Great Barrington — Close Encounters with Music will present “A Tale of Two Salons,” a program of works connected to Parisian socialite and arts patron Winnaretta Singer and novelist Marcel Proust at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Sunday, May 18.
Winnaretta Singer (1865–1943) was a wealthy American-born heiress, arts patron, and influential cultural figure in Paris. The daughter of Isaac Singer, founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, she inherited a substantial fortune and moved to France, where she married composer and aristocrat Prince Edmond de Polignac, becoming the Princesse de Polignac. Following Prince Edmond’s death, Winnaretta undertook several commissioning projects in his memory.
Winnaretta was renowned for the salons she hosted at her Paris home, where she championed modern music and the avant-garde, commissioning works by such composers as Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Francis Poulenc (Concerto for Two Pianos), Erik Satie (“Socrate”), and Igor Stravinsky (“Renard”).
Sunday’s program will feature works that Singer-Polignac commissioned, along with music dedicated to her or performed at her famous salons. For example:
- Ravel — “Pavane pour un enfant défunte”
- Stravinsky — Piano Sonata
- César Franck — Piano Quintet
- Fauré, Polenc, and Reynaldo Hahn (songs)
On Sunday, the following performers will endeavor to evoke the atmosphere of the salons that Singer-Polignac hosted for invited guests in the music room of her mansion on Avenue Henri-Martin:
- Alexander Shtarkman — piano
- Sylvia Kahan — piano
- William Ferguson — tenor
- Grace Park — violin
- Xiao-Dong Wang — violin
- Helena Baillie — viola
- Yehuda Hanani — cello
Alexander Shtarkman serves as professor and chair of the Piano Department at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, a position he has held since 2002. He gained international recognition after winning first prize at the 1995 Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy.
Pianist Sylvia Kahan is a professor of music at the College of Staten Island and the CUNY Graduate Center. Known for her scholarship on French music and culture, she wrote an acclaimed biography, “Music’s Modern Muse: A Life of Winnaretta Singer, Princesse de Polignac.”
Having performed with such opera companies such as the Metropolitan, Santa Fe, and Opera Australia, American tenor William Ferguson has been recognized for his versatility across opera, concert, and recital stages. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Ferguson is known for his portrayals in classic and contemporary works such as “The Tempest,” “Candide,” and “Angels in America.”
Violin associate with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Xiao-Dong Wang studied at the Shanghai Conservatory, winning first prize at the Menuhin and Wieniawski-Lipinski International Violin Competitions early in his career. He has performed globally with such orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic in London; the London Mozart Players; Adelaide, Perth, Queensland symphony orchestras; and the Sydney Opera Orchestra.
London-born Helena Baillie teaches at Bard College’s Music Program and has been recognized for her versatility on both violin and viola. The Strad noted the “brilliance and poignance” of her performances, and American Record Guide praised her “gorgeous singing tonel.”
Cellist Yehuda Hanani, founder and artistic director of Close Encounters With Music, has performed with leading orchestras worldwide. Born in Jerusalem, he studied under Leonard Rose at Juilliard and Pablo Casals and was brought to the U.S. at age 19 by Leonard Bernstein and Isaac Stern.
A reception on the Mahaiwe stage follows Sunday’s concert. You are invited to meet the musicians and enjoy a light repast from Authentic Eats by Ukrainian chef Oleg.
Hear “A Tale of Two Salons — Winnaretta Singer and Marcel Proust” at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, on Sunday, May 18, 4 p.m. Tickets are available here or by calling (413) 528-0100.
