Coastal Concerts announces lineup for 20th anniversary season

In 2018-19, its 20th season, Coastal Concerts will bring to Southern Delaware 16 world-renowned classical musicians performing live and unamplified in the acoustically intimate, fully accessible Fellowship Hall of Bethel United Methodist Church in Lewes. 

On the six-concert schedule, running from Oct. 18 thru April 19, are performers seeking unique ways to express their musical passion, including the electrifying pianist Awadagin Pratt, the jaw-dropping string trio Time for Three, and the multi-genre musical combine of Musica Pacifica with violinist David Greenberg.

Rounding out the season’s program are more traditional and equally virtuosic performers, the American String Quartet with cellist Andrés Díaz and his brother Roberto Díaz, violist; Grammy-winning guitarist David Russell; and rising young pianist Orion Weiss.

• Saturday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m. - Pianist Awadagin Pratt returns to the Coastal Concerts stage three years after his stunning 2015 debut. Among his generation of concert artists, Pratt is acclaimed for his musical insight and intensely involving performances. Educated musically at the University of Illinois and subsequently at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, he became the first student in the Peabody's history to receive diplomas in three performance areas - piano, violin and conducting. A strong advocate of music education, Pratt participates in numerous residency and outreach activities wherever he appears - master classes, children's recitals, play/talk demonstrations, and Q&A sessions for students of all ages. 

• Saturday, Nov. 17,  2 p.m. - American String Quartet with brothers cellist Andrés Díaz and violist Roberto Díaz. ASQ is recognized internationally as one of the world’s finest quartets, having spent decades honing the luxurious sound for which it is famous. ASQ is joined in this performance by the equally exemplary brothers Roberto and Andrés Díaz, and the added power is almost overwhelming.

• Saturday, Jan. 19, 2 p.m. - Musica Pacifica returns to Coastal Concerts, having performed in March 2010 when the audience was practically dancing in the aisles in response. This time these Baroque music specialists will have with them violinist and fiddler David Greenberg, who entranced the audience when he performed with the Red Priest Baroque Band at Coastal Concerts in April 2017.

• Saturday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m. - David Russell, guitar. The 2005 Grammy award-winner in the category of best instrumental soloist in classical music for his CD “Aire Latino,” guitarist Russell is world renowned for his superb musicianship and inspired artistry, having earned the highest praise from audiences and critics alike. In recognition of his great talent and his international career, he was named a Fellow of The Royal Academy of Music in London in 1997.

• Saturday, March 16, 7 p.m. - Orion Weiss, piano. One of the most sought-after soloists in his generation of young American musicians, the pianist has performed with major American orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic. His deeply felt and exceptionally crafted performances go far beyond his technical mastery and have won him worldwide acclaim.

• Saturday, April 13, 8 p.m. - Wild Card concert, with a pre-concert talk at 6:30. Time for Three - violinist Nicolas (Nick) Kendall, violinist Charles Yang, and double-bassist Ranaan Meyer - is a group that defies any traditional genre classification, happily and infectiously. With an uncommon mix of virtuosity and showmanship, the American trio performs music from Bach to Brahms and beyond, giving world premieres by Pulitzer Prize-winners William Bolcom and Jennifer Higdon as well as playing originals and their own arrangements of everything from bluegrass and folk tunes to ingenious mashups of hits by the Beatles, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake and more.

Tickets to the first five concerts are on sale now at coastalconcerts.org for $35 each or at a subscription price of $175 for the five-concert series. Tickets to the Wild Card concert April 13 are on sale at $25 each, or $30 if premium seating is requested. Premium seating for the regular season subscription series is sold out but there are individual premium tickets still available for some concerts. Ages 10 to 18 and one adult per youth are admitted free at any concert of the season when advance reservations are made at 888-212-6458 at least 24 hours prior. Discount admission for $10 is available at the door for students 19 and older, as well as for active-duty and retired career military. Valid ID is required.

Coastal Concerts is a nonprofit organization promoting classical music appreciation through live concerts, outreach, and educational activities. The organization is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The division promotes Delaware arts events on DelawareScene.com. The engagements of David Russell and the American String Quartet with Andrés and Roberto Díaz are made possible through the Special Presenters Initiative program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Delaware Division of the Arts.