This live concert and party will celebrate the release of Six Seasons, an album of chamber music for clarinet and strings by 2022-23 Seattle Symphony Artist-in-Residence Angelique Poteat. Poteat (clarinet) will be joined by clarinetist Laura DeLuca and violist Olivia Chew to perform two works on the album. There will also be playback of excerpts from the title work, “Six Seasons,” and bonus performances of two addition pieces not included on the album, one world premiere and one Pacific Northwest premiere, by cellist Efe Baltacigil, pianist Thomas Lee, and bassist Will Langlie-Miletich. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided, and physical CDs of the new album will be available for sale at the event only.
Angelique Poteat is a native of the Pacific Northwest, and many of her works are inspired by the natural beauty of the region. Her music has been described as “engaging, restless” (New York Times), “serious and nicely crafted” (American Record Guide), and “extremely accomplished and vividly picturesque” (Seattle Times), receiving performances on four continents by ensembles including the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, arx Percussion Duo, Emerald City Music, CernaBella, and Trio Claviola. As a clarinetist, Poteat enjoys performing a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to new music for bass clarinet. She has appeared as a soloist with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, North Corner Chamber Orchestra, and Saratoga Orchestra, and also performs with the Seattle Modern Orchestra, Northwest Sinfonietta, and regularly with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Bellingham Festival of Music, and Sunriver Music Festival.
Repertoire: The title piece “Six Seasons” for clarinet and string quartet is named after the cookbook of the same title by Joshua McFadden. Composed in six movements, the work breaks the year into six growing seasons which also capture snapshots of the complex life of a professional musician, beginning in early spring and journeying forward to winter. “Fluid Dovetail” for clarinet and viola originates from a unison idea in the middle of the work, where the opening is reactionary and works to achieve that unison, and the later portion embellishes with great intricacy. “Ripples of Possibilities” for two clarinets reflects on the rippling quality of the lines and how they virtuosically interweave and trade off, mimicking and varying, allowing for both individuality and collaboration. “Meditation on Providence” for cello and piano celebrates its world premiere at this performance, and is composed to commemorate Providence Heights, a religious institution of higher learning for women built on the Sammamish Plateau that was recently demolished and replaced with a football field. “Pacificus” for solo double bass receives its Pacific Northwest premiere and is a tribute to the Pacific Ocean, contrasting expansive depths of the double bass with higher volcanic explosive gestures and eerie whale song.