Picosa's 2017-2018 Season Ticket includes all of the concerts below at Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook and PianoForte Chicago in South Loop.

CONCERT 1

Songs of the Earth

Thursday, September 21st, 2017 7:00pm Mayslake Peabody Estate, Oak Brook

Sunday, October 1st, 2017 7:00pm PianoForte Chicago

Picosa opens its fourth season with a timely musical statement in response to recent events in its concert titled “Songs of the Earth”. The program opens with Howard Whitaker’s original work written for Picosa in 2017 titled This Vale of Tears which references the hope and faith that allows humanity to rise heavenward, overcoming the profound suffering of this world. In the natural realm, Augusta Read Thomas’ virtuosic trio for violin, cello, and piano ...a circle around the sun... seems remarkably appropriate given the total eclipse that was witnessed on August 21st. Rounding out the program are three classics: the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano by Francis Poulenc, the elegant Trois Aquarelles for flute, cello, and piano, and finally, the masterwork Appalachian Spring which is transcribed for the ensemble by Picosa’s Composer-in-Residence Jonathon Kirk from Aaron Copland’s original score for 13 instruments. We hope you’ll join us for this wonderful program which celebrates the beauty and complexity of our world!

CONCERT 2

Americana

Tuesday, December 5th, 2017 7:00pm Mayslake Peabody Estate, Oak Brook

Picosa’s winter concerts present works that celebrate American culture in dance and music. Augusta Read Thomas’ Scat was created for and premiered by Picosa in 2015 in its current version which includes clarinet rather than viola. Performing Scat feels like an interesting musical conundrum as Picosa’s musicians interpret how to perform an instrumental piece that imitates this iconic American vocal jazz form (scat) that imitates instrumental music. Paul Schoenfield takes us on a journey through popular American dance forms (Charleston, Rag, and Jig) of the 20th century and earlier in his three movement Sonatina. We move to a more lyrical side of American music in the works of romantic composer Amy Beach and contemporary composer Peter Schickele, who’s best known for his comedic alter-ego PDQ Bach. Finally, the program closes with two high energy, virtuosic works in Elliot Carter’s Esprit Rude for flute and clarinet and University of Illinois-Chicago Associate Professor of Music Marc Mellits’ Spam for full ensemble.

CONCERT 3

Locus of Movement

Tuesday, February 20th, 2018 7:30pm PianoForte Chicago

Sunday, March 11th, 2018 3:00pm Mayslake Peabody Estate, Oak Brook **Collaboration with The Cambrians

Picosa’s February and March concerts are all about the point where movement begins, not only musically and historically, but also with this exciting inaugural collaboration with The Cambrians Contemporary Dance company {March Mayslake date only!}. The program opens with Merge Left by University of Illinois-Chicago Associate Professor of Music Marc Mellits which, despite its whimsical title, is written in dedication and memory to Mellits’ dear friend John Craft in his last months before succumbing to AIDS. Three miniature works by Augusta Read Thomas D(i)agon(als) for solo clarinet, Euterpe’s Caprice for solo flute, and Capricci for flute and clarinet capture movement and motion in their mercurial and spinning musical lines. Florent Ghys’ Etude for 11 Faces embodies the progress of the field of music towards innovative new territory with the integral use of visuals not only in the performance practice but in the actual construction of the work itself. Arvo Part's Spiegel im Spiegel translates to "mirror within the mirror" and will be one of several works featuring a soloist from The Cambrian's Dance company. Haydn’s Divertissement for flute, violin, and cello is a sorbet within a rich program, which sets up the final work on the program, the revolutionary Kammersymphonie No. 1 transcribed by Anton Webern from the original score by Arnold Schoenberg. The music of Webern and Schoenberg represents a seismic shift in the western tradition of classical music moving away from diatonicism (major and minor scales) and towards heterodox, new terrain in tonality including serialism, 12 tone rows, and ultimately paving the way for a new language in contemporary music.

CONCERT 4

Music of Spain and Latin America

Sunday, May 20th, 2018 7:00pm Mayslake Peabody Estate, Oak Brook

Picosa is particularly thrilled to showcase the superb music of composers from Spain and Latin America this season. This diverse program begins with two lush and lyrical trios by beloved Argentinian composer Astor Piazolla, Oblivion and Trio Revolucionarios for violin, cello, and piano. Hungarian clarinetist Béla Kovács created the Hommage à Manuel de Falla as one of many solo works he created celebrating great composers. Two pieces on the program feature star contemporary composers Marcos Balter and Gabriela Lena Frank. Balter’s delete/control/option for flute and cello is the most modern work of the program. It is named after computing syntax and is based on the incongruities between voluntary and involuntary actions. Gabriela Lena Frank is quickly becoming known for her music which captures Peruvian folk elements within a skilled contemporary musical framework. She describes, “Canto de Harawi: Amadeoso is a short tone poem that attempts to portray my childhood dream where I walk hand-in-hand with Mozart, passing through such unlikely scenes as my old backyard garden, a deserted playground, and an ominous cavern that frightened me during a family camping trip.” Spanish composer Joaquín Turina’s Trio No. 1 for violin, cello, and piano is in the romantic tradition of the Piazolla with a distinctly Spanish flare. Closing the program is the epic Quintet for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano written by Panamanian composer Roque Cordero. This four movement work is a symphony in miniature, deftly balancing Panamanian folk elements with masterful contemporary composition and featuring each instrument of the quintet beautifully.