Northshore Karass Series Continues April 20 with 3X2 Concert

The Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s new Northshore Karass Performing Arts Series continues with a 3X2 Concert on Tuesday, April 20, at 7 p.m.

Three members of Chattanooga’s acclaimed Figment Chamber Ensemble–Gordon Inman on clarinet, Charlie Edholm on guitar, and Ben Van Winkle on cello–will perform duos in the CTC’s riverfront lobby.

The concert will feature a newly commissioned piece by composer Matthew Weaver, a native of Chattanooga, for the clarinet and guzheng, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, to emulate Appalachian sounds. Van Winkle will perform on the guzheng.

The program will also include Svante Henryson’s Suite Off Pist for clarinet and cello, the Radomes Gnattali Sonata for cello and guitar, and compositions for clarinet and guitar by Brazil’s Sergio Assad.

The Northshore Karass Series kicked off April 6 with a sold-out performance by the Moon Change Quartet. Following the 3X2 Concert, the series will continue with:

  • The Big Fig on May 25 on the theatre’s Mainstage, featuring a full Figment Chamber Ensemble and premiering an as yet untitled composition by Inman.
  • The Counterpoint Trio on June 15 in the CTC’s Circle Theatre, featuring Inman on clarinet, J.P. Brian-Slack on violin, and Tim Hinck on piano. The performance will incorporate choreography by Dillon Davis of the Chattanooga Ballet, who will dance during Hinck’s composition of “Old Man with Turnip.”
  • A Chattanooga Clarinet Choir concert on June 29 on the CTC’s riverfront lawn, which will include members of the choir, other community players, and a select few high school- and college-age clarinetists.

Funded by an Artists Work grant from ArtsBuild, the Northshore Karass Performing Arts Series aims to open the Theatre Centre doors to artists throughout the community and give them opportunities to perform. 

As program administrator, Inman was inspired by a Kurt Vonnegut novel to name the series “karass,” which is defined in the Urban Dictionary as “a group of people linked in a cosmically significant manner, even when superficial linkages are not evident.” 

Program content is intended to combat the stereotype of chamber music as “stuffy,” with fresh arrangements and players comprising a who’s who of Chattanooga’s young classical musicians.

Snacks, beer, and wine will be served. 

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students. There will be limited capacity in keeping with safety protocols. Tickets can be purchased at 423-267-8534 and TheatreCentre.com.

Posted April 12, 2021