You can’t buy practically anything for a dollar anymore – but starting this weekend, one of Albuquerque’s slickest music spots is letting you name your price for tickets to some sophisticated and oftentimes eclectic shows. Each Sunday in May, Chatter and the City of Albuquerque offer pay-what-you wish concerts at their Downtown performance space (912 Third St. NW). Advance tickets will run you as little as $1 and include a free espresso drink from the venue’s Bespoke Coffee Bar. The pay-what-you-wish concerts begin at 10:30 a.m., but come early for good seats, and chop it up with other morningtime melomaniacs over a cup of Joe.
The series begins on May 4 with pianist Conor Hanick performing German composer Hans Otte’s The Book of Sounds. Nathan Brown will join Hanick onstage with some spoken word to accompany the piece.
“I would say that behind my artistic work, as an aim or hope, is the need to find myself. In other words: despite all the separating structures, the division of all the work, the ideologies, fixed ideas, systems, despite the state and everything that ceaselessly tries to separate and divide us, I fundamentally want to be complete.” – Hans Otte (1979)
On May 11, Chatter’s artistic director, violinist David Felberg, continues the concert streak along with cellist Felix Fan and spoken word from Margaret Randall. The pair will play the full 24 Duos for Violin and Cello by German composer Jörg Widmann.
The following week, Felberg and fellow Chatter musician Judith Gordon help welcome back a special guest in style. On May 18, world-renowned cellist Matt Haimovitz, who first appeared
at Chatter last year, will perform the B-flat major Piano Trio by Franz Schubert. Haimovitz was only 13 when he made his 1984 debut with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic, and by 17 he had already made his first recording for Deutsche Grammophon with James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Over his 20-year recording career, he started his own label called Oxingale Records and collaborated with big names such as composer Philip Glass, pianist Christopher O’Riley, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and actor Jeremy
Irons.
On May 25, enjoy a you-call-it show with Peter Erb, Principal Horn of the New Mexico Philharmonic, playing György Ligeti’s Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano and Schubert’s Violin Sonata in D major, D. 384. Felberg will close out the series playing violin during Erb’s performance along with Judith Gordon on piano and a final spoken word session with Margaret Randall.
For a full schedule and to buy tickets visit www.chatterabq.org/boxoffice.
Pay What You Wish: The Book of Sounds
May 4, 10:30 a.m.
Chatter Sunday
912 Third St. NW
$1 – $25 (name your price)