2016-2017 Concert Highlights
92nd Street Y 2016-17 Season Highlights
OPENING NIGHT CONCERT – Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (92Y debut), George Tsontakis Premiere with pianist
Jeremy Denk – October 15, 2016
92Y’s 16/17 season opens on October 15 with internationally renowned pianist Jeremy Denk joining the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, “the leading orchestra of its kind in America” (The New York Times), in their 92Y debut and their first New York performance in five years. Together, they open 92Y’s illustrious concert season with the first New York premiere of O Mikros, O Megas (The Small World, The Huge World) by George Tsontakis, whose ties to the Orchestra have included three other world premieres earning a Grawermeyer Award and Grammy nomination. The orchestra also performs the Mozart Piano Concerto in A Major and Schubert’s Symphony No. 2 in B-flat major with Denk, 2013 MacArthur Fellow and on the roster of SPCO’s current Artistic Partners since 2014, as the piano soloist.
Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 8 PM
92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Jeremy Denk, piano
GEORGE TSONTAKIS: O Mikros, O Megas (“The Small World, The Huge World”) for Chamber Orchestra (New York Premiere)
MOZART: Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 2 in B-flat Major, D. 125
ANGELA HEWITT: BACH ODYSSEY
Angela Hewitt, piano
Angela Hewitt, “the outstanding Bach pianist of her generation” (The Sunday Times, London), showcases her skills as one of the world’s foremost performers and interpreters of Bach’s music with a four-season survey of his complete keyboard works, which she previously recorded for the Hyperion label to great acclaim. In 2016/17, the first season of the project, three recital programs include the six complete French Suites (October 30), Partitas and Sonatas (April 4) and a varied program of Inventions, Sinfonias, Cappriccios and Fantasias (October 27).
Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 7:30 PM
92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall
BACH:
Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906
Aria Variata “alla Maniera Italiana,” BWV 989
Fifteen Two-part Inventions, BWV 772-786
Fifteen Three-part Sinfonias (Inventions), BWV 787-801
Capriccio on the Departure of his Beloved Brother, BWV 992
Capriccio in E major, BWV 993
Fantasia and Fugue in A minor, BWV 904
Sunday, October 30, 2016 at 3 PM
92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall
BACH:
Complete French Suites, BWV 812-817
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at 7:30 PM
92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall
BACH:
Partita No. 1 in B-flat major, BWV 825
Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826
Sonata in D minor, BWV 964
Partita No. 4 in D major, BWV 828
SOUNDSPACE – SIR ANDRÁS SCHIFF SELECTS: YOUNG PIANISTS
With the 2016/17 season marking its third installation, Sir András Schiff Selects: Young Pianists reflects both 92Y’s and Sir András’s dedication to championing the next generation of international performers by inviting promising young pianists, who have already garnered critical acclaim overseas, to make their 92Y debuts in programs of their choosing. This season, Sir András has chosen three young pianists to perform in this intimate series in 92Y’s Buttenwieser Hall.
British pianist Mishka Rushdie Momen opens the series on December 7, with a varied program of music by Mozart, Janáček, Schumann and Beethoven. Ukranian pianist Dinara Klinton has selected a program of music by Tchaikovsky, Scarlatti, Beethoven, and Liszt for her March 1 recital. Closing the series is pianist and composer Michael Brown, a native New Yorker and winner of a 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant. His program, on May 3, includes works by Mendelssohn, Bernstein, and Beethoven, as well as his own composition, Constellations and Toccata.
Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 8:30 PM
92Y – Buttenwieser Hall
Mishka Rushdie Momen, piano (New York debut)
MOZART: Fantasia in C minor, K. 475
JANÁČEK: Sonata 1.X.1905
SCHUMANN: Waldszenen, Op. 82
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in A major, Op. 101
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 8:30 PM
92Y – Buttenwieser Hall
Dinara Klinton, piano (New York debut)
SCARLATTI: Sonata in B minor, K. 87
SCARLATTI: Sonata in D major, K. 96
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in F-sharp major, Op. 78, “Á Thérèse”
TCHAIKOVSKY: Two Pieces, Op. 10
LISZT: Selections from Transcendental Etudes, S. 139
No. 1, Preludio
No. 2, in A minor
No. 3, Paysage
No. 4, Mazeppa
No. 5, Feux follets
No. 10, in F minor
No. 11, Harmonies du soir
Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 8:30 PM
92Y – Buttenwieser Hall
Michael Brown, piano/composer (92Y debut)
MENDELSSOHN: Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in E minor, Op. 35
BERNSTEIN: Touches
MENDELSSOHN: Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in D major, Op. 35
MENDELSSOHN: Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in B minor, Op. 35
MICHAEL BROWN: Constellations and Toccata
MENDELSSOHN: Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in B-flat major, Op. 35
BEETHOVEN: Variations and Fugue in E-flat major, Op. 35, “Eroica”
MASTERS OF THE KEYBOARD: Julia Hsu and Peter Serkin (NY Debut)– December 10, 2016
This duo, comprised of the two performers Julia Hsu and Peter Serkin, make their New York debut in a piano four-hands recital. Their program, which includes the New York premiere of Serkin’s arrangement for four hands of Brahms’ Eleven Chorale-Preludes, Op. 122, also features works by Beethoven and Schubert, as well as Brahms’ Five Hungarian Dances.
Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 8 PM
92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall
BEETHOVEN: Adelaide, Op. 46 (arr. Czerny)
BEETHOVEN: Fugue in D major, Op. 137
BRAHMS: Eleven Chorale-Preludes, Op. 122 (arr. P. Serkin; New York premiere)
SCHUBERT: Allegro in A minor, “Lebensstürme,” D. 947
SCHUBERT: Rondo in A major, D. 951
BRAHMS: Five Hungarian Dances
No.8 in A minor
No.9 in E minor
No.11 in D minor
No.12 in D minor
No.18 in D major
DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS IN RECITAL – Kremerata Baltica and violinist Gidon Kremer – February 2, 2017
Gidon Kremer, one of the most revered violinists of the age, celebrates his 70th birthday by joining the Kremerata Baltica, who returns to 92Y with the program Russia: Masks & Faces. Founded by Mr. Kremer from exceptional musical talents from the Baltic States – Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania – the Kremerata Baltica has come to be regarded for its bold, inventive programming and extensive discography. At 92Y, Kremer and the Kremerata Baltica present repertoire which articulates the “soul” of Russian culture and how it is represented artistically. Kremer changes the perspective of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition without calling on the Viktor Hartmann paintings which inspired the work more than 100 years ago; he enlists the vision of philosopher and painter Maxim Kantor, whose works aim to highlight to audiences the social and political turmoil Russia has faced in recent years.
Thursday, February 2, 2017 at 7:30 PM
92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall
Kremerata Baltica
Gidon Kremer, violin
ARVO PÄRT: Fratres for violin and string orchestra
WEINBERG: Chamber Symphony No. 4 for string orchestra and clarinet, Op. 153
TCHAIKOVSKY: Sérénade mélancolique for violin and strings, Op. 26 (arr. L. Desyatnikov)
MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition (arr. for string orchestra by J. Cohen and A. Pushkarev, with original paintings by Maxim Kantor)
VALENTIN SILVESTROV: Serenade for solo violin
DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS:
Christian Tetzlaff, violin and Lars Vogt, piano – February 15, 2017
Distinguished violinist Christian Tetzlaff and frequent collaborator, pianist Lars Vogt — both of whom have earned reputations for inquisitive and fearless programming — present a recital at 92Y that features works by Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert. Of a recent performance together, the Chicago Tribune reported that, “Whatever the time period and style of the music, violinist Christian Tetzlaff and pianist Lars Vogt excelled.”
Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 7:30 PM
92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall
BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30, No. 2
MOZART: Violin Sonata in F major, K. 377/374e
SCHUBERT: Rondo in B minor, D. 895
Additional piece TBA
SOUNDSPACE – Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani
Makes 92Y Debut – March 21, 2017
The innovative Soundspace series features concerts held in the intimate atmosphere and bright acoustics of 92Y’s Buttenwieser Hall. Making his 92Y debut, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani is described by The Times as, “a superstar whose musicianship, imagination, cultural breadth and charisma far transcends the ivory tower in which the harpsichord has traditionally been placed.” The young Iranian-born, already establishing himself among harpsichord aficionados and beyond as a trailblazer of his instrument, carefully crafts a program for 92Y which juxtaposes, and draws parallels between, early and modern music written or transcribed for harpsichord.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 8:30 PM
92Y – Buttenwieser Hall
COWELL: Set of Four
TOMKINS: Pavan
BULL: Hexachord Fantasia
FARNABY: Woody-Cock
KALABIS: Three Aquarelles
KAIJA SAARIAHO: Le jardin secret II for harpsichord and tape
BACH: Toccata in C minor, BWV 911
STEVE REICH: Piano Phase
CHAMBER ENSEMBLES: Nicola Benedetti, Leonard Elschenbroich, Alexei Grynyuk (NY debut) and New York Premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage – April 6, 2017
The Benedetti Elschenbroich Grynyuk Trio makes their New York debut in a program of sonatas by Ravel and Debussy, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A Minor, and the New York premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Duetti d’Amore for violin and cello. The 2015 work received its world premiere in Perth, Scotland, by Benedetti and Elschenbroich. Upon reading about Benedetti and Elschenbroich’s relationship, Turnage explains: “It was a very touching account of them meeting at music school and later falling in love. So I thought, why don’t I write a piece that celebrates them as a couple. Hence, five love duets. A few of them are a little fiery and passionate but most of them tender and lyrical.”
Thursday, April 6, 2017 at 7:30 PM
92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall
RAVEL: Violin Sonata
DEBUSSY: Cello Sonata
MARK-ANTHONY TURNAGE: Duetti d’Amore for violin and cello (New York premiere)
TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50
Anne Akiko Meyers and Elizabeth Pridgen Present Fantasia: An Evening of Fantasy, including Einojuhani Rautavaara
World Premiere of new arrangement – April 20, 2017
One of the most celebrated violinists of her generation, Anne Akiko Meyers returns to 92Y with pianist Elizabeth Pridgen for her exclusive New York performance of the 2016/17 season. Ms. Meyers, whom Denver Post has called, “the coolest thing to happen to the violin since Stradivari,” presents an unusual musical palate of classical and contemporary repertoire which includes highlights of her upcoming album, which will be her 35th release to date, and includes three pieces written or arranged for the acclaimed violinist, who was Billboard’s bestselling classical instrumental soloist in 2014. Thematically centered on the fantasia and concept of fantasy, Meyers, known for “her high-gloss, singing sound” (The New York Times), brings the audience on a fascinating trajectory that ranges from Mozart to Jakub Ciupinski. She performs on the “Vieuxtemps” Guarneri del Gesu (1741) violin, which makes its 92Y debut.
Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 7:30PM
92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall
MOZART: Violin Sonata No. 22 in A major, K. 305
ARVO PÄRT: Fratres
EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA: Fantasia (world premiere for violin/piano; written for Ms. Meyers)
RAVEL: Tzigane
MORTEN LAURIDSEN: O Magnum Mysterium (world premiere for violin/piano; arranged for Ms. Meyers)
JAKUB CIUPINSKI: Wreck of the Umbria for electronics/video installation (written for Ms. Meyers)
DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS – Alisa Weilerstein, cello – April 22, 2017
Alisa Weilerstein returns to 92Y with the entire catalogue of Bach’s Solo Cello Suites, to be performed in a single evening. Ms. Weilerstein, who received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2011, is already firmly established as a brilliant cellist with unique musical insight. Signed in 2010 as an exclusive recording artist on the prominent Decca label, Weilerstein is consistently praised for being “totally secure in technique, rich in sonority, compellingly idiomatic…” (BBC Music Magazine) in performances in the US and abroad, and on her recordings.
Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 7:00 PM
92Y – Kaufmann Concert Hall
BACH: Complete Suites for Solo Cello, BWV 1007-1012
Suite No. 3 in C major
Suite No. 4 in E-flat major
Suite No. 5 in C minor
Suite No. 2 in D minor
Suite No. 1 in G major
Suite No. 6 in D major
SOUNDSPACE – Ariel Quartet Presents NY Premiere of
Mohammed Fairouz Work – April 26, 2017
The Ariel Quartet, founded seventeen years ago in Israel while the artists were young students, now serves as the faculty Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, where they direct the chamber music program and give their own annual concert series. On the stage of Buttenwieser Hall, the Ariel Quartet, known for their “raw enthusiasm…with a gift for filling the pristine structures of Classicism with fire” (The New York Times), give the New York premiere performance of a new work by American composer Mohammed Fairouz; returning to their beginnings in Israel they play Menachem Wiesenberg’s Between the Sacred and the Profane, as well as the late Beethoven string quartet, Op. 132.
The Quartet utilizes the performances’ repertoire to explore the influence of the three major monotheistic religions, with works by Fairouz and Wiesenberg representing the Muslim and Jewish faiths, paired with Beethoven’s ‘Heiliger Dankgesang”, his “holy song of thanksgiving.” The program intends to explore the threads that tie these religions together, highlighting their similarities.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at 8:30 PM
92Y – Buttenwieser Hall
MOHAMMED FAIROUZ: New Work (New York premiere)
MENACHEM WIESENBERG: Between the Sacred and the Profane
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132
EMERSON STRING QUARTET:
40th Anniversary Season
The 2016-17 season marks the Emerson Quartet’s 40th Anniversary — a major milestone for a ground-breaking ensemble that has earned its place in the pantheon of the classical chamber music world. The Emerson stands apart in the history of string quartets with an unparalleled list of achievements over three decades: more than thirty acclaimed recordings, nine Grammys® (including two for Best Classical Album), three Gramophone Awards, the Avery Fisher Prize, Musical America’s “Ensemble of the Year”, and collaborations with many of the greatest artists of our time. With a repertoire that spans three centuries of chamber music, the Emerson also looks towards the future by collaborating with today’s most esteemed composers and premiering new works, thus proving their commitment to keeping the art form of the string quartet alive and more relevant than ever.
Highlights of the 40th Anniversary season reflect all aspects of the Emerson’s venerable artistry with high-profile projects, collaborations and a world premiere. In celebration of their anniversary, Universal Music Group has reissued their entire Deutsche Grammophon discography in a 52-CD mega-box set. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center has programmed two concerts in October to commemorate this milestone: the Calidore Quartet teams up with the Emerson for the Mendelssohn Octet, and the Quartet gives the New York premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Shroud (co-commissioned by CMS). Former Emerson cellist David Finckel also appears as a special guest for Schubert’s Quintet in C Major. In May 2017, legendary pianist Maurizio Pollini will join the Quartet for a performance of the Brahms Quintet at Carnegie Hall — a rare chamber music appearance by Pollini.
Friday, October 21, 2016 at 7:30 PM
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
with Calidore String Quartet
BEETHOVEN: Quartet in F minor for Strings, Op. 95, “Serioso”
BARTOK: Quartet No. 4 for Strings, BB 95
MENDELSSOHN: Octet in E-flat major for Strings, Op. 20
Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 5 PM
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
with David Finckel, cello
SHOSTAKOVICH: Quartet No. 10 in A-flat major for Strings, Op. 118
TURNAGE: Shroud (CMS Co-Commission) (New York premiere)
SCHUBERT: Quintet in C major for Two Violins, Viola, and Two Cellos, D. 956, Op. 163
Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 3 PM
Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall
with Maurizio Pollini, piano
RAVEL: String Quartet in F Major
BERG: String Quartet, Op. 3
BRAHMS: Piano Quintet
ROBERT SPANO
Conductor, pianist, composer and pedagogue Robert Spano is known worldwide for the depth and intensity of his artistry as well as his unique communicative abilities. As Music Director of both the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Aspen Music Festival and School, Robert Spano’s dedication to American living composers, education and outreach spreads across the nation. Under Maestro Spano’s guidance, the ASO and audiences explore an exciting mix of programming. The Atlanta School of Composers reflects his commitment to American contemporary music, thus defining a new generation of American composers. In 2016-17, Maestro Spano and the orchestra perform two World Premieres, Sonata: Four Elements for piano, composed and performed by Spano himself and the Atlanta-based dance company glo in September 2016, and a new work by Mark Buller commissioned by the Rapido! Composition Competition in June 2017.
This season, Maestro Spano’s guest conducting engagements include the St. Louis Symphony with a program including Sibelius’s Pohjola’s Daughter and Respighi’s Fountains of Rome with Stephen Hough, with whom Spano also leads in an all-Rachmaninov program as part of the Savannah Music Festival. He has appearances in Finland leading the Helsinki Philharmonic with bassist Mika Kares in December and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra at Esplanade Concert Hall with Schubert’s “Unfinished” B Minor Sympony and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 “Titan” in April. Maestro Spano also conducts John Adams’s Nixon in China at Houston Grand Opera, he brings the ASO and ASO Chorus to Washington DC to perform Creation/Creator by George Theofanidis at the Kennedy Center’s 2017 Shift Festival.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Kennedy Center, Washington DC
THEOFANIDIS: Creation/Creator
Jessica Rivera, soprano
Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Nmon Ford, baritone
Evan Boyer, bass
Steven Cole, narrator
Shannon Eubanks, narrator
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Maestro Spano has led ASO performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Ravinia, Ojai and Savannah Music Festivals, among others. His guest engagements have included the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics, San Francisco, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago and Philadelphia symphony orchestras, as well as Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, BBC Symphony and Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He has conducted for Covent Garden, Welsh National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera and the 2005 and 2009 Seattle Opera productions of Wagner’s Ring cycles.
Robert Spano’s compositions under water (solo piano) and Hölderlin Songs (piano/voice), in collaboration with sopranos Jessica Rivera and Susanna Phillips, have been performed in concerts across the country. His recent solo piano work Tanz III was written for and performed by glo. He is on the faculty of Oberlin Conservatory and has received honorary doctorates from Bowling Green State University, the Curtis Institute of Music, Emory University and Oberlin. Maestro Spano was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2012 and is proud to live in Atlanta.
Additional North American guest conducting dates
November 25, 2016 St. Louis Symphony Powell Hall
November 26 St. Louis Symphony Powell Hall
November 27 St. Louis Symphony Powell Hall
January 20, 2017 Houston Grand Opera Wortham Theater Center
January 22 Houston Grand Opera Wortham Theater Center
January 28 Houston Grand Opera Wortham Theater Center
February 3 Houston Grand Opera Wortham Theater Center
February 5 Houston Grand Opera Wortham Theater Center
March 8 Minneapolis, MN Orchestra Hall
March 9 Minneapolis, MN Orchestra Hall
AMERICAN BRASS QUINTET
Hailed by Newsweek as “the high priests of brass,” the American Brass Quintet is internationally recognized as one of the premier chamber music ensembles of our time, celebrated for peerless leadership in the brass world. As 2013 recipient of Chamber Music America’s highest honor, the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award for significant and lasting contributions to the field, ABQ’s rich history includes performances in Asia, Australia, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Canada and the United States; a discography of nearly 60 recordings; and the premieres of over 150 contemporary brass works. Committed to the development of brass chamber music through higher education, the American Brass Quintet has served as Ensemble-in-Residence at The Juilliard School since 1987 and the Aspen Music Festival since 1970.
Following their residency at Adelphi University on October 8, the Quintet returns to Juilliard with two NYC premieres by Kenneth Fuchs and Eric Nathan, along with works by Clint Needham, Osvaldo Lacerda and a suite of Renaissance pieces for large brass ensemble, for which ABQ will be augmented onstage by their Juilliard students. Fuchs’s “American” Quintet, commissioned by ABQ, aims to capture a truly “Americana” style; consonant, pleasing and grand, with great virtuosic and musical variety. Eric Nathan’s Missing Words II was commissioned by the Aspen Music Festival and School for ABQ and is an homage to Ben Schott’s book Schottenfreude, a collection of newly created German words for contemporary life, such as “Kraftfahrzeugsinnenausstattungsneugeruchsgenuss” (defined as “New Car Smell”).
Monday, October 10, 2016 at 7:30 PM
Paul Hall, The Juilliard School
KENNETH FUCHS: Brass Quintet No. 2, “American” (NYC Premiere)
ERIC NATHAN: Missing Words II (NYC Premiere)
CLINT NEEDHAM: Brass Quintet No. 1, “Circus”
OSVALDO LACERDA: Quinteto Concertante
Collaborations with John Zorn
The Quintet performs the World Premiere of NYC-based composer John Zorn’s Blue Stratagem at Columbia University’s Miller Theatre on October 20, with additional performances on December 1 and 2 at the Guggenheim Museum as a tribute to American abstract painter Agnes Martin. Blue Stratagem reflects a modernist take on group improvisation, in which Zorn explores the multitude of colors available for brass and scores for an array of mutes, including a custom-made solo-tone for bass trombone.
Thursday, October 20, 2016 at 8 PM
Miller Theatre, Columbia University (World Premiere)
Thursday, December 1, 2016 – TIME TBD
Friday, December 2, 2016 – TIME TBD
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
JOHN ZORN: Blue Stratagem
On October 23, the American Brass Quintet returns to the Guggenheim for a repeat performance of John Zorn’s Commedia dell’arte, a suite of five miniatures for multiple ensembles inspired by the dell’arte characters Harlequin, Colombina, Scaramouche, Pulcinella, and Pierrot. The ABQ’s segment is the jovial, quasi-minimalist “Pulcinella.” Commedia dell’arte features a wide range of compositional styles spanning minimalism, post-bop jazz, avant-garde and more. The suite is being choreographed for a future collaboration with the Quintet.
Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 8 PM
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
JOHN ZORN: Pulcinella
The Quintet’s forthcoming studio album, currently scheduled for release in Winter 2017 on Summit Records, is comprised entirely of ABQ-commissioned works:
ROBERT PATERSON: Shine (2015)
ERIC EWAZEN: Canticum Honoris Amicorum (2014)
SEBASTIAN CURRIER: cadence, fugue, fade (2013)
JAY GREENBERG: Quintet for Brass (2012)
SIR ANDRÁS SCHIFF: All-Schubert Recitals, March 2017
Sir András Schiff has distinguished himself throughout the course of an exceptional international career that has spanned over 40 years. He is world-renowned and critically acclaimed as a pianist, conductor, pedagogue and lecturer. After having completed his two-year, multi-city musical odyssey, The Last Sonatas, a project of three recital programs comprising of the three final sonatas of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert, Sir András, “an undisputed master of the German repertory,” (The New Yorker), focuses his expert interpretations of one German composer of the Classical Era, Schubert, in a North American tour.
In 2014 Sir András recorded an all-Schubert album on ECM Records performed entirely on his own 1820 Brodmann fortepiano, about which Gramophone stated, “I cannot think of anyone of his caliber who has mastered the fortepiano as well as the modern piano and shown such distinction on both. In Schubert he has a claim to be considered sovereign among today’s players, carrying forward the reading and interpretation of him into areas that others have not fully explored.”
Thursday, March 9, 2017 at 8 PM
Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
All-Schubert Program:
Sonata in A-minor, D.845
I. Moderato
II. Andante poco mosso
III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – Trio. Un poco più lento
IV. Rondo. Allegro vivace
Four Impromptus, D.935
Nr. 1, f-Moll: Allegro moderato
Nr. 2, As-Dur: Allegretto
Nr. 3, B-Dur: Andante
Nr. 4, f-Moll: Allegro scherzando
Intermission
Drei Klavierstücke, D.946
Nr. 1, es-Moll: Allegro assai
Nr. 2, Es-Dur: Allegretto
Nr. 3, C-Dur: Allegro
Sonata in G-major, D.894
I. Molto moderato e cantabile
II. Andante
III. Menuetto & Trio
IV. Allegretto
Additional North American concert dates –
March 3, 2017 Montréal, Quebec Maison symphonique de Montréal
March 5 Toronto, Ontario The Royal Conservatory
March 7 Bethesda, MD Strathmore
March 11 Kalamazoo, MI Chenery Auditorium
March 13 San Francisco, CA Davies Symphony Hall
PINCHAS ZUKERMAN: Violinist, Violist, Conductor
This season, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s Winter Festival focuses on the consummate musicianship of the legendary Pinchas Zukerman. Serving as the Festival’s Artistic Director, Mr. Zukerman solos and conducts some of the repertoire’s most prized works. Venezuelan conductor Christian Vásquez joins Mr. Zukerman onstage for three of the nine concerts. Offstage, his devotion to mentoring young musicians is exemplified by an innovative residency with the NJSO’s education and community engagement programs.
Friday, January 13, 2017 at 8 PM
New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ
Saturday, January 14, 2017 at 8 PM
Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ
Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 3 PM
State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ
Pinchas Zukerman, conductor & soloist
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
TCHAIKOVSKY: “Melodie” from Souvenir d’un Lieu Cher
TCHAIKOVSKY: Sérénade Mélancolique
TCHAIKOVSKY: Serenade for Strings
MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 4, “Italian”
Friday, January 20, 2017 at 8 PM
Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, NJ
Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 8 PM
New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ
Sunday, January 22, 2017 at 3 PM
Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, NJ
Pinchas Zukerman, violin
Christian Vasquez, conductor
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
BARBER: The School for Scandal Overture
BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto
SAINT-SAËNS: Symphony No. 3, “Organ”
Thursday, January 26, 2017 at 7:30 PM
Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ
Saturday, January 28, 2017 at 8 PM
State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ
Sunday, January 29, 2017 at 3 PM
New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ
Pinchas Zukerman, violin & conductor
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
BACH: Violin Concerto No. 2
SCHOENBERG: Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”
Mr. Zukerman, regarded equally as a musician and pedagogue, has been instrumental in the establishment of training programs for young artists in London, New York, China, Israel and Ottawa. Now Conductor Emeritus and Artistic Director of the Young Artist Program, Zukerman conducts and performs an all-Baroque disc with the National Arts Centre Orchestra due for release in November 2016 on the Analekta label.
DANISH STRING QUARTET – Carnegie Hall Debut October 26, 2016
Embodying the quintessential elements of a chamber music ensemble of the very finest caliber, the Danish String Quartet has established a reputation for possessing an integrated sound, impeccable intonation and judicious balance. Since making their debut in 2002 at the Copenhagen Festival, the group of musical friends has demonstrated a passion for Scandinavian composers, whom they frequently incorporate into adventurous contemporary programs, while proving themselves to be skilled and profound performers of the classical masters.
Upcoming season highlights include three separate engagements in London’s distinguished Wigmore Hall. In great demand by presenters and audiences alike, the Quartet has over 30 engagements in North America this season. Among these appearances is a teaching residency at La Jolla Music Society Summer Fest and Dartmouth College, as well as performances at the Vancouver Recital Society, University of Chicago Presents, Boston Celebrity Series, Washington Performing Arts, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and the Chamber Music Society of Detroit. In October the Danish String Quartet makes their Carnegie Hall debut in Zankel Hall with the eminent Swedish cellist Torleif Thedéen.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at 7:30 PM
Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall
SHOSTAKOVICH: String Quartet No. 15 in E-flat minor, Op. 144
SCHUBERT: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956 (with Torleif Thedéen, cello)
The Danish String Quartet released their first disc on ECM Records in Spring 2016, featuring works by Danish composers Per Nørgård (Quartetto Breve – his first quartet) and Hans Abrahamsen (10 Preludes), and English composer Thomas Adès (Arcadiana),each of whom received significant awards in composition over the last season. The disc, which has earned international acclaim, is described by The Guardian as, “an exacting programme requiring grace, grit, and clarity and the Danish players sound terrific – lithe and glassy in the Abrahamsen, richer in the Nørgard, able to capture the picturesque watery shimmer of the Adès but also the slime and murk below the surface. It’s a sophisticated performance.”
In February, the Quartet received the prestigious Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award to assist them in their musical endeavors on an international scale. In September the ensemble hosts their tenth annual Danish String Quartet Festival in Copenhagen, a four-day event that brings together musical friends the quartet has met on its travels.
Additional North American concert dates
October 10, 2016 Salt Lake City, UT Libby Gardner Concert Hall October 13 Stanford, CA Bing Concert Hall
October 14 Ashland, OR SOU Music Recital Hall
October 15 Ashland, OR SOU Music Recital Hall
October 17 Portland, OR Lincoln Performance Hall
October 18 Portland, OR Lincoln Performance Hall
October 19 Vancouver, BC Vancouver Playhouse
October 21 Kansas City, MO 1900 Building
October 22 Corpus Christi, TX Wolfe Recital Hall, Fine Arts Center
October 23 San Antonio, TX Temple Beth-El
October 28 Chicago, IL Mandel Hall
January 28, 2017 Boston, MA Jordan Hall
January 29 Orono, ME Minsky Recital Hall
January 31 Dartmouth, NH Spaulding Auditorium
February 2 Washington, DC Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center
February 4 Morrow, GA Spivey Hall
February 5 Rochester, NY Kilbourn Hall
February 6 Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Music Hall
February 7 Philadelphia, PA Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center
February 10 Kalamazoo, MI Dalton Center Recital Hall
February 11 Farmington Hills, MI Seligman Performing Arts Center
February 12 St. Paul, MN St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ
February 13 Denver, CO Gates Hall, Newman Center
RALPH KIRSHBAUM, Cello
Texas-born cellist Ralph Kirshbaum has established an international career as a distinguished solo performer, esteemed chamber musician and recording artist, and prized pedagogue. He has appeared with many of the world’s major orchestras including the Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, BBC and London Symphonies, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Zurich Tonhalle, Orchestre de Paris and Israel Philharmonic and with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Semyon Bychkov, Christoph von Dohnányi, Andrew Davis, the late Sir Colin Davis, James Levine, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Sir Antonio Pappano, André Previn, Sir Simon Rattle, Leonard Slatkin and the late Sir Georg Solti.
Together with frequent collaborator, pianist Shai Wosner, Mr. Kirshbaum performed the complete Beethoven cycles throughout the 2015-16 season in venues across the United States and Great Britain. Culminating in a recorded performance of the entire cycle in London’s celebrated Wigmore Hall, Kirshbaum and Wosner release a CD of this concert on Onyx Classics in November 2016. Known for his “wonderful tone, utter technical reliability and the imagination to make the music feel both spontaneous and well planned (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review),” Kirshbaum joins Wosner with the complete works of Beethoven for cello and piano in Washington DC’s The Phillips Collection in October, and The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles and Chamber Music Sedona in Arizona in March.
All-Beethoven Program for The Phillips Collection:
12 Variations on ‘See the conqu’ring hero comes’ from Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus in G Major, WoO. 45
Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, op. 5 no. 2
12 Variations on ‘Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen’ from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in F Major, Op.66
Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major, op. 69
All-Beethoven Programs:
Program I:
7 Variations in E-flat Major on Mozart’s “Bei Männern” from The Magic Flute, WoO 46
Cello Sonata in G minor Op. 5, No. 2
I. Adagio sostenuto ed espressivo
II. Allegro molto più tosto presto
III. Rondo. Allegro
12 Variations in F Major on Mozart’s “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” from Die Zauberflöte, Op. 66
Sonata No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69
I. Allegro, ma non tanto
II. Scherzo
III. Adagio cantabile – Allegro vivace
Program II:
Cello Sonata in F, Op. 5 No. 1
I. Adagio sostenuto
II. Allegro
III. Allegro vivace
Cello Sonata in C, Op. 102 No. 1
I. Andante – Allegro vivace
II. Adagio – Allegro vivace
12 Variations on a Theme by Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus, WoO 45
Cello Sonata in D, Op. 102 No. 2
I. Allegro con brio
II. Adagio con molto sentimento d’affetto
III. Allegro
Sunday, October 9, 2016 at 4:00PM
The Phillips Collection
Thursday, March 9, 2017 at 8:00 PM – Program I
Friday, March 10, 2017 at 8:00 PM – Program II
The Wallis, Bram Goldsmith Theater
Sunday, March 12, 2017 at 2:30 PM – Program I
Chamber Music Sedona, Sedona Performing Arts Center
Ralph Kirshbaum founded the RNCM Manchester International Cello Festival in 1988 as a celebration of the cello, its music and musicians. The final Festival, which took place in 2007, was awarded the important Royal Philharmonic Society’s Music Award for Concert Series and Festivals. In 2012, Kirshbaum inaugurated the highly successful Piatigorsky International Cello Festival at the University of Southern California, where he serves as the Gregor Piatigorsky Chair in Violoncello and Chair of the Strings Department at USC’s Thornton School of Music. The Piatigorsky International Cello Festival returned to USC in 2016 and received international acclaim.
NY RECITAL DEBUT AT CARNEGIE HALL:
Boris Giltburg, Piano: October 27, 2016
Born in Moscow in 1984 and raised in Tel Aviv from an early age, pianist Boris Giltburg gives his New York recital debut at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall with an all-Russian program, presented by the American Friends of the Arthur Rubinstein International Music Society.
Mr. Giltburg has won numerous international competitions, including first prize at the 2013 Queen Elisabeth Competition, second prize and audience prize at the 2011 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, and second prize and audience prize at the 2002 Santander International Piano Competition. He has appeared with many leading orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Swedish Radio Symphony, Danish Radio Symphony and Indianapolis Symphony. Boris Giltburg made his BBC Proms debut in 2010, has toured regularly to South America and China, and has also toured Germany with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse. In the months following his Queen Elisabeth win, he played at the Vienna Musikverein, Leipzig Gewandhaus, London Southbank Centre, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires, Colmar Festival, and with the Seattle Symphony, London Philharmonic and St Petersburg Philharmonic orchestras. Recent highlights include debuts with the NHK Symphony Tokyo, Baltimore Symphony and Rotterdam Philharmonic, as well as his recital debut in Tokyo at Toppan Hall. Mr. Giltburg has worked with conductors such as Alsop, Bělohlávek, Brabbins, De Waart, Dohnanyi, Fedoseyev, Gimeno, Neeme Jaervi, Karabits, Krivine, Lintu, Petrenko, Saraste, Shelley, Skrowaczewski, Sokhiev and Tortelier.
The Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition began in 1974 at the initiative of Jan Jacob Bistritzky, whose aim was to unite the name and the artistic legacy of Arthur Rubinstein with the cultural life of Israel. Conceived in the spirit of this legendary pianist and launched with his blessing, this triennial event in Tel Aviv is committed to attaining standards of the highest order and is a respected international forum for presenting talented, aspiring young pianists and fostering their careers. The Arthur Rubinstein Award and other prizes are given to young pianists whose skills reveal outstanding musicianship as well as the ability to render versatile, artistically superior interpretations of works ranging from the pre-classical to the contemporary. Since its inception, the Competition has commissioned 19 works by Israeli composers. Previous notable first prize winners of the Competition include Emanuel Ax (who won during its inaugural year), Jeffrey Kahane, Kirill Gerstein and Daniil Trifonov. The 15th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition is scheduled to be held from April 25 – May 11, 2017.
Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 7:30 PM
Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall
RACHMANINOV: 9 Études-Tableaux Op. 39
SCRIABIN: Sonata No. 4
SHOSTAKOVICH: String Quartet No. 8 Op. 110 in C minor (arr. for piano solo B. Giltburg)
PROKOFIEV: Sonata No. 7 Op. 83 in B-flat major
ASPECT FOUNDATION: THE NEW YORK CONCERTS – New York Debut Series
Making its home in New York for the first time since its inception, ASPECT Foundation for Music & Arts presents a concert series which aims to establish and develop a concert format beyond the traditional classical recital. “Music In Context,” which challenges the notion that classical music must be primarily an auditory experience, incorporates a variety of art forms as well as lecture and discussion to give audience members a more holistic, integrated understanding of the social context and historical relevance behind a piece of music. After its successful London run presenting various series such as “Composers on Composers,” “Musical Capitals,” “One Off,” and “Great Muses,” ASPECT Foundation makes its home for the 2016/17 season at Columbia University’s intimate The Italian Academy. Guest speakers, including Yale Assistant Professor (Adjunct) of Music History Paul Berry, will lead the series’ Illustrated Talks.
The opening night concert on October 5 links Bach and Mozart together via a common thread: amateur composer and diplomat Baron Gottfried van Swieten. Having keen ability to recognize exceptional compositional talent, van Swieten was responsible for furthering the influence of Bach and Handel, mostly forgotten by the late eighteenth century, on Viennese musical palates of the time by funding concerts featuring the masterworks of these earlier composers. The Baron encouraged the likes of Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart to study and practice these contrapuntal styles, building theoretical structures used in some of the greatest works of the period. This program highlights the connection between Bach and Mozart as master and disciple, and how Mozart’s utilization of Bach’s genius ultimately fueled his own. Part of the ‘Composers on Composers’ series.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Bach and Mozart: A Lasting Legacy
Dmitry Sitkovetsky, violin
Dov Scheindlin, viola
Sergey Antonov, cello
Ignat Solzhenitsyn, piano
MOZART: 6 Preludes and Fugues for string trio, K404a
Prelude No.1 in D minor
Fugue No.1 in D minor (after J.S. Bach’s The Well-tempered Clavier, Book I, Fugue No.8 in D sharp minor, BWV 853)
BACH, arr. Dmitry Sitkovetsky: Fifteen Sinfonias for string trio, BWV 787–801
MOZART: Piano Quartet in E flat major, K493
For decades, Vienna was unquestionably the musical capital of the world for composers of the finest caliber. On January 26, a concert of Schubert and Brahms illustrates the evolution of the Romantic era, with Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata hinting at the beginning of the new musical styles of the period, and Brahms’s F Minor Piano Quintet suggesting the transition into a new age of classical music. Part of the ‘Musical Capitals’ series.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Romantic Vienna
Arnaud Sussmann, violin
Emily Daggett Smith, violin
Paul Neubauer, viola
Rafael Figueroa, cello
Vsevolod Dvorkin, piano
SCHUBERT: Arpeggione Sonata, D. 821
BRAHMS: Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34
Greatly influenced by Smetana, whose vocal opposition to the Habsburg Empire on the Czech resulted in highly nationalistic operas and tone poems, Dvořák composed works borrowing from the Moravian and Bohemian song and dance traditions. The performance on February 23 examines the new artistic identity which arose in the city of Prague as Czech composers led the way toward shedding Germanic traits and embracing the nation’s rich musical traditions. Part of the ‘Musical Capitals’ series.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Czech Romantics
Michael Brown, piano
Arnaud Sussman, violin
DVOŘÁK: Sonatina in G Major, Op. 100
JOSEF SUK: 4 Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 17
JANÁČEK: Violin Sonata
DVOŘÁK: Romantic Pieces, Op. 75
Pianist and composer Clara Schumann, a virtuosic and accomplished musician by her own right, inspired a great many of her contemporaries with her legendary talent, friendship, and love. Married to Robert Schumann, she was able to advocate for her husband’s talents by performing them with her extraordinary pianistic ability. As the muse and guide for many works by Brahms, who was plagued by his intense love for her, described their relationship as, “…the most beautiful experience of my life, its greatest wealth and its noblest content.” The program on April 19 offers a unique perspective on the muse herself and those whom she benefitted. Part of the ‘Great Muses’ series.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Clara Schumann: Artist and Muse
Stephanie Chase, violin
Sophie Shao, cello
Todd Crow, piano
R SCHUMANN: Five Pieces in Folk Style, Op. 102 for cello and piano
BRAHMS: Sonata in G Major, Op. 78 for violin and piano
C SCHUMANN: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 17
ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA:
80th Anniversary Season
Bringing its historic message of peace through music, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra returns to the United States in November 2016 for galas in NYC and Beverly Hills, benefiting the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (AFIPO). Both galas feature performances of Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence led by violinist Julian Rachlin and members of the Orchestra. The concerts will be followed by dinner, and will benefit the Orchestra’s future touring legacy.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 7 PM
The Plaza Hotel – Gala
New York, NY
Julian Rachlin, violin
Members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
TCHAIKOVSKY: Souvenir de Florence
Co-Chairmen: Rochelle and David Hirsch
Linda and Michael Jesselson
Ruth and Theodore Mirvis
Thursday, November 17, 2016 at 6 PM
The Beverly Hills Hotel – Gala
Beverly Hills, CA
Julian Rachlin, violin
Members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
TCHAIKOVSKY: Souvenir de Florence
Co-Chairmen:
Lynn Harris Leshem and Matti Leshem
December 26, 2016 will mark 80 years since Maestro Arturo Toscanini conducted the inaugural concert of the (later named) Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. This milestone will be celebrated with a festival held in Israel from December 20-31, 2016 led by Music Director for Life Zubin Mehta, featuring some of the world’s finest conductors and soloists including Nicola Benedetti, Yefim Bronfman, Amanda Forsyth, Manfred Honeck, Leonidas Kavakos, Evgeny Kissin, Riccardo Muti, Murray Perahia, Julian Rachlin, Yuja Wang, and Pinchas Zukerman.
BEHZOD ABDURAIMOV
Young Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov is among the fastest rising pianists of his generation. After releasing his debut recording in 2012 on the Decca Classics label, he has appeared with some of the world’s premier orchestras including the Los Angeles, Munich and Hong Kong philharmonics, Boston, NHK, Dallas, Seattle and Adelaide symphony orchestras, and the London and Czech philharmonic orchestras. As a recitalist, he is lauded for his outstanding command of technique and unique musical voice: “In demeanor and musicianship alike, here is a pianist who is no-nonsense, yet never nondescript.” (The New York Times).
Last season, in addition to concerts in Wigmore Hall, Spivey Hall and with the Washington Performing Arts Series, Mr. Abduraimov made his BBC Proms debut, praised by The Guardian: “Most impressive of all was the Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov’s glitteringly idiomatic account of Rachmaninov’s third piano concerto.” The 2016/17 season will bring Mr. Abduraimov to the Van Cliburn series, Carolina Performing Arts, the Vancouver Recital series as well as concerts with the Houston and Pittsburgh symphonies, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Minnesota Orchestra and others. In November, Abduraimov gave his successful New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, after which The New York Times stated, “Mr. Abduraimov will, I expect, have a long and distinguished career to show us.” In November 2016, Abduraimov returns to Carnegie Hall at the age of 26 to perform on the stage of Stern Auditorium.
Thursday, November 17, 2016 at 8:00 PM
Carnegie Hall – Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
BACH: “Siciliano” from Concerto in D Minor, BWV 596 (after Vivaldi, Op. 3, No. 11; arr. Cortot)
BACH: Toccata in D Minor, BWV 913
SCHUBERT: Moment musicaux in A-flat Major, D. 780, No. 2
SCHUBERT: Moment musicaux in F Minor, D. 780, No. 3
BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata”
PROKOFIEV: Piano Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 82
BALAKIREV: Islamey
