“Up Close with Jessica Warren,” April 16

Sunday, April 16, 2 p.m.

Figge Art Museum, 225 West Second Street, Davenport IA

Hailed as "remarkable" by the Chicago Tribune, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's principal flute player will be the featured performer in the QCSO's recital Up Close with Jessica Warren, the April 16 event at Davenport's Figge Art Museum finding the artist delivering a vibrant afternoon of music alongside pianist Kuang-Hao Huang.

With the artist deemed "one to watch, in more ways than one" by Muso Magazine, Warren has been a member of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra since 2011, her Chair endowed by James D. and Carol H. Horstmann. The artist has concertized on three continents and appeared as a soloist with the Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Fort Worth, and Omaha Symphonies, among others, as well as at numerous international music festivals including the Spoleto USA Festival, where she delivered the American premiere of Pascal Dusapin's flute concerto Galim. Warren gave her New York recital debut in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in 1998, and has subsequently toured Latin America as an artistic ambassador for the United States, soloing with orchestras and giving recitals to rave reviews. Warren has also been named a winner in several international competitions including the Artists International Competition and the International Music Competition "Citta di Padova." In addition to her classical training, she has a great interest in the music of South America, and the musician's album of South American music for flute Acentos has been released on the Filarmonika label.

Commended for his “perceptive pianism” by Audiophile and “playing that is sensitive and wonderfully warm” by the American Record Guide, Chicago's Kuang-Hao Huang is a highly sought-after collaborative pianist whose performances have taken him throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. He has performed in New York City’s Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Merkin Hall; in Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center and NPR’s Tiny Desk; and at every major venue in the Chicago area, including the Harris Theatre and Symphony Center. Kuang-Hao is often heard live on WFMT and has recorded for Aucourant, Cedille, Innova, and Naxos, including a CD of flute fantasies with flutist Mathieu Dufour, a premiere recording of early songs by Alban Berg with mezzo-soprano Julia Bentley, and a survey of songs by Chicago composers with baritone Thomas Hampson.

For the April 16 Up Close with Jessica Warren program, patrons are invited to take a tour of South America with Valerie Colmena’s rhythmic and melodic tone poem Danza de la Mariposa, Gabriela Lena Frank’s Sueños de Chambi inspired by Martín Chambi’s photography of Peruvian life, and Andrés Sas’ Sonatina-Fantasia, which blends Peruvian elements into the European sonatina form. Completing the afternoon's repertoire, William Grant Still’s Summerland paints the portrait of promised beauty in the afterlife, while Cecile Chaminade’s rhapsodic Concertino will showcase the beautifully expressive qualities of the flute.

Up Close with Jessica Warren will take place at the Figge Art Museum on April 16, admission to the 2 p.m. concert event is $10-25, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)322-0931 and visiting QCSO.org.