Ensemble Mélange to play VPAC in Beaver Creek on March 30

The Vail Valley Foundation recently issued the following press release on Ensemble Mélange playing the Vilar Performing Arts Center (VPAC) in Beaver Creek on Saturday, March 30:

Ensemble Mélange takes the traditional classical concert experience and turns it into a participatory game, engaging the audience to create the program. Formerly known as SHUFFLE Concert, this sextet of all-star virtuosos is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of music lovers while having a bit of fun with current enthusiasts. This unique show, where a new audience member chooses each piece, comes to the Vilar Performing Arts Center (VPAC) on Saturday, March 30, featuring on-stage seating for an up-close experience with the performers.

“The intimacy of the VPAC is perfect for classical music, and enjoying Ensemble Mélange onstage with the artists is about as close you could ever get to the music,” said VPAC Executive Director Cameron Morgan. “From the pre-performance reception to the interactive format of selecting what music you want to hear, the audience will be immersed in this reinvention of the concert experience.”

Ensemble Mélange has performed across the U.S., Canada, and the Middle East. The artists include: Stuart Breczinski, a New-York based oboist, improviser, composer and educator; Ariadne Greif, a soprano praised for her “luminous, expressive voice” (New York Times); Moran Katz, a clarinetist for Carnegie Hall’s Affiliate Ensemble “Decoda” and Trinity Church’s orchestra in residence “NOVUS NY”; Sofia Nowik, a concert cellist who performs and teaches in New Jersey and New York City, frequently performing with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra; Mika Sasaki, a sought-after piano recitalist, chamber musician and faculty member at Juilliard; and Grace Park, a dynamic violinist and dedicated chamber musician who won first prize in the 2018 Naumberg International Violin Competition.

The Ensemble Mélange concert at VPAC is reformatted as a musician’s party game. Everyone in the audience has a program with a number on it. After each piece, a new audience member is chosen by a randomizer app to select the next piece from an extensive menu organized by style, nationality, and time period. The program includes classical music of a wide variety of genres, brilliant transcriptions, some jazz, innovative arrangements of tango and musical theater, and pieces written specifically for the group. Most pieces are between three and six minutes in length, ensuring the concert moves quickly and each program is unique. 

“Ensemble Mélange’s repertory is incredibly diverse, and the “menu” of music to choose from has something for everyone,” Morgan added. “Because each performance is tailored in the moment by the choices made by the audience members, you’re an active participant in this fun creative process; the outcome of which is one you’ve directly helped shape.”

Tickets for this performance are available online, and all ages are encouraged to attend. The unique format of the Ensemble Mélange show keeps audience members engaged and entertained from start to finish, making it a great option for younger participants.

For more information about VPAC’s schedule and to purchase tickets, visit vilarpac.org or call 970-845-8497.