The Bad Plus

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 AT 8:00 PM

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013 AT 8:00 PM

Alexander String Quartet

The ALEXANDER STRING QUARTET has been performing together for more than three decades and has secured its standing among the world’s premier ensembles. The quartet is recognized for its cohesion, vivacity and virtuosic performances. In its first appearance in the Music at Amherst Chamber Series, the Alexander Quartet will play quartets by Haydn, Shostakovich and Schubert.

“ They were, to put it simply, terrific of tone, virtuosity and balance.” — San Francisco Chronicle

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 AT 8:00 PM

THE BOSTON CAMERATA is a pioneer in the contemporary performance of early music. Celebrated for their ambitious programs executed with exquisite tone and balance, the ensemble was commissioned to develop its newest major production: The Lady Mass of Guillaume de Machaut, in celebration of the 800th anniversary of the Reims Cathedral. It is considered a profound vision of medieval spirituality. This program, set alongside Gregorian chants, will receive its American premiere at Amherst.

“ An exceptional event . . . ravishing . . . suave timbres, luminous interplay of voices, perfect balances, supple melismas, pure diction.” — L’Union (Reims, France)

Inuit throat singer TANYA TAGAQ’s signature style emerges from the intersection of impro-visation, tradition, passion and invention. Her mesmerizing work is abstract, evoking images from nature, and her power and skill have led to collaborations with pop icon Björk and the cutting-edge Kronos Quartet. Tanya Tagaq brings her trio to Amherst (Jesse Zubot, violin, and Jean Martin, percussion) for an evening of extraordinary and innovative music.

For the past 10 years, THE BAD PLUS has broken down the walls of jazz convention and created a body of work that has secured its place at the forefront of a new instrumental music movement. Drawing audiences from across genres, the trio performs original works and reimagined works of pop, rock, country and classical artists. At Amherst, The Bad Plus will perform a sampling of its own music as well as its avant-garde reworking of a classical masterpiece in On Sacred Ground: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2013 AT 8:00 PM

The Music at Amherst Chamber Series begins its 35th anniversary season by welcoming the CALDER QUARTET to the Buckley stage. Called “outstanding” and “superb” by The New York Times, the Juilliard-trained quartet is known for its musical curiosity and the immediacy and context it brings to its artfully crafted performances. The Calder Quartet will kick off a weekend-long residency celebrating the art of the string quartet at Amherst with a perfor-mance of Mozart, Beethoven and Ravel.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 AT 8:00 PM

Internationally acclaimed MacArthur “Genius” MEREDITH MONK is regarded as both a “magician of the voice” and “one of America’s coolest composers.” Her wordless music embod-ies an alchemical mixture of technical virtuosity, poignant directness, interpretive suppleness and palpable excitement. Monk’s performance at Amherst will reflect her groundbreaking technique and profound understanding of the voice’s flexibility and expressive depth.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2012 AT 8:00 PM

Meredith Monk

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2012 AT 3:00 PM

American pianist JONATHAN BISS is celebrated for his artistry, musical intelligence and deeply felt interpretations of a broad repertoire. Described by The New Yorker as playing with “unerring sophistication,” Biss has won international recognition for his recitals, chamber music and recordings. At Amherst, he will perform solo works by Schumann, Beethoven and Berg.

“ The quartet plays with assurance, focus, and guts.” — Hartford Courant“ Biss radiates a confidence solidly based on prodigious technique, energy never needing recharging, and a stylistic perception both intuitive and intelligent.” — The Washington Post

“ A composer, singer and theater artist for whom experimentation has led to wondrous discovery, Monk conjures up a spectrum of colorful and evocative sounds from her one-of-a-kind vocal instrument. The results are haunting, poignant, terrifying and sometimes screamingly funny.”— The Plain Dealer

FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013 AT 8:00 PM

Virtuosic German violinist CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF joins forces with cellist TANJA TETZLAFF, pianist ALEXANDER LONQUICH and clarinetist and composer JÖRG WIDMANN to close the Chamber Series’ 35th anniversary season. Tetzlaff is known for his musical integrity, technical assurance and intelligent, compelling interpretations. He is internationally recognized as one of the most important violinists of his generation. The ensemble will take on many forms at Amherst to perform works by Widmann, Mozart and Messiaen.

Tetzlaff Ensemble

“ … what ultimately moves people is the emotional openness and deep sincerity of Tetzlaff ’s playing.” — The Boston Globe

Calder QuartetJonathan Biss,piano The Boston Camerata

“ By turns cerebral, visceral and disarmingly emotive, pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King boast a rare onstage magnetism that transcends genre.”— Time Out New York

Tanya Tagaq Trio

“ Calling Tanya Tagaq an Inuit throat singer is like calling Yo-Yo Ma a cello player. Sure, it’s accurate, but it’s not the whole of what he does. Like Ma, Tagaq is the best of what she does — innovative, inspired.”— National Post (Canada)

SUBSCRIBE NOW to receive:➨ The best seats at the best prices➨ Priority reservation privileges for additional tickets to individual concerts ➨ A guaranteed seat, even when the “Sold Out” sign goes up➨ Personalized service and ticket insurance

SINGLE EVENT TICKETS go on sale two weeks before each performance:

CHAMBER SERIESGeneral Public: $28 Senior Citizens (65+) and Amherst College Employees: $22Students, with valid ID: $12

PARALLELS SERIESGeneral Public: $18 Senior Citizens (65+) and Amherst College Employees: $12Students, with valid ID: $10

Tickets are nonrefundable, and programs and dates are subject to change. Buckley Recital Hall has limited wheelchair-accessible seating.

For further information, please contact the Concert Office at (413) 542-2195 or concerts@amherst.edu.

A complete list of upcoming events can be found on the Amherst College Music Department website at www.amherst.edu/music.

Just one night after kicking off the Chamber Series, the CALDER QUARTET launches the 2012–2013 Parallels season. Widely regarded for its commitment to discovering, commis-sioning and mentoring some of today’s best emerging composers, the Quartet expands its work beyond the realm of contemporary classical music, spanning both genre and art form. The Calder Quartet’s Parallels performance will take listeners on a journey through contem-porary string quartet composition, featuring works by Philip Glass, Andrew Norman, JacobTV, Daniel Wohl and Jacob Cooper.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2012 AT 8:00 PM

Calder Quartet

“ As far as classical string quartets go, the four gentlemen of the Calder Quartet are as close as it comes to rock stars.”— WNYC

Funded in part by the Expeditions program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the six New England state arts agencies.Subscribers are guaranteed seats to this free bonus concert!