International Chamber Artists | PATRIOT: Letters from WWI

The International Chamber Artists (ICA) closes its 2017-18 season with a program featuring a world premiere, and works by Vincent D’Indy and American composers Eric Ewazen and Anthony DiLorenzo. Join us at a performance on Saturday, June 2 at 7 PM at Second Presbyterian Church (1936 S. Michigan, Chicago) and Sunday, June 3 at 4 PM at St. Gregory the Great Church (5535 N. Paulina, Chicago). To showcase ICA’s brass players, the program opens with Emmy Award-winning Anthony DiLorenzo’s Fire Dance for Brass Quintet followed by Eric Ewazen’s dazzling Colchester Fantasy for Brass Quintet. To honor the centennial of the end of WWI, ICA commissioned a new chamber work by Brian Baxter and will give its world premiere performance. This composition, Ho sentito di una terra distante, is a song cycle for baritone voice, soprano voice, and small chamber ensemble based on the diary of an Italian American soldier, Bernardino Bernardini. Using lyrics by Marcella Mencotti from "His Military Life," an imaginary opera created to accompany the novel "Pro Patria," the song cycle presents a sweeping vision of love and war as experienced by the young soldier Bernardino and his love interest Elisa. The program ends with Vincent D’Indy’s enchanting Piano Quintet, Op. 81. Following each ICA concert, audience members are invited to mingle and join the performers at a buffet dinner hosted by Ranalli’s of Andersonville (1512 W. Berwyn, Chicago; $15 including soft drinks and tip). Tickets for all ICA concerts are FREE ($15 donation recommended).