Chamber Music on the Fox celebrates 10 years with concert
Chamber Music on the Fox will offer a free concert to celebrate the organization’s 10th anniversary of bringing world class chamber ensemble performances to the Fox Valley.
“A Concert for Elgin” will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25, at Elgin Community College’s Blizzard Theatre, 1700 Spartan Drive, Building H, Elgin. Tickets are free, but must be reserved through the ECC Arts Center website, www.eccartscenter.org/events.
The Chamber Music on the Fox Players will be joined for this concert by Pedro Diaz, English hornist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, who will perform the world premiere of Santos Cato’s “Sonatina for English Horn and Piano,” a piece written specifically for Diaz. Heralded as evocative, eloquent, and expressive, Diaz is considered one of the preeminent players of his generation.
“We are very excited to bring Pedro Diaz and this world premiere to Elgin and, thanks to the generosity of Seigle Foundation and Elgin Community College, to be able to offer the performance for free as a token of appreciation to the community that has supported Chamber Music on the Fox for the past decade,” said Mark Fry, co-founder and artistic director.
Of the premiere piece, Diaz said, “Santos, a prolific composer who resides in Ensenada, Mexico, has strong connections to Italy, having attended school in Rome. These international influences add depth to the pieces we'll be performing.”
The concert will also include works by Arthur Honneger, David Chesky, and Gaetano Donizetti.
“What adds a particular importance to this performance is that I'll have the privilege of performing Honegger's ‘Concerto da camera’ with Scott Metlicka as a co-soloist, alongside the Chamber Music on the Fox Chamber Players. We will also be accompanied by the wonderful pianist Liang-yu Wang. It's an incredible opportunity, and I can't wait to share this musical experience with our audience,” Daiz said.
The Chamber Music on the Fox Chamber Players include violinists Eric Pidluski and Emily Nash, violist Bruno Silva, cellist Sara Sitzer, and bassist Tim Shaffer.
Donizetti’s Concertino in F Major, a piece dating back to 1816, holds special importance to Diaz, who discovered the original solo and orchestral parts for the piece several years ago at the Museo Internazionale e Biblioteca della Musica in Bologna, Italy, while on a research trip. The discovery, Diaz said, “adds a special historical dimension to our performance.”
Chamber Music on the Fox was founded 10 years ago by Fry, a trombonist, and cellist Sara Sitzer to bring chamber music ensembles — often featuring internationally renowned musicians — to intimate settings across the Fox Valley. Today, Chamber Music on the Fox offers concerts not only in the Elgin area, but also in Aurora and Woodstock.
“We are incredibly grateful for the community’s support that has fueled our success,” Fry said.
About Chamber Music on the Fox
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Chamber Music on the Fox is a world class chamber music series serving the Fox Valley region.
Along with the subscription series that runs from October through May, Chamber Music on the Fox also offers three free family concerts each summer in partnership with Lords Park Zoo, as well as an annual celebration of the arts thanks to the support of Seigle Foundation. It relies on generous donations from individuals, sponsorships, grants, and ticket sales.
To learn more or support the nonprofit, visit www.chambermusiconthefox.org. For updates, follow @ChamberMusicOnTheFox on Instagram and Facebook.
About Pedro Diaz
Pedro R. Diaz joined The Metropolitan Opera in 2005 and has performed as a solo English hornist in hundreds of productions. As a sought-after teacher, Diaz has lectured at the top music conservatories, including The Julliard School, The Manhattan School of Music, The Eastman School of Music, The Hartt School of Music, and Duquesne University.
A native of Puerto Rico, he received his early musical training in the “Escuela Libre de Musica,” an esteemed public school for the performing arts. He has performed as a guest artist with The Chicago Symphony, Dallas, Pittsburgh, and The New York Philharmonic, among others.
Diaz has performed the opera “Tristan und Isolde” by Richard Wagner 16 times in three different productions under the baton of James Levine, Daniel Barenboim, and Sir Simon Rattle.
About Santos Cato
Santos Cota, from Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, is a pianist and composer whose studies were conducted in the United States, Mexico, and Italy. He graduated in 1988 as a concert pianist at the Saint Cecily Conservatory in Rome, Italy. Since then, he has devoted himself extensively to chamber music and has offered recitals in the United States, Mexico, Italy and Spain. He has also been very active as a composer, premiering his work in different contemporary music forums. His works have been premiered by the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra.
He teaches at the Escuela de Artes (School of Arts), Universidad Autonomo de Baja California (UABC).