Lara St. John to perform June 27 with Ensemble LPR at Naumburg Bandshell

New York, NY — Violinist Lara St. John will perform with Ensemble LPR on June 27, 7:30pm, as part of the 112^th Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, a free concert series founded in 1905, held at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park.

St. John will give the U.S. Premiere of a new string orchestra arrangement of Matthew Hindson's Maralinga (originally written for her), a haunting work that makes reference to the Aboriginal history at Maralinga, a place in the South Australian desert that was the site for secret British nuclear testing in the 1950s and 1960s. St. John will also perform Ralph Vaughan Williams' timeless work The Lark Ascending.

The rest of the concert will feature an eclectic spectrum of music, with works by contemporary composer Jessie Montgomery, as well as Benjamin Britten, and Igor Stravinsky. The concert will be hosted by WQXR’s Paul Cavalconte and broadcast live on Classical 105.9 WQXR and at www.wqxr.org.

"We're delighted to be working with the supremely talented Lara St. John who will play two pieces originally composed for violin and piano (the latter in the program, composed specifically for her), with string orchestra,” states Ensemble LPR's David Handler. Describing the evening’s program, he adds: "The first half of the evening's music is quintessentially programmatic, taking us from the cosmos to the air to the earthly perils of human weakness and destruction, a subject all too relevant today. The second half features two 20th century masters tipping their hat to the style and form of earlier times, with some of the most exquisitely crafted and—in the case of the Britten—little known work in the repertoire."

All concerts begin at 7:30pm and are presented at the Naumburg Bandshell on the Concert Ground in Central Park located south of the 72nd Street cross-drive. Admission is free on a first-come-first-served basis with some seating provided. No rain dates. For information, contact 212.501.7809 or log on to www.naumburgconcerts.org.
 

LISTING INFO

Lara St. John & Ensemble LPR
June 27 @ 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park 
Free

PROGRAM:
Jessie Montgomery: Starburst
Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending arr, Arman
Matthew Hindson: Maralinga (US Premiere)
Benjamin Britten: Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op.10
Igor Stravinsky: Concerto in E-flat, “Dumbarton Oaks” 

 

ENSEMBLE LPR

Named after and headquartered at the New York City venue Le Poisson Rouge, Ensemble LPR, under the leadership of Artistic Director David Handler, performs an eclectic spectrum of music—from works by living composers to compelling interpretations of the standard repertoire—and collaborates with distinguished artists from classical and non-classical backgrounds that include Timo Andres, Simone Dinnerstein, San Fermin, Daniel Hope, Taka Kigawa, Jennifer Koh, Mica Levi, David Longstreth (of Dirty Projectors), John Lurie, Ursula Oppens, Max Richter, André de Ridder, Christopher Rountree, and Fred Sherry. In January 2015, Ensemble LPR made its Deutsche Grammophon debut with Follow, Poet, featuring the music of Mohammed Fairouz and the words of Seamus Heaney and John F. Kennedy.

 

LARA ST. JOHN

Canadian-born violinist Lara St. John has been described as “something of a phenomenon” by The Strad and a “high-powered soloist” by The New York Times. She has performed as soloist with the orchestras of Cleveland, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Auckland among many others and with the Boston Pops, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Symphony, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Ireland, Amsterdam Symphony, Brazilian Symphony, Sao Paulo Symphony, China Philharmonic, Hong Kong Symphony, and Tokyo Symphony. She performs on the 1779 “Salabue” Guadagnini thanks to an anonymous donor and Heinl & Co. of Toronto.

 

ABOUT NAUMBURG ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS

This summer series will be the Naumburg’s 112th year of free concerts in New York’s Central Park. Elkan Naumburg initiated the concert series in 1905 and gifted the Naumburg Bandshell to New York City in 1923. The concert series, the oldest in the world, is organized by Christopher W. London, a great-grandson of Elkan Naumburg, who passionately continues the concert series as a service to New Yorkers. The free outdoor concerts feature promising new talent and promote the professional development of young composers and conductors. Over 14,000 people enjoyed last year’s performances.

 

ABOUT WQXR

WQXR 105.9 FM, which streams live at www.wqxr.org, is New York City’s only all-classical music station, immersing listeners in the city’s rich musical life. WQXR presents new and landmark classical recordings as well as live concerts from Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic, among other venues. WQXR also broadcasts essential destination programs including New York Philharmonic This Week and Young Artists Showcase. For listeners in search of the new, WQXR operates Q2 Music, an online music stream dedicated to contemporary classical composers, cross-genre adventures, and performances from New York City's edgier venues. Operavore is WQXR’s opera site featuring news, interviews, and commentaries from the world of opera, as well as a 24/7 all-opera stream. WQXR.org provides essential playlist information and online listening, as well as original content, host blogs, NYC cultural news, and videos. The station’s free mobile app allows listeners to take WQXR with them wherever they go. As a public radio station, WQXR is supported by the generosity of its members and sponsors, making classical music relevant, accessible, and inspiring for listeners in New York City and around the globe.