The official website of Centrum, the nonprofit center for the arts located at Fort Worden State Park, in Port Townsend, WA. Centrum is a gathering place for artists of all ages, from all cultures, and in all phases of their development.
A favorite of workshop participants and audiences alike, Sachal released his latest album "Hi-Fly" in 2011. Produced by Grammy-award winning musician (and Jazz Port Townsend Artistic Director) John Clayton, “Hi-Fly” features Sachal and his core group, Jeb Patton (piano), David Wong (bass), and Kendrick Scott (drums), plus guests John Ellis (sax), Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet) and the legendary vocal master Jon Hendricks on two tracks.
“Sachal Vasandani is a dozen years Kurt Elling’s junior, and that gap serves him well: He’s young enough to have absorbed plenty about the art of jazz singing from his fellow Chicagoan, yet mature enough to use such influences solely as guideposts as he shapes his own distinctive sound. Now, three albums in, he makes the leap from promising to fully formed, firmly establishing himself among the foremost post-millennial male vocalists.” --JazzTimes
Tickets for the Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival's Sunday, February 19 performance are available online until 11:59 PM, on Saturday, February 18.
After 11:59 PM on Saturday, tickets will ONLY be available in person at the Wheeler Theater box office, one-hour prior to performance.
The Cypress String Quartet's performance at the Joseph F. Wheeler at Fort Worden State Park will feature String Quartet No. 2 from Mendelssohn, Lento Assai from composer Kevin Puts, and Beethoven’s String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132.
Concertgoers are invited to meet the performers at a reception at the Fort Worden Chapel, immediately following the performance.
Known for his rich and distinctive voice, the composer Kevin Puts has been hailed by the critics as one of the most important composers of his generation. The Cypress String Quartet's February 19 performance at Centrum will showcase Lento Assai - a work commissioned by the Quartet itself.
The 2 p.m. performance at the Wheeler Theater is part of the The Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival’s Joseph F. Wheeler Celebration Series.
Kevin Puts' work has been commissioned and performed by leading orchestras in the United States and abroad, including the New York Philharmonic, the Tonhalle Orchestër (Zurich), the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Cincinnati, Detroit, Atlanta, Colorado, Houston, Fort Worth, Utah, St. Louis, the Boston Pops, and the Minnesota Orchestra which commissioned his Sinfonia Concertante, and by leading chamber ensembles such as the Mirò Quartet, the Eroica Trio, eighth blackbird, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Lento Assai was commissioned by the Cypress Quartet as part of its Call and Response commissioning project, a program through which composers write works inspired by masterpieces in the standard repertoire.
"My piece was to be placed between Beethoven’s Quartet op. 135 and Mendelssohn’s Op. 13 quartets. Like Mendelssohn, who drew deep inspiration from the late quartets of Beethoven and in some cases quoted them literally, I found a wellspring of ideas flowing from the slow movement of Beethoven's Op. 135," says Puts.
Beethoven begins that movement with the introductory building of a D-flat major chord followed by a haunting melody played by the first violin. The first several minutes of Lento Assai can be heard as an expansion of these two ideas.
"I begin in exactly the same manner and then elaborate on Beethoven’s opening by continuing to build chords of my own in a “glacially” deliberate manner. Once returning to D-flat, my melody begins like Beethoven’s and then takes its own path," explains Puts.
The renowned Cypress String Quartet returns to Centrum on February 19 at 2 p.m. as part of the The Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival’s Joseph F. Wheeler Celebration Series.
The Quartet's performance at the Joseph F. Wheeler at Fort Worden State Park will feature String Quartet No. 2 from Mendelssohn, Lento Assai from composer Kevin Puts, and Beethoven’s String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132.
Concertgoers are invited to meet the performers at a reception at the Fort Worden Chapel, immediately following the performance.
The Cypress String Quartet – violinists Cecily Ward and Tom Stone, violist Ethan Filner, and cellist Jennifer Kloetzel - formed in San Francisco in 1996, and take their name from the set of twelve love songs for string quartet, The Cypresses, by Antonin Dvořák. They have commissioned and premiered more than 30 new works, four of which are now included on Chamber Music America’s list of “101 Great American Ensemble Works.”
During their 15th anniversary season in 2011-2012, the Cypress String Quartet will add two new recordings to its 10-album discography. In November 2011 the Quartet released The American Album, which includes Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12 (“American”), Charles Griffes’ Two Sketches Based on Indian Themes, and Barber’s Quartet, Op. 11. In March 2012, the Quartet will complete its 3-volume set of Beethoven’s Late Quartets (composed between 1822 and 1826, historically known as Beethoven’s Late Period), including the groundbreaking Opus 132.
The Quartet continues to maintain a busy national and international tour schedule, making appearances at the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, Stanford Lively Arts, Krannert Center and Ravinia Festival. Their collaborators include artists such as Leon Fleisher, Jon Nakamatsu, Awadagin Pratt, Gary Hoffman, Atar Arad, James Dunham, and Zuill Bailey.
The Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival’s Joseph F. Wheeler Series honors the late Joseph F. Wheeler, Founding Director of Centrum, and continues the tradition of chamber music in the shoulder season that was established by Wheeler and Centrum Board member Leah Hammer.
Tickets are available online or by phone at 800.746.1982 between the hours of 9 AM and 4 PM, PST, Monday through Saturday, or between the hours of 6 AM and noon on Sunday (a processing fee applies).
The Port Townsend Chamber Music festival continues on Sunday, April 22 featuring four virtuoso period-instrument players including soprano Phoebe Jevtovic Alexander, and violinist Ingrid Matthews, Music Director of the Seattle Baroque Orchestra.
The Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival is sponsored in part by the Washington State Arts Commission, Rick and Debbie Zajicek, James and Nelly Tretter, and Ken Snider.
Composed of players, Pascal Gemme (fiddle, feet, vocals), Alexandre de Grosbois-Garand (flute, bass, fiddle, vocals) and Yann Falquet (guitar, jew’s harp, vocals), the Quebec group Genticorum has become a fixture on the international world, trad, folk and Celtic music circuit. The trio’s first three albums met with critical acclaim in Canada, the United States and Great Britain, assuring the band a brilliant future. Known for its energy and stage presence, Genticorum is often mistaken for a larger ensemble.
'For a three piece, Genticorum makes a very full and glorious noise, both instrumentally and vocally… This is a band that’s going to go places.’ --SING OUT!
On its latest album, Nagez Rameurs, the group is joined by such well-known trad artists as Stéphanie Lépine, Olivier Demers, Nicholas Williams and Grey Larsen, signaling a work of undeniable musical refinement and irresistible raw energy. Firmly rooted in the soil of their native land, they weave precise and intricate fiddle and flute work, gorgeous vocal harmonies, energetic foot percussion and guitar and bass accompaniment into a big and jubilant musical feast. Their distinctive sound, sense of humor and stage presence make them a supreme crowd pleaser.
Composer Wayne Horvitz and Choreographer Yukio Suzuki
Seattle-based composer/pianist Wayne Horvitz, audio engineer and producer Tucker Martine, Japanese dancer/choreographer Yukio Suzuki and Japanese video artist Yohei Saito will be in residence at Centrum in 2012 for a three-week period to create Music and Dance in Concrete. The new multimedia piece will receive its world premiere September 21-23, 2012 in Fort Worden State Park's historic batteries and cistern on as part of Centrum's Reverberationsfestival.
The project will feature 55 short improvised and 55 composed works which will include installations that utilize video screens and speakers placed in the concrete military structures, live performances from Suzuki and his dancers on the gun emplacement platforms, and performances from Horvitz and guest musicians in the Harpole Cistern, which is known worldwide for its long reverberation time.
Visitors will be able to walk through concrete structures and will experience the Cistern performance from the lawn that lies above the chamber. The schedule for these free events will be announced later this year.Reverberations will be presented on the same weekend as the acclaimed Port Townsend Film Festival, and it is expected that there will be some collaborative events between Centrum and the Port Townsend Film Institute during that period.
Music and Dance in Concrete has received initial funding from the MAP Fund and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, as well as support from the Arizona State University Art Museum where it will be presented following its premiere in Port Townsend. The Centrum Artist Residency program is made possible by support from the Washington State Arts Commission and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
Choro returns to Centrum! Come enjoy this lively and engaging concert on Saturday, April 14th at the Joseph F. Wheeler Theater.
Choro is the spirited Brazilian street music that pre-dates the Bossa Nova. Now a Port Townsend tradition, this annual event produced by Centrum features five masters of this delightful musical style who come together for the first time to perform a wide range of Choro favorites.
Direct from Brazil, experience the artistry of the world renowned mandolinist Dudu Maia, 7- string guitar virtuoso Henrique Neto, and percussionist Alexandre Lora who join with the legendary Seattle-based Brazilian composer/pianist Jovino Santos Neto and Andy Connell, the clarinet virtuoso from America’s top Choro ensemble -- Choro Famoso.
Whether you enjoy sultry sweet ballads or lively sambas, you’ll love this concert.
The concert will be at 7:30pm on April 14th at the Joseph F. Wheeler Theater. Purchase tickets online or by phone at 1-800-746-1982. We hope to see you there!
Gary Smulyan at Jazz Port Townsend - Photo by Jim Levitt
Congratulations to Jazz Port Townsend faculty member Gary Smulyan, for being awarded Baritone Saxophonist of the Year in JazzTimes’ 2011 Readers’ Poll. JazzTimes Magazine asked their readers to consider artists who were notably active in the last year and to vote for their favorites in a number of categories.
Among the winners are many friends and faculty of Jazz Port Townsend, present and past. Some highlights include trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire as Best New Artist, Regina Carter as Best Violinist, and Kurt Elling as Best Male Vocalist.
Also placing in the poll were Centrum friends Sachal Vasandani (new artist and male vocalist), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Jaleel Shaw (alto saxophone), Gary Versace (organ), Stefon Harris (vibraphone), Matt Wilson (drums), Gretchen Parlato (female vocalist), Gerald Wilson (arranger) and Jazz Port Townsend Artistic Director, John Clayton (arranger).
Masters of American vocal styles will guide you on a weeklong exploration of traditional and contemporary singing. You’ll gain confidence, develop your style, and find your voice in an embracing and supportive environment.
Join legendary performers and emerging new voices during a week of intensive study and performance opportunities. Participants select a daily workshop schedule of their choosing, with plenty of time to jam, dance, and sing with faculty and friends on the campus of Fort Worden State Park.
Click HEREto read more about the faculty artists at Voice Works 2012.
The workshop includes a daily warm-up, and then class sessions in honky-tonkin', vintage jazz of the 20’s to the 40’s, how to sing harmony, classic country, Carter Family repertoire, French Cajun songs, bluegrass stylings, new interpretations of old music, song writing, trio singing (finding that third part) a Southern Gospel choir, and many other classes. The focus is on style and repertoire in the oral tradition, but there will also be technical sessions on proper breathing, phrasing, tone production, and caring for your voice. This year will also feature a small amount of instrumental instruction, including a daily guitar “twang” session led by the master of the telecaster, Bill Kirchen.
Your registration includes nightly informal jamming, song swaps, social dancing, singing with a band, the participants' concert, the mighty polka dot contest, a pie walk, and front row seating at all public performances and dances.
Bring your guitar or fiddle, banjo or harmonica – or just bring your voice! Either way, get ready to sing out loud at Voice Works 2012!
Tuition: $475 $260 for spouse/family member To sign up for a dormitory room and/or a meal plan please contact Fort Worden State Park. Room and board packages range from $435-$440. Click here to access their online reservation system. Dormitory rooms are available to Centrum participants only.
