CU September 27 sold out

We are sold out!

To everyone who is coming tonight - please note that this is the hottest day of the year, and it is pretty warm in the studio. Please dress accordingly! and for potluck consider the "colder" food / drinks!

Opening season is on this coming Monday, September 27

Dear friends,

It's hard to believe that the summer is over and we are on with our fourth season of celebrating the very spirit of ART at our Classical Underground. We have great plans and ideas for new ways of showing and supporting ART that we are excited to share with you as we go into the season, and we have a mother lode of musical treats in our September 27th program. We are extremely proud and fortunate to set an informal stage (in fact so informal there is no stage!) for the greatest classical music talents from here and beyond, who are performing at CU for the pure love of their Great and Noble ART,united in the cause of reaching out to new and wonderful audiences with the best that the wonderful world of classical music has to offer:

Christoph Bull (organ), Roberto Cani (violin), Whitney Crockett (bassoon), Eduardo Delgado (piano), Ariana Ghez (oboe), Courtney Jones (trumpet), Kanae Matsumoto (piano), Laszlo Mezo (cello), Vicky Miskolczy (viola), Mitsuko Morikawa (piano), Robert Thies (piano), Bradley Wisk (tenor).

No matter what we face collectively in this much-troubled world of ours, it is ART that will always be there to inspire us,and I much look forward to seeing you all on Monday to share in the experience which is Classical Underground. Again we are most grateful to our supportive friends at Steinway Piano Gallery West Hollywood for graciously providing us with their incomparable instrument.

Alexey
P.S. As always - don't forget - it is a potluck party - bring your favorite food and drink! Your PayPal payment is your reservation to the evening.

CU Showcase: NOVOREALISM and Convergence of Generations

It is so exciting to see LA on the front line of a great cultural transition in ART yet again as we see happening in front of our very eyes. Among other various intriguing forms of contemporary expression, American Realism as a most recent form of American Non-Conformism is gaining energy and excitement among young and rebellious talents. The rapidly gaining note (if not notoriety!) LA Classical Visual Art gang, which is much represented at CU showcases, is certainly a raucous part of this wide and diverse movement across the land, which different people call different names and which I call Novorealism.

We are enormously excited to host a constellation of new bright young stars of this exciting movement: Scott Burdick, Rose Franzen, Nancy Guzik, Ignat Ignatov, Jeremy Lipking, Susan Lyon, Tony Pro, Joseph Todorovich, Michelle Dunaway, among other great talents. Yet the most fascinating part is that these Young Guns are getting together with their beloved iconic Maestro Richard Schmid and a special appearance of my dad, Master Leonid Steele, to paint (much as we did last year) one of the beloved CU musical stars and an unforgettable character - cellist Armen Ksajikian.

What could better represent the inseparable connection of these two glorious art forms than some of the best painters in the land painting our best musicians! As our CU experiment of bringing classical forms of music and visual arts together on a cross-inspirational platform gets note from LA to NY to London and everywhere in between, we are enormously proud to showcase some of the results of this truly exciting and unique gathering.

In ART we trust!

Musicians and Artists featured on Sept 27th program

Christoph Bull, a concert organist, pianist, singer, composer, and recording artist, currently finishing the world premiere recording of the one-of-a-kind Walt Disney Concert Hall pipe organ.






Roberto Cani, Italian violinist, has been hailed by critics as "…a violinist of high caliber following the great Italian tradition of the virtuoso violinist, Paganini."







Whitney Crockett joined LA Phil as Principal bassoon after being Principal bassoon of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and other great orchestras.






Eduardo Delgado, CU favorite, renowned performer of romantic and Argentinian piano repertoire, Prof. at CSUF. Just came back from performing in Argentina and Italy.





Ariana Ghez is a Principal Oboe at Los Angeles Philharmonic, a frequent soloist and an avid lover of chamber music.







Courtney Jones, an instant hit at CU, who frequently plays with the Golden State pops Orchestra, Southeast Symphony, MET LA Theater.







Kanae Matsumoto, is active as a soloist and a collaborative pianist, having performed at many recital halls in Germany, Italy, Russia, Japan and the United States.









Laszlo Mezo, winner of several International competitions, is a a member of the Pacific Symphony and has performed extensively in Europe, Asia and America.







Vicky Miskolczy, associate principal viola of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, a member of the Capitol Ensemble. She also performed solo recitals in Australia, US and Canada.





Mitsuko Morikawa, a professional accompanist over 10 years, recorded music for the New World Records label and have been featured on radio programs such as WCLV, Cleveland and NHK-FM, Japan.







Robert Thies, the only American pianist in four decades to win a Russian piano competition since Van Cliburn. "A pianist of unerring warm-toned refinement, revealing judicious glimmers of power" (LA Times)







Bradley Wisk, lyric tenor, described as having "an alluring rich color and exceptionally spinning stratospheric top notes", and a "tall dark drink of a leading man".

NOVOREALISM and CONVERGENCE of GENERATIONS

It is so exciting to see LA on the front line of a great cultural transition in ART yet again as we see happening in front of our very eyes. Among other various intriguing forms of contemporary expression, American Realism as a most recent form of American Non-Conformism is gaining energy and excitement among young and rebellious talents. The rapidly gaining note (if not notoriety!) LA Classical Visual Art gang, which is much represented at CU showcases, is certainly a raucous part of this wide and diverse movement across the land, which different people call different names and which I call Novorealism.

We are enormously excited to host a consellation of new bright young stars of this exciting movement: Scott Burdick, Rose Franzen, Nancy Guzik, Ignat Ignatov, Jeremy Lipking, Susan Lyon, Tony Pro, Joseph Todorovich, Michelle Dunaway, among other great talents. Yet the most fascinating part is that these Young Guns got together with their beloved iconic Maestro Richard Schmid and a special appearance of my dad, Master Leonid Steele, to paint one of the beloved CU musical stars and an unforgettable character - cellist Armen Ksajikian.

Armen Ksajikian, has performed as principal or soloist with the Los Angeles Chamber, Opus Chamber and Hollywood Bowl orchestras, among others.