Summer Festival Concert #9 Shostakovich, Grieg, and Copland
Lineup
Join us on Saturday, July 18 at Chamber Music in the Park! Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS), led by Artistic Director James Ehnes, presents world-class chamber music through year-round concerts, festivals, and its Virtual Concert Hall, making performances accessible to audiences everywhere.
James Ehnes has established himself as one of the most sought-after musicians on the international stage. Gifted with a rare combination of stunning virtuosity, serene lyricism and an unfaltering musicality, Ehnes is a favourite guest at the world’s most celebrated concert halls.
Cellist Edward Arron has garnered recognition worldwide for his elegant musicianship, impassioned performances, and creative programming. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Arron made his New York recital debut in 2000 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since that time, he has appeared in recital, as a soloist with major orchestras, and as a chamber musician, throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
Many know of Aaron Copland the composer, writer, educator, and conductor, but far fewer have had the chance to know the man himself. Vivian Perlis, founding director of the Oral History Project in American Music & co-author of Copland’s autobiographies, not only takes us through the life of this great American composer, but also shows us a small window into what it was like to know the man behind the music.
The Strad magazine describes cellist Ani Aznavoorian as having “scorchingly committed performances that wring every last drop of emotion out of the music. Her technique is well-nigh immaculate, she has a natural sense of theater, and her tone is astonishingly responsive.” Ms.
“One of the most admired pianists of his generation” (New York Times), Inon Barnatan has received universal acclaim for his “uncommon sensitivity” (The New Yorker), “impeccable musicality and phrasing” (Le Figaro), and his stature as “a true poet of the keyboard: refined, searching, unfailingly communicative” (The Evening Standard).
Alessio Bax (born 30 November 1977 in Bari, Italy) is an Italian classical pianist. He graduated from the Bari conservatory at the record age of 14. He won the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan at age 19 and the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition in 2000 after first participating in 1993.
Taiwanese-American violist Che-Yen Chen has established himself as an active performer and educator. After winning First Prize at the 2003 Primrose International Viola Competition and the 'President's Prize' at the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, he was praised for his ability to uncover not just subtle emotion, but the humanity within the music.
“…a first-rate artist of real musical command, vitality, brilliance and intensity.” – The Chicago Tribune Karen Gomyo, “a first-rate artist of real musical command, vitality, brilliance and intensity” (The Chicago Tribune), possesses a rare ability to captivate and connect intimately with audiences through her deeply emotional and heartfelt performances.
Acclaimed by critics worldwide for his exceptional talent and magnificent tone, American violinist Chad Hoopes has established himself as a versatile performer with many of the world’s leading orchestras and ensembles.
The creative practice of Jun Iwasaki, a Japanese artist based in The Hague, involves photography, text and bookmaking. Iwasaki’s works, rich in psychological undertones and characterised by ambiguity, Iwasaki’s work explores personal conflict, self-questioning and impermanence.
American violinist Erin Keefe is the Concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra and joined the violin faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in the fall of 2022. Winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Pro Musicis International Award as well as numerous international competitions, she has appeared as soloist in recent seasons with the Minnesota Orchestra, New Mexico Symphony, New York City Ballet Orchestra,…
Highlights of Jon Kimura Parker’s 2021-22 season include concerto appearances with the Phoenix, Peninsula, San Antonio, Rhode Island, and Kansas City orchestras, a special appearance with the Galilee Chamber Orchestra in Toronto, recitals at series including Portland Piano International, and performances with Cho-Liang Lin at Chamber Music International in Dallas, and with Paul Huang at the Chamber Music Society of…
Mark Kosower () is principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra. He was solo cellist of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra in Germany from 2006 to 2010 and was professor of cello and chamber music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from 2005 to 2007. He was on the faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music until his resignation in January 2020.
Violinist Tessa Lark is one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time, consistently praised by critics and audiences for her astounding range of sounds, technical agility, and musical elegance. Increasingly in demand in the classical realm, in 2020 she was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category.
Praised by the Washington Post for combining “staggering technical prowess, a sense of command and depth of expression,” pianist George Li possesses an effortless grace, poised authority, and brilliant virtuosity far beyond his years.
American violist Matthew Lipman has been praised by the New York Times for his “rich tone and elegant phrasing,” and by the Chicago Tribune for a “splendid technique and musical sensitivity.” Lipman has become one of the most sought after instrumentalists of his generation, frequently appearing as both a soloist and chamber musician.
Demarre McGill has gained international recognition as one of today’s most compelling flutists, celebrated for his lyrical expressiveness and technical prowess. A recipient of both the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, McGill has appeared as a soloist with many of the nation’s leading orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the San Francisco, Seattle, Pittsburgh,…
With a distinguished career of broad versatility, violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti is equally accomplished as chamber musician, concertmaster, soloist, and educator. Recognized as a deeply expressive artist, she appears as soloist and chamber music artist at music festivals and concert series internationally.
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Rising star of the cello Jonathan Swensen is the Joint 1st Prize Winner of the Naumburg International Cello Competition 2024, recipient of the 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant and was recently featured as both Musical America’s ‘New Artist of the Month’ and ‘One to Watch’ in Gramophone Magazine.
Andrew Wan has been Concertmaster of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal since 2008, while pursuing an acclaimed international career as soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist. He has performed with leading orchestras across North America, Europe, and Asia, appearing under conductors including Rafael Payare, Kent Nagano, Maxim Vengerov, Vasily Petrenko, Bernard Labadie, Carlo Rizzi, Peter Oundjian, Xian…
One of the most sought-after soloists in his generation of American musicians, the pianist Orion Weiss has performed with the major American orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic. His deeply felt and exceptionally crafted performances go far beyond his technical mastery and have won him worldwide acclaim.
