Lawrence Lesser performs at his own 85th birthday celebration Nov. 13 with pianist Minsoo Sohn in Jordan Hall. Andrew Hurlbut photograph
This calendar is just turning into a list of concerts that I’m interested in hearing. Being exhaustive can no longer be my objective. Just take these mentions as a recommendation or likely engaging program.
I don’t know the Sonic Liberation Players but you’ve got to love that vibe, and the program they have for First Parish of Watertown Nov. 4: Riley, Cemeryte, Esmail, Nourbakhsh, Livingston. Reena Esmail was at Tanglewood FCM this summer and her music impressed. The rest of the composers? Virtue signaling on my part (not Riley), but Esmail’s inclusion makes it alluring. This group looks small but smart.
Bridget Kibbey performs solo and duos with director Julie Scolnik this month for Mistral Music. Shervin Lainez photograph
Mistral Music has harpist Bridget Kibbey joining flutist director Julie Scolnik Nov. 4 (Andover) and 5 (Brookline). I remember Kibbey’s bold playing with the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, a concert (Vivian Fung concerto) noted as well by a broken harp string. She was prepared.
Violinist Geneva Lewis graces the jenga-box at the Gardner Museum Nov. 5, with a dancer (Ashley Bouder, in a Bach partita), plus music of Bartok, Stravinsky, Saariaho, Frances-Hoad and Esmail. Program looks beautiful. Alisa Weilerstein plays her Fragments series at Sanders Nov. 5 as well: don’t know what this sounds like in toto, but she’s unforgettable as a soloist, and the list of interesting composers is long. Speaking of Celebrity Series, you can spend all your money there this month: besides Weilerstein (5th), go hear Schiff (10th), Fleming (12th), Trifonov (15th).
BCMS performs at Sanders Nov. 12: Brahms, Kodaly, Schubert. The “1923” concert at Jordan Hall Nov. 14 looks like a winner: Armstrong/King Oliver/Bechet/Stravinsky/Cowell/Varèse/Koto/Tango/Country). Radius has a beautiful program Nov. 11 at Pickman. Boston Artists Ensemble collects some BSO players (Gitter, Lin, Young, Kim, Miller) for two nice programs Nov. 12 in Brookline and Nov. 24 in Salem’s Hamilton Hall. Note the dates.
Laurence Lesser plays his own 85th birthday concert Nov. 13 with pianist Minsoo Sohn (Bartok, Bach, Rachmaninov). Cheers to that.
The Criers program Four Quartets (Beethoven mixed with Singleton/Montgomery/Prestini, with Awadagin Pratt) Nov. 17 in Jordan Hall. BEMF has I Gemelli Nov. 18 at Jordan Hall, and its chamber opera as usual Thanksgiving weekend (Lampe’s The Dragon of Wantley). Concord Chamber Music Society presents Hermitage Trio Nov. 19. I hope I make it to the Roland Hayes Tribute on Nov. 19, presented by Cherry Street Music in Newton. Centennial of his BSO debut, says the info. I don’t think I ever heard Hayes, but he had a profound influence on many people I’ve met.
Chameleon Arts Ensemble also keeps the spirit of smart alive with a lovely program (Puccini 4tet, Bray, Jacob, Rach) Nov. 18 and 19 at First Church in Boston. After this go straight to Brown Hall at NEC for Parlando doing Pierrot Lunaire (Lucy Fitz Gibbon).
The Gunther Schuller Concert Nov. 21 at Jordan Hall is certain to visit memory lane. I miss those orange blazers, and that generosity. Clarinetist Rane Moore has a piece of her own on the Winsor Music program Nov. 26 in Brookline (with Diels, Mellits, Applebaum “Aphasia,” which is great, and Adams). Borromeo plays Bartok in Jordan Hall Nov. 28. All the Bartok: the six quartets.
Hub New Music visits friendly turf, with a return to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem Nov. 30. As always there’s a premiere: Nico Muhly. Hub has a great combination (clarinet/cello/violin/flute), commissions constantly, sounds terrific in this space.
Hub New Music (Nov. 30 in Salem): Meg Rohrer, Michael Avitabile, Gleb Kansevich, Jesse Christeson. Clay Larsen photograph
Random
Several operas worth seeing, BLO (Cenerentola) and at the conservatories. The BSO begins a nice stretch of concerts, starting this evening (Mallwitz/Vinnitskaya). H&H starts its Messiah run right after Thanksgiving, and I might see one this season. Or Boston Baroque, a week later. Arneis Quartet has opened an interesting season (Oct. 29th), with music to come from composer-in-residence Susie Ibarra and a premiere from Elena Ruehr. David Hoose steps down from Collage New Music after this season, and will be replaced by composer Eric Nathan. Bravo to that: Nathan has plenty of his own interesting music to work into programs, and I hope will move the ensemble forward with energy. Hoose sticks around for emeritus concerts. Next Collage concert is Nov. 12 at MIT. Cappella Clausura has a new executive director, Elizabeth Moore, and concerts (F. Mendelssohn, C. Schumann) Nov. 18 (Emmanuel Church) and 19 (Newton).