South Florida Classical Review

    A Boca Raton brew pub and hookah bar may seem an unlikely location for performances of Ravel, Ligeti and Ysaye, but a couple of young South Florida musicians are trying to change that.

This Saturday cellist Blake Oliver, a 2007 graduate of Northwestern University, and violinist Monty Bloom, former concertmaster of the Eastman School of Music Symphony Orchestra, will perform at the Funky Buddha Lounge, a laid-back venue better known for a vast selection of organic teas than for classical music.  

The two musicians are trying to build on the success of new classical music venues like Le Poisson Rouge, a club in New York’s Greenwich Village, where A-list musicians perform in an atmosphere less stiff-necked than Carnegie Hall.
 
“We are hoping to attract a younger audience that is interested in classical music but might be put off by the formality of the concert hall,” Oliver said. They will perform Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello, Ligeti’s Sonata for solo cello and Ysaye’s Sonata No. 6 for solo violin.

The Funky Buddha Lounge is at 2621 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton. Performances will be Saturday at 8:30 and 10 p.m. There is a $5 cover.

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2 Responses to “String theory at Funky Buddha”

1. Posted Oct 08, 2009 at 9:30 am by Wolfgang731

   Awesome concept! I wish them the best of luck.

2. Posted Oct 08, 2009 at 10:20 am by Thomas Sleeper

   Thanks putting this on the radar – I’ve heard Bloom on numerous occasions and he always has compelling and thought provoking interpretations – nothing pedestrian here! Look forward to this.
   ts

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