The Jewish Community Center or Metropolitan uetroir jimmy Prentis Morris Building/Target Concert Series presents mflGIC Of PURIM preschooler in Kiev with the encouragement of his musician father, a versatile entertainer using the stage name of Izzy Rozen after immigrating to America. The drummer, who has Afternoon of a Faun, his bachelor's and master's Charles Mingus' from the Juilliard School "Goodbye Pork-Pie Hat," in New York, can be heard Jimi Hendrix's "Purple on Absolute Ensemble Haze," Charles Coleman's recordings, including the "Absolution," Michael newest, Absolution, and Daugherty's Dead Elvis Habanera, and on and "Road Runner" from Herskowitz's recordings, John Adams' Chamber including Sound Check Symphony. and Lucid. "We're offering a big "It's a lot of fun for me musical journey through to write for the Absolute Ensemble," all these different styles, and it reflects says the Montreal-based Herskowitz, what is American culture," says who studied at the Curtis Institute in Kristjan Jarvi, who also directs a sym- Philadelphia and Juilliard before enter- phony orchestra and opera company ing classical competition and finding a in Sweden and does guest conducting niche in jazz. "My work with the in Europe. "The music being written ensemble helped focus me, and writ- in America these days reflects every- ing the arrangements and pieces that thing that's been brought to this land incorporate jazz and contemporary from abroad and made into our own." [trends] is exactly what I want to be Part of Jarvi's heritage, he says, is doing." Jewish. But, he says, he is not sure of Absolute Ensemble performs regu- the specifics. His family's records in larly in New York City at venues such his native Estonia have been lost. as the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall and Alice Tully Hall. Guest soloists can be from Beyond The Classics the classical stages or jazz clubs and "As musicians and composers, [mem- have included pianist Vladimir bers of the Absolute Ensemble] felt the Feltsman, clarinetist Paquito d'Rivera classical spectrum as it was presented and bass player Michael Formanek. was way too small," says Jarvi, "and we "My father and I are both experimen- really had to go for expanding what talists, trying to make every performance people viewed as classical music. We an experience," says Jarvi, who moved play everything from Renaissance to from Estonia to study piano through rock and do it with a passion." courses and master classes in Austria and Jarvi, 27, who has performed with Israel and later at the Manhattan School the DSO and studied conducting at of Music in New York. the University of Michigan, does not "My dad's a very inspiring guy, and require auditions before choosing one thing I learned from him is that musicians for Absolute Ensemble. He what is played has to be presented in a looks for versatility and asks for recom- way that is absolutely exciting to the mendations from instrumentalists he audience. respects. Percussionist David "I think audiences get a kick out of Rozenblatt and his wife, cellist Ann everything we do [with the Absolute Kim, are on the rotating concert roster. Ensemble] because it has a fresh "I feel very comfortable with the approach and is accessible. I try to ensemble, and my background as a shake things up. The parameters of an classical pianist and percussionist orchestra are quite confining, and influenced my approach to rock, pop that's why the Absolute Ensemble is and jazz," says Rozenblatt, 27, whose such a great creative outlet for me." varied engagements include recent per- formances with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Jerusalem The Absolute Ensemble per- International Symphony Orchestra, forms at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. Moscow Chamber Orchestra, 28, in the auditorium at the Broadway's Miss Saigon and former Detroit Institute of Arts. Tickets Detroiter Yale Strom's Hot Pstromi are available at the door. $30. klezmer group. (313) 886-5639. Rozenblatt, who has performed once in Michigan, began playing drums as a different styles that can go from the strict dictates of a fugue to the improvisa- tional freedom of jazz. This tour features Debussy's Prelude to the Clockwise from left: Keve Wilson (seat- ed), Kristjan Jarvi, Valerie Schermiset, Matt Herskowitz and Martin Kuuskmann: "Absolute Ensemble does chamber music with basically 16 soloists, and it takes a conductor with incredible ears to pull a group like that together;" says Herskowitz. ❑ Jeff the Magician Sunday, February 25, 2001 • 4 p.m. Jimmy Prentis Morris Building A. Alfred Taubman Jewish Community Campus 15110 W. 10 Mile, Oak Park Enjoy the holiday of Purim in a whole new way! Come in costume and receive a special treat. Tickets are $3 per member child, $4 per non-member child, $4 per member adult and $5 per non-member adult. For more information, call Andy Roisman at (248) 967-4030. lao CC TARGET e - BI PM I NGI-1 HAM-GLOOM DI RD SYMPHONY OPCHESTPA FELIX RESNICK, CONDUCTOR "BRITISH BLOCKBUSTERS" CONCERT SUNDAY, MARCH 4 7 PM AT TEMPLE BETH EL Awesome British music from the baroque to the present, from the effervescent "Water Music" to the lively "Enigma Variations!" HANDEL: Suite from The Water Music" VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis BRITTEN: Matinees Musicales ELGAR: Enigma Variations ARNOLD: English Dances Plus... "GETTING TO KNOW YOU" PRE-CONCERT DINNER with your favorite BBSO musicians in Handelman Hall at Temple Beth El, catered by EXCELLENCE TOO CATERING and featuring a mini-concert by the MOTOR CITY BRASS BAND! 4:30 pm: Wine Reception with the Motor City Brass Band 5:30 pm: Dinner with your favorite BBSO musicians 7:00 pm: "British Blockbuster" Concert TICKETS: Dinner + Two Concerts, $65; Dinner + Mini Concert, $50; "British Blockbusters" Concert only, $20 FOR DETAILS AND TICKETS, CALL THE BBSO AT 248-645-BBSO This concert is made possible with funding from Ford Motor Company, Michigan Council for the Arts & Cultural Affairs, Harmony House. and Mary and Preston Happel.