Ballet and Chamber Music Join Forces
By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor –
San Antonio’s newest chamber music ensemble, Agarita Chamber Players, was founded with the idea of collaboration with other art forms and that’s indeed what the group has been doing since about a year ago when it was founded. Its Saturday, May 4th concert, “Movement Meets Music” will feature San Antonio Ballet ballerina Sofie Bertolini dancing her own choreography, and improvising, in response to the music.
The musical selections, chosen by Agarita’s de-facto artistic director, pianist Daniel Anastasio, range from Ravel and Debussy to Paul Hindemith and contemporary composer Stephen Hartke, whose “King of the Sun” excerpts will open and close the concert. In between, you’ll hear Jean- Philippe Rameau’s “Allemande,” Hindemith’s Scherzo for Viola and Cello, Debussy’s Piano Trio in G major, Ravel’s “Le Gibet,” Daniel Temkin’s “Together, We,” and Manuel de Falla’s Suite Populaire Espagnole.
“We offer mixed programming to make our concerts accessible for everyone,” said Anastasio whose full-time job is teaching at San Antonio College.
His partners in Agarita include two San Antonio Symphony musicians, Marisa Bushman (viola) and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin), and cellist Ignacio Gallego who is also assistant director of the Strings program at Alamo Heights High School. “We all clicked right away; playing chemistry is very strong,” noted Anastasio.
According to their website, Agarita “aims to nourish the arts community through multidisciplinary collaboration, educational community engagement, and free, adventurous programming.” The ensemble’s 2018 collaborations involved the McNay Art Museum, lighting artist Chuck Drew, chef Elizabeth Johnson of Pharm to Table restaurant, Cameron Beauchamp from the Grammy-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth, and the Luminaria festival. All Agarita concerts are free.
“Sometimes we don’t quite know where (the collaboration) is going to go,” explained Anastasio. “We are a young group, trying different things. I think people look forward to what we can achieve.”
He put together the “Movement Meets Music” program with dance in mind. Though not every piece will feature the ballerina, the majority will. Bertolini is a highly accomplished ballet dancer who recently starred in Ballet San Antonio’s original production of “Carmen,” and has also performed other leading roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy in “The Nutcracker,” Aurora in “Sleeping Beauty,” and Giselle in the namesake ballet.
“Movement Meets Music,” 7:30 p.m. May 4, McAllister Auditorium, San Antonio College; free admission fffffff