Wednesday, January 12, 2011

'Electrifying Pianist Jade Simmons Joins acclaimed Ritz Chamber Players for Musical MLK Celebration' Jan. 19


[Revolutionary Rhythm; Jade Simmons, Piano; Russell Pinkston, Samuel Barber, John Corigliano, & Daniel Bernard Roumain, Composers; E1 Entertainment KIC CD 7760 (2009)]


“PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 12, 2011 – According to Sergio Mims of Ebony/Jet Magazine, 'Among the new generation of classical music artists, few are making the huge impact and receiving the kind of acclaim that pianist Jade Simmons has been of late.' Much of the same can be said of the Jacksonville-based Ritz Chamber Players. On Wednesday, January 19th, 2011, after years of mismatched schedules, Ms. Simmons and the Ritz are finally joining forces for what promises to be a scintillating evening on their annual In Remembrance of the Dream Concert in honor of the memory of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

Displaying her trademark versatility, Jade Simmons will join the Ritz Chamber Players quartet for a performance of the potent and playful Shostakovich Piano Quintet in G Minor as well as music by Prokofiev followed by an even more intimate collaboration on the second half with Pavarotti Competition winner, soprano Alison Buchanan. No stranger to Russian music, last season Ms. Simmons toured a program called Russian Ruminations featuring works by Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Scriabin. In museums and art galleries across the country she lectured and performed as a part of a program she created called Scriabin and Kandinsky: Hearing Color, Seeing Sound which pairs the music of Alexander Scriabin with the paintings of Wassily Kandinsky, on loan to her from the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

Also an avid advocate of American music, Simmons made her debut with a critically acclaimed release on E1 Records called Revolutionary Rhythm which is an eclectic collection of American works for piano featuring Russell Pinkston, Samuel Barber, John Corigliano and Daniel Bernard Roumain and including works for piano with electronics. The second half of the program with Alison Buchanan will highlight American songs by the African-American composers Adolphus Hailstork and arrangements by Roland Carter, Lena McLin and others, including renditions of popular spirituals.

As a part of The Ritz Chamber Players Mainstage Concert Series the In Remembrance of the Dream Concert takes place Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in Jacoby Symphony Hall/Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. Single tickets are $25.00 with a reduced rate for Seniors, Military & Teachers of $20.00. Student rush tickets are $10.00. For ticket information, call: (904) 354-5547 or toll free at (877) 662-6731.

Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts is located at 300 West Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202. For more information on Jade Simmons, please visit http://www.jademedia.org For more information on The Ritz Chamber Players, please visit http://www.ritzchamberplayers.org

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