Joel Peterson Ensemble
Friday, May 10, 2019, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Joel Peterson is a composer, musician and art facilitator based in Detroit. In his 25-year career, he has explored and encompassed methods and traditions of music-making from traditional and popular forms to experimental and classical works. His compositions have been performed by members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Michigan Opera Theater and New Music Detroit, which performed in 2017 for Pro Musica of Detroit. This season’s program features works by Mr. Peterson for classic chamber ensembles, including Freedom of Assembly.
Mr. Peterson has performed in the United States and Europe. He studied double-bass with Detroit Symphony Orchestra Principal Robert Gladstone and Dan Pliskow, as well as guitar with John Denome. He is a founding member of ensembles that include Immigrant Suns, Scavenger Quartet, Lac La Belle, Odu Afrobeat, Xenharmonic Gamelan, and BoxDeserter. Sharing his appreciation for the arts with, he has programmed music and art in Detroit for 16 years, including events at Bohemian National Home from 2005-2008. Joel Peterson was awarded a Kresge Arts Fellowship in 2010. In 2013, he founded the performance space, art gallery and café, Trinosophes.
Click here for Joel Peterson Ensemble concert tickets at DSO.org.
Previously this season, we enjoyed an evening with…
The Bergmann Duo
On November 2, 2018, pianists Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann thrilled Pro Musica of Detroit with a stellar performance. The Bergmanns have performed together since 1989, winning international competitions and thrilling audiences as solo performers and featured artists with orchestras. Their repertoire ranges from the baroque to the contemporary and includes original arrangements and compositions. Their program for Pro Musica is entitled, “Bernstein, Bach and Beyond.”
Among their professional accomplishments, the Bergmann Duo received first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in Caltanissetta, Italy, and were Laureates of the 4th Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition. As founding members of the International Piano Quartet, Elizabeth and Marcel are committed to supporting the production of new repertoire. The duo has commissioned and premiered works by Canadian composers, including Allan Gordon Bell and John Abram. They also created a remarkable series of studio recordings for the CBC in Canada and ARD in Germany, as well as National Public Radio in the United States.
In addition to their performing careers, the Bergmanns enjoy teaching, lecturing and serving as jury members of international competitions. They serve as Artistic Directors of White Rock Concerts and as Directors of Concerts at the Langley Community Music School in British Columbia.
Previously this season, we enjoyed an evening with…
Sphinx Soloists
Violinist Hannah White and Cellist Sterling Elliott, Laureates of the Sphinx Competition, will perform solo works and duets for cello and violin, ranging from the Baroque period to 20th century. Their program is entitled: “Sphinx Unplugged: From Davos to Detroit,” reflecting their recent performance with the Sphinx Virtuosi at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, followed by their recent competition performances at the 2019 Sphinx Competition.
Joining the artists in their Pro Musica program is pianist Yuki Mack, who will accompany them on “One Foot in the Dark,” a contemporary work by Detroit composer Harriet Steinke.
The 1st Place Laureate of the 2015 Sphinx Competition Junior Division, Hannah White, age 17, has been playing the violin nine years. Hannah is a merit scholarship recipient and a member of the Music Institute of Chicago Academy. She performed solo with many orchestras, including the Milwaukee Symphony, Madison Symphony, Sphinx Symphony, and the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago.
The winner of the 2019 Sphinx Competition Senior Division and the 1st Place Laureate of the 2014 Sphinx Competition Junior Division, Sterling Elliott, age 18, began his cello studies at the age of three. Currently studying at the Juilliard School, Sterling has soloed with many orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Symphony, Virginia Symphony, the New World Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra.
The Sphinx Organization was founded in 1997 by Aaron P. Dworkin, then a graduate student at University of Michigan, to address the stark under-representation of people of color in classical music. The organization has helped hundreds of talented young people develop as students and professional artists.
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