Contributed Photo/Courtesy Gila Valley Arts Council: Quarteto Nuevo will perform at the David M. Player Center for the Arts on Wednesday, March 6, at 7 p.m.
Contributed Article/Courtesy Gila Valley Arts Council
SAFFORD – The Gila Valley Arts Council is proud to present Quarteto Nuevo, on Wednesday, March 6, at 7 p.m. at the David M. Player Center for the Arts.
Quarteto Nuevo merges Western classical, eastern European folk, Latin, and jazz with an organic feel that packs a wallop! Their diverse programs can be tailored to fit anywhere, from an intimate chamber music venue to a large outdoor festival. The ensemble’s razor-sharp precision is enhanced by jazzy interludes, lightly rumbling percussion motifs, and mesmerizing rhythms. They effectively meld the music of ancient worlds and faraway places with a contemporary groove that enchants audiences of all ages! Winners of the Beverly Hills National Auditions, Quarteto Nuevo’s master musicians create emotionally charged soundscapes with instruments and sensibilities that represent very different world cultures. Their unique instrumentation – soprano saxophone/alto flute (Damon Zick), cello (Jacob Szekely), guitar (Kenton Youngstrom), and hand percussion (Felipe Fraga) – richly colors their wide-ranging repertoire, from Heitor Villa-Lobos’ “Bachianas Brasileiras” and Chick Corea’s “Children’s Song No. 6″ to Traditional Macedonian “Gadjarsko” and original works“Hector, Desmond and Titus”, “Rain Song” and “Dizer O Que”. Quarteto Nuevo is a group of very accomplished musicians.
Damon Zick is a saxophonist, woodwind performer, composer, and educator residing in Burbank, California. He was born and raised in Seattle before heading to the East Coast in 1993 to study saxophone, clarinet, composition, and jazz at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. After two years in Miami Beach where he performed and recorded with the New World Symphony, Mr. Zick relocated to Los Angeles to complete a Master’s degree in Jazz Winds from the California Institute of the Arts where he studied with Charlie Haden. Since then he has been straddling the worlds of jazz and classical music as an active freelance musician in Los Angeles.
Kenton Youngstrom, guitarist, composer, arranger, and educator is the first in a long line of prize-winning students of Jim Smith at the University of Southern California, where, while earning his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, he studied composition with Donald Crockett, arranging with Darniell Pershing and film scoring with David Raksin. His eclectic performing career has taken him around the world, including appearances as a soloist with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Redlands Symphony), as an orchestra member of Los Angeles Opera, Long Beach Opera, and tours with the Falla Guitar Trio. Kenton has been in concerts and recitals with numerous jazz notables: pianists Taylor Eigsti and Dave Brubeck, flutist Hubert Laws, bassist Putter Smith and drummer Paul Kribeck, leading an international jazz big band at the Cannes Film Festival), singing and performing on vihuela with his Mexican conjunto in Tournament of Roses Parade, and playing with the Margo Rey rock group at the Nokia Theater in California.
Jacob Szekely, cello. Born in Brooklyn New York in 1979, Jacob grew up in a musical family where his talent was recognized early on. He was accepted to study classical cello performance at the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy for high school before attending The Cleveland Institute of Music for his Bachelor’s Degree and The University of Southern California for graduate studies. Berklee cello professor and multiple Grammy winner Eugene Friesen has declared Jacob’s playing to be “The first time a cellist has made the case as a leader in modern jazz!” In 2013 Jacob founded the Jacob Szekely Trio and released their debut EP which was hailed by critics from the Strad, Strings Magazine, International musicians and artists from Yo-Yo Ma, and Chick Corea to Rush Bassist Geddy Lee as a “Quantum leap forward” in pushing the boundaries of the instrument.
Los Angeles-based percussionist and drummer Felipe Fraga began playing percussion at age 9. Originally from Curitiba in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, Felipe studied at the Fine Arts and Music School of Paraná (EMBAP), where he performed with local orchestras, big bands, and marching bands, the MPB Orchestra of Curitiba and with artists such as Arthur Moreira Lima, Altamiro Carrilho, Joel Nascimento, José Canuto and Roberto Gnatalli. After moving to the United States in 2001, he has performed and/or recorded with Robert Irving III, Wallace Roney, Victor Goines, Yolanda Adams, Janelle Monáe, Stanley Clarke, Aloe Blacc, David Correy and opened for renowned acts including Vinicius Cantuária, Daniela Mercury and Bajofondo.
Here are just a few quotes from other places Quarteto Nuevo has performed.
“The show was nothing short of phenomenal, the type of thing you just don’t see almost ever. The music was excellent, the band members pleasant and generous, and very well learned in the variety of styles they showcased. Anyone who can see them should, and anyone who has seen them will come back again at the first opportunity. I know I will.”
John Decker, Montana State University Billings Student/Works Participant/Concertgoer
“Quarteto Nuevo’s incredible musicianship shines on record but must truly be seen to be appreciated to the fullest. Deftly weaving between jazzy improvisation and syncopations that surprise and delight, these four musicians are truly a symphony unto themselves.”
John Arvish – Program Host – Montana Public Radio
“Working with Quarteto Nuevo was a reminder of how polished, tight, and professional a band can be. They were both easygoing and driven, depending on what each situation called for at the moment. We shared lots of laughs and lots of time perfecting as many elements of their production as possible. Their outreach skills were on-point, and they easily captured and held the attention of 40+ students while working them through the rehearsal of pieces they performed with Quarteto Nuevo during our ticketed performance later in the week. The show was outstanding, and we have had numerous patrons asking when they can see Quarteto Nuevo again in the future. To anyone looking to work with Quarteto Nuevo – do not hesitate – they won’t disappoint!”
Kris Nickeson – Creative Broomfield – Broomfield, CO
Tickets are currently on sale at Richards Music, 928-428-2442, online at www.saffordcenterforthearts.com, or at the door. Adult ticket prices are only $15 or $20 and are all reserved seating. GVAC is still proud to offer special prices for children and students for only $5.
GVAC can keep its ticket prices low because of the support we receive from several sources. We graciously thank our donors who join as supporting members every year. This school residency and public performance project was made possible by funding received from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, WESTAF (The Western States Arts Federation), and the National Endowment for the Arts. GVAC is also very grateful for the support received from the United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties, Freeport-McMoRan Corporation, and the Arizona Community Foundation of the Gila Valley.
