The February 24 Concert Features Pittsburgh Premiere of Composer Viet Cuong’s A Moment’s Oblivion
Five-time Grammy-nominated tenor Nicholas Phan and early music ensemble Les Délices weave together Baroque masterpieces with the Pittsburgh debut of a new work by Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong. Inspired by a Chinese Confucian myth about illness and memory loss, A Moment’s Oblivion explores healing, acceptance, and the human costs of experimental treatments.
“Like all great myths, this performance is all about the human experience,” says CMP’s Executive and Artistic Director Martha Bonta. “Les Délices’ baroque instruments and Nicholas Phan’s crystalline vocals cast a complex and unforgettable emotional spell.”
This program is the first installment of Les Délices’ ambitious Mythology Project, a groundbreaking concert series thatredefines the boundaries of early music (traditionally thought of as music of the medieval, Renaissance, and early Baroque periods) by presenting newly commissioned works on period instruments. With a reputation for bringing audiences on “journeys of discovery” (The New York Times), Les Délices delights and inspires audiences through innovative programming and world-class performances.
The Boston Globe has described tenor Nicholas Phan as “one of the world’s most remarkable singers,” praised for his keen intelligence, captivating stage presence, and natural musicianship. Phan performs regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies. Also an avid recitalist, Phan co-founded the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago to promote art song and vocal chamber music. Phan has been nominated for two Grammy Awards this year: Best Classical Vocal Solo Album and Best Opera Recording, his fourth and fifth career nominations.
“When Debra Nagy [Les Délices’ founder] approached me about collaborating on this program and described her concept of expanding the cantata repertoire using non-Western, non-European mythological sources, I suggested we look to a Chinese myth called ‘The Loss of Memory’,” shares Nicholas Phan. “In the tale, a family works to cure their father of his memory loss. Once he is ‘healed,’ he angrily asks them why they did this to him, forcing him to remember all of the ‘vexations of my decades of life.’ Taking a cue from the myth’s theme of forgetting, the rest of the program took shape, largely thanks to Debra’s vision.”
Nagy, who also serves as the group’s Artistic Director, adds, “The choice of myth for the commission was one that resonated with Nick’s background as well as his lived experiences; the idea of expanding the repertoire for period instruments with newly commissioned works is extremely important and valuable to me; and the Baroque music on the program is specially chosen to amplify the themes in the myth.”
Les Délices features (L-R) Mark Edwards on harpsichord, Rebecca Landell on baroque cello and viola da gamba. Shelby Yamin on violin, and Debra Nagy on baroque oboe.
“This is a really beautiful and, at times, contemplative program that will enable us all to consider universal themes of community, love, and healing. I hope that our audiences feel inspired, at peace, and like they’ve gained a new or different outlook on the myriad challenges that life can sometimes throw our way,” Nagy says.
Program
- Michel Pignolet de Montéclair La Bergère
- Marin Marais Le Labyrinthe from 4ème Livre
- Viet Cuong A Moment’s Oblivion (World Premiere) Commissioned by Les Délices
- François Couperin Selections from Sixième Ordre, 2ème Livre
- Barricades mistérieuses
- Les Langueurs tendres
- Michel Pignolet de Montéclair Le Dépit généreux
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Chamber Music Pittsburgh presents MainStage Live: Les Délices with Nicholas Phan on February 24, 2025, at 7:30 pm at the PNC Theatre in the Pittsburgh Playhouse complex, 350 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh.
Tickets: https://www.chambermusicpittsburgh.org/lesdelices-nicholasphan
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Show Previews
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