Fall 2019 Season
OCTOBER 11, 7:30 PM
"Passion and Obsession: An evening of arias and duets from Opera, Operetta, Broadway and Song"
Giovanni Formisano, Neapolitan tenor
Olga Lisovskaya, Ukrainian soprano
"Passion and Obsession: An evening of arias and duets from Opera, Operetta, Broadway and Song"
Giovanni Formisano, Neapolitan tenor
Olga Lisovskaya, Ukrainian soprano
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Giovanni Formisano, Neapolitan tenor and Olga Lisovskaya, Ukrainian soprano, have been performing together for the past several years, and have developed a beautiful program that is a big hit with the audiences. The program is a mixture of arias, many duets (from La Traviata, Rigoletto, West Side Story, Carmen, l'Elisir d'Amore, La Bohème, and others) and Neapolitan and Ukrainian songs.
"A wonderful coloratura soprano with flexibility to caress the highest range notes", OLGA LISOVSKAYA's career involves both singing on the most prestigious concert stages, including Carnegie Hall and Jordan Hall, and producing successful projects with Talents of the World, an international concert organization, and Commonwealth Lyric Theater, an award-winning Boston-based opera company. Ms. Lisovskaya’s concerts have been featured on Ukrainian, Italian (RAI) and American TV. Most recently, she interpreted to critical acclaim the role of Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmenopposite Giovanni Formisano as Don José. Olga and Giovanni are a famous duo, performing together regularly throughout the U.S. Giovanni and Olga have been selected to perform together at the popular San Gennaro Festival in Boston, expected to attract close to 80,000 people. Ms. Lisovskaya is also a director and judge of Talents of the World Annual International Voice Competition. She will return to Carnegie Hall as a featured artist for the International Music Festival for two performances on December 19th and 22nd, 2019. Ms. Lisovskaya is a sought-after voice teacher. www.OlgaLisovskaya.com
A native of Torre del Greco (Naples) Italy, GIOVANNI FORMISANO, tenor, began his vocal training in the US and was quickly recognized for his sense of legato and also for specializing in the Classical Neapolitan repertoire. Winner of the “Talents of the World” voice competition in Boston MA, Mr. Formisano was featured in a tribute to the renowned baritone Dimitri Hvorostovsky at Carnegie Hall, alongside the world recognized mezzo- soprano Nino Surguladze and others. His most recent roles and concerts include the Solo Tenor in Verdi’s Requiem with the Paul Madore Chorale and Salem orchestra in Salem MA, Alfredo in LaTraviata by G. Verdi with Opera Providence, The Young Gypsy in Aleko by S.Rachmaninoff with the Commonwealth Lyric Theater, Camille in F. Lehar's The Merry Widow with Opera Providence and Rodolfo in G. Puccini's “La Boheme" with Boston Opera Collaborative.
"The Elisir d’Amore duo with Lisovskaya and Formisano was a comic triumph, superbly acted and solidly sung with scintillating agility and a knock-out unison high B flat at the final cadence." - Boston Musical Intelligencer, 2019 , review of Jordan Hall concert
"Soprano Olga Lisovskaya brought beautifully limpid sounds to Micaela’s music, her voice soaring to the climaxes of her third-act aria. It was an interpretation sympathetic and heartwarming, her interaction with Don José (Giovanni Formisano) caressing." - Boston Musical Intelligencer, 2019, review of opera CARMEN
"A wonderful coloratura soprano with flexibility to caress the highest range notes", OLGA LISOVSKAYA's career involves both singing on the most prestigious concert stages, including Carnegie Hall and Jordan Hall, and producing successful projects with Talents of the World, an international concert organization, and Commonwealth Lyric Theater, an award-winning Boston-based opera company. Ms. Lisovskaya’s concerts have been featured on Ukrainian, Italian (RAI) and American TV. Most recently, she interpreted to critical acclaim the role of Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmenopposite Giovanni Formisano as Don José. Olga and Giovanni are a famous duo, performing together regularly throughout the U.S. Giovanni and Olga have been selected to perform together at the popular San Gennaro Festival in Boston, expected to attract close to 80,000 people. Ms. Lisovskaya is also a director and judge of Talents of the World Annual International Voice Competition. She will return to Carnegie Hall as a featured artist for the International Music Festival for two performances on December 19th and 22nd, 2019. Ms. Lisovskaya is a sought-after voice teacher. www.OlgaLisovskaya.com
A native of Torre del Greco (Naples) Italy, GIOVANNI FORMISANO, tenor, began his vocal training in the US and was quickly recognized for his sense of legato and also for specializing in the Classical Neapolitan repertoire. Winner of the “Talents of the World” voice competition in Boston MA, Mr. Formisano was featured in a tribute to the renowned baritone Dimitri Hvorostovsky at Carnegie Hall, alongside the world recognized mezzo- soprano Nino Surguladze and others. His most recent roles and concerts include the Solo Tenor in Verdi’s Requiem with the Paul Madore Chorale and Salem orchestra in Salem MA, Alfredo in LaTraviata by G. Verdi with Opera Providence, The Young Gypsy in Aleko by S.Rachmaninoff with the Commonwealth Lyric Theater, Camille in F. Lehar's The Merry Widow with Opera Providence and Rodolfo in G. Puccini's “La Boheme" with Boston Opera Collaborative.
"The Elisir d’Amore duo with Lisovskaya and Formisano was a comic triumph, superbly acted and solidly sung with scintillating agility and a knock-out unison high B flat at the final cadence." - Boston Musical Intelligencer, 2019 , review of Jordan Hall concert
"Soprano Olga Lisovskaya brought beautifully limpid sounds to Micaela’s music, her voice soaring to the climaxes of her third-act aria. It was an interpretation sympathetic and heartwarming, her interaction with Don José (Giovanni Formisano) caressing." - Boston Musical Intelligencer, 2019, review of opera CARMEN
NOVEMBER 8, 7:30 PM
“Schumann’s three great song cycles: Dichterliebe, Frauenliebe und-leben, and Liederkreis Op. 39”
Pierre-Nicolas Colombat, piano
Elena Snow, mezzo-soprano
Cooper Joseph Kendall, tenor
David Rivera-Bozon, tenor
“Schumann’s three great song cycles: Dichterliebe, Frauenliebe und-leben, and Liederkreis Op. 39”
Pierre-Nicolas Colombat, piano
Elena Snow, mezzo-soprano
Cooper Joseph Kendall, tenor
David Rivera-Bozon, tenor
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Recent appearances by pianist Pierre-Nicolas Colombat include performances throughout various American cities as well as in Canada, France, and Puerto Rico. While his repertoire is largely centred on traditional western art music, Colombat performs in a variety of styles from Ragtime and silent film music to the avant-garde repertoire of today. In Boston, he has performed in Jordan Hall, Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, Orpheus Theatre, and the St. Botolph Club among other venues. His main interests lie in finding ways to connect local musicians. Efforts in this regard include writing essays, hosting a podcast, giving lecture recitals, and founding the Boston Community Studio Class. He currently studies at Boston University with Pavel Nersessian in pursuit of his Doctor of Musical Arts.
A 2016 Masters of Music graduate of the New England Conservatory, mezzo-soprano Elena Snow received her Bachelor’s degree from DePaul’s School of Music in Chicago, where she sang several roles including Amore in Monteverdi's Poppea and Nancy in Britten's Albert Herring. She has performed as a member of the Boston Lyric Opera Chorus, Boston Baroque, Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Opera Theatre, as an Apprentice Artist for Sarasota Opera and for Caramoor Opera. Elena has been the recipient of several awards in the past few years, including placing in both the 2013 and 2015 Bel Canto Competitions as well as placing in the finals of the 2016 Handel Aria Competition and 2017 Classical Singer Competition. Past roles here in Boston include the title role of Rossini's Cenerentola for NEC's Outreach Opera Program, Nerone in Handel's comic opera Agrippina, Dorabella in Cosi Fan Tutte, and Bradamante in Handel's Alcina with Opera Del West. Summer 2017 brought Elena to her hometown of Chicago as a Project Inclusion Fellow with the Grant Park Symphony and in the fall of 2018. Elena, joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera Guild as a teaching artist, working with elementary age students to bring opera to life at an early age. This past summer, Elena made her UK at the Snape Maltings Festival as a Britten Pears Young Artist and performed as a Resident Artist for the inaugural season of Teatro Nuovo at SUNY Purchase. Recent engagements in the fall of 2018 included the role of Dorabella with Barn Opera and several upcoming programs with the chorus of Boston Baroque.
Cooper Joseph Kendall is a tenor from Connecticut. Kendall currently studies with Arthur Levy and Tony Manoli as a masters candidate at Mannes in New York City. He received his undergraduate degree in voice at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he played roles in productions such as Don Giovanni and Serse, studying with Jane Eaglen. Recently, he has been heard at such festivals as the Aspen Music Festival, SongFest at Colburn, and CLA Italy in Novafeltria.
David Rivera-Bozon, tenor
Known as a truly versatile singer with an exceptional, robust, vibrant, and mesmerizing voice, tenor David Rivera-Bozon’s captivating presence has charmed audiences internationally. Based in Boston where he is pursuing graduate studies at New England Conservatory, Colombian tenor David Rivera-Bozón has an eclectic international career. His performances include operatic roles as Puccini's Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Tamino in Mozart´s Die Zauberflöte and Le Marie in Poulenc´s Les Mamelles de Tiresias. Solo orchestral performances include Beethoven´s 9th Symphony, Stravinsky´s Les Noces, Einhorn´s Voices of Light. He has also performed chamber works such as Ginastera´s Cantos del Tucumán and Cinco Canciones Populares Argentinas. A current soloist with the Boston Bel Canto Opera, Coro Dante Alighieri, Opera Talk Italy, Opera on Tap, and the Mystic Side Church of Malden, Rivera-Bozón is also frequently featured at the Philharmonia Boston, Calliope, the Rhode Island Encore Opera, the Chelmsford Central Congregational Church, and the Korean Church of Boston. David Rivera-Bozón holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory where he studied with Bradley Williams, and a Bachelor of Music from the Conservatorio de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia where he studied with Maestra Ángela Simbaqueba.
DECEMBER 6, 7:30 PM
"Divina Sublimitas : From Bach to Piazzolla, an evening of winter solace"
Anna Seda, cello
Kevin Sherwin, guitar
Kathryn Aaron, soprano
"Divina Sublimitas : From Bach to Piazzolla, an evening of winter solace"
Anna Seda, cello
Kevin Sherwin, guitar
Kathryn Aaron, soprano
Cellist Anna Seda has performed internationally in an array of settings including the Singapore Symphony, National Public Radio live from China, the Bienal De Violoncello, Peru's international cello conference, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Passionate about standard repertoire as well as contemporary and folk music, she equally values her experiences playing for for living composer George Crumb (Crumb Fest), performing the Schumann Cello Concerto with orchestra, and exploring Scottish music for baroque cello.
Anna began her cello studies in Denver, Colorado at age 4 with the Suzuki Method, and gained momentum in her teens with the chance to study at the Aspen Music Festival. In later years Anna was the recipient of a University of Colorado Fellowship to the Aspen Music Festival and also attended the Adriatic Chamber Music Festival in Italy, Charlie Castleman's Quartet Program, and the National Summer Cello Institute which specialized in Feldenkreis method for cello. Notable masterclasses include Juilliard cellists Darrett Adkins and Timothy Eddy, Eastman School of Music professor Steven Doane, and Arizona State University cellist Thomas Landschoot. Holding degrees from the University of Colorado, University of Denver, and the Boston Conservatory, her most influential mentors include Sato Knudsen of Boston Symphony, the Tacaks String Quartet, contemporary cellist Rhonda Rider, Scottish cellist Abby Newton, and Suzuki Cello teacher trainer Carol Tarr. Presently she maintains a busy freelance schedule with more than 20 organizations in New England. Anna holds a Bachelor of Music from University of Colorado At Boulder, Master of Music from the Boston Conservatory, and a certificate in Suzuki pedagogy from the University of Denver.
Kevin Sherwin is a guitarist, conductor, and composer, with performances including his solo debuts as guitarist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Regent Hall in London, England. As a conductor, he is Associate Artistic Director of the American Baroque Orchestra, and Principal Conductor of The American Romantics, collaborating with students from the Yale School of Music in the Romantic-era performance styles of composers including Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Elgar, and Mahler. He is also primary author of the performance practice research guide for the Yale Collection of Historical Sound Recordings, as well as co-author of the complete Charles Ives Discography. Recently, he has given presentations on performance practice at the University of Oxford, the Guitar Foundation of America International Conference, and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Among his awards and honors, Mr. Sherwin was cited by the Town of North Haven, Connecticut, for excellence in contributing to the musical arts. He has also received awards from the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts, the Guitar Foundation of America, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, among others. In April 2019, he was featured as conductor and guitarist in the YoungArts New York Gala at the Metropolitan Museum’s Temple of Dendur, working with Grammy-nominated musical director, Michael McElroy. In addition, with violist Mark Bailey, he has performed twice at the University of Cambridge in the Musica Vera Duo. As a composer, his works "Colonial Echoes" and "Perennial with the Earth" were commissioned for the Town of North Haven Veterans' Day Ceremonies, and his polychoral work, "In Majestate Gloriae" was premiered at the Sundays at Five Concert Series in Ansonia, Connecticut. Mr. Sherwin also frequently writes works for solo guitar, which he has performed on concert series throughout North America.
Kathryn Aaron, soprano, is an established interpreter of early vocal repertory. Her unique blend of musicality and scholarship encompasses a repertoire that spans from the liturgical drama of Hildegard von Bingen to the operatic flare of Handel and beyond. She marked her Washington, DC debut in 2001 performing the role of Poetry in Les Arts Florissants with the Violins of Lafayette directed by Ryan Brown and appeared with the Boston Early Music Festival in their 2003 production of Ariadne. In 2005 she joined forces with the Bloomington Early Music Festival as the soprano soloist for Handel’s Dixit Dominus and performed the prima donna role of Elisa in the festival’s period performance of the Mozart opera Il re pastore. She has worked with some of the top early music groups in the country including the Catacoustic Consort, Pomerium conducted by Alexander Blachly and is a principal artist for the American Baroque Orchestra conducted by Mark Bailey. In regular demand as an oratorio singer, she has shared stage as a soloist with Masaaki Suzuki, Nic McGegan, Paul Hillier, Helmut Rilling and Simon Carrington. Recent highlights include soprano soloist for the Montervedi Vespers with the Arcadia Players conducted by Ian Watson and Handel’s Messiah with Mark Bailey. A champion of medieval, renaissance and contemporary repertoire, Kathryn works regularly as a liturgical artist including several concerts and recordings with the choir of Christ Church Cathedral directed by Dr. Robert Bozeman. She also designs unique musical experiences for art museums. Her most recent recital, with baroque guitarist Kevin Sherwin, focused on early baroque Dutch repertoire, created for the Yale University Art Gallery’s Dutch Masters: Selections from the van Otterloo Collection.Kathryn holds degrees in vocal performance from Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University, the Jacob School of Music at Indiana University, and the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University.
In 2015 Kevin Sherwin, Kathryn Aaron, and Anna Seda met for a performance of the Durufle Requiem for chamber orchestra, organ and chorus with the New Haven Summer Chorus. Sherwin wielding the baton, focused on Romantic performance practices of the early 20th century. Moved by the freedom of choice of colors, slides, vibrato, and even fluctuating tempos, the synergy of the collaboration was palpable. After a planned Romantic Performance Practice Workshop with the guidance of Mark Bailey, Historical Recordings Archivist at Yale University fell through, the solution was to schedule a concert and explore those themes in practice.
Their first performance as a trio was a modest Groupmuse House of the music of Schumann and Strauss. The trio along with Bailey served as the inaugural performance for the Brookline Arts Parlor, engaging in a traditional Schubertiade, a salon concert with roots in the life of Franz Schubert. A roaring favorite program of the trio came from The Slow Burn, an indulgence of Art Nouveau-inspired programming. Realizing the limitations of a non-traditional mix of instruments, the trio expanded into original transcriptions which was very common in Romantic and early 20th century musical traditions and became an integral part of their collaborative process. Their repertoire includes music of Strauss, Bizet, Chopin, Poulenc, Faure, Schubert, and Massenet. This season Aaron, Sherwin, and Seda take on the music of Argentina with especial reverence to the composition styles of Astor Piazzolla.
Anna began her cello studies in Denver, Colorado at age 4 with the Suzuki Method, and gained momentum in her teens with the chance to study at the Aspen Music Festival. In later years Anna was the recipient of a University of Colorado Fellowship to the Aspen Music Festival and also attended the Adriatic Chamber Music Festival in Italy, Charlie Castleman's Quartet Program, and the National Summer Cello Institute which specialized in Feldenkreis method for cello. Notable masterclasses include Juilliard cellists Darrett Adkins and Timothy Eddy, Eastman School of Music professor Steven Doane, and Arizona State University cellist Thomas Landschoot. Holding degrees from the University of Colorado, University of Denver, and the Boston Conservatory, her most influential mentors include Sato Knudsen of Boston Symphony, the Tacaks String Quartet, contemporary cellist Rhonda Rider, Scottish cellist Abby Newton, and Suzuki Cello teacher trainer Carol Tarr. Presently she maintains a busy freelance schedule with more than 20 organizations in New England. Anna holds a Bachelor of Music from University of Colorado At Boulder, Master of Music from the Boston Conservatory, and a certificate in Suzuki pedagogy from the University of Denver.
Kevin Sherwin is a guitarist, conductor, and composer, with performances including his solo debuts as guitarist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Regent Hall in London, England. As a conductor, he is Associate Artistic Director of the American Baroque Orchestra, and Principal Conductor of The American Romantics, collaborating with students from the Yale School of Music in the Romantic-era performance styles of composers including Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Elgar, and Mahler. He is also primary author of the performance practice research guide for the Yale Collection of Historical Sound Recordings, as well as co-author of the complete Charles Ives Discography. Recently, he has given presentations on performance practice at the University of Oxford, the Guitar Foundation of America International Conference, and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Among his awards and honors, Mr. Sherwin was cited by the Town of North Haven, Connecticut, for excellence in contributing to the musical arts. He has also received awards from the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts, the Guitar Foundation of America, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, among others. In April 2019, he was featured as conductor and guitarist in the YoungArts New York Gala at the Metropolitan Museum’s Temple of Dendur, working with Grammy-nominated musical director, Michael McElroy. In addition, with violist Mark Bailey, he has performed twice at the University of Cambridge in the Musica Vera Duo. As a composer, his works "Colonial Echoes" and "Perennial with the Earth" were commissioned for the Town of North Haven Veterans' Day Ceremonies, and his polychoral work, "In Majestate Gloriae" was premiered at the Sundays at Five Concert Series in Ansonia, Connecticut. Mr. Sherwin also frequently writes works for solo guitar, which he has performed on concert series throughout North America.
Kathryn Aaron, soprano, is an established interpreter of early vocal repertory. Her unique blend of musicality and scholarship encompasses a repertoire that spans from the liturgical drama of Hildegard von Bingen to the operatic flare of Handel and beyond. She marked her Washington, DC debut in 2001 performing the role of Poetry in Les Arts Florissants with the Violins of Lafayette directed by Ryan Brown and appeared with the Boston Early Music Festival in their 2003 production of Ariadne. In 2005 she joined forces with the Bloomington Early Music Festival as the soprano soloist for Handel’s Dixit Dominus and performed the prima donna role of Elisa in the festival’s period performance of the Mozart opera Il re pastore. She has worked with some of the top early music groups in the country including the Catacoustic Consort, Pomerium conducted by Alexander Blachly and is a principal artist for the American Baroque Orchestra conducted by Mark Bailey. In regular demand as an oratorio singer, she has shared stage as a soloist with Masaaki Suzuki, Nic McGegan, Paul Hillier, Helmut Rilling and Simon Carrington. Recent highlights include soprano soloist for the Montervedi Vespers with the Arcadia Players conducted by Ian Watson and Handel’s Messiah with Mark Bailey. A champion of medieval, renaissance and contemporary repertoire, Kathryn works regularly as a liturgical artist including several concerts and recordings with the choir of Christ Church Cathedral directed by Dr. Robert Bozeman. She also designs unique musical experiences for art museums. Her most recent recital, with baroque guitarist Kevin Sherwin, focused on early baroque Dutch repertoire, created for the Yale University Art Gallery’s Dutch Masters: Selections from the van Otterloo Collection.Kathryn holds degrees in vocal performance from Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University, the Jacob School of Music at Indiana University, and the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University.
In 2015 Kevin Sherwin, Kathryn Aaron, and Anna Seda met for a performance of the Durufle Requiem for chamber orchestra, organ and chorus with the New Haven Summer Chorus. Sherwin wielding the baton, focused on Romantic performance practices of the early 20th century. Moved by the freedom of choice of colors, slides, vibrato, and even fluctuating tempos, the synergy of the collaboration was palpable. After a planned Romantic Performance Practice Workshop with the guidance of Mark Bailey, Historical Recordings Archivist at Yale University fell through, the solution was to schedule a concert and explore those themes in practice.
Their first performance as a trio was a modest Groupmuse House of the music of Schumann and Strauss. The trio along with Bailey served as the inaugural performance for the Brookline Arts Parlor, engaging in a traditional Schubertiade, a salon concert with roots in the life of Franz Schubert. A roaring favorite program of the trio came from The Slow Burn, an indulgence of Art Nouveau-inspired programming. Realizing the limitations of a non-traditional mix of instruments, the trio expanded into original transcriptions which was very common in Romantic and early 20th century musical traditions and became an integral part of their collaborative process. Their repertoire includes music of Strauss, Bizet, Chopin, Poulenc, Faure, Schubert, and Massenet. This season Aaron, Sherwin, and Seda take on the music of Argentina with especial reverence to the composition styles of Astor Piazzolla.
Winter/Spring 2019 Season
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JANUARY 25, 8pm
Inês Andrade, piano
Inês Andrade, piano
Portuguese pianist Inês Andrade is an avid and versatile soloist and chamber musician. She has performed across Europe and the United States in spaces such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall (USA), Centro Cultural de Belém (Portugal), Teatro Comunale Luigi Russolo (Italy), and Centre Le Phénix (Switzerland). Recently, she was a guest artist at Boston Portuguese Festival, Bay Chamber Concerts, Boston Conservatory New Music Festival, Classical at the Cabot, and CAC Tejo's Autumn Festival.
She has been praised for her “excellent technique and elaborated touch” (Diário de Notícias), after her performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Lisbon Sinfonietta Orchestra. As a winner of the 2013 Steinhardt Piano Concerto Competition, she performed Schumann’s Piano Concerto with the NYU Symphony Orchestra at the Frederick Loewe Theatre (New York). She has also appeared as a soloist with the ArtQuest Orchestra, the ESML Symphony Orchestra, and the Lisbon National Conservatory Orchestra.
She has performed in masterclasses with John Perry, Jerome Lowenthal, Jerome Rose, Vitaly Margulis, Boris Berman, Mikhail Voskresensky, Solomon Mikowsky, Jeffrey Swann, Galina Eguiazarova, Ferenc Radus, Marc Durand, Peter Donohoe, Alexander Kobrin, and James Giles, among others. She also took part in music festivals including "The International Piano Festival in Paris," "Festival e Academia Dino Ciani," "Gijon International Piano Festival," and "Obidos International Piano Master-Classes."
Inês has been actively involved with promoting Portuguese music and is a passionate chamber musician. She frequently collaborates with violinist Tamila Kharambura, with whom she recorded “Quasi una Sonata” by Portuguese composer António Pinho Vargas, which was released by MPMP in June 2017. In 2012, she founded the Duo Pianissimo, alongside pianist Marta Menezes, to celebrate and disseminate Portuguese music written for two pianos. She is also a member of the ensemble Virtuoso Soloists, which was founded in New York City, in 2014. Over the course of its three-year existence, Virtuoso Soloists has performed extensively in the United States and abroad. In light of the group’s acclaimed performances, the ensemble was offered a contract to record an album of Mario Pagotto’s music, which was released by MEP Italia at the beginning of 2018. Concert program: A. Fragoso, F. Lopes-Graça, J. Neubarth and Dace Aperans
She has been praised for her “excellent technique and elaborated touch” (Diário de Notícias), after her performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Lisbon Sinfonietta Orchestra. As a winner of the 2013 Steinhardt Piano Concerto Competition, she performed Schumann’s Piano Concerto with the NYU Symphony Orchestra at the Frederick Loewe Theatre (New York). She has also appeared as a soloist with the ArtQuest Orchestra, the ESML Symphony Orchestra, and the Lisbon National Conservatory Orchestra.
She has performed in masterclasses with John Perry, Jerome Lowenthal, Jerome Rose, Vitaly Margulis, Boris Berman, Mikhail Voskresensky, Solomon Mikowsky, Jeffrey Swann, Galina Eguiazarova, Ferenc Radus, Marc Durand, Peter Donohoe, Alexander Kobrin, and James Giles, among others. She also took part in music festivals including "The International Piano Festival in Paris," "Festival e Academia Dino Ciani," "Gijon International Piano Festival," and "Obidos International Piano Master-Classes."
Inês has been actively involved with promoting Portuguese music and is a passionate chamber musician. She frequently collaborates with violinist Tamila Kharambura, with whom she recorded “Quasi una Sonata” by Portuguese composer António Pinho Vargas, which was released by MPMP in June 2017. In 2012, she founded the Duo Pianissimo, alongside pianist Marta Menezes, to celebrate and disseminate Portuguese music written for two pianos. She is also a member of the ensemble Virtuoso Soloists, which was founded in New York City, in 2014. Over the course of its three-year existence, Virtuoso Soloists has performed extensively in the United States and abroad. In light of the group’s acclaimed performances, the ensemble was offered a contract to record an album of Mario Pagotto’s music, which was released by MEP Italia at the beginning of 2018. Concert program: A. Fragoso, F. Lopes-Graça, J. Neubarth and Dace Aperans
FEBRUARY 22, 8pm
Mirage Violin Duo, Tudor Dornescu - violin, Aleksandra Labinksa - violin
Mirage Violin Duo, Tudor Dornescu - violin, Aleksandra Labinksa - violin
The Mirage Violin Duo was formed in 2012 by Boston University graduates Aleksandra Labinska and Tudor Dornescu. Natives of Poland and Romania, Ms. Labinska and Mr. Dornescu have recently earned their Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin performance from Boston University College of Fine Arts. Both members have previously received degrees from the University of Toronto, Rice University in Houston TX and the National University of Music from Bucharest, Romania. The formation of the ensemble has been inspired by their teachers Dana and Yuri Mazurkevich, who themselves have performed as a duo to international acclaim. The Mirage Duo’s vision is to promote classical music in an accessible and intimate setting by presenting the less performed repertoire written for two violins. The music for the two instruments spans no less than four centuries and incorporates a great variety of musical styles and techniques. The educational aspect is an important component of the ensemble as both its members are dedicated pedagogues, active in the Greater Boston area in institutions such as the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Concord Conservatory of Music, Brookline Public Schools, Open Access to Music Education, among others. Ms. Labinska and Mr. Dornescu have individually earned numerous awards and prizes as well as they have performed in festivals and masterclasses with some of the world’s leading artists. The Mirage Violin Duo has recently performed a tour of 22 cities in China, as well as appeared in festivals in the United States such as the Luzerne Music Center in New York, the Point Counterpoint in Vermont, the Castleton Music Festival in Virginia under the guidance of Maestro Lorin Maazel, the Duxbury Music Festival and South Shore Conservatory Faculty Concert Series in Hingham, MA and others. Ms. Labinska and Mr. Dornescu are currently performing with some of the finest ensembles in the North Eastern USA, such as the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Plymouth Philharmonic, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, to name but a few. Ms. Labinska performs on an Italian violin made by Antonio Monzino in 1924 in Milan. Mr. Dornescu plays a Bavarian violin made by Johann Basta in the beginning of the past century. Aleksandra Labinska and Tudor Dornescu are members of the Boston Musicians’ Association as well as the Pi Kappa Lambda Musical Honors Society. The Mirage Violin Duo is managed in Asia and the UK exclusively by the CritiClassical Performing Arts Management Company based in the UK. www.mirageviolinduo.com
MARCH 29, 8pm
CK Ensemble: Cherry Kim - cello, Ai-Ying Chiu- piano, Elzbieta Brandys-O'Neill - flute
CK Ensemble: Cherry Kim - cello, Ai-Ying Chiu- piano, Elzbieta Brandys-O'Neill - flute
CHERRY KIM, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CELLIST
Cherry Kim is a cellist recognized for her heartfelt musicianship and artistry. She gave her solo debut performing with the Plano Symphony Orchestra, Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, and Fall River Symphony. Other performance highlights include the Herr Beethoven & His Cellists recital, Gioia Duo performances, the New England premiere of Callender’s Metamorphoses for cello and electronics for Boston New Music Initiative, guest performance with the Artists of the Royal Conservatory Ensemble which was broadcasted nationwide in Canada. As a recitalist and chamber musician, she has performed throughout the United States, Canada, China, and Ukraine. Her playing balances intellect, passion, soulful lyricism, imagination, and musical styles. Cherry leads CK Ensemble, the Gioia Duo and also performs with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Symphony New Hampshire, and Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. She holds degrees from the New England Conservatory (BM), Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music (PD), Rice University (MM), Longy School of Music of Bard College (GD), and Boston University (DMA).
ELZBIETA BRANDYS-O'NEILL, FLUTIST
A native of Poland, Elżbieta Brandys is a musician who molds elegant tone, artistic sensibility and a solid mastery of flute technique. She gives recitals internationally and performs with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Freisinger Chamber Orchestra, Claflin Hill Symphony, Cape Ann Symphony, Marsh Chapel Collegium, and Cantata Singers. She has performed in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and Town Hall, the Kennedy Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. After graduating from the Music Lyceum in Tarnów, Poland, Elżbieta received her Bachelor of Music from Southern Methodist University, Graduate Performance Diploma and Masters from Boston Conservatory and Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Boston University.
AI-YING CHIU, PIANIST
Pianist Ai-Ying Chiu has appeared as both soloist and chamber pianist at many important concert halls in the U.S., Russian, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Mexico, and Taiwan. Ms. Chiu was born in Taiwan in 1982, where she started playing the piano when she was four years old. Since the age of nine, she has been enrolled in schools which have enabled her to focus entirely on musical studies. In 1997, she was accepted into the piano department of Tainan National University of the Arts, receiving a perfect score at her entrance audition. During her undergraduate career, where she was a student of Ya-Zong Hong, she appeared in numerous concerts at TNNUA’s Concert Hall, and at the prestigious Chih-Shan Hall of Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center in Kaohsiung City, both as a soloist and as a member of a variety of chamber ensembles. As a pianist, Ms. Chiu actively works with other musicians and artists. She is the founding member of Voyage Piano Trio and Kaohsiung Chamber Music Ensemble. She resides in Boston and also holds a teaching position at New School of Music in Cambridge.
https://cherry-kim.wixsite.com/ckensemble
Cherry Kim is a cellist recognized for her heartfelt musicianship and artistry. She gave her solo debut performing with the Plano Symphony Orchestra, Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, and Fall River Symphony. Other performance highlights include the Herr Beethoven & His Cellists recital, Gioia Duo performances, the New England premiere of Callender’s Metamorphoses for cello and electronics for Boston New Music Initiative, guest performance with the Artists of the Royal Conservatory Ensemble which was broadcasted nationwide in Canada. As a recitalist and chamber musician, she has performed throughout the United States, Canada, China, and Ukraine. Her playing balances intellect, passion, soulful lyricism, imagination, and musical styles. Cherry leads CK Ensemble, the Gioia Duo and also performs with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Symphony New Hampshire, and Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. She holds degrees from the New England Conservatory (BM), Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music (PD), Rice University (MM), Longy School of Music of Bard College (GD), and Boston University (DMA).
ELZBIETA BRANDYS-O'NEILL, FLUTIST
A native of Poland, Elżbieta Brandys is a musician who molds elegant tone, artistic sensibility and a solid mastery of flute technique. She gives recitals internationally and performs with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Freisinger Chamber Orchestra, Claflin Hill Symphony, Cape Ann Symphony, Marsh Chapel Collegium, and Cantata Singers. She has performed in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and Town Hall, the Kennedy Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. After graduating from the Music Lyceum in Tarnów, Poland, Elżbieta received her Bachelor of Music from Southern Methodist University, Graduate Performance Diploma and Masters from Boston Conservatory and Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Boston University.
AI-YING CHIU, PIANIST
Pianist Ai-Ying Chiu has appeared as both soloist and chamber pianist at many important concert halls in the U.S., Russian, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Mexico, and Taiwan. Ms. Chiu was born in Taiwan in 1982, where she started playing the piano when she was four years old. Since the age of nine, she has been enrolled in schools which have enabled her to focus entirely on musical studies. In 1997, she was accepted into the piano department of Tainan National University of the Arts, receiving a perfect score at her entrance audition. During her undergraduate career, where she was a student of Ya-Zong Hong, she appeared in numerous concerts at TNNUA’s Concert Hall, and at the prestigious Chih-Shan Hall of Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center in Kaohsiung City, both as a soloist and as a member of a variety of chamber ensembles. As a pianist, Ms. Chiu actively works with other musicians and artists. She is the founding member of Voyage Piano Trio and Kaohsiung Chamber Music Ensemble. She resides in Boston and also holds a teaching position at New School of Music in Cambridge.
https://cherry-kim.wixsite.com/ckensemble
APRIL 12, 8pm
Two-Shekel Swing jazz/klezmer band
Two-Shekel Swing jazz/klezmer band
Founded in 2015, Two-Shekel Swing is a Boston-based ensemble blurring the lines between Klezmer, the folk music of Eastern European Jews, and Gypsy Jazz, the Parisian swing music of the 1930s. The result is a transcendent musical experience whose rhythmic drive and soulful character are universally easy to love. Their unique blend of Yiddish Swing and old-world nostalgia will have you clapping, stomping and singing along to these historic melodies, reimagined with nuance, spirit and flair. The group is led by fiddler and vocalist, Yoni Avi Battat, who has performed this music for wide-ranging audiences in Lisbon, Tel-Aviv, New York and more. His fresh arrangements draw on his academic studies in Yiddish language along with his love for improvisation and experimentation. The group performs in Jewish and secular venues, from synagogues to jazz clubs, and is working towards the release of their debut album. Yoni is joined by bassist Soso Gelovani and guitarist Travis Pullman.
MAY 24, 8pm
Palaver String Quartet
Palaver String Quartet
Palaver Strings is a musician-led string ensemble and nonprofit organization founded in Boston in 2014. Now in its fifth season, Palaver has established itself as a forward-thinking ensemble whose mission is rooted in community and creative programming. Palaver has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Shalin Liu Center, and a celebration of the Lullaby Project at Carnegie Hall, and has toured the East and West Coasts of the United States. Palaver has been Ensemble in Residence at the Boston Center for the Arts since 2017, and continues a longstanding residency at Bay Chamber Concerts in Rockport, ME. Equally passionate about education, Palaver plans to open the Palaver Community Music School in Portland, ME in 2019, with the goal of fostering creativity and dialogue and making high-quality music education accessible to students of all backgrounds.
JUNE 14, 8pm
Kyra Davies and Sean Smith folk music duo
Kyra Davies and Sean Smith folk music duo
