Danbury Concert Association closes season with A Far Cry on May 20

Danbury Concert Association Closes Season with A Far Cry and Guest Artist, David Shifrin

With their sumptuous sound and “fearless and passionate” style, the Grammy-nominated "A Far Cry" - known informally as The Criers - will bring the Danbury Concert Association's 2017/2018 season to a close as the legendary American clarinetist David Shifrin joins them to perform Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. On Sunday afternoon, May 20th, at 3:00pm at the Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, housed in Danbury's  first-rate, state-of-the-art Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC), "A Far Cry" will present Copland's landmark composition, as well as Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10  by Benjamin Britten. The Center is located on the Western Connecticut State University's Westside Campus (43 Lake Avenue Extension).

Tickets are $25 per adult and may be reserved by going to https://bit.ly/2F0r2jg or by calling the WCSU box office at (203) 837 8732 within one week of the performance. Through a grant from the Danbury Cultural Commission, free admission is made possible for those 18 and under, although advance reservations through Eventbrite are required. (There will be one intermission. Artists subject to change.)

In its decade plus, the Boston-based "A Far Cry" has developed a distinct approach to music-making, with playing and programming that encourage risk-taking and exploration for both player and audience. Known for its high energy, A Far Cry “brims with personality or, better, personalities, many and varied,” noted the New York Times. The self-conducted orchestra is a democracy in which decisions are made collectively and leadership rotates among the players. This structure has led to consistently thoughtful, innovative, and unpredictable programming — and impactful collaborations with celebrated performers and composers. Boston Musical Intelligencersums up the group: “In its first decade, this conductor-free ensemble has earned and sustained a reputation for top-drawer playing, engrossing programming, and outstanding guest artists.”

One of only two wind players to have been awarded the Avery Fisher Prize since the award's inception in 1974, David Shifrin is in constant demand as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber music collaborator. Residing in Connecticut, he collaborates frequently with such distinguished ensembles and artists as the Guarneri, Tokyo; Emerson String Quartets; Wynton Marsalis; and pianists Emanuel Ax and André Watts. An artist member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 1989, Mr. Shifrin served as its artistic director from 1992 to 2004. His recording of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, performed in its original version on a specially built basset clarinet, was named "Record of the Year" by Stereo Review.   

For more information, directions, and to support the Danbury Concert Association, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, go to danburyconcert.org or call (203) 748 2177.