Program Notes

Review in Birmingham News

Poster

Southern Danceworks presents Spring Dances

The performance will include the world premiere of Quips and Cranks, which blends viola, violin, and a variety of percussion instruments along with the use of electronics in a dynamic score performed onstage with dancers.

 June 4 & 6, 2010

San Francisco, California
Old First Church
1751 Sacramento Street
8:00 P.M. June 4
4:00 P.M. June 6

Paul Dresher Ensemble Double Duo

Karen Bentley Pollick, violin
Lisa Moore, piano, electric keyboard
Joel Davel, percussion, marimba lumina
Paul Dresher, quadrachord & electric guitar

The Bay Area debut of the Dresher Ensemble’s newest chamber music grouping–the Double Duo–features a program of challenging and exciting contemporary acoustic, electro-acoustic and invented instrument compositions by Paul Dresher, Sam Adams, and Martin Bresnick. The Double Duo features Dresher performing on electric guitar and his remarkable 15 foot-long invented stringed instrument, the Quadrachord, long-time Ensemble percussionist Joel Davel on the miraculous Marimba Lumina, virtuoso violinist Karen Bentley Pollick and pianist Lisa Moore, the noted contemporary music soloist and founding and long-time member of the Bang on A Can All Stars. Performing in various combinations of duo, trio and quartet, the Double Duo’s repertory highlights very recent works by Martin Bresnick (Bird As Prophet) and Sam Adams (John Adams’ very talented young son) composed specifically for Bentley Pollick and Moore, Dresher and Davel, performing their invented instrument duo Glimpsed From Afar (recently performed twice with the Los Angeles Philharmonic) as well long-time favorite Dresher compositions such as the trio Double Ikat, the duo Elapsed Time and a new quartet version of Chorale Times Two.

August 14, 2010

Pepper Place
2901 2nd Avenue. South
Birmingham
9:00 P.M.

The Improvisor Festival

Karen Bentley Pollick, violin and viola
John Scalici, Percussion
Sharrif Simmons, Spoken Word (myspace link)

September 7 – September 10, 2010

Birmingham, Alabama
Vulcan Park and Museum
1701 Valley View Drive
11:30 A.M.

Vulcanalia
A ballet in one act for violinist, percussionist and five dancers for Vulcan Park and Museum

Karen Bentley Pollick, violin
Grant Dalton, percussion
Roger van Fleteren, Choreographer
Phillip Ratliff, Composer

September 9, 2010

Birmingham, Alabama
Samford University
Brock Recital Hall
7:30 P.M.

Review in Birmingham News

BAMA 2010-2011 Opening Concert: Quirks and Quartet

Quirks and Quartet consists of pieces for small ensemble: solos, duos, a trio, and a quartet. As always, the program includes an eclectic mix of works with something for everyone.

Josh Crowe: Quirktet, performed by Karen Bentley Pollick, Julia Sakharova, Gabirel Schlaffer, and Craig Hultgren

Ed Robertson: Reflections, performed by Lori Ardovino

J. Cooper Schrimsher: Field of Dreams, performed by Karen Bentley Pollick and Kathryn Fouse

Aurelia Gooden: Allegro in F minor, performed by the composer

Dorothy Hindman: Jerusalem Windows, performed by Karen Bentley Pollick, Craig Hultgren, and Kathryn Fouse

Monroe Golden: 81, performed by Adam Bowles

Jan Vičar: Musica da Canzonetta, performed by Karen Bentley Pollick and Abraham Becker

September 25, 2010

Artburst
Unitarian Universalist Church
4300 Hampton Height Drive
Birmingham
8:00 to 10:00 P.M.

CD Release Event
Rosas de Pulpa, the Music of Valdo Sciammarella

Featuring soprano Diane McNaron, the CREDO piano quartet performers: violinist Karen Bentley Pollick, violist Melanie Rogers, cellist Craig Hultgren and pianist Adam Bowlers; Argentine studies speaker Kelly C. Jensen. Live performances, tracks from CD, stories about Argentina and its noted eighty-six year old composer, Valdo Sciammarella.

September 26, 2010

Alys Stephens Center Kids’ Club
Reynolds-Kirshbaum Recital Hall
1200 10th Avenue South
Birmingham
1:30 P.M. and 3:00 P.M.

Karen Bentley Pollick, violin and viola
John Scalici, Percussion
Germaul Barnes, Choreographer