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Beethoven's 4th at the Mondavi!! With UC Davis Symphony and Baldini

2/12/2020

I've been looking forward to this performance for a long time, and would like to invite you all to attend. On Friday, March 6th at 7pm, I will join Christian Baldini and the UCD Symphony, playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4, at the Mondavi Center, in Davis, CA. This performance is a rescheduling of 2019's Copland Concerto.

For tickets, please click on the link below.
https://tickets.mondaviarts.org/6339

Into the canyon we go! Grand Canyon, April 2019

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November concerts: in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

11/3/2019

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11/8: Bach Marathon at Manning Chapel, Brown University, Providence, RI, 7pm
-English Suite No. 4 in F Major, BWV 809, Violin Sonata in A Major, BWV 1015, with violinist, Jesse Holstein
11/21: Whitehead Noontime Series at MIT with cellist Adrienne Taylor, Cambridge, MA
-Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata, Beethoven: Variations for Cello and Piano "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen", WoO 46, Chopin: Etude for Cello and Piano (arranged by Glazunov), Op. 25 No. 7
12/19: Sonata Series at RISD Museum with cellists Adrienne Taylor and Miguel Vásquez, 7pm, 20 North Main Street, Providence, RI
-Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata, Beethoven: Variations for Cello and Piano "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen," WoO 46 and "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen," WoO 66

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October performances: in California and Rhode Island!

10/2/2019

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October Performance Calendar:

Oct. 5th at 5:30pm: Private Event with cellist Adrienne Taylor in Newport, RI.
Oct. 9th at 7:30pm: Chamber music of Mozart with cellist Susan Lamb Cook and friends, University Retirement Community, Davis, CA.
Oct. 10th at 12pm: Free Noontime Concert: Chamber music of Mozart with cellist Susan Lamb Cook and friends, Pitzer Center, UC Davis
Oct. 11th at 7pm: Chamber music of Mozart with cellist Susan Lamb Cook and friends, Eskaton Retirement Center, Sacramento, CA
Oct. 12th at 7:30pm: Chamber music of Mozart with cellist Susan Lamb Cook and friends, Harrison Oaks Studio, Sacramento, CA
Oct. 13th at 2pm: Chamber music of Mozart with cellist Susan Lamb Cook and friends, Harris Center in Folsom, CA

Oct. 17th-19th: The Nature of Light, with Island Moving Company. Newport Congregational Church, Newport, RI
Works by Chopin, Debussy, Pärt and Schnittke
https://islandmovingco.secure.force.com/ticket#details_a0U1H00001BcyH9UAJ

Teton foxes

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Summer highlights, and onto the Fall!

8/29/2019

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Hi! September is fast approaching and a very eventful summer is coming to an end.
In mid-June through early July, I drove across the country; spending more time in the Southwest. Highlights included Cedar Breaks, backpacking in Zion, magnificent Highway 12 in Utah and Capitol Reef. I have been so lucky to have explored this area the past few years. What a beautiful part of the US.
The rest of the summer included teaching and performing at the Tonebank International Festival in Windsor, CT and starting my new life in Providence, RI. After new experiences and lessons learned, I'm excited to be back East. It's still a bit of a shock, but that's only because of the wonderful community that I won't be seeing on a weekly basis in Davis, CA.

NEWS!!
Starting September 1st, I will be the Acting Music Director at First Church in Jamaica Plain, MA!! It will be wonderful to work with another Unitarian congregation. Learning the trade of being a choral director will be very exciting.
October 7-12: Mozart Piano Quartet with Susan Lamb Cook and friends in Davis, Sacramento and Folsom, CA.
October 17-19: Chopin Mazurkas, Schnittke Piano Quintet, Pärt Fratres, etc. with Island Moving Company (dance company) in Newport, RI.

Also, I am looking to build a studio in the Providence area of piano students who are committed to learning music. I will teach any age, the only requirement is a love of music and desire to learn. If you are interested in having lessons, or have a friend who might be interested, please contact me at andrei.baumann@gmail.com

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Mother's Day at the Crocker, and the future!

4/29/2019

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Entering Tanner Canyon. Grand Canyon, AZ. April 2019

As Mother's Day approaches, I feel so fortunate to have another wonderful Mother's Day concert to perform in the Sacramento/Davis area. Over the past 8 years, performing at the Crocker Art Museum has been a highlight. These recitals have provided goals where I have been able to play some of my favorite repertoire. This years program is no different; Brahms, Schubert and Debussy, followed by Chopin's monumental 3rd Sonata. The listed program has been changed. Beethoven's Op. 101 will be performed at a future date!
To purchase tickets, and to find out more information online, please click on the link below: https://www.crockerart.org/event/2028/2019-05-12

On Mother's Day 2017, I played the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Auburn Symphony at Mondavi Center in Davis. Not only was the performance memorable because the Grieg is such an enjoyable piece to play, this concert really gave me a lot of insight into how my next two years in Davis would be. One of the audience members was a new dear friend, Davis' wonderful piano teacher Sandra Brown. I also played with musicians who would become my piano students, or whose children I would teach. I also gained some incredibly valuable insight into the ins-and-outs of the music culture in this area.

I am very pleased to announce that I will be relocating back to the East coast, and calling Providence, RI my home starting in August of 2019! My commitment and love for music have been rejuvenated out here in California. With a fresh perspective, I am ready to go into this new chapter sticking to a foundation of musical values. We start playing music because of a love of the art form. I have chosen to surround myself with like-minded people. Together we will be able to create something special. I am not saying goodbye to California; upcoming performances have already been schedule for October of 2019 and March of 2020. The Crocker recital is always a special day. And many more of these days are to come!

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Piano Faculty at Tonebank Academy, Windsor, Ct. July 14th-August 4th!!

3/29/2019

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This summer, I am excited to be on piano faculty at the Tonebank International Academy and Festival. Founded by Artistic Director, violinist Shih-Kai Lin, this festival features a world class faculty; artists who have embarked on international performance careers, and are graduates from pretigious conversatories and universities such as the Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Hochschule für Musik Hannover, Indiana University, Cleveland Institute of Music, to name a few. I am excited to perform, teach piano lessons and coach chamber music. The festival will take place on the beautiful Loomis Chaffee School campus, in Windsor, CT. Students ages 10-17 are encouraged to apply. This is a great place for students who wish to be surrounded by other young musicians who are pursuing their musical dreams. Application deadline, May 1st, 2019.
For additional information, please visit the Tonebank website.
www.tonebankmusic.com

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Duo Recitals with cellist Adrienne Taylor, in Davis and Pacifica, CA!!

3/6/2019

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A week of wonderful musical collaboration is happening very soon!
I am very excited to perform with cellist Adrienne Taylor in Northern California. We will be playing a collection of repertoire which we've performed in Providence, RI and in Sweden, ME. We are also adding a few new pieces to our repertoire list! Please join us on Saturday, March 23rd at the Unitarian Church in Davis. If this doesn't work, here are some other opportunities to hear us play.

-Sunday, March 17th: Unitarian Church Services in Davis, at 9:30 and 11:15am
-Wednesday, March 20th at 7:30pm: Duos at University Retirement Community, Davis.
-Saturday, March 23rd at 7pm: Duo Recital at Unitarian Church in Davis.
Works by Beethoven, Chopin and Schubert.
Suggested Donation: $20 for Adults, $10 for Students
-Sunday, March 24th at 4:30pm: Children's Concert in Pacifica. https://bit.ly/2tU6whf

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Chamber Music on YouTube, live from UC Davis!

2/21/2019

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Hope you enjoy this YouTube video of Chamber Music by Shostakovich and Babajanian!! Live from Pitzer Center, UC Davis.

02:30
1) Piano Trio in F-sharp Minor by Babajanian.
Chase Spruill, violin. Susan Lamb Cook, cello. Andrei Baumann, piano

30:00
2) Piano Quintet in G Minor by Shostakovich
Dagenais Smiley, Chase Spruill, violins. Robert Levine, viola.
Susan Lamb Cook, cello. Andrei Baumann, piano

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Highlights of 2019: Winter/Spring Performances

1/17/2019

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Happy New Year! At long last, I am happy to share some highlight performances with all of you during the next few months. Thanks to all of you for your continued support. I am very excited about all of these upcoming projects.

Jan. 18th: Solo Recital. Private Event for the Unitarian Church of Davis, CA.
Feb. 13th: Chamber music by Shostakovich and Babajanian.
Chase Spruill, violin, Dagenais Smiley, violin, Robert Levine, viola, Susan Lamb Cook, cello
   Noon: Westminster Church, Sacramento, CA: Babajanian: Piano Trio
   7:30pm University Retirement Community, Davis, CA: Shostakovich: Piano Quintet
Feb. 14th: Chamber music by Shostakovich and Babajanian, UC Davis Noontime Concerts at the Pitzer Center, Davis, CA. https://arts.ucdavis.edu/event/music-shostakovich
Chase Spruill, violin, Dagenais Smiley, violin, Robert Levine, viola, Susan Lamb Cook, cello
   Babajanian: Piano Trio and Shostakovich: Piano Quintet
Feb. 17th at 2pm: Chamber music by Shostakovich and Babajanian.
Harris Center, Folsom, CA. https://www.harriscenter.net/online/mapSelect.asp
Chase Spruill, violin, Dagenais Smiley, violin, Robert Levine, viola, Susan Lamb Cook, cello
   Babajanian: Piano Trio, Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3, Shostakovich: Piano Quintet
Mar. 23rd at 7pm: Works for Cello and Piano, with Adrienne Taylor, cellist.
Unitarian Church, Davis, CA. Works by Beethoven, Chopin and Schubert
April 15th-19th: Hiking the Escalante Route in the Grand Canyon, AZ.
A 40 year celebration!
May 12th at 3pm: Solo Recital at Crocker Art Museum.
   Chopin: Sonata No. 3 and a late Beethoven Sonata

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Interview with conductor Christian Baldini!

11/16/2018

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MUSIC, UNCATEGORIZED
Christian Baldini in conversation with pianist Andrei Baumann
October 9, 2018 christianbaldiniblog

In preparation for our upcoming performance of Copland’s Piano Concerto at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis, I spent some time with Andrei Baumann talking about Copland, music in general, and about the importance and role that art has in society nowadays.
Christian Baldini: How would you describe the Copland Piano Concerto to someone that’s never listened to it, or who knows nothing about it?
Andrei Baumann: Be open-minded. You will hear sounds that are jarring and dissonant. Expect the unexpected. After listening to the piece for the first time, you will hopefully want to listen to it a few MORE times, because it moves by so quickly and can seem so spontaneous and unexpected. If the first movement has gone by, and you have enjoyed the wonderful melodies exchanged between the piano and orchestra; the piano cadenza to begin the second movement will be a good hint for what’s to come!
CB: One could undoubtedly describe Aaron Copland as one of the great American composers, with vast influences on so many others such as Leonard Bernstein, but perhaps reaching out to other cultures as well such as Carlos Chávez or Alberto Ginastera. In this concerto, the obvious references to jazz and blues are crystal clear and omnipresent, and in some of his other music we have references to the “folksy feeling”, in Copland’s own words, or even the adoption of serialism. These terms can all equally be used to describe Copland’s varied output. How do you see Copland’s legacy in the music of the 20th and 21st century?
AB: Copland’s language is very new to me. I remember working on his Sextet at a chamber music festival. It took such a long time for us to find a level of comfort while working on this piece. I love his songs set to Emily Dickinson poetry, and of course Appalachian Spring.
I think Copland’s music is very accessible to audiences. In the 21st century, we have become accustomed to hearing so many different sounds. As someone whose ear is more drawn to tonality, I naturally am inclined towards Jazz Standards and Classical harmony. The musical world today is so different. Copland’s music feels like a mish-mash of the “old and the new.” He is truly a great American composer.
CB: Everyone knows Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, which was written just two years prior to the Copland Piano Concerto, but why do you think such few people know about this piece? I was fortunate to get to know this piece as I was assisting Michael Tilson Thomas with the San Francisco Symphony, and one week Inon Barnatan came to play this piece. What do you think is the reason that this wonderful concerto has not become a staple in the repertoire?
AB: This is a great question, for many reasons. One of the reasons that I have become so drawn to this piece is that the soloist and orchestra play equally important roles. I can imagine parts of the second movement being played by a big band! Sometimes I have the feeling that I am playing in a jazz combo, big band or large chamber music ensemble. I can’t understand why this concerto is not performed more often. I wonder if the fact that the orchestra and soloist parts are so intertwined makes this piece less appealing to learn. Certainly it is not a concerto that would be suitable for piano competitions, which are such a staple of ones early musical development. Hopefully this concerto will be performed much more in the future!
CB: How did you start with music?
I was introduced to music in a very unique way. My father loves Classical music, and introduced me to this music at a very young age. I fell in love with this music instantly. I have always loved playing chamber music: the interaction with other musicians, exchanging ideas, coming up with a common interpretation. A vivid memory was an outreach performance of Schubert’s Trout Quintet in Toronto. Three of us absolutely adored the piece, and we got two friends to join our group. We only performed the piece once, but I was felt as though I couldn’t stop smiling inside for the full hour! We were so lucky to play such a glorious piece of music, and communicate this together to an audience.
CB: What have been the most inspiring experiences and people to you in your professional life?
AB: In recent years, people who have inspired me the most are artists who are introducing music to the community. Some of these families would never have access to music, and these musicians educate students in a most commendable way. Locally here in Davis, Sandra Brown; in Vacaville, Chase Spruill is doing wonders for the music program at Sierra Vista; and in Providence, Rhode Island, Adrienne Taylor: who represents Community Music Works in a most admirable way. These individuals have a unique ability to communicate the language of music and to inspire the next generation.
CB: Are there any other piano concertos that you would love to play after this one? Which ones?
AB: In no particular order: Rachmaninoff 2nd, both Chopin concertos, and Beethoven’s 3rd and 4th concertos. Playing a concerto is such a unique and thrilling experience.
CB: What would you say is the role of music in society nowadays?
I believe that music can play a much greater role in society. In this country, Classical music and Jazz are appreciated by a wonderful group of enthusiasts. While I’m extremely grateful to these enthusiasts, the greater population seems very much out of touch with this tradition. It would be easy to see this as a fault, however the problems are numerous. Music and art should be a foundation of our education. If this music is presented and celebrated from a young age, then the group of enthusiasts could grow in years to come. In an age where we seem to be more and more isolated, music can create community. Thankfully it is still not possible to have an ensemble made up of iPhones and computers instead of musicians. People need to be involved, and this is clearly positive!
The excuse that tickets for concerts are too expensive simply doesn’t work. How expensive is it to go see a sports event in Sacramento or the Bay area? Are people just simply losing interest? Somehow music seems to be losing its way, and I really believe it starts from the beginning. Hopefully people will still appreciate listening to a Beethoven symphony in 100 years.

https://christianbaldiniblog.wordpress.com/2018/10/09/christian-baldini-in-conversation-with-pianist-andrei-baumann/

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Beethoven's 4th at the Mondavi!! With UC Davis Symphony and Baldini

November concerts: in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

October performances: in California and Rhode Island!

Summer highlights, and onto the Fall!

Mother's Day at the Crocker, and the future!

Piano Faculty at Tonebank Academy, Windsor, Ct. July 14th-August 4th!!

Duo Recitals with cellist Adrienne Taylor, in Davis and Pacifica, CA!!

Chamber Music on YouTube, live from UC Davis!

Highlights of 2019: Winter/Spring Performances

Interview with conductor Christian Baldini!

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