THE BARD CENTER CONCERTS’ SPRING SERIES BEGINS ON FEBRUARY 15 WITH A DUO RECITAL, “ITALIAN ECHOES,” BY WORLD-ACCLAIMED FLUTISTS TARA HELEN O’CONNOR AND PATRICIA SPENCER JOINED BY HARPSICHORDIST FREDERICK HAMMOND AND PIANI

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—The Bard Center presents the first in a series of free spring concerts with a duo recital, “Italian Echoes,” on Wednesday, February 15, featuring world-acclaimed flutists Tara Helen O’Connor and Patricia Spencer, joined by harpsichordist Frederick Hammond and pianist Elizabeth Rodgers. The program begins at 8:00 p.m. in Olin Hall. Spencer and O’Connor will perform pieces for two flutes by Italian composers Antonio Vivaldi and Claudio Monteverdi, plus Italian-resonating works by François Couperin (L'apotheose de Corelli); Harvey Sollberger (Aurelian Echoes); Chester Biscardi (Tenzone); and Franz Doppler (Rigoletto Variations). The Bard Center Concert Series continues on Sunday, March 5, at 3:00 p.m. with the Da Capo Chamber Players performing works by contemporary Russian composers. Mezzo-soprano Joan Fuerstman performs in recital with pianist Sharon Bjorndal and other Bard friends on Wednesday, March 15, at 8:00 p.m. The free series concludes on Sunday, April 9, at 3:00 p.m. with a program by the Colorado Quartet featuring Katherine Hoover’s String Quartet No. 2, “The Knot,” as well as quartets by Beethoven and Schubert. All programs are held in Bard College’s Olin Hall. This concert is made possible, in part, through the generosity of the Homeland Foundation and the Leon Levy Endowment at Bard College. For further information about the program, call The Bard Center at 845-758-7425 or e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]. Please note that no reservations are necessary; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. # ABOUT THE ARTISTS Frederick Hammond, the Irma Brandeis Professor of Romance Culture and Music History at Bard, performs widely in Europe and the United States as solo organist and harpsichordist. He specializes in baroque continuo playing and has performed as continuo harpsichordist in more than 30 operas. He was the keyboard continuo player for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has appeared with such conductors as Christopher Hogwood, Nicholas McGegan, Simon Rattle, Paul Hindemith, and Leon Botstein. Tara Helen O’Connor was awarded the Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2001. She is a founding member of the New Millennium Ensemble, which won the Naumburg Award in 1995, and flute soloist of the Bach Aria Group, following in the footsteps of Samuel Baron and Julius Baker. O’Connor was the first wind player chosen to participate in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s “Chamber Music Society Two” program for emerging artists. She continues to perform regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Orpheus, Bargemusic, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music Northwest, and Music from Angel Fire. O’Connor has recorded for Arcadia, CRI, Koch International, and Bridge Records. Her recordings of the complete Études for Solo Flutes by Isang Yun was presented to the composer in honor of his 75th birthday. She spent the summer of 2001 on a European and American tour, during which she performed works of Schoenberg with pianist Peter Serkin, violinist Ida Kavafian, clarinetist David Shifrin, cellist Fred Sherry, and mezzo-soprano Mary Nessinger. An avid photographer, O’Connor has photo credits in Time Out, Strad, and Chamber Music America magazines. O’Connor received a Ph.D. from SUNY Stony Brook, where she studied with Samuel Baron, Robert Dick, Keith Underwood, and Julius Levine. She is on the faculty of The Bard College Conservatory of Music. Pianist Elizabeth Rodgers holds both bachelor’s and master’s of music degrees from Manhattan School of Music, where she is currently on the faculty. She has taught at Bard College and is pianist in residence with the Berkshire Choral Festival. Known primarily as a versatile ensemble player, Rodgers has performed with the Metropolitan Players, Downtown Chamber Players, Friends and Enemies of New Music, Music Under Construction, and The Lark Ascending. She has participated in the preparation and performance of operas with the Little Orchestra Society, Center for Contemporary Opera, American Opera Projects, and Underworld Productions. Rodgers performs in recitals with singers and instrumentalists, including the distinguished soprano Judith Raskin, as well as long time collaborators soprano Phyllis Clark and hornist Lisa Pike. Active in new music, Rodgers has premiered works by Miriam Gideon, Marc-Antonio Consoli, Wendy Griffiths, Robert Dennis, and Joelle Wallech, among others. She has recorded with Opus I, CRI, Grenadilla, Musical Heritage, New World, Aurora, Albany, Avant and Mode. Patricia Spencer is flutist with the Naumburg Award–winning Da Capo Chamber Players, performing with them in international festivals as well as in a high-profile annual concert series in New York City. In August 2004, as soloist in Joan Tower’s Flute Concerto (with Ransom Wilson conducting), she received a standing ovation from flutists attending the National Flute Association Convention. Spencer has appeared in solo performances at the Moscow Alternativa Festival and the ICMC in Beijing, China, as well as throughout the United States. She has recorded for the Bridge, GM Recordings, New World, CRI, Innova, and Neuma labels. An exciting repertoire of pieces has been written for her, including the title work of one of her solo CDs, Thea Musgrave’s Narcissus and Kairos (new works by Thea Musgrave and Judith Shatin) on Neuma Records. In May 2005, Spencer was honored by the League of Composers/International Society for Contemporary Music, for a distinguished career in performance across a broad range of repertoire and for her commitment to new music. She teaches flute and chamber music at Bard College and Hofstra University. # # # (1/25/06)

This event was last updated on 02-17-2006

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