18 brings back Dairy favorites the Austin Piazzolla Quintet. It is part of the group’s “Angels and Devils” album tour. The music will be paired with tango dancing from Denver-based Parasol Arts.

The second “Soundscape” concert returns to the regular 2 p.m. Wednesday time on April 25. Boulder-based two-time national fiddle champion Katie Glassman and her band Snapshot (Eric Moon, Charles Mertens and Greg Schochet) make their first appearance at the Dairy with their signature acoustic vintage and original swing.

For the second year in a row, Colorado MahlerFest will present its chamber concert, part of the weeklong festival, at the Dairy on May 16, the last “One Night Only” event. The final Dairy concert of the spring season is May 30, another 2 p.m. “Soundscape” concert.

Opera Colorado’s Young Artists Program brings its Opera on Tour program, transforming the wide open space of the Gordon Gamm Theater into a mini opera set. They will present an abridged version of Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love,” set in the Colorado old west.