Photos: Wikimedia Commons\Jim Rakete\Marco Grob\ Daniel Williams\Peter Rigaud
New York, NY – History-making Presidential inaugural poet and bestselling author Amanda Gorman and internationally acclaimed cellist Jan Vogler share the stage for the first time at Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 8pm, in an evening of spoken word and music featuring the award-winning poetry of Ms. Gorman and the Cello Suites of J.S. Bach, offering a message of hope and humanity.
Jan Vogler says, “I grew up reading poetry, and have played the music of Bach for nearly my entire life, reveling for many years in the universal appeal of his captivating Cello Suites. To collaborate with Amanda and to see how her wonderful poems change my interpretation of Bach’s music is a great joy. I can’t wait to share the results of this extraordinary inspiration.”
Amanda Gorman says, “Like many people, Bach’s music captures my heart and my imagination. To be in dialogue with it, and with Jan and his cello – a Stradivarius that was made around the time that Bach wrote this music – is to touch something timeless.”
Tanja Dorn, President and CEO of presenter Dorn Music says, “I am elated that Dorn Music will be bringing together these two incredible artists around the eternal music of Bach and Ms. Gorman’s contemporary poetry in this very special evening. We are so honored to be presenting Ms. Gorman at Carnegie Hall and to be helping to bring this collaboration to life.”
Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. She is a committed advocate for the environment, racial equality, and gender justice. Amanda’s activism and poetry have been featured on the Today Show, PBS Kids, and CBS This Morning, and in The New York Times, Vogue, and Essence. After graduating cum laude from Harvard University, she now lives in her hometown of Los Angeles.
In 2017, Amanda Gorman was appointed the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate by Urban Word – a program that supports Youth Poets Laureate in more than 60 cities, regions and states nationally. Gorman’s groundbreaking performance of her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration received international critical acclaim, inspiring millions of viewers with her message of hope, resilience, and healing.
Amanda appeared on the cover of TIME magazine in February 2021 and was the first poet to grace the cover of Vogue in their May 2021 issue. She was Porter Magazine‘s July 2021 cover star and received The Artist Impact Award at the 2021 Backstage at the Geffen Awards. In 2021 Amanda was one of 5 Variety Power of Women honorees and cover star, as well as one of three cover stars for Glamour‘s Women of the Year. The following year she was Allure’s beauty issue cover star, and one of four cover stars for Harper’s Bazaar’s 2022 Icons issue. The special edition of her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” her debut picture book, Change Sings, and her poetry collection, Call Us What We Carry, were published in 2021, all debuting at #1 on New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists. Her latest children’s book, Something, Someday, was published in September 2023 with illustrations by Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Christian Robinson, also debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Please visit theamandagorman.com.
Jan Vogler’s distinguished career has brought him together with renowned conductors and internationally acclaimed orchestras around the world. Highlights of his career as a soloist include concerts with the New York Philharmonic (both in New York and Dresden at the occasion of the reopening of the rebuilt Dresdner Frauenkirche under the direction of Lorin Maazel in 2005), performances with the Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh and Montréal Symphony Orchestras and many others. He collaborates with conductors such as Andris Nelsons, Fabio Luisi, Sir Antonio Pappano, Valery Gergiev, Omer Meir Wellber, Manfred Honeck and Kent Nagano.
His interpretations of Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous cello Suites have been praised by audiences and critics. His recording of the six solo suites was awarded the Echo Klassik award in 2013. His great ability allowed him to explore the sound boundaries of the cello and to establish an intensive dialogue with contemporary composers and artists. This includes regular world premieres, including works by Tigran Mansurian, John Harbison, Udo Zimmermann, Wolfgang Rihm, Jörg Widmann, Nico Muhly, Sven Helbig, Zhou-Long and Sean Shepherd. In addition to his classical career Jan has collaborated with artists like actor Bill Murray (New Worlds) and rock legend Eric Clapton.
Jan has been an exclusive Sony Classical artist since 2003. His latest recording combines the world premiere recording of the Cello Concerto by Enric Casals with the Cello Concerto by Lalo, his partners being the Moritzburg Festival Orchestra and conductor Josep Caballe Domenech. In addition, his recording “Pop Songs” with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Omer Meir Wellber was released in May 2022. In 2006, Jan received the European Award for Culture and in 2011 the Erich-Kästner Award for tolerance, humanity and international understanding. In June 2018 he received the European Award for Culture TAURUS as Director of the Dresden Music Festival and in 2021 Jan Vogler was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. Jan Vogler has been Director of the renowned Dresden Music Festival since October 2008 as well as Artistic Director of the Moritzburg Festival since 2001. Please visit janvogler.com.
Tickets are on sale through the Carnegie Hall website, www.carnegiehall.org by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, and at the Carnegie Hall box office at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue. Regular ticket prices start at $35. Student and Senior rush tickets are available for $35 at the Carnegie Hall box office. Students must show ID.
Dorn Music: dornmusic.com
