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Dr. Paul Nitsch, FOM Artistic Director |
The Friends of Music recognizes chamber music as a medium of artistic expression that embraces an intimacy of expression. At its best, chamber music is what one may describe as “the ideal democracy.” In fact, chamber music is defined as music which is written for two to approximately ten performers, with the stipulation that only one player performs each part, normally without a conductor. (This is different than an orchestra, where there are several players per part, normally with a conductor who makes all the musical decisions.)
This allows each performer an equal say in the production of all aspects of the performance. The “ideal” quality extends to the ultimate moment, The Performance! This is when each participant, regardless of how well or not agreeable the inter-relationships between the personalities may be, must be equally responsible for the finest presentation of the product possible at every moment. The result must be at the highest level, regardless. Egos must be completely abandoned to the performance.
And so, chamber music may be seen to reflect the human being at its highest potential - politically, personally, artistically. As the Friends of Music Chamber Music Series at Queens embraces all genres of music which is presented without conductor, one player to a part, including the “classical” composers, Bluegrass, the Blues, Jazz genres and beyond, it is these ideals as well as the wonderful concerts, the educational programs and the assistance to the Music Department at Queens, that the Friends of Music aspires to bring to the quality of life in the greater Charlotte community. ~ Dr. Paul Nitsch, Artist-in-Residence
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
In my opinion, music is a gift to the human race and perhaps to other species as well. Music for me is a way to connect my life events to my soul. Music can communicate in ways that words cannot. It can help me articulate my feelings, both joyous and sad.
Although virtually all of us can produce music, some have a very special gift, the ability to produce music of superb quality and craftsmanship. It may be a bluegrass music performer, a pianist, a singer, a string player or one of another instrument. But the talent, combined with the evidence of discipline, can produce music at a very high quality. This is the kind of music that the Friends of Music brings to Queens. In response to many requests, we have returned to a Saturday evening schedule. Please accept this gift from the Friends of Music and enjoy these concerts.
In order to promote the gift of music, the Friends of Music at Queens works to support Queens and the Music Department in many ways. For example, the Marian Anderson String Quartet will spend extra time at Queens, meet with a large number of the students, and help them explore how music was such a vital component in the progress toward equality achieved by Marian Anderson. Recently we have built an endowment fund for discretionary needs of the Music Department. That endowment is now of sufficient size to make distributions every year! We are also working with the Music Department to make up to $10,000 in grants for each of the next two years.
A true bearer of the gift of music is Queens’ own Dr. Paul Nitsch, our new Artist- in-Residence. In this capacity, Paul will share his talents as a pianist and as a teacher with our whole community. As the Artistic Director of the Friends of Music at Queens, Paul has been the constant leader for more than 20 years. Watch for a return of the Queens Chamber Players featuring Paul Nitsch on piano along with other fine musicians.
This season we are privileged to bring world-renowned pianist, Leon Fleisher, who was Paul Nitsch’s teacher. The March 29, 2008 performance is an extremely rare opportunity to experience this man of immense talent, sensitivity, and discipline. Having regained the use of both hands, after many unsuccessful treatments, Fleischer is performing again at age 78. Mark your calendars and do not miss this performance! Call or email us with any questions.
~ Carol Douglas, FOM President
The Friends of Music at Queens was established in 1983 with a mission to support a chamber music concert series at Queens and to provide financial assistance for special needs of the Queens Department of Music. The initial idea to form the Friends of Music came from then Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Cynthia H. Tyson. Dr. George Stegner, then Chair of the Music Department, gathered a group of interested local people to form the first Board of Directors, with Kathryn Preyer serving as President.
The first season of performances was fall, 1983, to spring, 1984. The newly formed Garth Newel Piano Trio, the in-residence performing ensemble for the Garth Newel Music Center in Hot Springs, Virginia, performed all four concerts without compensation. The reasons are that the pianist, Paul Nitsch, still a member of the Queens piano faculty, had become Pianist for the Garth Newel Trio, along with the other members, Arlene and Luca DiCecco, who had lived in Charlotte for many years and served as faculty members in the music department at the University of North Carolina/Charlotte. They had been sponsored by local businessman Oliver Rowe to form the Rowe String Quartet, which had had a successful career of national fame, and were delighted at an opportunity to return to Charlotte to “give back” some of the generosity they felt they had received.
The Garth Newel Trio performed subsequently each season for the next three, each year one fewer concerts, as the series began to develop funding to expand the configuration of the concert events into more varied ensemble presentations, with increasing numbers of nationally and internationally-recognized touring chamber ensembles being presented at Queens to the chamber music loving community. In all, the Garth Newel Trio performed ten “gratis” concerts in an effort to help stabilize the Friends of Music. The series continues into its 25th season, usually with the original plan of four concert presentations per season.
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