ST. GEORGE — Dixie State University’s Celebrity Concert Series stays true to its tradition in presenting classical music with an upcoming performance by three German vocalists known as ATOS Trio. Additionally, the series is branching out by celebrating another form of masterpieces – classic rock – with a performance by The Hit Men in mid-November.
“Three voices – one sound” is how the Detroit Free Press described the Berlin-based ATOS Trio of Annette von Hehn, Thomas Hoppe and Stefan Heinemeyer, who have been a leading light on the international chamber music circuit since 2003.
Praised for its warmth of sound, unanimity of phrasing and dynamic interpretations, the trio impresses “… a true ensemble with an admirable fusion of voices and the gift of finding an expressive depth in their performances,” according to The Age, a Melbourne publication.
The ATOS Trio performs regularly at such venues as Carnegie Hall, New York; the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam; and Wigmore Hall, London. They also appear at noted festivals all over the world, including Budapest Spring, Cheltenham, City of London, and Enescu in Bucharest.
The trio’s collection of awards and prizes includes America’s prestigious Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson International Trio Award and First Prize, Grand Prize, Musica Viva Tour Prize and Audience Prize all in the same year at the 5th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition. ATOS Trio became a BBC New Generation Artist 2009/11 and won a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Special Ensemble Award in 2012, which the trio used to support Heimathafen, a pioneering concert series in the Neukölln neighborhood of Berlin.
Annette von Hehn plays the Yfrah Neaman Stradivari, kindly loaned by the Neaman Family, with help provided by Beare Fine Instrument Society of London.
The program ATOS will perform at Dixie State University on Nov. 6 as part of its Celebrity Concert Series includes one of the last works Schubert composed before his death in 1827, the Piano Trio Op. 100. Its music proved so haunting and engaging it has been used countless times as a score to film and television alike including the HBO series “John Adams” and even the 2011 action thriller starring Jason Statham, “The Mechanic.”
The program rounds out with another monumental work, the Archduke Trio Op. 97 by Beethoven. Although it is considered output from his “middle period” the trio was composed and first performed while Beethoven was completely deaf.
At a rehearsal of the trio, another German violinist and composer, Ludwig Spohr noted: “On account of his deafness, there was scarcely anything left of the virtuosity of the artist which had formerly been so greatly admired. In forte passages the poor deaf man pounded on the keys until the strings jangled, and in piano he played so softly that whole groups of notes were omitted, so that the music was unintelligible unless one could look into the pianoforte part. I was deeply saddened at so hard a fate.”
A little more than two weeks after ATOS Trio’s performance at Dixie State University, the Celebrity Concert Series will shift from classical music to classic rock, when The Hit Men come to town on Nov. 15.
The Hit Men classify themselves as real rock ‘n’ roll legacy performers – not the actors from the Broadway shows, but the former stars of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons – who toured the world with Frankie back in the day and are now on their wildly successful reunion tour across the United States.
Members of The Hit Men were also performing and recording with Tommy James and the Shondells, Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, Elton John and other mega-star acts of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.
In their multimedia experience show, The Hit Men perform their great Four Seasons hits, along with many more No. 1 songs they helped make famous. They also share with the audience great backstories from their days on the road and in the studio with Frankie, Tommy, Carly, Cat, Jim and Elton.
Event details
- What: Dixie State University’s Celebrity Concert Series.
- When: ATOS Trio, Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m.; The Hit Men, Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m.
- Where: Cox Auditorium, Dixie State University Campus.
- Tickets: Call: 435-652-7800 or order tickets online at dsutix.com; $25 for ATOS Trio and $30 for The Hit Men.
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