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Any casual classical music fan can name at least one piece by the three giant B's — Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. This Saturday at Strathmore, the National Philharmonic welcomes three renowned musicians for an evening that features works by the three composers, climaxing with Beethoven's "Triple Concerto."
"It's a very creative and unusual program," says pianist Brian Ganz. "I've never played in a concert like this."
"I love the melodies," he says. "Especially the melody in the second movement, one that Bach himself must have loved, because he used it in several different pieces. I also love the energy and interplay between the piano and the strings in the first and third movements."
Although he has performed with the City of London Sinfonia and the St. Petersburg (Russia) Philharmonic, the 49-year-old has remained close to his Maryland roots. Raised in Columbia, Ganz now lives in Annapolis. When he's not traveling, he teaches at his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Institute, and at St. Mary's College of Maryland.
"I love the faculty and the school itself is beautiful," Ganz says of St. Mary's. "It's on the banks of the St. Mary's River, which is gorgeous."
Like many accomplished classical pianists, Ganz cut his teeth at competitions. He won two First Grand Prizes at the 1989 Marguerite Long Jacques Thibaud International Piano Competition in Paris and earned a silver medal at the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium International Piano Competition in 1991.
"Some people think of them as necessary evils," says Ganz. "I think of them more as opportunities to meet people and play. You don't have to enter them with any sort of cutthroat spirit."
Ganz's relationship with the National Philharmonic goes back to the early 1990s when the institution was known as the National Chamber Orchestra. They have since teamed up several times, most recently in January for Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini".
"We've had a long and fruitful collaboration," says Ganz.
After the Bach piece, Ganz will give way to cellist Zuill Bailey and violinist Elena Urioste. The duo will take on Brahms' "Double Concerto."
"I'm looking forward to the element that combines the soloistic concerto playing with chamber music," Urioste says. "Chamber music is a passion of mine. I think it will be fun to experience both at once."
At just 23, Urioste is making her National Philharmonic debut. She grew up in Philadelphia and attended performances at the Curtis Institute of Music as a youngster.
"I would always hear this unbelievable talent and these amazing concerts," Urioste recalls. "I always dreamt of going there. It was kind of a fantasy."
Fantasy eventually became reality. Before graduating from Curtis, she was already touring the country. Success led her to be named an emerging artist by Symphony Magazine. Typically, Urioste would spend her days before a big concert rehearsing, but less than two weeks before her performance at Strathmore, she flew to London for her Wigmore Hall debut. The invitation was a result of earning the London Music Masters Award.
"It actually came as a huge surprise," Urioste admits. "It was something that I applied for, and then I didn't hear about it for so long, I had kind of forgotten that I had done it. But everything fell into place, and I started thinking about what it really meant."
Not even a little jetlag will faze Urioste. She looks forward to playing on the Strathmore stage and accompanying Bailey.
"I met briefly with Bailey," Urioste says. "We didn't play anything, but we just sat down and talked. He's a really nice man, and from what I've heard, he's an incredible musician. I feel very honored to be [playing] with him."
For Bailey, the night means a rare combination of selections that promise to challenge the apex of his skills and show off the power of his instrument.
"The Beethoven triple is one of the most difficult things for cello," he explains. "And the Brahms double is probably one of the most magnificent things for cello."
The native of Woodbridge, Va., now makes his home in El Paso. The Texas border city isn't known for its classical music, but Bailey is trying to change that. Since 2001, he has been artistic director of El Paso Pro-Musica, an organization dedicated to bringing chamber music to the area and across the border into Ju·rez, Mexico.
"For the first time in my life, I started realizing that I could make an impact on a region. I could create a support system and bring in the kind of artists that affect a region, the kids as well as the older people."
The 37-year-old has appeared on television shows like HBO's "Oz" and "Homicide: Life on the Street." Despite the credits, he does not consider himself a thespian.
"I never acted," Bailey says. "I always joke that excluding the murder scene in ‘Oz,' it was just a cameo in a way. I just got to play a cellist."
After an intermission, all three musicians will combine their musical powers to perform Beethoven's "Triple Concerto."
"It's a very joyful piece," Ganz says. "It's Beethoven at his most playful. He used to say that he was feeling ‘unbuttoned' when he was in a good mood. And you get the feeling that he was very unbuttoned when he wrote this piece."
Loosen your collars.
The National Philharmonic "Three B's Concert" takes place at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets range from $29 to $79, free for ages 7 to 17. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.
