The Block

Classical Music with Jon Holden Ensemble

Jon Holden Ensemble
Saturday, November 7th, 7:30 pm

Doors and bar open at 6:30 pm

$20 and up
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WMS Principal Clarinet Jon Holden has brought together an ensemble of fine professional musicians featuring Nic Orbovich and Fangye Sun on violin, pianist Zhihua Tang and cellist Igor Cetkovic to perform Olivier Messiaen’s incomparable Quartet for the End of Time. Messian cites inspiration from the Book of Revelation, wherein an angel descends from heaven to announce the end of time. The mood of the scene alternates between serene and terrible, but it is always beautiful and offers meaning to individuals of every belief system.

Alex Ross of the New Yorker calls it “The most ethereally beautiful music of the twentieth century.”

Then, violinist Fangye Sun joins Holden and Tang for a world premiere of a new composition by local musician and composer, Daniel Tressel.

Jonathan Holden, clarinet
Nic Orbovich, violin (Messiaen)
Fangye Sun, violin (Tressel)
Igor Cetkovic, cello
Zhihua Tang, piano

British born clarinetist Jonathan Holden is Assistant Professor of Clarinet at Florida State University and Principal Clarinetist of the West Michigan Symphony. He is a founding member of the Vireo Ensemble (clarinet, violin, cello, piano) and is sought as an orchestral clarinetist, having performed frequently with groups such as the Sarasota Orchestra, the Louisiana and Fort Wayne Philharmonic orchestras, and the Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Mississippi, Baton Rouge and Mobile symphony orchestras. He teaches in summer at the New England Music Camp.

Holden made his concert debut at the age of seventeen and has performed concertos in Britain and the United States. As a student, he was winner of the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain Competition and a semi-finalist in the Carl Nielsen International Clarinet Competition. Holden has appeared as a guest of the Ciompi and Voxare string quartets and has performed by invitation of the British Clarinet Congress, College Music Society, Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium, International Clarinet Association, Festival Contempoaneo (Brazil), Affetti Music Festival (AK) and Alfredo de Saint Malo Festival (Panama).

Holden has featured in chamber music series' such as Chamber Music Wilmington, Concerts at The Block, Festival South, the Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck and the American Music Festival. He has given performances, clinics and master classes at colleges in the US and overseas including Vanderbilt University, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, the national conservatories of Panama and Paris, and universities of Memphis, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas and Rio de Janeiro.

A proponent of new music, Holden has performed works for composers Bright Sheng, Peter Sculthorpe and Judith Zaimont. His work with the Argot Trio yielded seven new chamber works inspired by the birthplace of America's Music. The trio is featured on a CD of chamber music by Steven Holochwost (Albany), and Holden is heard on a recording of William Bergsma’s septet ‘Changes for Seven’ (Centaur). His recording of British clarinet and piano music will be released in 2016.

Jonathan Holden received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University where he studied with eminent clarinetist and pedagogue Dr. Verdehr. He received his BM and MM performance degrees from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama under Joy Farrall, Andrew Webster and celebrated recording artist Dame Thea King.

Classical Music with Jon Holden Ensemble

Jon Holden Ensemble
Saturday, November 7th, 7:30 pm

Doors and bar open at 6:30 pm

$20 and up

About

WMS Principal Clarinet Jon Holden has brought together an ensemble of fine professional musicians featuring Nic Orbovich and Fangye Sun on violin, pianist Zhihua Tang and cellist Igor Cetkovic to perform Olivier Messiaen’s incomparable Quartet for the End of Time. Messian cites inspiration from the Book of Revelation, wherein an angel descends from heaven to announce the end of time. The mood of the scene alternates between serene and terrible, but it is always beautiful and offers meaning to individuals of every belief system.

Alex Ross of the New Yorker calls it “The most ethereally beautiful music of the twentieth century.”

Then, violinist Fangye Sun joins Holden and Tang for a world premiere of a new composition by local musician and composer, Daniel Tressel.

Jonathan Holden, clarinet
Nic Orbovich, violin (Messiaen)
Fangye Sun, violin (Tressel)
Igor Cetkovic, cello
Zhihua Tang, piano