The opening of the Boise Phil Chamber Players Uncorked Series takes place at Boise’s Egyptian Theatre on Sunday, January 27, 2019 at 2pm. Melissa Bagwell, vocalist, will be featured in composer William Walton’s Façade, a composition that puts to music Edith Sitwell’s poems in unique and colorful ways. The second season of Uncorked provides a unique afternoon—not just a musical afternoon but a stimulating social event too.
The Uncorked experience begins an hour before the concert, when Music Director Eric Garcia and the day’s performers can meet each other and interact while enjoying a glass of wine, beer or other beverage at the Egyptian. Then, following the concert, the new Boise Co-op Uncorked Wine Bar will offer concert goers the opportunity to enjoy some more drinks and continue their conversations.
Part of what makes the Boise Phil Chamber Players Uncorked Series so special is the interesting pieces selected by Music Director Eric Garcia. Maestro Garcia talked about the unique performance that will anchor the afternoon, saying “-William Walton’s Façadecould be best identified today as a kind of jazzy, cabaret, British rap! Our guest narrator, Boise soprano Melissa Bagwell, will recite a series of seventeen nonsensical and fantastical poems by Dame Edith Sitwell – all in notated rhythm (no pitches). She will be accompanied by a seven-piece ensemble that will provide music that is at times jazzy, at times cabaret, and at times Rossini! This piece has something for everyone. We can’t wait!”.
Melissa Bagwell, Boise resident and guest vocalist on Façade, brings her voicing talents to this highly unusual and creative piece. A gifted soprano soloist, she has performed with Opera Idaho, the Boise Classical Revolution and The Boise Baroque Chamber Orchestra. A big part of the performance rests on Melissa’s voicing skills, which can be heard on commercial for some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Microsoft, Pandora Jewelry, Facebook, Nabisco and many others. Her voice can also be recognized on commercials for Idaho’s own, Treasure Valley Albertson’s stores.
This is Melissa’s first time working with the Boise Phil Chamber Players. Melissa said, “I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting performance with the Boise Phil. The music and poetry is simply fantastic and will be unlike anything most people have experienced before. While Walton’s score is very fun and accessible with familiar styles people will recognize, the poems are all over the map. There is everything from haunting storytelling, fantastical creatures, great characters and nonsensical fun. It has been a joy and a welcome artistic challenge putting all of this together.”
Beginning the program for the opening concert of the Boise Phil Chamber Players Uncorked Series is a composition by contemporary French composer Guillaume Connesson. Double Quatuor was written in 1994 and allows the Boise Phil Chamber Players a chance to showcase a piece utilizing the flexible instrumentation of the group. Maestro Garcia said about it, “-I absolutely love Connesson’s music. It’s melodic, highly rhythmic, quirky, fun, and impossible to resist. Double Quatuor is a high energy concert-opener that features all of these characteristics plus fierce interplay between a raucous woodwind and string double quartet.”
The Boise Phil Chamber Players Uncorked Series is an excellent opportunity to hear “out of the box” classical pieces that are stimulating, interesting and certainly not part of the standard repertoire. These gems allow patrons to hear a side of classical music they may not be familiar with. In addition, the Uncorked Series features a very different atmosphere, stimulating discussion and enjoyment of the music through interaction with the musicians. The intimacy of the Egyptian Theatre (and the Esther Simplot Performing Arts Academy for part of the series) brings concertgoers into a different, more personal setting and experience.
The Boise Philharmonic has several smaller groups under their auspices, performing everything from duos and trios to jazz-tinged ensembles. The first Uncorked season successfully introduced the concept and this new season promises to be not only a chance to hear great music but also a chance to enjoy the music in a relaxed atmosphere that’s both fun and educational. Before and after the actual performance,Uncorked lets the community and the musicians get to know each other and find out what motivates some to listen and some to perform.
Boise Phil Chamber Players Uncorked Series
Uncorked #1: Façade
Sunday, January 27, 2019, 2:00 pm
Egyptian Theatre, 700 W Main St, Boise, ID 83702
Guillaume Connesson: Double Quatuor
William Walton: Façade
Melissa Bagwell, soloist
Advance single tickets start at $15, $10 for students. Tickets at door are $25. Uncorke d Series packages start at $54, $40 for students and include admission to all four 2018-19 Uncorked Series concerts.
Boise Phil website
Photos courtesy of the Boise Philharmonic
