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On-demand interviews with local and national classical music artists.

Les Délices Ohio City Residency: Debra Nagy, Artistic Director

Les Délices Brings Baroque Music and Dance to Ohio City Residency March 17-20, 2016

Don't forget: March is Early Music Month, sponsored by Early Music America.

Do you ever wonder what happens in a musical rehearsal? Or how to dance a minuet? What about the difference between a piano and harpsichord?

Visitors and residents of Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood will have the opportunity to have these, and many other questions answered during Les Délices’ upcoming weekend residency March 17-20, 2016 that celebrates early music in the community- and you may even learn a minuet step or two in the process!

Les Délices will be teaming up with community partners at St. John’s Historic Church, Franklin Circle Church, and the Cleveland Public Library’s Carnegie West Branch, as well as with local businesses to present six free events over the long weekend that will include open rehearsals, educational presentations, a Baroque Dance Workshop with live music, and a community concert.

Les Délices’ Artistic Director Debra Nagy is an Ohio City resident and feels strongly about reaching out to the community on Cleveland’s Near-West side, The primary goals for the residency are to build awareness of chamber music performance, expand the group’s west-side audience, increase visibility for Cleveland artists, and bring high-quality programming to a neighborhood that has so much to offer but is better known for its restaurants and breweries (which are fantastic – don’t get me wrong!).”

Known for their creative, original programming, Les Délices has been recognized as “an early music group with an avant-garde appetite,” whose “concerts and recordings are journeys of discovery” (New York Times). Les Délices’ Artistic Director Debra Nagy (baroque oboe and recorder) will be joined by Julie Andrijeski (violin and dance), David Ellis (viola da gamba), and Christopher Bagan (harpsichord) for these programs.

Picking up on the success of recent neighborhood residencies by the Cleveland Orchestra, Nagy explained that “creating a weekend of intense activities in a single neighborhood is a natural extension of the Pop-Up Concerts we’ve been offering during our last two seasons. We want to bring music to our community and break down the barriers of participation between the audience and performers that include formality, location, and the cost of tickets.” Nagy added, “I hope that people might drop into an open rehearsal on Thursday or a Pop-Up Concert on Friday and decide to come to a Baroque Dance workshop on Saturday or even stay for our community concert on Sunday.”

Les Délices’ Ohio City Residency also coincides with a new, nationwide initiative designating March as Early Music Month. Sponsored by Early Music America, this national, grassroots campaign is designed to raise awareness of early music throughout the larger North American music community. Early Music Month seeks to connect enthusiasts, performers, presenters, scholars, builders, students, and venues to bring early music to its widest audience ever.

Les Délices’ Ohio City Residency Schedule:

Thursday March 17, 2016: 

1:00pm-4:00pm & 6:00-9:00pm Open rehearsals at St. John’s Historic Church (2600 Church Ave, Cleveland OH 44113)

Do you ever wonder what happens in a musical rehearsal? Come in, listen, and learn about Les Délices’ working process as they prepare for their weekend of concerts and events taking place around Ohio City.

Friday March 18, 2016:

7:00-9:30pm Pop-Up Concert at The Canopy (3910 Lorain Ave, Cleveland OH 44113).

Pop-Up Concerts have an impromptu quality and are meant to foster a sense of discovery for casual listeners: passers-by are invited to come in and have a listen to short, set-based presentations where the performers introduce themselves and the music. This informal approach breaks down barriers--cost, location, and formality--and increases the visibility of local performers, bringing the visual and performing arts communities closer together.

Saturday March 19, 2016:

11:00am-12:00pm: Performance-Presentation at Carnegie West Library (W38th St & Fulton Rd, Cleveland OH 44113)

Families and Individuals are welcome at this free, educational performance and presentation introducing baroque instruments such as harpsichord, viola da gamba, baroque violin, baroque oboe and recorder.

3:00-4:00pm: Baroque dance workshop at Franklin Circle Church (1688 Fulton Rd, Cleveland OH 44113)

Children (8+) and Adults can come and learn the basics of baroque dance – including how to do a minuet step – in this free workshop led by baroque dancer expert & violinist Julie Andrijeski. Live Music! Space is limited – pre-registration is recommended.  Visit www.lesdelices.org for details.

Sunday March 20, 2016:

3:00-4:15pm: Free Concert at St. John’s Historic Church (2600 Church Ave, Cleveland OH 44113)

Remaining Concerts in Les Délices’ 2015-16 Cleveland Concert Series include music by the young Handel in Folly of Youth (February 20 & 21, 2016), and Concertos Comiques on May 7 & 8, 2016, which fuses comedy, popular tunes, and instrumental virtuosity. Tickets and information for Les Délices’ subscription programs are available at www.lesdelices.org.

 

About Les Délices

Les Délices (pronounced  Lay day-lease) explores the dramatic potential and emotional resonance of long-forgotten music. Founded by baroque oboist Debra Nagy in 2009, Les Délices has established a reputation for unique programs that are “thematically concise, richly expressive, and featuring composers few people have heard of.” The New York Times added, “Concerts and recordings by Les Délices are journeys of discovery.” The group’s debut CD was named one of the “Top Ten Early Music Discoveries of 2009″ (NPR’s Harmonia), and their performances have been called “a beguiling experience” (Cleveland Plain Dealer), “astonishing” (ClevelandClassical.com), and “first class” (Early Music America Magazine). In addition to touring engagements and outreach activites, Les Délices presents an annual concert series in Cleveland art galleries and at Plymouth Church in Shaker Heights, OH, where the group is Artist in Residence. Les Délices has been featured on WCPN, WCLV and WKSU in Ohio, WQXR in New York, NPR’s syndicated Harmonia and Sunday Baroque, and had their debut CD featured as part of the Audio-guide for a special exhibit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (Watteau, Music, and Theater). Les Délices eagerly anticipates the release of their 3rd CD, “Age of Indulgence,” in the fall of 2016. Visit www.lesdelices.org for more information.