Shuffle.Play.Listen. brings two top-tier musicians together in a program that doesn’t recognize musical boundaries. Pianist Christopher O’Riley and cellist Matt Haimovitz will explore the lyrical and virtuosic properties of their instruments in a collaboration that crosses in and out of the classical and pop music genres.
The University of Iowa’s Hancher will present Shuffle.Play.Listen. at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28 at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts.
Shuffle.Play.Listen. showcases O’Riley and Haimovitz’s talents as collaborators and soloists, as they play their way toward a consideration of what it means to be an artist in the 21st century. The audience will hear works by Bach and Gabrielli, Radiohead and Arcade Fire, Piazzolla and Stravinsky. A double CD recording of Shuffle.Play.Listen. was released in the fall of 2011 and garnered positive reviews, but it is in live performance that the artists passion and creativity come to the fore.
O’Riley is recognized as one of the leading American pianists of his generation, touring extensively as a recitalist and chamber musician and appearing with every major orchestra. He hosts the popular NPR music program, From the Top, and has released a set of highly regarded recordings of the music of Radiohead, Nick Drake, and others.
Haimovitz made his debut at the age of 13 as a soloist with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic. By age 17, he made his first recording for Deutsche Grammophon with James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has redefined what it means to be a classical musician today, bringing concerts of Bach, Golijov, and others to clubs and coffee houses across the country while maintaining a busy schedule of international appearances.
For the March 28 performance, the first half of Shuffle.Play.Listen. will be prearranged. The second half of the concert will be programmed from the stage giving the artists the opportunity to share the context of the program, and allowing the music to flow seamlessly from one genre to the next.
Shuffle.Play.Listen. is supported by the Hancher Partners and gifts to Hancher Circle through the University of Iowa Foundation.
'Meet the Host' in a free event
O'Riley will discuss From the Top in a free event from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. March 28 in the University Capitol Center Recital Hall.
How to get tickets
Tickets are $37 for nonstudents and $10 for college students and youth. Tickets are available from the Hancher Box Office, located on the first floor of the south end of the Old Capitol Mall near the parking ramp. The Hancher Box Office is open for phone (319-335-1160 or 800-HANCHER) or walk-up business from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. Tickets may be ordered online at www.hancher.uiowa.edu. Any remaining tickets will be available for sale one hour before show time at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts.