Hermitage Piano Trio

Transcription

1 Hermitage Piano Trio

2 Biography Descending from the great Russian musical tradition, the Hermitage Piano Trio is distinguished by its exuberant musicality, interpretative range, and sumptuous sound. Following a recent performance, The Washington Post raved three of Russia s most spectacular young soloists... turned in a performance of such power and sweeping passion that it left you nearly out of breath. The Trio has performed to similarly tremendous acclaim for audiences in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. A rarity in the chamber music world, this elite trio is comprised of three musicians who are noted soloists in their own right. In a career already spanning forty-- five countries on five continents, violinist Misha Keylin is attracting particular attention with his world-- premiere CD series of the seven Henri Vieuxtemps violin concertos, released by Naxos. These recordings have already sold over 120,000 copies worldwide and have garnered numerous press accolades and awards (such as Critic s Choice by The New York Times, Gramophone and The Strad). Hailed as a brilliant cellist by the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich, Sergey Antonov went on to prove his mentor s proclamation when he became one of the youngest cellists ever awarded the gold medal at the world s premier musical contest, the quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Competition. Antonov s entry into this elite stratum of sought-- after classical artists has already placed him on stages at world-- renowned venues from Russia s Great Hall at the Moscow Conservatory to Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Ilya Kazantsev, a fresh and exciting presence on the international music scene, has been hailed by The Washington Post as virtually flawless. He has performed as recitalist and soloist with orchestra extensively in Russia and the United States, as well as appearing in Germany, Japan, Italy, France, Canada, Ukraine, Belarus and Slovenia. Among his many awards and honors, Ilya received the first prize at the Nikolai Rubinstein International Competition (Paris) and was a winner of the International Chopin Competition (Moscow) and the 2007 & 2008 World Piano Competition (Cincinnati). The Trio excels at performing an enormous range of music and has a wide repertoire from Shostakovich, Arensky, and Tchaikovsky to Haydn, Beethoven, Dvorak, and Brahms. In the season, the Trio is embarking on a major project in recognition of the 140th anniversary of Rachmaninoff s birth. Based in the United States, the members of the Hermitage Piano Trio have taught at prestigious schools around the United States and have recorded for the Mariinsky Label, Naxos, Marquis Records, and ALM Records. Cellist Sergey Antonov is the artistic director of the concert series for the Chamber Music Foundation of New England. 7/13 Please do not edit without permission.

3 Misha Keylin, violin Since his New York Carnegie Hall début at age 11, violinist Misha Keylin has earned critical and popular acclaim for his exuberant musicality, keen interpretive insight, and rare tonal beauty. Noted for a wide range of repertoire, Keylin is attracting particular attention with his world-premiere complete CD series of the seven Henry Vieuxtemps violin concertos, released by Naxos. These recordings have already sold over 120,000 copies worldwide and garnered numerous press accolades and awards (such as Critic s Choice by The New York Times, Gramophone and The Strad). Following the success of the violin concertos, Naxos has invited Keylin to record the complete works of Vieuxtemps. In a career already spanning forty-five countries on five continents, Misha Keylin has been guest soloist with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Leipzig Chamber Orchestra, NDR Philharmonic of Hannover, Budapest Philharmonic, Israel Sinfonietta, Bologna Philharmonic, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Chile; in addition, he has performed with the National Symphony Orchestras of Ukraine, Latvia, Colombia, Costa Rica and other prestigious ensembles. United States concerto and recital appearances have brought him to the major venues across the country.

4 Sergey Antonov, cello Hailed as a brilliant cellist by the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich, Sergey Antonov went on to prove his mentor s proclamation when he became one of the youngest cellists ever awarded the gold medal at the world s premier musical Olympiad, the quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Competition. Antonov s entry into this elite stratum of sought-after classical artists has already placed him on stages at world-renowned venues from Russia s Great Hall at the Moscow Conservatory to Suntory Hall in Tokyo. His international performance tours have taken him to France, Italy, Hungary, Sweden, Finland, Korea, Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. He has collaborated with such conductors as Yuri Simonov, Maxim Vengerov, David Geringas, Mikhail Pletnev, Jonathon McPhee, Yuri Bashmet, Eiji Oue and Yan Pascal Tortelier.

5 Ilya Kazantsev, piano Ilya Kazantsev, a fresh and exciting presence on the international music scene, has been hailed by The Washington Post as virtually flawless. He has performed as recitalist and soloist with orchestra extensively in Russia and the United States, as well as appearing in Germany, Japan, Italy, France, Canada, Ukraine, Belarus and Slovenia. Among his many awards and honors, Ilya received the first prize at the Nikolai Rubinstein International Competition (Paris) and was a winner of the International Chopin Competition (Moscow) and the 2007 & 2008 World Piano Competition (Cincinnati). Based in the United States since 2002, Mr. Kazantsev has participated in master-classes presented by leading pianists such as Earl Wild, Richard Goode, Yefim Bronfman, Philippe Entremont, Menahem Pressler and Pierre Boulez.

6 Program Choices Repertoire Program I Arensky: Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32 OR Trio No. 2 in F minor, Op. 73 Shostakovich: Trio No. 1 in C minor, Op. 8 ******* Rachmaninov: Trio No. 2 in D minor Elégiaque, Opus 9 Program II Glinka: Trio Pathetique OR Alyabev: One Movement Trio in E-flat Major Weinberg: Trio, Op. 24 ******* Tchaikovsky: Trio in A minor, Op. 50 Program III Beethoven: Trio in B-flat major, Op. 11 Gassenhauer Sibelius: Trio in A minor, "Haftrask", JS 207 *2015 is the 150 th anniversary of his birth ******* Schubert: Notturno in E-flat major, Op. 148, D. 897 Brahms: Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101 Program IV Beethoven: Trio in B-flat major, Op. 11 Gassenhauer Scharwenka: Trio No 1 in C-sharp minor, Op. 100 *2017 is the 100 th anniversary of his death ******** Cassadó: Trio in C *2016 is the 50 th anniversary of his death Mendelssohn: Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66

7 Weber, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff from the GSO and Guests By Timothy H. Lindeman, February 27, 2014 The latest from the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra featured music from the early 19 th and 20 th centuries written by two Germans and a Russian. On tap: Carl Maria von Weber's Fantasia and Rondo for Clarinet and Orchestra, Ludwig van Beethoven's Triple Concerto, and Serge Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony. [ ] The Hermitage Piano Trio Misha Keylin, violin, Sergey Antonov, cello, and Ilya Kazantsev, piano joined the GSO for Beethoven's Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C major, Op. 56 (1803). This blend of piano trio and concerto is a curious, somewhat marginal work, although a perennial audience favorite. The opening Allegro begins with a lengthy orchestra introduction before the soloists enter, one after another. The cello initiates the sequence and is clearly the lead instrument in the concerto; the violin and piano follow. Cellist Antonov, who played Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations with the GSO a few years back, is an especially strong player. Perfect intonation and dramatic flair marked his playing throughout. Violinist Keylin provided a contrasting timbre, and pianist Kazantsev filled out the trio. In typical Beethoven fashion, the gentle opening eventually ignites some fireworks. The beautiful Largo is begun by the cello; eventually all forces join in the eloquent musing. The final Rondo alla Polacca is a vital movement, full of dance rhythms and scurrying up and down scale passages. The three soloists were great fun to watch in part of course because Beethoven set up the great dialogue and in part because the trio had such fun throwing the melodic morsels back and forth.

8 At Phillips, Hermitage Piano Trio does Russian tragedy proud By Stephen Brookes, December 4, 2012 They were squeezing chairs into every last inch of the Music Room at the Phillips Collection on Sunday, and little wonder: Three of Russia s most spectacular young soloists had teamed up for an afternoon of mostly-russian music, and it promised to be an extraordinary afternoon, steeped in the kind of magnificent tragedy that Russians do best. And, in fact, it was: From the first hushed notes of Rachmaninoff s Trio élégiaque, No. 1, to the almost ecstatic despair of Tchaikovsky s Trio in A Minor, Op. 50, the Hermitage Piano Trio turned in a performance of such power and sweeping passion it left you nearly out of breath. Rachmaninoff wrote his Trio élégiaque in 1892 when he was only 19, but there s little in this one-movement work that feels callow or thin. The Hermitage players Misha Keylin on violin, cellist Sergey Antonov, and Maxim Mogilevsky at the piano opened the work with great tenderness, building it with utter naturalness into a searing outpouring of grief. The piano takes a leading role and Mogilevsky shone appropriately, and it s almost impossible to say too many good things about violinist Keylin (whose phrasing and tone are impeccable) and, in particular, Antonov (who to these ears seems destined for cello superstardom). But more striking even than the individual virtuosity was the profound level of integration among the players, who showed a rare degree of ensemble from beginning to end. The Rachmaninoff and the Tchaikovsky are a natural pair, linked both in structure and elegaic tone, and bookended the performance. Beethoven s Variations in G for Piano Trio, Op. 121a (known as the Kakadu Variations ) provided a lightweight buffer between the two, and the Hermitage turned in an agreeable reading. But it was clear they were reserving their real powers for the Tchaikovsky, a work huge in both size it s a good 40 minutes long and emotion. And it received a huge performance as well, brilliantly calibrated and perfectly understood, with a a final Allegro risoluto e con fuoco that swept like a tornado through the room a bravura performance that brought the audience to its feet.

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