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Jazz Notes: Gershwin Piano Concerto

Jazz Notes: Gershwin Piano Concerto

Whether first or 10th-generation Americans, virtually all of us come from someplace else, carrying the heartbeat and soul of our ancestry. We express this in our traditions, cuisine, culture, and music—all “jazzified” in a unique fusion of old and new.

The same is true for America’s greatest composers, whose music expresses their connections to their pasts, in entirely original ways. The rhythm and harmony of Samuel Barber’s string quartet (encompassing the powerfully moving “Adagio for Strings”) and Lembit Beecher’s heartfelt Stories From My Grandmother contain threads anchored in the past but driven by a new energy that propels their musical past into the present and future.

George Gershwin brings all of this together in his 1925 Piano Concerto, fusing Jewish and Eastern-European folk and Klezmer traditions with African and Caribbean influences in a full-fledged celebration of America’s truly new music: jazz! Experience this in a new chamber version arranged and performed by the astounding Kit Armstrong!

Reed College, Kaul Auditorium
Thursday, 7/2 • 8:00 pm

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Program

Click on any piece of music below to learn more about it.

SAMUEL BARBER String Quartet in B Minor, Op. 11

SAMUEL BARBER (1910–1981) String Quartet in B Minor, Op. 11 (19’)
   
I. Molto allegro e appassionato
II. Molto adagio
III. Molto allegro

 

LEMBIT BEECHER “Stories From My Grandmother” (2009)

LEMBIT BEECHER (b. 1980)
Stories From My Grandmother (2009) (10’)

I. It was like a, like a lighting
II. Slow Memory

Stories From My Grandmother is a two movement suite excerpted from a 50-minute documentary oratorio called And Then I Remember. The oratorio weaves recorded interviews that I conducted with my grandmother with music performed by a soprano soloist, small chorus, solo double bass and chamber ensemble. The piece follows the story of my grandmother, Taimi Lepasaar, who was born in Estonia in 1922 and survived both the Russian and German occupations of Estonia during World War II before escaping the country near the end of the war, eventually making it to the United States. The two movements of Stories From My Grandmother are instrumental reflections on my grandmother’s stories. The first movement, It was Like a, Like a Lightning, tries to capture the visceral energy, fear and mournful sadness of one particular story, a portion of which I am including below:

And then, was the summer 1940 and I was in Alatskivi with my grandparents. In the evening, there was a dance. About 6’o’clock we left the farm and we went to the castle to dance together. It was about 9:30… the music stopped.. and the announcement came that the Russian troops have come over Lake Peipsi; the Russian army is coming towards this castle, towards us. We ask you all to take your bicycles and go home. And then was Estonia was conquered. 1940, that summer. It was like a, like a lightning, like somebody had hit you on the back. And then we all rode quietly, it was a… June night. The moon was lighting the road, but the hearts were heavy. And we drove home and went to the farm, but the farm was far away from the highway up on the hill. Next morning we were all standing there on the fence under the big linden trees, watching how the Russian army, marched along that highway towards Tartu, towards our city, and this moment we shared together. You know, it seemed that all the dreams were broken.

The second movement, Slow Memory, was not inspired by a specific story but is instead a meditation on memory and my grandmother’s way of storytelling. It tries to capture the mix of emotion and matter-of-factness within her voice; the moments of gentle lilt and the moments of struggle, in which a feeling of sadness seems to break through the veil of her words.

Lembit Beecher

GEORGE GERSHWIN Piano Concerto (Trans. Kit Armstrong)

GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898–1937) Piano Concerto (35’) (Trans. Kit Armstrong)
 
I. Allegro
II. Adagio - Andante con moto
III. Allegro agitato

Artists

Kit Armstrong Kit Armstrong Piano/Organ

Ever since Kit Armstrong entered the international music stage twenty years ago, his activities have exerted an enduring fascination upon music lovers. He performs recitals in major series, appears with the world’s finest orchestras, and has developed close artistic partnerships with leading instrumentalists and vocalists. He has held artist-in-residence appointments incorporating a wide spectrum of musical formats, combining his roles as composer, pianist, conductor, and organist. His project, Expedition Mozart, traverses Mozart’s music in various genres with an international group of distinguished chamber musicians and soloists—and has become a main feature at prestigious festivals and venues.

Armstrong came to classical music through composition at the age of five. He has since created a broad oeuvre of vocal, instrumental, chamber, and symphonic works, many of which have been commissioned by notable European cultural institutions. His compositions are published by Edition Peters.

Born in 1992 in California, USA, Armstrong pursued undergraduate studies in physics at California State University, chemistry, and mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania and mathematics at Imperial College London. Alfred Brendel has guided Armstrong as a musical mentor since 2005. In 2008, he earned a bachelor’s degree in music at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and in 2012 a master’s degree in pure mathematics at the University of Paris VI.

In 2012, Kit Armstrong purchased the Church of Sainte-Thérèse in Hirson, France, and transformed it into a hall for concerts, exhibitions, and outreach. This cultural centre has become home to interdisciplinary projects, reaching a regional as well as cosmopolitan public.

Artist's Website


Upcoming Concerts & Events

Yoko Greeney Yoko Greeney Piano

Collaborative pianist and chamber music visionary Yoko Greeney has been hailed as “one of the most significant members in Portland’s classical music scene” (Oregon ArtsWatch). Her multifaceted career—spanning directing, performing, teaching, and community engagement—reflects a deep commitment to artistic excellence and accessibility.

Celebrated for her sensitivity and stylistic range, Greeney is a sought-after collaborator who has performed at such noted venues as the Aspen Music Festival, Bard Music Festival, and California State University Summer Arts, to name a few. Since settling in Portland, Oregon in 2010, she has shared the stage with a variety of groups, including the Oregon Symphony, Chamber Music Northwest, 45th Parallel Universe, Oregon Ballet Theater, BodyVox, and Third Angle New Music, in addition to several live performances and recording projects with All Classical Radio.

A dedicated music educator and arts innovator, Greeney is the Co-Founder and Director of SoundsTruck NW: a custom-built, solar-powered mobile venue that brings live music directly to communities across the region. Recognized as “the gold standard” among mobile stages (Portland Tribune), SoundsTruck NW was a finalist for the 2024 SXSW Innovation Awards in the Urban Design category and a two-time prize winner at the 2024 International Sound Awards in Hamburg, Germany.

Originally from Osaka, Japan, Greeney has followed a global path—living and working in cities across Japan, Mexico, and the United States—before making Portland her home. She holds a master’s degree from the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University and currently teaches at Lewis & Clark College. Together with her husband, Jon, she is a dedicated advocate for the arts, culture, and education.


Upcoming Concerts & Events

Braizahn Jones Braizahn Jones Bass

Braizahn Jones is a double bassist, educator, and entrepreneur based in Portland, Oregon. He serves as Assistant Principal Bass of the Oregon Symphony and is on the faculty at Portland State University and Reed College. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, he maintains a multifaceted career spanning orchestral performance, chamber music, and teaching.

As an orchestral musician, Jones has appeared extensively as a substitute with major ensembles including the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony, and has performed at festivals such as Chamber Music Northwest, the Oregon Bach Festival, the Bellingham Music Festival, and the Pacific Music Institute. He has performed with many of today’s leading conductors and soloists.

Jones has been on the faculty of the National Orchestral Institute since 2019. He is the founder of Umami Bass, an international workshop and performance initiative dedicated to bass pedagogy and community building. The project has hosted successful programs in Japan and the United States, with further expansion underway.

Known for his precise, detail-oriented teaching, Jones works with students at all levels to develop sound musical clarity, and artistic confidence. Through his work as a performer, teacher, and organizer, Jones aims to foster musical environments that value depth, curiosity, and meaningful collaboration.


Upcoming Concerts & Events

Wonkak Kim Wonkak Kim Clarinet

Korean clarinetist Wonkak Kim has earned international acclaim for his artistry, praised for his “excellent breath control” (The Washington Post) and “exuberant musicianship” (Fanfare). His extensive discography, released on labels including Naxos, MSR, Albany, and Navona, has received distinctions such as “Music US Choice” (BBC Music Magazine), “Recording of the Month” (MusicWeb International), “very highest quality” (Gramophone), and “Critic’s Choice” (American Record Guide). Known for performances that are both technically brilliant and deeply communicative, Kim has appeared on major stages across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. His work has also been featured internationally on Radio France, BBC Radio 3, Swedish Radio, ABC (Australia), Radio Classique Québec, RTHK (Hong Kong), KBS (Korea), and NPR stations throughout the United States.

Since his solo debut in 2008 with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic—performing Carl Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto, which The Washington Post praised as a “winner”—Kim has appeared as a soloist with orchestras on nearly 40 occasions across the United States, South Korea, and China. He was the first Korean clarinetist to perform Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto on basset clarinet in a nationally broadcast concert with the Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra in South Korea, and he has since presented the work more than a dozen times on that instrument. Most recently, he performed Mozart’s concerto with the Seoul Prodigy Orchestra at Carnegie Hall’s iconic Isaac Stern Auditorium. He will premiere and record Peter Lieuwen’s new clarinet concerto, Dancing Light, with the Texas Music Festival Orchestra in Houston in summer 2026.

Kim is a versatile chamber musician who has collaborated with leading artists and appeared at major festivals including Astoria, Bargemusic, Chamber Music Northwest, ISCM Pan Music (South Korea), Norfolk, OK Mozart, Oregon Bach Festival, and Osaka (Japan). He has explored the clarinet-and-strings repertoire from Mozart to Zwilich in performances with renowned ensembles such as the Grammy-winning Attacca and Parker Quartets and Prague’s Zemlinsky Quartet. As a founding member of the clarinet-violin-cello-piano quartet enhakē, now in its 17th season, Kim has toured internationally with highlights at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Osaka’s Izumi Hall, the Seoul Arts Center, and the Promising Artists of the 21st Century Series in Costa Rica under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State. The ensemble’s latest recording, Prepárense: The Piazzolla Project (MSR), received critical acclaim, with Fanfare praising its “near-miraculous” ensemble work and Gramophone lauding it as “sublime…gorgeous…infectious…striding proudly alongside the legendary recording by Piazzolla himself.”

An avid advocate for contemporary music, Kim has commissioned and premiered more than 100 solo and chamber works for the clarinet. Notable highlights include Libby Larsen’s Rodeo Queen of Heaven at Carnegie Hall, Steve Landis’s Thronateeska Concerto with enhakē and the Albany Symphony, Peter Lieuwen’s Bright River at ClarinetFest® in Madrid, Hyunjung Ahn’s A Beautiful Polonaise at Clarimania in Poland, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Abgang and Kaddish Quartet, David Crumb’s Nocturne, and Robert Kyr’s Reconciliation Trio at ClarinetFest® in Dublin. He gave the Korean premiere of Paul Moravec’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Tempest Fantasy at Seoul Arts Center before reprising it at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall with the composer in attendance. Since 2019, Kim has devoted much of his work to intercultural collaborations, commissioning and performing new pieces by Korean and Korean American composers worldwide. Recent projects include Juri Seo’s Arcade, Jean Ahn’s Blush, and Eunseon Yu’s Red Light! Green Light, later recorded on Arcade: Works by Female Korean Composers (MSR)—the first clarinet album comprised entirely of works by Korean composers. His performances of these works have appeared at international festivals and cultural events presented by Korean embassies and consulates, as well as on the Korean Foreign Ministry’s media channel. Kim’s visionary approach to intercultural collaboration and innovative programming led to his appointment as Artistic Director of the historic ClarinetFest® 2026 in South Korea, where he will oversee all aspect of the festival’s artistic planning.

Kim is Associate Professor of Clarinet at the University of Oregon School of Music, where he has taught since 2017 following six years at Tennessee Tech University, and in spring 2024 served as Visiting Professor of Clarinet and Chamber Music at the Korea National University of Arts in Seoul. Through his mentorship, Kim’s students have won prizes at major international competitions—including the International Clarinet Association, Cluj, Ghent, Jacques Lancelot, and Lisbon competitions—and gone on to hold positions in orchestras, military ensembles, and universities across the United States and abroad. He has received numerous faculty honors, including the Presidential Fellowship in Humanistic Studies (2020), and is regularly invited as a guest artist and teacher at leading institutions such as the Juilliard School, Tianjin Juilliard (China), Yale School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Sibelius Academy (Finland), and Korea National University of Arts. He has delivered more than 150 lectures at conferences and universities—including Harvard and Princeton—exploring clarinet performance, musicianship, and their connections to social and cultural issues, with one lecture featured in the award-winning documentary Slow News (2020), produced by Milan-based IK Production.

A native of South Korea, Kim grew up in Seoul and Paris and moved to the United States at the age of 15. The same year, he began studying clarinet with Kenneth Lee, a disciple of the legendary pedagogue Leon Russianoff. Kim subsequently attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a distinguished scholarship, where he studied clarinet with Donald Oehler and received degrees in mathematics and music. He continued his graduate studies with Dr. Frank Kowalsky, earning MM and DM degrees at Florida State University. In 2014, Kim was inducted into FSU’s Thirty Under 30 and became the College of Music’s sole recipient of Governor Reubin O’D. Askew Young Alumni Award, “the highest honor bestowed upon its young alumni” (FSU Alumni Association).

Kim is Buffet Crampon, Silverstein, and Vandoren Performing Artist and plays exclusively on Buffet Tosca Clarinet and Vandoren products.

Artist's Website


Upcoming Concerts & Events

  • Jazz Notes: Gershwin Piano Concerto   (currently selected)
Amelia Lukas Amelia Lukas Flute

“Known for her especially pure tone, flexible technique, and passionate performances,” (Artslandia) flutist Amelia Lukas performs with “a fine balance of virtuosity and poetry” (The New York Times). A Powell Flutes Artist and Portland resident, she “excels at bringing drama and fire to hyper-modernist works with challenging extended techniques” (Oregon ArtsWatch). In addition to her solo show “Natural Homeland” at the Alberta Rose Theatre and throughout Washington and Hawaii, her recent engagements include solo appearances for United for Ukraine, Siletz Bay Music Festival, Fear No Music, Makrokosmos Project, Kenny Endo, March Music Moderne, Portland Taiko, the Astoria Music Festival, and for All Classical Radio’s live radio broadcasts, with additional performances for the Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, Portland Piano International, TedX Portland, Friends of Chamber Music, 45th Parallel, and Oregon Music Festival. Lukas’ career includes founding and directing the “truly original… impeccably curated” (Time Out New York) multimedia chamber series, Ear Heart Music, membership in the American Modern Ensemble, and performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Stone, Bargemusic, (Le) Poisson Rouge, Roulette, and New Music New York Festival. She holds degrees from the Royal Academy of Music (London), where she received three prizes for musical excellence, and from the Manhattan School of Music, where she was an inaugural class member for the Master’s Degree in Contemporary Performance. Amelia is a Chamber Music Northwest Board Member and offers creative strategy and public relations services as the Principal and Founder of Aligned Artistry. Learn more at amelialukas.com.

Artist's Website


Upcoming Concerts & Events

Mikio Sasaki Mikio Sasaki Trumpet

Mikio (Miki) Sasaki has been described as a “musical switch-hitter,” a trumpeter able to move seamlessly between styles with clarity, authority, and imagination. A seasoned performer, Sasaki is currently a member of the internationally acclaimed Canadian Brass and a former member of Atlantic Brass Quintet and Saint Louis Brass. His wide-ranging career spans symphony orchestras, brass bands, contemporary music, jazz, and more. Sasaki has performed in renowned venues including Carnegie Hall, Disney Hall, and the Schubert Theatre on Broadway, as well as internationally in Brazil, Finland, Greece, Canada, Germany, Austria, and Great Britain. His long and varied resumé adds up to one thing: a deep, enduring love of music and creativity.

Alongside his performance career, Sasaki is Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Oregon. He previously held teaching appointments at Texas Lutheran University and Brooklyn College and is deeply committed to music education. Sasaki regularly presents masterclasses at collegiate programs across the country and teaches young musicians and music educators through institutions such as American Band College, Juilliard Pre-College, and the Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts, sharing his enthusiasm and experience with students of all ages.

Sasaki earned degrees from The Juilliard School and the Yale School of Music and holds a doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin. His honors include a Grammy Award, and his recording credits range from indie rock to orchestral works. He continues to perform, record, and premiere new music in an ever-evolving musical landscape, with featured appearances at events such as the International Trumpet Guild Conference and the International Horn Society Conference.


Upcoming Concerts & Events

  • Jazz Notes: Gershwin Piano Concerto   (currently selected)
Lucy Wang Lucy Wang Violin

Canadian violinist Lucy Wang has garnered praise as an artist whose “technical prowess, tonal mastery, and stage presence can come as no surprise to anyone who has seen her work” (Peace Arch News). A native of Vancouver, she is a founding member of the Viano Quartet—First Prize Laureates of the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition and recent graduates of the Nina von Maltzahn Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence Program at the Curtis Institute of Music.

Lucy obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Colburn Conservatory and has performed as soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician in venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Izumi Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Konzerthaus Berlin. Lucy has also given recitals with the Viano Quartet at Hong Kong’s Intimacy of Creativity Festival, the Banff International String Quartet Festival, Bravo!Vail Festival, Ottawa Chamberfest, and Minnesota Beethoven Festival, among others.

In addition to touring with the Viano Quartet, Lucy maintains an active individual presence on social media, with over 50 million views on her videos and over 600,000 followers across various platforms. Reaching people across six continents, Lucy aims to craft a unique path as an artist that builds bridges across different musical and cultural communities.

Artist's Website


Upcoming Concerts & Events

  • Jazz Notes: Gershwin Piano Concerto   (currently selected)
Tate Zawadiuk Tate Zawadiuk Cello

Canadian cellist Tate Zawadiuk is both an engaging soloist and founding member of the Viano Quartet. The ensemble won first prize at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition and has performed internationally in venues such as Wigmore Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Flagey, and Bremen Die Glocke.

As a soloist, Tate has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vancouver Philharmonic, New Westminster Symphony, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra. He has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Emanuel Ax, James Ehnes, Marc-André Hamelin, Inon Barnatan, Clive Greensmith, Scott St. John, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, and Johannes Moser.

Tate is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music as a member of the Nina von Maltzahn Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Clive Greensmith and Ronald Leonard.

Artist's Website


Upcoming Concerts & Events

  • Jazz Notes: Gershwin Piano Concerto   (currently selected)
Viano Quartet Viano Quartet String Quartet

Lucy Wang, violin
Hao Zhou, violin
Aiden Kane, viola
Tate Zawadiuk, cello

Praised for their “virtuosity, visceral expression, and rare unity of intention” (Boston Globe), the Viano Quartet is one of the most sought-after ensembles today and recipients of the prestigious 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant. Since soaring to international acclaim as the first-prize winner at the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition, they have traveled to nearly every major city across the globe, captivating audiences in New York, London, Berlin, Hong Kong, Vancouver, Paris, Beijing, Toronto, Lucerne, and Los Angeles. They are currently in-residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program from 2024-2027.

During the 2025 summer season, the quartet will debut at Klavier-Festival Ruhr, CMS Summer Evenings, Tippet Rise, and Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Their many return visits include Music@Menlo, Mt. Desert Festival of Chamber Music, and MISQA. Their latest album, Voyager, was released with Platoon Records in Spring 2025.

The Viano Quartet has collaborated with world-class musicians including Emanuel Ax, Fleur Barron, Sir Stephen Hough, Miloš Karadaglić, Mahan Esfahani, and Marc-André Hamelin. Dedicated advocates of music education, they have given classes at institutions such as Northwestern University, University of Victoria, Colburn Academy, Duke University, and SMU Meadows School of the Arts. Each member of the quartet is grateful to the interminable support from their mentors at the Curtis Institute and Colburn Conservatory, including members of the Dover, Guarneri, and Tokyo string quartets.

The name “Viano” reflects the unity of four string instruments acting as one, much like a piano, where harmony and melody intertwine.

Artist's Website


Upcoming Concerts & Events



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