On July 16, the Verona Quartet returns to Caramoor and joins forces with pianist David Fung. For the quartet, this performance marks their first return to Caramoor since their Ernst Stiefel residency at Caramoor in the 2017-18 season. This is the quartet’s first time collaborating with David, who performed together with Dashon Burton at Caramoor earlier this season. This summer’s program includes Puccini’s Crisantemi, Bacewicz’s Piano Quintet No. 1, and Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14. More info here and some insight from David regarding Bacewicz’s music here.
Read MoreArtists on the Dinin Arts roster will grace the country’s most prestigious music festivals this summer. Here is a listing of some of our artist’s most notable appearances:
Violinist Arnaud Sussmann at Music@Menlo July 16-August 1, Seattle Chamber Music Festival (Online), July 17-22
Violinist Danbi Um at Northshore Chamber Music Festival June 11, Cooperstown Summer Chamber Music Festival September 19
Violist Paul Neubauer at Chamber Music Northwest July 8-11, Music@Menlo July 23-31, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival August 4-11
Pianist David Fung at Caramoor July 16 (with Verona Quartet), Anchorage Chamber Music Festival July 23-24, Chamberfest DBQ August 5, Grand Canyon Music Festival September 10-11
Amernet String Quartet at Maverick Concerts August 22
Verona Quartet at Caramoor July 16 (with David Fung), Music Mountain July 18, Bravo! Vail July 26-August 1, Cooperstown Summer Chamber Music Festival August 22
On June 25, the Verona Quartet releases its debut album Diffusion on Azica Records. Through the intimate voice of the string quartet, Diffusion explores a mosaic of folk cultures through the lens Janáček's String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters," Szymanowski's String Quartet No. 2 Op. 56, and Ravel's String Quartet in F Major M. 35. As an ensemble of four nations (Singapore, Canada, United States, and United Kingdom), the Verona Quartet reveals a kaleidoscopic snapshot of cultural migration at the turn of the century.
The Verona Quartet explains, "As a quartet of musicians hailing from across the world, we knew we wanted our first album to reflect the essence of the cultural migration that is such a big part of our identity. Through Diffusion, we celebrate the spirit of intercultural exploration that permeates many of the great works of the string quartet canon. This music and the weaving together of global traditions is incredibly meaningful to us and we hope that listeners will love it too."
The album can be streamed via Spotify or Amazon Music, or you can order it on iTunes (here) or Amazon (here).
Read MoreViolinist Danbi Um and violist Paul Neubauer returned to the Chicagoland North Shore Chamber Music Festival June 11-12, winning praise for great “poise and sensitivity” from the Chicago Classical Review (here). Neubauer performed the Brahms Piano Quintet along with a winning encore of salon favorites. After appearing with the festival just two months ago (here), Um was brought back at the last-minute, flying to Chicago the day of the performance to substitute for an ill violinist who needed to cancel. As the review shows, it was a great festival return for all the artists performing.
Read MoreFollowing the successful premiere of Arnaud Sussmann’s Jewish Voices program, inspired by his grandfather’s experience in the Holocaust, the virtual recital will be shared at two major US Holocaust Museums in upcoming weeks. The program with pianist Michael Brown, including works by Erwin Schulhoff, Pavel Haas, Samuel Adler, Robert Dauber, and Mieczyslaw Weinberg, will air on June 8 with the Holocaust Memorial Center of Detroit, and then on June 24 with the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. Both events will conclude with a live virtual Q&A with Arnaud.
See more here (Detroit, MI) and here (Skokie, IL)
Read MoreSarah Dinin, Founder and Director of Dinin Arts Management and Consulting, announces the signing of the Verona Quartet to its management roster. Effective immediately, the Verona Quartet—comprising violinists Jonathan Ong and Dorothy Ro, violist Abigail Rojansky, and cellist Jonathan Dormand—joins Dinin Arts for worldwide general management.
Sarah Dinin commented, “I am delighted to welcome this incredible ensemble to the Dinin Arts roster. World-class artistry and collaborative success have always been top priorities in considering Dinin Arts’ clients, and the Verona Quartet is no exception. The Veronas impressed me from the start with their deeply thoughtful approach to both traditional programs and contemporary collaborations, and I look forward to merging the fresh approach of Dinin Arts with all that they have to offer as an ensemble.”
Acclaimed for its “bold interpretive strength, robust characterization and commanding resonance” (Calgary Herald), the Verona Quartet has firmly established itself amongst the most distinguished ensembles on the chamber music scene today. The group’s singular sense of purpose most recently earned them Chamber Music America’s coveted 2020 Cleveland Quartet Award, and a reputation as an “outstanding ensemble… cohesive yet full of temperament” (The New York Times). The Quartet serves on the faculty of the Oberlin College and Conservatory as the Quartet-in-Residence, in addition to holding residences at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, Indiana University Summer String Academy and North Carolina’s Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle.
The Verona Quartet has appeared across four continents, enchanting audiences at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center (New York City), Kennedy Center, Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.), Jordan Hall (Boston), Wigmore Hall (U.K.) and Melbourne Recital Hall (Australia), and has performed at festivals including La Jolla Summerfest, Chamber Music Northwest, Caramoor, Alpenglow, and Bravo! Vail, and with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The quartet curates the UpClose Chamber Music Series under the auspices of the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, bringing the visceral energy of classical music to diverse audiences in venues ranging from concert halls to craft breweries, and unlocking the secrets of the music through the “intimate way they communicate with each other and the audience” (The Arts Fuse, Boston).
A string quartet for the 21st century, the Verona Quartet champions the rich breadth of the string quartet repertoire from the time-honored canon through contemporary classics. Notable commissions and premieres include works by composers Julia Adolphe, Sebastian Currier, Corey Dundee, Texu Kim, as well as Michael Gilbertson’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated Quartet.
In addition to advocating contemporary music, the quartet strives for a dynamic, imaginative approach to collaboration and programming that champions cross-cultural and interdisciplinary enterprises. Such recent projects include a live-performance art installation with artist Ana Prvački, performances with dancers from Brooklyn’s Dance Heginbotham, artistic exchanges with traditional Emirati poets in the UAE, and a collaboration with GRAMMY-winning folk trio I’m With Her.
Drawing from the mentorship of the esteemed Cleveland, Juilliard and Pacifica Quartets, the Verona Quartet’s rapid rise to international prominence was fueled by top prize wins at the Wigmore Hall, Melbourne, M-Prize and Osaka International Chamber Music Competitions, as well as the 2015 Concert Artists Guild Competition. Their debut album, Diffusion—featuring the quartets of Janacek, Ravel and Szymanowski—will be released on Azica Records in the summer of 2021. Their second album, SHATTER, will showcase the works of American composers Julia Adolphe, Michael Gilbertson and Reena Esmail, in collaboration with Hindustani vocalist Saili Oak.
The ensemble’s “thoughtful, impressive” (Cleveland Classical) performances emanate from the spirit of storytelling; the Quartet believes that this transcends genre and therefore the name "Verona" pays tribute to William Shakespeare, one of the greatest storytellers of all time.
The Verona Quartet are D’Addario Artists and The Violin Channel Artists.
On May 29, David Fung will be featured as host Timothy Chooi’s special guest for the final day of the 2021 Queen Elisabeth Competition Piano Finals. David and Timothy will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes commentary during the live performance, including footage of David’s own prize-winning performance in the competition in 2013. Watch on the competition’s Twitch channel here.
Read MoreDespite the ongoing intense and intensifying measures for Covid-19 in Europe, the new Piano Biennale festival is going ahead and taking place as planned in May 13-16, 2021. Music, dance and art are interwoven in a set of concerts featuring solo piano and chamber music, and all taking place in the beautiful halls of the cities of Arnhem and Nejmegen in the Netherlands. All concerts will be live-streamed. Explore the festival further here and Einav’s May 13 program here.
Read MoreOn May 15, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center returned to in-person performances for the first time since March 2020. Violist Paul Neubauer and violinist Danbi Um from the Dinin Arts roster were featured. As the New York Classical Review noted regarding Dvořák’s Op. 81 quintet, “Neubauer’s viola sang the mournful dumka theme of the second movement with almost Hungarian soul.”
Read MoreOn April 23, David Fung will join Henry Kramer for a duo piano program in collaboration with percussionists Paul Vaillancourt and Garrett Arney. The program will take place in-person at 7:30pm ET at Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music in Columbus, GA and will be live-streamed on the Schwob School’s YouTube channel here.
Read MoreOn March 21, Grammy winning bass-baritone Dashon Burton will be featured in recital at Caramoor together with pianist David Fung. The program will combine Schumann’s complete Dichterliebe with works by John Dowland, Charles Brown, Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Ernest Charles and William Bolcom along with a set of spirituals. Learn more and watch the live-stream here.
Read MoreDanbi Um was featured together with violinist Paul Huang and pianist Amy Yang for an in-person and live-streamed concert in Chicago as part of the North Shore Chamber Music Festival’s onstage/offstage series on April 10. The performance featured a combination of solo works by both violinists, with Chicago Classical Review calling Um’s performance of Bloch’s Avodah “heartfelt” and noting that in Korngold’s Much Ado About Nothing she and Yang “…went straight to the beating heart of its Viennese charm and sentiment.” Watch the webcast here and view the full review here.
Read MoreThe Lysander Piano Trio will be featured in a free virtual performance with UGA Presents from March 18-April 1, 2021. Filmed at the University of Georgia Performing Arts Center, this performance features guest artist Rainer Eudeikis, Principal Cellist of the Atlanta Symphony, for a program of works by Scriabin, Haydn, Debussy, and Schumann. Learn more here.
Read MoreDavid Fung’s debut with the LA Phil will soon be available for public viewing with the launch of Sound/Stage’s second season on March 5. Filmed at the Hollywood Bowl and available for free online, this first episode features both David Fung and Yuja Wang as the piano soloists for The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens, conducted by Music Director Gustavo Dudamel. The episode, hosted by Maestro Dudamel together with his son Martín, is accompanied by animated folktales from different parts of the world that are narrated by Martín and young musicians associated with El Sistema programs around the world. For more information, see here.
Read MoreThe Lysander Piano Trio will be featured in a virtual performance with Concerts International Memphis on February 16, 2021. For this performance, the trio welcomes guest artist Rainer Eudeikis, Principal Cellist of the Atlanta Symphony, for a program of works by Scriabin, Haydn, Debussy, and Schumann. Learn more here.
Read MorePianist David Fung shares a moving program February 12 at the University of Georgia Performing Arts Center. The recital, which will be live for a limited audience as well as live-streamed, will include performances of works by Bach (on piano and harpsichord), Florence Price, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Reena Esmail, and Chopin. Learn more here.
Read Morehttps://www.cmspb.org/current-season/inon-barnatan-clive-greensmith-arnaud-sussmann/
Read MoreOn January 8, the Lysander Piano Trio celebrates the physical release of its new album, mirrors- 21st Century American Piano Trios, by First Hand Records. This follows a digital release in December that witnessed the recording reach the top 10 of new chamber releases on Amazon, as well as several reviews of praise. The album, which features world premiere recordings by composers Jakub Ciupinski, Jennifer Higdon, Reinaldo Moya, William David Cooper, Gilad Cohen, and Sofia Belimova, marks the trio’s 10th anniversary as an ensemble. Explore mirrors further here.
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