7:30 pm Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Millions of YouTube viewers have turned the inspired lunacy of musicians Igudesman & Joo into an internet and international sensation.
Think Mozart hijacked by Monty Python and you have some idea of the mayhem created at the highest level of musicianship on worldwide stages--and immortalized on videos with more than 28 million viewings--by Aleksey Igudesman and Hyung-ki Joo, classically-trained artists who bring an uproarious, sidesplitting approach to the concert performance.
Comedic as well as musical virtuosi, violinist Igudesman and pianist Joo knock the stuffy out of staid classical performances, mixing genres and styles with hearty doses of humor and theatricality. Yet, while their spin may be irreverent, they always treat the music with the utmost respect. Their buffoonery is always tempered by incredible musicianship.
In the Santa Fe performance of "A Little Nightmare Music"--which Python alumni Terry Jones raved, "brings surrealism to the concert hall and takes its trousers down"--a violinist can nod off and awake transformed into a "Riverdancer," and a pianist may find his keyboard locked and ordering him to insert his credit card for access. The Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" might get an operetta makeover and Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" barely survives Russianization.
THE DUO
Aleksey Igudesman, born in what was then Leningrad, and Hyung-ki Joo, a British-Korean, met as pre-teens when they studied at England's Yehudi Menuhin School. Overcoming hate at first sight, the pair has forged an enduring musical and comedic marriage.
Despite all the fun, they are serious, highly respected musicians. Aleksey Igudesman has worked frequently with Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer, and composed and arranged music for "Sherlock Holmes" as well as being a featured soloist on the film's Oscar-nominated score. In fact, they recently won Best Sound Track at the Newport Film Festival. He is collaborating with Zimmer on a second Holmes movie and together they have scored "Jealous of the Birds," a Holocaust documentary. Alexsky also wrote and arranged the score for the Johnny Depp animated film "Rango," which was released in theatres spring of 2011.
A prolific composer and poet, Igudesman has written a series of violin duets and more than 300 compositions, performed by internationally renowned soloists, ensembles and orchestras. As solo violinist and conductor, he has worked with Kremerata Baltica, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Belgrade Symphony Orchestra, Virtuosi Italiani, among other orchestras.
Hyung-ki Joo was chosen by Billy Joel to arrange and record the pop star's CD of classical compositions. As a soloist, he has performed with the London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Kremerata Baltica, Copenhagen Philharmonic and Warsaw Sinfonia. Joo also has developed innovative workshops for young musicians designed to help them to think outside the practice room, deal with their ambitions and fears and gain new perspectives on their careers.
$20-$72
For tickets and more info:
505-984-8759 or 505-988-1234
www.ticketssantafe.org/tsf/event_calendar/detail/779
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