Sept. 29, as a part of the Wisconsin Union Theater Concert Series, the Manhattan Chamber Players took the stage at Shannon Hall in Memorial Union. Composed of 23 players specializing in seven different instruments, the group forms a unique repertoire with various combinations of quartets, octets and all formations in between.
Created by Artistic Director Luke Fleming, the Manhattan Chamber Players bring like-minded musicians together to play the greatest chamber works at the highest level.
Inspired by Musicians from Marlboro, a popular chamber music festival similar to the Manhattan Chamber Players, Fleming was in pursuit of a group flexible enough to play all types of music in the chamber category.
In 2015, Fleming left his string quartet in pursuit of a group where friends and colleagues alike could play chamber music at the highest level and ultimately founded the Manhattan Chamber Players which has now grown to over 20 members.
Before their performance, the group spent time coaching a chamber music class at the university and speaking to students about chamber music.
“Seeing young people excited, committed to getting better, and having the discipline to practice is very inspiring,” violinist Siwoo Kim said.
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The orchestra opened with Mozart’s classic “Clarinet Quintet in A Major,” a slower piece that alternates through four distinct movements. The players seamlessly shifted through Mozart’s four movements, Allegro, Larghetto, Menuetto and Allegro con variazioni, to create a masterpiece.
From there, the group moved on to “La Libertad se levanto llorando,” a piece composed by Manhattan Chamber cellist Andrea Casarrubios. Casarrubios takes a unique approach to the chamber genre through her use of spoken word in her composition. About three-quarters of the way through the piece Casarrubios’s voice shines through the undertone of the plaintive melody, reciting one of Pablo Neruda’s poems.
From there, the Players took a brief intermission from which they closed the performance with Robert Schumann’s “Piano Quintet in E-Flat Major.” The Players toyed with the audience, alternating between the emotional melody and a series of ascending scales before dramatically ending with the opening theme of the first movement.
Yet, the real beauty of the Manhattan Chamber Players lies not just in the mastery of their respective instruments but in their refreshing concept of creating smaller groups within their organization as a whole. The combination of different individuals yields not only a diverse repertoire, but it also allows for creativity through collaboration.
“The flexibility and the variety of each and every personality really helps to keep it fresh,” Casarrubios said.
The players credit much of their success to their ability to have an open mind when it comes to learning, especially during their musical upbringing.
“It is important to learn from everyone, even if it is someone younger than you, even if it’s a student,” violinist Katie Hyun said. “I think there’s something to be learned from every one.”
The Manhattan Chamber Players is just one of the many talented groups and individual performers that are scheduled to perform this fall as part of the Wisconsin Union Theater’s concert series. A couple of young jazz talents highlight the next few weeks with vibraphonist Joel Ross coming to Madison Oct. 16 followed by Cory Henry on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information about the upcoming performances, visit the Wisconsin Union Theater website.
