Pardon Our French / Thomas Giles & Jae Kyo Han at the Tenri Cultural Institute

Join us for a riveting evening of French works written and arranged for classical saxophone and piano. The program will include works by Ravel, Messiaen, Debussy, Fernande Decruck and the contemporary composer, Vincent David. The concert will be performed by saxophonist Thomas Giles and pianist Jae Kyo Han.

7:15pm / Doors Open
7:30pm / Concert
8:30pm / Wine Reception

Musician Bios:

Described as “breathtaking” (New York Music Daily), “insanely clever” (ClassicFM, United Kingdom), and “full of crystalline clarity” (Südkurier, Germany), Thomas Giles performs the music of our time with curiosity, imagination, and unflinching conviction. To date Giles has premiered more than 200 new works—many of which are dedicated to him. Recent premieres include works by Augusta Read Thomas, Marc Mellits, and Nicola LeFanu. Giles has enjoyed working closely with many leading composers e.g., Meredith Monk, David Lang, Charles Wuorinen, and the American indie-rock duo Wye Oak. His growing body of solo repertoire hones a fascination with simultaneity and the multilimbic capacities of a single wind performer.

As a collaborator, Giles is a founding member of the Telos Consort, ensemble-in-residence at the 92nd Street Y School of Music. He has performed with the London Royal Opera co., New York City Opera orchestra, Opera Parallèle, Ensemble Échappé, Metropolis Ensemble, Contemporaneous, New World Symphony, Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, and from 2012-2022, held the baritone chair of the critically acclaimed MANA Quartet. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Roulette Intermedium, Constellation, SFJAZZ, and internationally at Bachfest Leipzig, Heidelberg Kulturzentrum, Münster Musikhochschule, Szczecin International Saxophone Festival, Utrecht Bartholomeus Gasthuis, and the Citè de la Musique de Strasbourg.

A passionate teacher, Giles is Artist-Teacher of Saxophone at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, and woodwind faculty at the Aaron Copland School of Music - Queens College and the 92nd Street Y School of Music. Past faculty positions include SUNY Fredonia’s School of Music, Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He has given clinics, lectures, and performances on campuses across the nation, including Harvard University, Princeton University, Manhattan School of Music, NYU Steinhardt, University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, the CUNY Graduate Center, the Hartt School, and UC Davis. He has held teaching residencies at the Arts Academy of Szczecin (Poland), Landesgymnasium für Musik in Dresden (Germany), and as orchestral saxophonist for the National Music Festival, 2013-2017. Giles is a D’Addario Woodwinds Performing Artist and a graduate of the Florida State University (Doctor of Music, 2016). His principal teachers include Timothy McAllister, Lawrence Gwozdz, Patrick Meighan, and the legendary saxophonist, Carina Raschèr.

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Jae Kyo Han continues to devote his life to the piano through his work as an instructor (Steinway Educational Partner), performer, tuner/technician and apprentice rebuilder. Introduced to the piano at the age of four, Han began to compete early on, regularly receiving top prizes in statewide and regional competitions. He was a finalist in the 14th Chiang Wen-Yeh International Young Artist Piano Competition, and as a winner of the American Fine Arts Festival, Han was invited to perform at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall.

Curious by nature, Han is motivated to understand his instrument beyond the realm of performance. Following his graduate studies in classical piano at Mannes School of Music and Manhattan School of Music, Han apprenticed as a tuner/technician discovering the piano anew from the inside out. After years of training he began maintaining pianos for fellow professional pianists, esteemed recording studios and performance halls. In 2019 Han met Jimmy Greenfield, the founder of Soapbox Gallery, a multimedia performance space in Brooklyn, and soon became the resident piano technician. Constantly exploring new aspects of piano technology, Han also works as an assistant to pianist James Carney at his rebuilding workshop in Brooklyn. Their recent projects have included pianos produced by Steinway & Sons, Bösendorfer, Grotrian, Mason & Hamlin, Yamaha and other high-end manufacturers.

Han also ran a music school that served hundreds of students in New York City from 2017-2021. During his time as the school’s director, Han gained invaluable experience overseeing tens of thousands of lessons and fostering a committed team of professional instructors. Inspired by the mission of Soapbox Gallery, Han gradually redirected the focus of his work back to performance, and founded A4 Collective in 2022. Recognizing the value of building communities, A4 is dedicated to bringing musicians and composers together to present their work to the local public. Through A4, Han strives to create a space beyond the pendulum of work and home, where people can exchange ideas and grow through the context of music.

What's the music?

Jae Han

Thomas Giles Saxophone (Classical)

Attendees

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Sally K.

Ashwin S.

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Isidora V.

Ijin C.

Kyla H.

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Rodrigo G.

Jen C.

Denise F.

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Matthew K.

Chris C.

Inna O.

Kelly F.

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Matthew S.

Philip K.