Gateways Chamber Players

Event is Live

Carnegie Hall Presents

Sunday, October 22, 2023 3 PM Zankel Hall

Tai Murray, Alexander Laing, Monica Ellis, Billy Hunter, Weston Sprott, Patricia Weitzel, Wesley Sumpter, Damien Sneed, and Phylicia Rashad

Two singular composers tell the tale of a fiddler’s Faustian bargain and musical duel with the devil. The suite from The Soldier’s Tale is one of Stravinsky’s most memorable chamber works, retaining the stylistic range, dance elements, and expert instrumentation of his larger-scale compositions. In Wynton Marsalis’s re-imagining, A Fiddler’s Tale, he takes Stravinsky’s early jazz ingredients even further, melding jazz and classical idioms together with an updated narrative—here performed by special guest Phylicia Rashad and conducted by longtime Marsalis collaborator Damien Sneed. Hear both works performed by outstanding members of the acclaimed Gateways Music Festival.

Part of: WQXR-Broadcasts

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Performers

Gateways Chamber Players
- Tai Murray, Violin
- Alexander Laing, Clarinet
- Monica Ellis, Bassoon
- Billy Hunter, Trumpet
- Weston Sprott, Trombone
- Patricia Weitzel, Bass
- Wesley Sumpter, Percussion
Damien Sneed, Conductor

with Special Guest
Phylicia Rashad, Narrator

Program

STRAVINSKY The Soldier's Tale

WYNTON MARSALIS A Fiddler's Tale

Event Duration

The printed program will last approximately two hours, including one 20-minute intermission.

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Bios

Tai Murray

Tai Murray has been described as “a violinist with more than technique on her mind” and a musician of “exceptional assurance and style” (The Philadelphia Inquirer). ...

Alexander Laing

Shaped by the belief that “Music is more than just sounds; music is sounds, words, and people,” Alexander Laing’s practice is committed to exploring the push and pull ...

Monica Ellis

Bassoonist Monica Ellis is a founding member of the quintet Imani Winds, which—for more than a quarter century—has dazzled audiences around the world with dynamic playing, ...

Billy Hunter

A native of Austin, Texas, Billy Hunter has been principal trumpet of The Met Orchestra since 2004. He enjoys a versatile career in the classical music world that includes orchestral, ...

Weston Sprott

Weston Sprott is a prominent thought leader, administrator, performer, and educator in classical music. He is dean and director of the preparatory division at The Juilliard School, leading ...

Patricia Weitzel

Brazil native Patricia Weitzel has appeared as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral performer, teacher, and clinician in several countries including Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, ...

Wesley Sumpter

Wesley Sumpter is a musician, producer, and educator based in Los Angeles. As percussionist and timpanist, he has performed with some of the world’s leading orchestras including the ...

Damien Sneed

A multi-genre recording artist and instrumentalist, Damien Sneed is a pianist, vocalist, organist, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, and arts educator. He has worked with jazz, ...

Phylicia Rashad

An accomplished actor and stage director, Phylicia Rashad became a household name when she portrayed Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show, a character whose enduring appeal has earned her ...

Gateways Chamber Players

The Gateways Chamber Players is a new Gateways Music Festival ensemble featuring some of the nation’s leading classical musicians in a performance of Igor Stravinsky’s The ...