A trio of musicians from Bowling Green will pay celebrate the work of composer Kurt Weill with a concert
Friday at 9 p.m. at the Robinwood Concert House, 2564 Robinwood Ave., Toledo.
Vocalist Morgen Stiegler, pianist Thomas Rosenkranz and percussionist Rob Wallace came together as an
ensemble through their mutual love of Weill’s music.
Weill established himself in Germany as a concert composer and as a theater composer collaborating with
playwright Bertolt Brecht, notably on "The Three Penny Opera". Fleeing the Nazis, he came to
the New York where he made his mark on Broadway, penning such standards as "September Song,"
"Speak Low" and "Lost in the Stars."
Wallace wrote in an email that the three had worked together in various settings, and realized they
shared an interest in Weill. "Morgen was already singing some of his music in a jazz setting, and I
was really interested in the history of the Weill/Brecht collaborations (and how ‘Mack the Knife,’ a
song about a murderous thug written by socialist Germans, ironically became a pop music hit in Cold War
America)."
Rosenkranz has "extensive background the Weill repertoire, having been connected with the Kurt Weill
Foundation and performing at the Kurt Weill Festival in Dessau" in Germany.
According to a press release from the venue: "The trio uses the compositions of Kurt Weill as a
vehicle for improvised music that crosses in and out of the territories of new music, free jazz, cabaret
and more."
The performers bring varied experience to the trio. For a decade Stiegler has performed as a jazz singer
throughout the area. .In 2009 she recorded her debut album "Reaching for the Moon," a mix of
standards, jazz tunes, pop covers and originals, with guitarist Chris Buzzelli. According to the
vocalist: "Each performance is an opportunity to form a connection with an audience, an era, and a
song through nostalgia."
Rosenkranz is a well-traveled soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. His repertoire extends from the
works of J.S. Bach to premieres of works written exclusively for him, often including improvisation into
his performances. He has performed on four continents including tours remote regions of Tunisia and
Lebanon as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Ambassador program.
A writer, musician, and teacher Rob Wallace holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of
California, Santa Barbara. He has performed and recorded with jazz and world musicians. He is the author
of "Improvisation and the Making of American Literary Modernism ."
Admission is $5.