Sounding Off Tour: cellist Johannes Moser and pianist Phyllis Chen | Mission

Submitted by the Event Organizer

The Sounding Off Tour is a unique project that presents classical music in an alternative fashion. Cellist Johannes Moser and pianist Phyllis Chen will perform at Socha Cafe as part of Classical Revolution’s weekly chamber music series. Johannes and Phyllis will use a combination of traditional cello, electric cello, traditional piano, prepared piano, toy piano, and computers.

The duo will be performing works ranging from standard classical music to alternative electronic music.  Their aim is to present contemporary classical music in terms with which young adults can connect. Each performance will be coupled with outreach activities to allow students to engage with the music themselves.
http://www.soundingofftour.com

German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser has been hailed by Gramophone Magazine as “one of the finest among the astonishing gallery of young virtuoso cellists.” He has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony, Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, Bayerische Rundfunk Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, Israel Philharmonic and Toronto Symphony. He works regularly with conductors of the highest level including Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Valery Gergiev, Zubin Mehta, Vladimir Jurowski, Franz Welser-Möst, Christian Thielemann, Pierre Boulez, Neeme Jarvi and Paavo Jarvi.
Born in Munich in 1979 as a dual citizen of Germany and Canada, Johannes began studying the cello at the age of eight and became a student of Professor David Geringas in 1997. He was the top prize winner at the 2002 Tchaikovsky Competition, in addition to being awarded the Special Prize for his interpretation of the Rococo Variations.
http://www.johannes-moser.com

Pianist Phyllis Chen has been praised by the New York Times for her “delightful quirkiness matched with interpretive sensitivity”. Phyllis has become a trailblazer in performing original multimedia compositions using toy pianos, electronics and video and works by prominent contemporary composers. The Chicago Reader confirms Phyllis Chen’s status as a trailblazer commenting: “…she’s become one of the world’s leading proponents of the toy piano.” Her artistic pursuits take her in numerous directions as a toy pianist, pianist, composer and performance artist, leading to her selection as a New Music/New Places Fellow at the 2007 Concert Artist Guild International Competition.
As an avid toy pianist, Phyllis founded the UnCaged Toy Piano, a composition competition to further expand the repertoire for toy piano and electronics. The competition has received works from composers all around the world and these compositions become an integral part of her repertoire. A strong interest in interdisciplinary work led her to collaborations with video artist and electronic musician Rob Dietz with whom she created multimedia works such as The Memoirist, Pearlessence, Chroma and Carousel.
Lauded for playing Beethoven 1st Concerto “with amazing grace, with enviable clarity, and with finger work of both strength and elasticity” (The Herald Times, IN), Ms. Chen’s traditional piano credits include honors at the International Bartok/Kabalevsky Piano and the Coleman Chamber Music Competition. Her victory at the Marjorie Barnett Competition of Chicago included a special Bach Prize for her performance of the Goldberg Variations, and as a result, Phyllis was invited to perform at Chicago Symphony Center’s Buntrock Hall. She also performed on the Dame Myra Hess Series at the Chicago Cultural Center, aired live on WFMT Public Radio.
Phyllis is a member of ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble), a Chicago and New York-based collective dedicated to the performance and promotion of new works. She has traveled to the west coast, England, Russia and Mexico with the ensemble.
Phyllis attended Oberlin Conservatory as a recipient of the Dean’s Talent Award Scholarship and received a Masters Degree from Northwestern University as an Eckstein Merit Scholar. She is continuing to pursue her DMA in piano performance at Indiana University where she studied with André Watts. Phyllis currently resides in Astoria, New York.

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Classical Revolution is more than an ensemble. Classical Revolution is more than a presenting organization. Classical Revolution is a global phenomenon, revolutionizing the way live classical music is programmed and heard. The idea which took shape in November of 2006 at Revolution Cafe in San Francisco’s Mission District is now represented in over a dozen cities on three continents. Classical Revolution presents an average of 15-20 performance events each month in the Bay Area alone. Residencies are held at Revolution Cafe, SoCha Cafe, Amnesia, Caffe Divino (Sausalito), and Bazaar Cafe. Classical Revolution has been featured in various publications including San Francisco Classical Voice, SF Weekly, SF Chronicle, Sunset Magazine, SOMA Magazine, Strings Magazine, and The New York Times.
http://www.classicalrevolution.org

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