Jazz Meets the Classics
Johnson County Community College |
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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Jazz pianist Bram Wijnands will join classical violinist Gregory Sandomirsky for a recital at noon Monday, Feb. 18, in Yardley Hall of Carlsen Center, Johnson County Community College, as part of the free Ruel Joyce Recital Series featuring Kansas City artists.
The performance will explore the connections between baroque and jazz improvisation. Using works such as Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, the musicians will demonstrate the similarities to jazz standards like Night in Tunisia and Moscow Nights.
Both men bring an international dimension to the Kansas City music scene. A native of the Netherlands, Wijnands graduated with a degree in jazz education from the Hilversum Conservatory, the Netherlands, Europe’s largest jazz school. He has performed here and abroad with various groups and has been featured at both Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is currently on the jazz faculty at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and performs regularly at the Majestic Steak House.
Sandomirsky, associate concertmaster of the Kansas City Symphony, comes to Kansas City from Russia where he earned a master of music degree from the Odessa Conservatory. In addition to solo appearances in Europe and the United States, Sandomirsky has collaborated with musicians playing a variety of styles, including recent work with guitarist Beau Bledsoe. Recently he served on a jury for an international music competition in Italy. He is on the faculty of the International Center for Music at Park University.
Because of the large audience expected for this recital, the venue is Yardley Hall rather than the Recital Hall, where most Ruel Joyce recitals are scheduled. The series is named for Ruel Joyce, a longtime jazz bassist who headed the local musicians federation from 1977 until his death in 1989. Concerts are cosponsored by the JCCC humanities and music departments, Community Services and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, call 913-469-8500, ext. 3605.
