Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and composer Ned Rorem perform at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts | Press Releases

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, joined by the distinguished composer Ned Rorem, performs at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, Saturday, May 4 at 8 p.m. An "Art to Heart" discussion with Rorem precedes the show from 7 p.m. to 7:40 p.m.

The three-part program begins and ends with Mozart compositions for wind instruments. They are: "Suite from 'Don Giovanni' for Winds" and "Serenade for Winds in C Minor." The middle portion of the program features the world premiere of "Another Sleep" for baritone and piano, a piece written by Rorem as a memorial to a close companion who passed away. Based on the prose and poetry of 14 different authors, "Another Sleep" moves from a theme of nostalgia, loss and frustration to one of renewal. The work, completed in 2000, was commissioned by the Chamber Music Society. Baritone Kurt Ollmann and pianist Scott Dunn perform.

Image: David Shifrin Rorem has been called "the world's best composer of art songs," by Time magazine, but his talents extend well beyond that genre. Born in 1923 in Richmond, Ill., he studied at the Julliard School in New York, was a student of Aaron Copeland's at Tanglewood and studied composition with Virgil Thomson. He has composed 300 songs, a dozen orchestral compositions, seven operas, three ballets, four symphonies and three piano concertos, as well as music for choral and chamber ensembles. He has also authored 15 books, including a half-dozen acclaimed volumes of diaries. His accolades include a Pulitzer prize for the 1976 composition, "Air Music," a Fulbright Scholarship, two Guggenheim Fellowships and a Ford Foundation Fellowship.

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, under the artistic direction of David Shifrin, is comprised of 18 artist members who are joined throughout the season by guest artists. In addition to Ollmann and Dunn, the May 4 performance features: William Purvis and William Ver Meulen, horns; Stephen Taylor and Allan Vogel, oboes; Shifrin and Bill Jackson, clarinets; Frank Morelli and Milan Turkovic, bassoons; and Edgar Meyer, bass.

Tickets to the performance are $30, with discounts available for seniors, students and groups. For tickets or more information, call the box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396.