One of the most fun things about being in an ensemble is that it's kind of like a club. A solo artist is a star, and a symphony is a team, but a chamber ensemble is just big enough to get a big sound, but small enough that you see and hear the individual characters. And what's *really* fun is to feature them. That's what the Olmos Ensemble is doing. Over the next five years, they'll be featuring their soloists, and first up is the French hornist Jeff Garza.
Garza will be featured in the Olmos's Summer Concert Series on Sunday afternoons at 3:00, beginning August 9 at First Unitarian Universalist Church. And just to make it even more fun for all of us, all the concerts will be broadcast live on KPAC 88.3 FM, hosted by Ardis Saunders.
We caught up with Garza during his busy summer schedule, to talk about the show. It's telling that the first thing he did in thinking about getting a solo spotlight is to make sure that the ensemble was also featured.
"I wanted it to be more than just a solo recital, and more of a chamber music collaboration. We are a chamber group ... I tend to enjoy collaborative-type performances more than feature performances," Garza said.
That spirit of collaboration, even in a solo recital, will have some entertaining results.
Said Garza, "All four of the pieces are from different eras, and they feature the horn in different kinds of ways, all the different things that instrument can do."
There's a techno bluegrass piece with a prepared piano, a gorgeous Jane Vignery sonata, some interstellar music by
Olivier Messiaen (inspired by a visit to Zion National Park), and a mighty trio by Johannes Brahms, a jewel of the concert repertoire.
"I'm really excited about it. I think it's going to be a great experience for us as the performers, and hopefully for the audience too."
Olmos Ensemble Series
Concert, 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, 8/9
First Unitarian Universalist Church
Free - donations welcome - olmosensemble.com
