Join us for this free concert on Friday, June 30, at the Albany Town Hall! David Feurzeig of Play Every Town VT will be bringing the Town Hall piano to life with a wide range of music. He will be joined by local violinist, Nicholas Trevits. This event is free and open to all. Donations will be accepted to support energy efficiency improvements to the Albany Town Hall.
More details about the concert:
Contact: PlayEveryTown@gmail.com (802) 434-3819
www.PlayEveryTown.com Facebook: playeverytownVT
"Like so much of our everyday life, routine jet travel is unsustainable—which means something it's literally not possible to keep doing. I want to model a performance culture that doesn't require hopping on a plane and flying all over the world."
Last May composer-pianist David Feurzeig embarked on Play Every Town: 252 free concerts in each of Vermont's 252 towns to combat climate change through the power of community and music.
With this project David will become the first musician to perform in every Vermont municipality. He is traveling in his solar-charged electric vehicle throughout the state, offering free concerts to bring attention to the interrelated issues of climate and community, while bringing the joy of music to his audiences.
"I want to support Vermont's local communities with live performance in village centers and downtowns, while fulfilling UVM's mission to serve as a resource for the whole state."
Feurzeig, a professor of music at UVM since 2008, specializes in genre-defying recitals that bring together music of an astonishing variety of musical styles, from ancient and classical to jazz, avant-garde, and popular traditions. These striking juxtapositions, peppered with informative and humorous commentary, create eye- and ear-opening programs that will change how you hear all kinds of music.
Each program is locally tailored. In Albany, Nick Trevits will join David for Fritz Kreisler's Liebesfreud and Liebesleid (Love's Joy and Sorrow). Like every performance on the tour, this one will include its own unique Scarlatti keyboard sonata: Sonata no. 36 for this thirty-sixth concert in the project.
In keeping with Town Hall's venerable turn-of-the-last-century upright and historic Charles Henry (1850- 1917) painted stage curtain, the remainder of the program will lean heavily on ragtime, though not just old-time selections, but rags from the 1890s to the 2020s.
Feurzeig finds his approach attracts new audiences to so-called "classical" concerts and brings new insight to existing fans. "Classical music culture puts the 'Great Composers' on an almost religious pedestal. Once this was an indication of the audience's love and respect, but now it just distances people from the music. It turns away new listeners, who feel like they're in a stuffy museum instead of a live concert. Sure, the music can be serious, but there's no reason anyone should feel intimidated. If I don't get a laugh from the audience in the first two minutes, I get worried!"
Follow David on his journey on Instagram, find up-to-date events for your town via Facebook, or visit the website at www.PlayEveryTown.com.
"Not just for stars, but in academia as well there are pressures on musicians to travel far and wide, to maintain an international presence. We take this and a thousand similar practices for granted—but they're simply not compatible with a livable world."