Ahn Trio Recommends
By: Maria Ahn
Hey, this is Maria from Ahn Trio!
When summer rolls along, it is the time that many of you might pack your bags and travel to far away places in search of adventures. It warms my heart to reflect upon the many wonderful places that our work has brought us to. We are so fortunate to have seen and played within the walls of many spectacular concert halls at many amazing cities. The hospitality of the wonderful people at all the places weʼve visited have weaved numerous lovely memories for us. As such, I think it is appropriate that this recommendation touches on some of the places/artists I would go see in a heart beat.
I'll start with my hometown. In New York City, I love that you can hear live music for free in so many venues during the summer. There are many festivals at the various beautiful parks that are available free to the public. One coming up will be Lang Lang at summer stage in Central Park, there is something very unique about listening to music along with a huge crowd while enjoying a picnic. It is a completely different vibe enjoying classical music in a park compared to one in the most luxurious of halls. http://www.summerstage.org
Also, there are many hidden, tiny places like Nublu (http://nublu.net) in the East Village and Barbes (http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com) in Brooklyn. We love sharing music at such venues and always have a wonderful time. It's so special to perform in a tiny space, air thick with summer heat and many people so close together. Ilhan Ersahin, the owner of Nublu and a great jazz saxophonist performs at Nublu (of course!) regularly, be sure to checkout his music. http://www.ilhanersahin.com
One of the popular places in the Village right now is Poisson Rouge (http://lepoissonrouge.com) where I heard the sexy cellist with movie star good looks, Zuill Bailey. He played Bach Solo Cello Suites which was absolutely dreamy. http://www.zuillbailey.com. Another of our trio's all time favorite venue to perform is Joe's Pub (http://www.joespub.com) at the Public Theater which is a staple in NYC. Our trio will play either at Poisson Rouge or Joe's Pub this year so look for us there too!
Comedy and Classical music doesn't always go hand in hand unless you are Victor Borge, but in case you still haven't heard of "Igudesman & Joo", seeing them once on a youtube video will instantly turn you into a new fan. www.igudesmanandjoo.com Their level of playing the piano and the violin is on par with first rate soloists and their comic skits are top notch entertaining. I watched their performance at the Carnegie Hall recently, and having been there numerous times, I have never seen the usually very properly behaved classical audiences make so much noise laughing/crying/cracking up, it was amazing. Don't miss them if they perform where you are. Igudesman & Joo are based in Vienna and they are doing many concerts this summer all throughout Austria. They just had their hilarious "Mockumentary" broadcasted on European Television, featuring Roger Moore, and stars from the world of classical and pop, such as Lang Lang, Mischa Maisky, Hliary Hahn, Kim Wilde, and Tears for Fears. Also look for their performance at the music festival in Dubrovnik if you happen to be at that corner of the world. In my opinion, Dubrovnik's beauty rivals that of Venice.
Berlin is one of my favorite cities. For me, it is the most “New York City like” city in Europe. Berlin is vibrant and exciting, it also has great concert halls and music venues. I loved performing at the Watergate Club (http://www.water-gate.de), which has the view of the river as the backdrop of the stage space. Whether you're listening to classical or electronic music there, it is a great place to hear music. My favorite string quartets based in Berlin is the Artemis Quartet, they will be presenting all Beethoven programs next season. http://www.artemisquartett.de
Istanbul is a great city for music and the venues are just jaw dropping. The first time we went there to perform, we played at the St. Irene Church (Aya Irini) built in the 4th Century inside the Topkapi Palace. This time while I was in Istanbul, Radu Lupu was performing at the Aya Irini. We recently returned from playing at a town where Cleopatra and Mark Antony used to hangout, a city in the south called Tarsus. There are great music festivals all around the country. Istanbul of course, is a city so historic and lovely, a place that you should visit if you ever get a chance.
Perhaps you might not be traveling far this summer, but remember to keep your eyes and ears out for performances close to where you are. Take advantage of all the free performances that are out there. If there isnʼt any, turn on the radio, check out the web, go to your local record store, be adventurous, explore, allow music to take you on an amazing journey. Music can bring you to places your feet may not, it can take you to the depths of the ocean on the most blazing of the summer days; or bring you to shore.
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