Couple of concerts: Acclaimed chamber musicians, rhythm-and-blues powerhouse will perform at Bates

LEWISTON — The first two weeks of October will bring some of the nation’s most respected chamber musicians and a powerhouse rhythm-and-blues singer to the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall at Bates College.

On Saturday, Oct. 6, six musicians representing the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will play music by Bruch, Brahms and Dohnanyi.

About a year after her Bates debut, Francine Reed, perhaps best-known for her work as part of Lyle Lovett’s Large Band, will return on Saturday, Oct. 13, for an evening of blues, gospel and jazz.

One of America’s most compelling pianists, Jeremy Denk is among the six CMS players in the Oct. 6 Olin performance. Joining him will be Erin Keefe, violinist; Paul Neubauer, violist; Nicholas Canellakis, cellist; Jose Franch-Ballester, clarinetist; and John Zirbel, horn player.

Their program consists of Bruch’s Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola (or Cello) and Piano, Op. 83; Brahms’ Trio in E-flat major for Horn, Violin and Piano, Op. 40; and Dohnanyi’s Sextet in C major for Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano, Op. 37.

Denk has steadily built a reputation as one of today’s most persuasive artists with an unusually broad repertoire. His blog, “Think Denk,” is highly praised and frequently referenced by many in the music press and industry.

Canellakis was a founding member of the Vertigo String Quartet, which received first prize in the Musicatri International Competition in Italy in 2006, and has been principal cellist of the New York String Orchestra and the Haddonfield Symphony.

Ballester has performed as a soloist with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the BBC Concert, Santa Barbara and numerous Spanish orchestras. Recently named concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra, Keefe released her first solo CD, recorded with pianist Anna Polonsky, in 2010.

Appointed principal violist of the New York Philharmonic at age 21, Neubauer is chamber music director of the OK Mozart Festival in Oklahoma. He is a two-time Grammy nominee.

Zirbel has been principal horn of the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal since 1979. In 2001, he gave the premiere of “Serenade heroique,” a horn concerto written for him by Quebec composer Jacques Hetu.

Reed will perform with a band of Maine musicians who accompanied her on a tour of the Northeast last spring, including a stop at Joe’s Pub in New York City, her Big Apple debut as a headliner.

Reed began singing professionally in the 1980s, picking up gigs in jazz clubs and at functions in Phoenix, Ariz. She became known for her powerful voice and commanding stage presence, offering an eclectic blend of jazz, blues and R&B. She was asked to open shows for Miles Davis, Etta James, Smokey Robinson and the Crusaders.

In 1985, friends introduced Reed to Lovett, who was searching for a female singer for his new band. Reed toured with Lovett and his Large Band as a background vocalist, but also performed duets with the country musician. She was featured on several Lovett albums and sang with him on “Late Night with David Letterman,” “The Tonight Show” and “Regis and Kathy Lee.”

After moving to Atlanta, Ga., she recorded her debut solo album, “I Want You to Love Me,” featuring a duet with Lovett. The follow-up, “Can’t Make It on My Own,” included a duet with Delbert McClinton.

Reed performed on Willie Nelson’s acclaimed 2000 album “Milk Cow Blues,” lending her talent to the title track as well as to Nelson’s countrypolitan classic “Funny How Time Slips Away.” In recent years, she has appeared as the “Chanteuse” for the avant-garde theater Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle.

The Oct. 6 concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $15/$10, available at batestickets.com. Free tickets are available for the first 100 seniors or students. To reserve, email olinarts@bates.edu.

The Oct. 13 concert , presented in conjunction with L/A Arts, will also begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15/$10, increasing to $20/$10 on the day of show. Tickets are available at batestickets.com.

Both concerts are part of the Olin Arts Alive series. The Olin Arts Center is at 75 Russell St. For more information, call 786-6135 or email olinarts@bates.edu.