Portsmouth Welcomes Musician Matthew Sharp

From Canoe Harbor Consulting: The 2017 Concerts on the Hill season kicks off Sunday, May 14, 2017 with “An Afternoon with Matthew Sharp: Cellist, Baritone, Actor” at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at 4:00pm.

“An Afternoon with Matthew Sharp,” will feature music that transcends genre, merging singing and acting with cello performance to dramatic effect. The program will escort listeners on a vivid journey through contrasting scenes, ranging from the performer’s own arrangements of Cole Porter tunes to Benjamin Britten’s colorful Cello Suite No. 1, Op. 72 (originally given as a Christmas gift to Mstislav Rostropovich) to excerpts from Stephen Deazley and Martin Riley’s one-act opera for cello and baritone Faustus (written for performance on a bus on the way to another opera at the Opera Out of the Box Festival).

Cellist Matthew Sharp is internationally recognized as both a compelling classical artist and a fearless pioneer. His cross discipline adventures in and through music have been lauded as unrivaled and unprecedented for his ability to balance provenance and vision in a unique and potent way. He studied cello with Boris Pergamenschikow in Cologne, voice with Ulla Blom in Stockholm and English at Trinity College, Cambridge. Sharp has appeared as solo performer with countless orchestras and operas around the globe, has recorded for leading record labels and appeared in recitals as both cellist and singer.

“These days I don't make any distinction between playing the cello, singing or acting - it's all about connection and communication. You'll hear some thrilling and dramatic cello music, some glorious songs, and the surreal yet uncannily relevant 'Faustus in Omnibus' which combines cello-playing, singing and story-telling to reveal a tale right at the heart of the issues and paranoias of our world” says Sharp.

“Whether I’m in the audience or on the stage, what I want from an afternoon out is risk, upliftment, surprise, profundity, lightness of touch. My barometer for a live experience is simple really: ‘Did I laugh, did I cry?’ So that's what I've tried to create for my performance in Portsmouth. All I can say is, there's nothing to fear,” reassures Sharp. “If you like cello music, I'll be working hard to blow your mind with heartfelt tunes and blistering virtuosity. If three-minute epics are your thing, then some of the songs on the program get up close and personal before you can blink. And if you like an adventure, I'll be there to take your hand as we take a step into the unknown.”

At each performance of Concerts on the Hill, audience members will have the opportunity to hear directly from the performers about the musical selections and the featured instruments. There is a suggested at-the-door donation of $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Children under 16 are welcomed and encouraged to attend at no charge.

“We are thrilled to kick off our 2017 Concerts on the Hill season with Matthew Sharp's seacoast debut, notes Margaret Harper, Director of Music and Liturgy, St. John’s Episcopal Church. "Matthew is a true Renaissance man, who creates an immersive experience for his audiences. His novel means of expression breathe new energy and meaning into music, and into life itself."

The next Concerts on the Hill performance, “Died for Love: English and Irish Lute Songs from the 16th and 17thCenturies” will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 25 and will feature Bedlam Early Music. St. John’s EpiscopalChurch is located at 100 Chapel Street in Portsmouth, NH.

For more information about Concerts on the Hill or St. John’s Episcopal Church, please visit here.

Images courtesy of Canoe Harbor Consulting