By David Amos
SAN DIEGO — It is unusual for an orchestra to program an all-Jazz concert that is not designated as “pops music”. But this will be the situation for the 75-piece Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra concerts of June 15, 3:00 p.m., and 17th, 7:30 p.m., both at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, Cohen Social Hall.
The music is definitely on the lighter side, a plus for many concert-goers, but it shows the serious penetration of jazz and ragtime into the classical music repertory.
Called “All That Jazz”, this program will feature two works by George Gershwin, the popular Piano Concerto in F, and the lesser known, but nevertheless inventive and catchy Variations on I Got Rhythm, for Piano and Orchestra. One of the Ragtime selections is by William Bolcom, an, active composer of our time who has contributed to bringing ragtime back to the concert hall as a living art form. His Ragomania, a work for full orchestra, is a modern expression of sweet and saucy ragtime melodies, wrapped into an eight minute joyful medley. The other work in the program is a short novelty piece, Stride Rite, which is a strange, but delightfully humorous fusion of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring with its main themes transformed into wild ragtime episodes. All of this in three minutes! The composer of Stride Rite is none other than our featured guest pianist for the concerts, David Feurzeig.
The music of David Feurzeig has been performed throughout the United States as well as in New Zealand, Asia, and Europe. He was twice a featured guest (2005, 2006), at the International Composer’s Festival in Bangkok. His Songs of Love and Protest was selected by the Dresden Chamber Chorus for the city’s 800th jubilee in 2006, and premiered in the fabled Semper Opera House. He has been awarded the Silver Medal of the Royal Academy of Arts (London), a Beebe fellowship, and grants from the American Composers Federation and Meet the Composer. Since moving to Vermont, he has enjoyed working with local groups and has been commissioned by the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Bella Voce Women’s Choir, and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra.
Silver medalist in the 2001, World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest, and recipient of the 2003 “Best New Rag” award (Stride Rite) of the Old Time Music Preservation Association, he specializes in eclectic lecture-recitals featuring music from the classics to stride piano, jazz, and new music.
David received his Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from Cornell University, (where his teachers included Karel Husa, and Steven Stuckey), and an AB from Harvard College, where he studied with Peter Lieberson, Ivan Tcherepnin, and Leon Kirchner. In 2008 he joined the faculty of the University of Vermont, having held previous positions at Illinois State University and Centre College.
For more information on both concerts, individual or group tickets, reservations, directions, or a season brochure, call (619) 697 6001, or you can buy tickets online at www.tiferethisrael.com/TICO. Also, you can purchase tickets at the door before concert times.
You may wish to pencil into your calendar TICO’s full pops concert, featuring Sousa Marches, Strauss Waltzes, soprano Victoria Robertson, film and Broadway music. This will take place on Sunday, July 27, 3:00 p.m., also at Tifereth Israel Synagogue.
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Amos is the conductor of the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra (TICO) and has guest conducted professional orchestras around the world. He may be contacted via david.amos@sdjewishworld.com