One of the world's leading chamber orchestras is missing just one thing--a conductor.
One of the world's leading chamber orchestras is missing just one thing--a conductor.
But that is the way Camerata Sweden has been performing for more than 25 years. The group will showcase its talents at Hope College on Friday, April 4, at 8 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel, the last event in the 2002-03 Great Performance Series.
The program will feature works from several European countries, including Ludwig van Beethoven's "String quartet B-flat major, Op. 130," and pieces by Johan Svendsen, Carl Nielsen, and Heinrich von Biber.
Camerata Sweden is known for its characteristic interpretation of enchanting beauty and musical balance. "There's elegance, bravura, triumphant collaboration," the "New York Times" has said.
This ensemble has captivated audiences around the globe with its renditions of Scandinavian composers from the Baroque period to the 21st century. The chamber group has already recorded extensively and received high critical acclaim from the "American Record Guide": "Their playing is a delight--crisp--bright and expressive!"
Camerata Sweden's live performances have also garnered great reviews. "They are outstandingly good, practiced and magnetic in performance," said "Musical Opinion" of the United Kingdom.
The praise is all the more amazing since the members work without a conductor, instead focusing on a sensitivity to one another in performance, and building on their long collaboration as a group.
The ensemble's associate director is Terje Toennesen, violinist and winner of the Grieg Prize. Toennesen is currently concertmaster of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. When he made his debut at age 17, the Norwegian press described it as "so dazzling, that it was almost unparalleled."
"Guia Sao Joao" of Sao Paulo, Brazil, has said, "An excellent leader, Terje Toennesen, also a violinist beyond comparison, together with a group of outstanding musicians, makes Camerata Sweden one of the best music ensembles today."
Additional information about the group may be obtained online by visiting www13.calypso.net/lansmusiken or the Great Performance Series Web site located at www.hope.edu/arts.
Tickets for Camerata Sweden's performance are $14 for regular adult admission, $12 for senior citizens, and $5 for children 18 and under. Tickets will be on sale on Wednesday-Friday, April 2-4, at the theatre lobby box office in the DeWitt Center.
The ticket office will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890. Tickets will also be available at the door.
Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located on College Avenue at 12th Street.