Candler Concert Series History
As a result of the vision and gifts of Flora Glenn Candler and Donna and Marvin Schwartz, the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts became a reality.
The series opened under its current name in 1970 with performances at Glenn Memorial Auditorium, and then moved to the newly constructed Schwartz Center for Performing Arts on February 8, 2003, with a concert by the New York Philharmonic. The Candler Concert Series has been at full tilt ever since, with season after season featuring the best of classical, contemporary, jazz, and world music—in addition to periodically highlighting acclaimed dance and theater artists.
2022-2023 Candler Concert Series
Music from Copland House featuring Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano: A Standing Witness
Friday, September 23, 2022 at 8 p.m.
The Atlanta premiere of A Standing Witness opened the 20th anniversary season of Emory University’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. This Candler Concert Series performance is a monumental collaboration between Grammy Award–winning composer Richard Danielpour and Pulitzer Prize–winning author and former US Poet Laureate Rita Dove. The soaring music and probing poetry of this epic song cycle trace enormous social and cultural change in the United States.
Written especially for Susan Graham and the celebrated Music from Copland House ensemble, the 14 songs and one instrumental elegy of A Standing Witness comprise a sweeping retrospective of momentous events in American history over the past half-century, recounted in “testimonies” by an observer who is revealed in the epilogue. With lyrics from Rita Dove’s latest book of poetry, Playlist for the Apocalypse, the work begins in 1968, reflecting on events including the Kennedy and King assassinations, Woodstock, the Vietnam War, Nixon presidency, civil and women’s rights movements, economic boom times of the 1990s, the attacks on 9/11, and the whirlwinds of the last decade.
Concert Review from EarRelevant.net
Watch a discussion about the creation of A Standing Witness moderated by Tameka Cage Conley with Richard Danielpour and Michael Boriskin:
Did you know?
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Rita Dove was the featured poet of Emory's Raymond Danowski Poetry Library Reading Series in 2007 and 2016. Dove was also a featured speaker and guest during Women’s History Month events at Emory in 2011 and delivered the keynote address at Emory’s commencement in 2013, where she received an honorary doctor of letters degree.Urban Bush Women: Legacy + Lineage + Liberation
Thursday, October 20–Saturday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Schwartz Center Dance Studio
Founded in 1984 by choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Urban Bush Women (UBW) is a Brooklyn-based performance ensemble and dance company under the artistic direction of Chanon Judson and Samantha Speis. In honor of UBW’s 35th Anniversary, Legacy + Lineage + Liberation celebrates the power of Women(+) in an evening of classic works that transcend genres and amplify the voices of Women(+) of color.
These iconic works by UBW Founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar give multiple dimensions of life that resonate in this time of reflection around equity and justice, and that lift up Black lives in inspiring ways. Works include but are not limited to: Give Your Hands to Struggle; Girlfriends; Women’s Resistance; and I Don’t Know but I Been Told...if You Keep on Dancin’ You Never Grow Old.
Hélène Grimaud, piano
Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 8 p.m.
The world-renowned French classical pianist Hélène Grimaud made a rare appearance in the Southeast for a transformative recital performance. In this Candler Concert Series performance, Grimaud performed Schumann’s Kreisleriana and selected works by Chopin, Debussy, and Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov.
“It is said that music rescues what has been lost. That is a beautiful idea. Yet in a sense, music does even more. Music peels back the layers of time to reveal the essence of experience,” Grimaud says. “Momentary pain, distress, elation, fade; what remains is sensation.”
Robert Schumann’s early masterpiece Kreisleriana, written in 1838 when his compositions had become more experimental and complex. This was a period of tormented courtship with pianist Clara Wieck, who would become his wife, and the music swings violently and suddenly between agitation and lyrical calm, between dread and elation.
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 8 p.m.
World Premiere Commission
Read the Concert Review from ArtsATL
NEA Jazz Master and Grammy Award–winner Maria Schneider leads her 18-member big band orchestra in its Atlanta debut. The evening of lush and complex works includes the world premiere of Schneider’s “American Crow,” commissioned as part of the Flora Glenn Candler Concert Series in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Schwartz Center.
Hailed as “a national treasure” by National Public Radio, Minnesota-born Schneider is a 2019 NEA Jazz Master, a 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist for her 2020 album Data Lords, and the winner of seven Grammy Awards for her work in classical, jazz, and even pop with the late David Bowie. In addition to “American Crow,” the evening’s performance will include three major works from Data Lords, among others.
Anne-Sophie Mutter and Mutter Virtuosi
Thursday, February 2, 2023 at 8 p.m.
Anne-Sophie Mutter and the 14-member Mutter Virtuosi take the stage for a celebratory concert that hails 20 years from the opening month of the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. A musical phenomenon performing major traditional works while constantly exploring new territory for her audience, this virtuoso violinist has been a fixture in all the world’s major concert halls—making her mark on the classical music scene as a soloist, mentor, and visionary.
The “undisputed queen of violin-playing” (The Times, London) led the ensemble in an evening of exemplary string music that includes The Four Seasons by Vivaldi and the Atlanta premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Gran Cadenza—a virtuoso duo for two violins, written expressly for Mutter.
Guests joined the Schwartz Center for a celebratory toast following the evening's concert.
West-Eastern Divan Ensemble with Michael Barenboim
Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 8 p.m.
Violinist Michael Barenboim—who as a soloist has recently appeared with Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, and Chicago Symphony—founded the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble out of the full West-Eastern Divan Orchestra to spread the ideas of unity through music further and to allow the public to experience the musicians' unique artistry and personality up close.
The orchestra's origins lie in the friendship between its founders, Palestinian author/scholar Edward Said and Israeli conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim. In their conversations, they realized the urgent need for an alternative way to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This evolved into the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra that global audiences know today. Sharing the parent orchestra’s motto of “Equal in Music,” the ensemble brings together outstanding young Palestinian and Israeli musicians in a collaboration that supersedes national and cultural boundaries.
The evening's program included Terzetto in C Major,op. 74, by Antonín Dvořák; Sonata (Duo) for Violin and Cello, M. 73, by Maurice Ravel; Trauermusik (Mourning Music) for Viola and Strings, by Paul Hindemith; and George Enescu's String Octet, op. 7.
Musicians:
Michael Barenboim, violin
Mohamed Hiber, violin
David Strongin, violin
Samir Obaido, violin
Miriam Manasherov, viola
Sindy Mohamed, viola
Astrig Siranossian, violoncello
Assif Binness, violoncello
Michael Barenboim also led a masterclass for three Emory Music student violinists:
Louisa Ma – Student of Emily Daggett Smith
Estrellita, Manuel M. Ponce (arr. by Jascha Heifetz)
Chloe Nelson – Student of Jessica Shuang Wu
Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Niccolo Paganini
Yihoon Shin – Student of Jay Christy
Solo Violin Sonata No. 3, Eugène Ysaÿe
Chad Lawson, pianist and composer
with Judy Kang, violin, and Seth Parker Woods, cello
Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 8 p.m.
Steinway Artist, pianist, and composer Chad Lawson is a modern-day master of reinvention—his bold interpretation of the classics, electronic loops, and atmospherics resonate with electronic dance music fans and neo-classical traditionalists alike. For his Schwartz Center debut, Lawson will be joined by acclaimed violinist Judy Kang (Lady Gaga, Ryuichi Sakamoto) and cellist Seth Parker Woods (Sting, Peter Gabriel). Bridging the gap between traditional and non-traditional audiences, the concert program featured variations on compositions ranging from Chopin to Billie Eilish.
Lawson is the host and creator of the iHeart-nominated and acclaimed mental wellness podcast ‘Calm It Down’ (600k+ downloads). In a world full of noise, Chad’s meditative music invites us all to take a moment and reconnect with who we are. He makes music for the mind, body, and soul. Prior to the concert, Lawson led a guided meditation with music for invited audience members.
Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Zakir Hussain, with Rakesh Chaurasia
Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 8 p.m.
Beginning with the most creative exponent of the banjo in our time, Béla Fleck, this unique quartet also featured the legendary drummer Zakir Hussain; acclaimed virtuoso of the classical and bluegrass bass, Edgar Meyer; and the great Indian flutist Rakesh Chaurasia. With their decades of artistry and the magic of improvisation, the result was a powerful four-way musical dialogue to close out the Schwartz Center’s 20th Anniversary season.
2021–2022 Candler Concert Series
Praised by the Washington Post for combining “staggering technical prowess, a sense of command, and depth of expression,” pianist George Li possesses an effortless grace, poised authority, and brilliant virtuosity far beyond his years. Since winning the Silver Medal at the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition, Li has rapidly established a major international reputation and performs regularly with some of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, such as Dudamel, Gaffigan, Gergiev, Gimeno, Honeck, Orozco-Estrada, Petrenko, Robertson, Slatkin, Temirkanov, Tilson Thomas, Long Yu, and Xian Zhang.
The concert took place on Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 8 p.m. George Li also led a master class with the following Emory music students on Friday, September 17:
Jisu Yang, senior
Le Tombeau de Couperin - Prelude, Fugue and Toccata; Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)
Jason Lin, senior
Spanish Rhapsody; Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Making her Atlanta debut, South African soprano Pretty Yende is known for her acclaimed operatic and solo performances worldwide and critically lauded discography. Yende’s magnetic charm has captivated audiences at nearly all of the major opera houses of the world, including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Opéra National de Paris, Metropolitan Opera, and Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Recent solo recital performances include Oper Frankfurt, the Opernhaus Zürich, Smetana Hall in Prague, the Barbican in London, and Carnegie Hall in New York.
This concert took place on Sunday, October 3, 2021 at 4 p.m.
This pair of superstars share the stage in their first visit to the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Violinist Leonidas Kavakos has been praised by the New York Times for his “balance of pyrotechnics and lyricism.” Yuja Wang has been called “quite simply the most dazzlingly, uncannily gifted pianist in the concert world today” by the San Francisco Chronicle. Each outstanding soloists, together they leave audiences breathless with the beauty and intensity of their performance.
View the Recital Concert Program
The artists also performed Dithyrambe from Stravinsky's Duo Concertant for violin and piano as an encore in the concert on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at 8 p.m.
Branford Marsalis brought his talents as a musician, composer, and bandleader back to the Schwartz Center stage with his powerful jazz ensemble. Known for the telepathic communication among its uncommonly consistent personnel, its deep book of original music replete with expressive melodies and provocative forms, and an unrivaled spirit in both live and recorded performances, the Branford Marsalis Quartet has long been recognized as the standard to which other ensembles of its kind must be measured.
Friday, February 18, 2022 at 8 p.m.
Hailed as one of the most exceptional fiddlers of his generation, Grammy-nominated violinist and composer Jeremy Kittel’s music inhabits the space between classical and acoustic roots, Celtic and bluegrass aesthetics, and folk and jazz sensibilities. Kittel & Co. made its Schwartz Center debut with a program ranging from Bach to bluegrass and hosted a workshop with Emory Music Composition students.
Friday, March 18, 2022 at 8 p.m.
with Simon Crawford-Phillips, piano
[!asmif!]
From the world-renowned Academy of St Martin in the Fields, acclaimed wind players James Burke, clarinet; Julie Price, bassoon; Stephen Stirling, horn; and Tom Blomfield, oboe, joined forces for a new adventure exploring some of the best all-wind and wind and piano classical repertoire. Pianist and conductor Simon Crawford-Phillips joined the ensemble to make music that the Washington Post calls “luminous, often breathtaking” with a program featuring Quintet for Winds and Piano in E-flat Major, K. 452 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The concert took place Saturday, April 9 at 8 p.m. with a post-concert discussion facilitated by Emory Wind Ensemble conductor, Tyler Ehrlich.
2020–2021 Candler Concert Series
[!jct!]Critically acclaimed pianist and composer Conrad Tao joined with violinist Stefan Jackiw and cellist Jay Campbell to form the eclectic new ensemble Junction Trio. Each internationally recognized on their own, these visionary artists came together to share their poetic interpretations and impeccable technique. In a virtual concert produced exclusively for Schwartz Center audiences, the performance began with John Zorn’s Ghost—inspired by the slow movement of Beethoven’s “Ghost” Trio—and closed with Beethoven’s Piano Trio in B-flat Major, op. 97, “Archduke.”
[!maqueque!]Internationally acclaimed flutist and saxophonist Jane Bunnett has devoted much of her professional life to an exploration of how Afro-Cuban melodies express the universality of music. Joined by the brilliant Cuban female musicians of Maqueque, this award-winning jazz ensemble performed a virtual concert exclusively for Schwartz Center audiences. The concert was recorded in both Toronto, Canada and Havana, Cuba, then streamed as part of the Candler Concert Series.
In addition to the concert, audiences enjoyed a conversation with Jane Bunnett and Emory Director of Jazz Studies Gary Motley.
[!tcp!] A Grammy Award–winning Chicago-based percussion quartet, Third Coast Percussion has created exciting and unexpected performances that constantly redefine the classical music experience. In this exclusive livestream concert from Chicago, the ensemble performed works from composer Philip Glass including Perpetulum, a Glass score the Chicago Tribunecalls so “rich in musical incident, its meters and textures constantly changing, its embrace of pitched and non-pitched instrumentation immensely appealing to hear.”
In addition to the concert, this residency with Third Coast Percussion included an Arts Entrepreneurship Discussion with Professor Katherine Young and a Master Class with percussion students.
[!denk!]Jeremy Denk is one of America’s foremost pianists. Winner of a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, the Avery Fisher Prize, and Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year award, he was also recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Denk has performed in recent seasons with the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestra, as well as on tour with Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms.
Audiences were given the opportunity to step inside the artist's living room for "Bach as Storyteller." Through conversation and performance, Denk took the audience through some of the preludes and fugues of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I.
Discussion and review of the concert and master class from EarRelevant
[!danish!]Among today’s many exceptional chamber music groups, the Danish String Quartet’s playing reflects impeccable musicianship and sophisticated artistry. Bringing a rare musical spontaneity that gives audiences the sense of hearing even treasured canon repertoire as if for the first time, the Danish String Quartet exudes a palpable joy in music-making that has made them in-demand on concert stages throughout the world.
A selection from the concert featuring a traditional Nordic folk tune is available to watch here.
[!montero!]Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero’s visionary interpretations and unique improvisational gifts have won her a devoted following around the world. Montero is a virtuoso in a class of her own: a pianist whose flair for improvisation puts creativity back at the heart of classical performance, and whose music-making is about infinitely more than just the notes on the page.
In addition to the concert, Gabriela Montero also spoke with students in Emory's Freshman Music Seminar and led a Master Class with Emory students.
[!thomas!]The first cellist to be signed by the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label in more than 40 years, Franco-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas blends a brilliant command of her instrument with a rare musicality. Thomas’s fascinating recital program with pianist Julien Brocal streamed from Brussels, Belgium, offering traditional and underplayed repertoire and themes—all conceived to stimulate the audience, as well as the artist.
Camille Thomas also led a virtual Master Class with Emory cello students.
2003–2020 Candler Concert Series
Kronos Quartet with vocalist Mahsa Vahdat | Saturday, Sep. 14, 2019
Brad Mehldau, piano and Ian Bostridge, tenor | Friday, Oct. 18, 2019
Joyce DiDonato: In War and Peace: Harmony Through Music, with Il Pomo d'Oro under the direction of Maxim Emelyanychev | Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Khatia Buniatishvili, piano | Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2019
Pablo Sáinz Villegas and Americano Trio | Saturday, Feb. 29, 2019
- Jane Bunnett and Maqueque—rescheduled due to COVID-19 pandemic
- Robert McDuffie, violin and Robert Spano, piano—canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
Max Richter with American Contemporary Music Ensemble | Friday, Sep. 28, 2018
Review of the concert from the Emory Wheel
Jerusalem Quartet with Pinchas Zukerman and Amanda Forsyth | Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018
Daniel Hope: Air—A Baroque Journey | Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018
Lise de la Salle, piano | Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018
Ray Chen, violin, with Riko Higuma, piano | Friday, Jan. 25, 2019
Student interview on the master class with Ray Chen from Arts ATL
Czech National Symphony Orchestra with Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano, under the direction of John Mauceri and Steven Mercurio | Friday, Feb. 15, 2019
Review of the concert from EarRelevant
Eric Owens and Lawrence Brownlee | Friday, Mar. 22, 2019
Interview with Lawrence Brownlee on WABE 90.1 FM
Alessio Bax, piano and Chee-Yun, violin
Vienna Boys Choir
Crosscurrents featuring Zakir Hussain, tabla and Dave Holland, bass
Irma Thomas, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and The Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet
Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano
Peter Serkin, piano
Candler Dance: Trisha Brown Dance Company | Apr. 7-8
Sarah Chang, violin
Branford Marsalis Quartet with special guest, Kurt Elling
Robert McDuffie, violin and REM's Mike Mills, electric bass and piano: Concerto for Violin, Rock Band, and String Orchestra with Wordless Music Orchestra
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Renée Fleming, soprano
Katia and Marielle Labèque, piano duet
St. Lawrence String Quartet with Pedja Muzijevic, piano
Candler Dance: Part of "EXPOSED, a Festival of Israeli Dance and Theatre"
- Yossi Berg and Oded Graf Dance Theatre | Oct. 13–15
- Anat Grigorio and Hillel Kogen | Oct. 20–23
Chick Corea, piano and Béla Fleck, banjo
Conrad Tao, piano
An Evening with Bassists Edgar Meyer and Christian McBride
David Finckel, Wu Han, and Philip Setzer Piano Trio
Julian Bliss Septet: A Tribute to Benny Goodman
The Knights with Gil Shaham, violin
Nathan Gunn, baritone
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
Brentano String Quartet with composer and pianist Vijay Iyer
Anne-Sophie Mutter and Mutter Virtuosi
Irvin Mayfield and New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
Daniel Roumain, violin
Sharon Isbin, guitar and Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano
The Tallis Scholars
Candler Dance: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company | Feb. 5–7
An Evening of Chamber Music featuring Philip Glass and Tim Fain
Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano
Chris Thile, mandolin
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra with Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello
yMusic Ensemble
Newport Jazz Festival: Now 60, featuring Anat Cohen clarinet
Lang Lang, piano
Inon Barnatan, piano, and Alisa Weilerstein, cello
An Evening with Branford Marsalis
Gil Shaham, violin
Warsaw Philharmonic with Antoni Wit, conductor, and Yulianna Avdeeva, piano
Sérgio and Odair Assad, guitars
Yefim Bronfman, piano
Daniel Bernard Roumain presents Filter, featuring members of the Sphinx Orchestra
Lawrence Brownlee, tenor
Brooklyn Rider
Hilary Hahn, violin, and Valentina Lisitsa, piano
Schola Cantorum de Venezuela: Aqua and Fiesta
Kronos Quartet with Qasimovs and Homayun Sakhi
Christopher O'Riley, piano
Dawn Upshaw, soprano
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Candler Dance: Abraham in Motion Dance | Feb. 23-25
Scottish Chamber Orchestra with Piotr Anderszewksi, piano
Venice Baroque Orchestra with Robert McDuffie, violin
Taipei Chinese Orchestra with Wu Man, pipa
Nicola Benedetti, violin
SFJAZZ Collective
Simone Dinnerstein, piano
Canadian Brass
Sharon Isbin, Thiago de Mello, and Paul Winter: Journey to the Amazon,
Esperanza Spalding, jazz vocals and bass
Bang on a Can All-Stars with Glenn Kotche, percussion
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Thomas Hampson, baritone: Song of America
Candler Dance: Cedar Lake Dance | Feb. 24-36
L.A. Guitar Quartet
Lynn Harrell, cello
Warsaw Philharmonic with Antoni Wit, conductor, and Valentina Lisitsa, piano
The Atlanta Opera performs Philip Glass's Akhnaten
New York Philharmonic with Loein Maazel, conductor
Guarneri String Quartet
Lionheart with Vega String Quartet
Yellow Jackets
Midori, violin, and Robert McDonald, piano
Bergen Philharmonic with Andre Watts
Deborah Voigt, soprano, and Brian Zeger, piano
Kronos Quartet with Wu Man, pipa
Leif Ove Andsnes
Candler Dance: David Dorfman Dance | Mar. 20–22
David Krakauer's Klezmer Madness
The English Concert with Andrew Manze, violin
Edgar Meyer, double-bass, and Chris Thile, mandolin
Joshua Bell, violin
Frederica von Stade, mezzo soprano, and Samuel Ramey, bass
National Philharmonic of Russia with Vladimir Spivakov, conductor, and Olga Kern, piano
Candler Dance: José Limón Dance Company | Oct. 12–15
King Singers and Sarband: Sacred Bridges
Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio
Evelyn Glennie, percussion
Denyce Graves, mezzo soprano
Rotterdam Philharmonic with Valery Gergiev, conductor, and Vladimir Feltsman, piano
Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman, violins
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with Schola Cantorum de Venezuela: Golijov's La Pasion segun San Marcos
Candler Dance: Toronto Dance Theater | March 23–26
Turtle Island String Quartet and Ying String Quartet
Branford Marsalis Quartet
Thomas Hampson, baritone
Hélène Grimaud, piano
French National Orchestra with Kurt Mazur, conductor, and Jean Yves Thibaudet, piano
Nadja Salemo-Sonnenberg, violin, and Assad Brothers, guitars
Candler Dance: Urban Bush Women | Feb. 5–6
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with Robert Spano, conductor, and Christopher Martin, trumpet
Ravi and Anoushka Shankar: Full Circle
Les Arts Florissants
Bang on a Can All Stars
Susanne Mentzer, mezzo-soprano
Wayne Shorter Quartet
Murray Perahia, piano
New York Philharmonic—Opening Candler Concert
Eighth Blackbird: Soundscapes
Sarah Chang, violin, and Lars Vogt, piano
Candler Dance: Doug Varone and Dancers | Feb. 28–Mar. 1