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  Sinfonie 26/Violinkonzert K 216/+

  Aisslinn Nosky (Violine) // The Handel and Haydn Society presents one of Haydn's early Sturm und Drang (storm and stress) symphonies - No.26 in D minor. The later Paris Symphony No.86, with its unusual "off-tonic" exposition, shows Haydn at his most inventive and expansive, richly scored it tests the performers' skill and technique to the limit. Completing the programme is Mozart's lively and vibrant Violin Concerto in G major performed by H+H's inspirational Concertmaster, Aisslinn Nosky.

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  Händel: Concerti grossi,Op. 3

  Georg Kallweit (Dir) // Even if this selection of 'Concertos' was most likely compiled by Handel's publisher rather than by the composer himself, the overall quality and colourful nature of the music contained do make it a powerful 'opus'. With their historically-informed and lively playing, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and concertmaster Georg Kallweit demonstrate why many consider them the best Baroque ensemble of today.

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  Works By Brahms Bridge Mozart & Faure

  Frank Graves studied violin in Vienna, Austria under Guenter Pichler, the former concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic, Harry Farbman and Jean Piguet. He was a member of the National Symphony Orchestra in 1976-77 under Mstislav Rostropovich. He has appeared in recitals at the Longy School of Music and the Gardner Museum and is an active freelance player in the Boston area. Colleen Katsuki has delighted audiences throughout New England and New York as a collaborative pianist. She has performed with violinists Frank Graves and Lucy Chapman Stoltzman, pianist Jennifer Elowsky-Fox, and soprano Joanna Porackova as well as with the New England Philharmonic and the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra. A student of Mary Sauer, pianist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, she also studied with the renowned Hungarian coach, Dusi Mura and with Anthony di Bonaventura at Boston University.

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  David Kim: Encore!

  David Kim Violinist David Kim was named Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1999. Prior to this position, he was the Senior Associate Concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony. Born in Carbondale, Illinois, he started playing the violin at the age of three, began studies with the famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at the age of eight, and later received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from The Juilliard School. As a 12-year old Mr. Kim appeared with Itzhak Perlman as the subject of 'Prodigy', a WNEW-TV (New York) production. In 1986 he was the only American violinist to win a prize at the famed International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, where he was prominently featured in a documentary detailing the competition. Mr. Kim performs extensively throughout the world both with The Philadelphia Orchestra and as guest soloist with numerous other orchestras. He has collaborated with many highly regarded conductors such as Christoph von Dohnanyi, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Peter Oundjian, and Wolfgang Sawallisch. An avid chamber musician, Mr. Kim founded and is artistic director of the Kingston Chamber Music Festival at the University of Rhode Island. In conjunction with the festival, Mr. Kim founded an annual outreach program that has taken him to elementary schools, performing and speaking about classical music in an effort to cultivate future audiences. To date, he has performed for well over 12,000 young people in the State of Rhode Island. In 2001, he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Arts from the University of Rhode Island. Mr. Kim resides in a suburb of Philadelphia with his wife Jane and daughters Natalie and Margaret. He and his family are active members of Renewal Presbyterian Church in West Philadelphia. He is an avid golfer, wine lover, and sports fan. ----------------- Gail Niwa Gail Niwa's 'brilliant insights' and 'power, eloquence and striking sound color' have made her an audience favorite throughout the world. In 1991 Ms. Niwa created a sensation by becoming the first woman ever to win the Gold Medal at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition. She was also awarded the Audience Prize and the Chamber Music Prize. Ms. Niwa has also won major prizes in the International Chopin Competition, the Mae Whitaker Competition and the Washington International Competition. Ms. Niwa won high praise for her New York recital debut at Alice Tully Hall, and her recitals at Orchestra Hall in Chicago on the Allied Arts Piano Series and at the Ambassador Auditorium's Gold Medal Series in Pasadena. She also received outstanding reviews for her solo appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in February 1995, performing the Schumann Piano Concerto with Sir Georg Solti conducting. Ms. Niwa can be heard in the film Fantasia 2000 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Saint-Saens 'Carnival of the Animals.'

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  Remembrance

  SHORT BIOS 1- Nancy Roldán 2- José Cueto 3- Duo Cueto/Roldán Nancy Roldán, Pianist Acclaimed an "excellent pianist," Argentine born Nancy Roldán has concertized in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Latin America as recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestras. Special performances include "Homage to Casals" in Puerto Rico, "The golden Age of Tango" at the Library of Congress, the "First Argentine Piano Marathon" in NY, and Peabody's "The mind of Music" among other. Honors include Distinguished Alumnae Award [UNC-Argentina], two Johns Hopkins/Peabody faculty-development grants [2002-2006], and top distinctions at competitions. She serves on the Board of Directors of the American Liszt Society, President/Co-Founder: Baltimore-Washington Chapter, founder/director: Liszt-Garrison Festival and International Piano Competition. Faculty member at Peabody Conservatory of JHU [R], she maintains a consultant practice and private studio in Maryland. Adjudicator in International Competitions, she presents Master Classes and workshops on several performance related topics. Her CDs include Music of the Americas, A 30th anniversary celebration, and "Purrfectly classical" with pianist Noel Lester, Celebrations and Music of the New World with Trio Americas, On Wings of Angels and Remembrance with violinist José Cueto, and Horizons: Piano Music of Latin America. José Cueto, Violinist José Cueto was born in Puerto Rico. After early studies at the PR conservatory he was awarded scholarships to study with Berl Senofsky at the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University where he received MM degree in violin performance. Strad magazine recognized Cueto's debut performance at Weill-Carnegie Hall as grounded, confident, and superb. He has toured extensively in Argentina, the Eastern United States, Hungary, China, Brazil, the Czeck Republic, Italy -where he has toured the last five summers, and most recently in Russia, where he recorded two concertos by Italian composers with the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with conductor Vladimir Lande. Recordings include Music of Portuguese Composers, Music of the Americas with Trio Americas, Celebrations, Music by Thomas Benjamin, and Gladness of Heart with maestro Polochick and Concert Artists of Baltimore's orchestra, of which he is the concertmaster. Mr Cueto serves as concertmaster of the Chesapeake Symphony Orchestra, and has been guest concertmaster with the Lincoln, Nebraska Symphony Orchestra. He is Artist in Residence and Chair of Strings at St. Mary's College of Maryland. ABOUT THE DUO The duo Cueto-Roldan has toured in the USA, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Argentina. The duo has promoted the performance of chamber and duo music by composers of South, Central, and North America. In addition, the duo's repertory includes traditional classical as well as Latin American and Spanish music. A favorite recording of the duo is On Wings of Angels, featuring solo and violin-piano selections "for the heart." Their collaboration may also be heard in the Trio Americas Recording Celebrations. Their performances have been acclaimed as " ... full blooded, ... superb, ... and ... exciting" by international critics. Recent performances include Great Romantics Festival in Canada, master classes and recitals in Denver and Boulder, CO, and the 2008 May festival in Washington, DC. Upcoming engagements 2009 include an All Brahms Summer Program at Hood College and "duo tone paintings" at several venues, including the Buckingham's Choice concert series. CRITICS' CORNER ABOUT THE DUO "... a noble interpretation, each one with mastery, and both in perfect communication to shape each musical idea. [Their] wonderful innate musicality creates an expressive, stirring performance." Carlos Guastavino, Argentine Composer (Personal letter) "The Cueto-Roldan duo makes an impression foremost with it's large and luxurious tone ... The evening was an impressive display of full blooded music making." Alex Ross, NEW YORK TIMES "Cueto and Roldán are a powerful and well balanced combination ... easy rhythmic energy and fine ensemble playing ... superb in all particulars." Marcia young, STRAD MAGAZINE. "Cueto and Roldán made a vivid impression ... left a profound effect." THE WASHINGTON POST "One of the finest chamber music concerts of the season ... Cueto and Roldán gave an exciting performance." THE GLOBE TIMES, Pennsylvania.

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  Pierre Rode 24 Caprices for Solo Violin

  H. Lee Brewster Born into a musical family in 1969, Lee studied piano at the age of 6 and then the violin at 7. He then studied the violin further with leading members of the National Symphony Orchestra violin section in Washington, D.C. and attended music festivals such as the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina, and in Saratoga Springs, NY he attended extensive training with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He attended the Philadelphia Musical Academy, where he graduated in May, 1991. There, he studied with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, including Associate Concertmaster William de Pasquale, and section member Frank Costanzo. He attended as well as participated in master classes at the Curtis Institute of Music and Temple University. He then returned to Washington D.C. continued studying chamber music, performing numerous doctorate recitals with students and faculty at The Catholic University of America and the University of Maryland. Lee was a member of the Richmond Symphony from 1991-1997. In December 2000, Lee had the honor of making his international solo debut with the Vidin State Philharmonic in Vidin, Bulgaria, premiering the Barber Violin Concerto. Lee currently performs regularly with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, and the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. This is his first solo CD.

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  51 Strings

  'It is a glorious and almost unfathomable truth that it only takes 51 strings (four on the violin and 47 on the harp) to produce immensely beautiful music. While violin soloists often have a piano or an entire orchestra to serve as accompanist, the lone harp in the Kent / Shulman Duo does a fantastic job of uplifting and supporting her counterpart in a more sonically unique fashion. Violinist Peter Kent and harpist Amy Shulman have played extensively apart and as a duo worldwide for a number of years. Both imbibe a true appreciation for the music they play and that sensitivity is evident in each piece. Throughout '51 Strings' the violin takes the lead melody with it's resonance and sustain qualities while the harp becomes the delicate percussive instrument keeping each piece flowing while hopefully getting a brief shining moment to run through a glissando. The opening number is Camille Saint-Saëns' "Fantaisie," which runs seamlessly through a series of different moods with each episode ebbing with the violin rubatto and then urged along by the harp. Both instruments have exquisite tone and sound most impressive in the higher registers at quiet dynamic levels. Kent and Shulman form an excellent musical team by intertwining their respective strings in a matched timbre. Continuing in the impressionist style with a more ethnomusicology flair, the duo performs Manuel de Falla's "Spanish Dance No. 1" from the opera La Vide Breve. After expertly plucking along the Latin countryside, the duo journey to the English moors with a masterful arrangement of Ralph Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending." The succulent, passionate tune captures the air of rural life in the British Isles, similar to the composer's "Six Studies in English Folksong" for cello and piano, however the combination of violin and harp is sweeter. Jumping back to the European mainland is French composer Jules Massenet's sensual "Méditation" from the opera Thaïs displaying beautiful harmonics. In classical music there is no one more perfect than Johánn Sebastian Bach. These two stellar musicians perform the third and fourth movements from his Violin Sonata in E Major, the "Adagio" and "Allegro" respectively. The final selections on this wonderfully diverse album are from the 20th century Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Two preludes are featured originally written for piano from his 24 Preludes, Op. 34. The first is a jumpy, humorous piece in A-flat Major with the harp carrying the left hand piano part adroitly as the violin jovially takes the melody. In the second, a musically inclined ear may pick up a snippet of the main theme from Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony in C-sharp minor. Lastly, rich in traditional Soviet drama and melancholy is "Romance" from the film The Gadfly. '51 Strings' not only demonstrates a more unique and aurally pleasing pairing of instruments but it also boasts a diverse assortment of musical styles sure to please any classical music lovers palette.' Review by: Kelly O'Neil Rating: 5 stars (out of 5) 'Peter Kent and Amy Shulman are each accomplished artists unto themselves. Harpist Amy Shulman, a graduate of Juilliard, has performed with numerous orchestral, chamber and contemporary music groups. She has also been heard in motion pictures, on television and on recordings by such greats as Frank Sinatra, Placido Domingo and Aretha Franklin. Violinist Peter Kent is a concertmaster in several orchestras in the Los Angeles area, and has performed on recordings by artists such as Michael Feinstein, Fiona Apple, Mariah Carey, Cracker and Shirley Horn. Beginning in 1982, the pair formed the Kent/Shulman duo, and has toured nationally to critical and popular praise. In 2012, the Kent/Shulman duo released their debut album 51 Strings. 51 Strings strikes it's first chord with Camille Saint-Saens' 'Fantaisie', a beautiful marriage of harp and violin that is subtly cast and sublime. Kent creates a beautiful framework from through which Kent's violin may dance. 'Spanish Dance No. 1' (Manuel de Falla) is a delightful turn, full of amazing energy and brilliant rhythmic counterpoints between Kent and Shulman. In contrast, the lyric beauty of Ralph Vaughan Williams' 'The Lark Ascending' is absolutely breathtaking, with Shulman providing subtle textures to highlight Kent's soaring melody lines. Johann Sebastian Bach gets fair time with "Adagio" and "Allegro". 'Adagio' mixes texture and lyricism, with each player carving out their own musical geography. There are moments of simple grace blending into sublime beauty here that captivate the listener's attention. Kent and Shulman build their resolutions slowly, leaving listeners on the very edges if their seats. 'Allegro' is a much more manic experience, with Kent bowing his way through undulating lines. 'Thais Meditation' (Jules Massenet) is contemplative and sweet, with a quiet vibrancy running underneath. The violin lines here are nothing short of gorgeous, most especially the high resolution with about 30 seconds to go. 'Berceuse' (Gabriel Fauré) finds Shulman as the perpetual 'yes, and' in a vibrant story told on four strings. It's a moment of beauty almost perfect in it's nature and mien. ?? Kent and Shulman close things out with three numbers from Dmitri Shostakovich. 'Prelude No. 1' plays off a vaguely Middle Eastern theme but quickly moves to a more classic Italian sound. The violin is vibrant here, while the harp is the glue that holds everything together. 'Prelude No. 2' is 93 seconds of quiet grace in song, with a subtle melody line that dances and lilts as if it were the air itself. Kent and Shulman close with 'Romance', with the harp marking off time as Kent tells a love story on violin. Peter Kent and Amy Shulman don't have much to prove at this point. As musicians they are acknowledged as some of the finest in their respective crafts. Yet on 51 Strings they find a way to move together beyond simple mastery into fine art. The ability to play notes with precision and a certain amount of grace is the mark of a master. The ability to breathe life through your instrument into a composition and bring it to life is the mark of an artisan. Both Kent and Shulman exhibit that ability in significant measure on 51 Strings. This is pure chamber music, much too expressive and full of life to ever be relegated to the background.' Review by: Wildy Haskell Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)? An excellent album this. Violinist Peter Kent and harpist Amy Shulman have put together a varied and colorful program that plays to the strengths of their unusual combination of instruments. Musical variety is achieved through subtle gradations of dynamics, and through a wide range of tone colors. Peter Kent is clearly a versatile violinist, and he knows exactly the tone to go for to complement the harp. Amy Shulman is also capable of varying her timbre as the music demands, through differing percussive levels in her attack, and by allowing the reverberation of the strings to overlap and mix into each other's harmonics. Most of the works on the program are arrangements, but the first piece, Saint-Saëns' Fantaisie, is a violin and harp original. And what a wonderful piece it is. The composer makes adventurous use of the harp, employing it as a full duo partner and never as mere accompaniment. His use of repeated note effects is particularly effective, as are his endlessly varied broken chords. And most importantly of all, he conjures some magical melodies, ideally suited to both instruments. In Manuel de Falla's Spanish Dance No. 1, the harp takes the role of the flamenco guitar, providing the ideal Iberian flavor and gentle propulsion throughout. The Lark Ascending is well-known in a wide range of settings and transcriptions, but the advantage of the harp here is that the violin does not have to compete to be heard. Even in it's original orchestral form, the piece presents a paradox: how can the soloist float on the breeze when the orchestral backing dem

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  Naima

  "...chamber jazz has found it's queen in Meg Okura." - Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz "Okura has made a bold statement with Naima, ensuring her place among the top names playing chamber jazz."- Jon Neudorf, Sea of Tranquility "A confident collection of chamber jazz that is wide in scope and deep in feeling...features outstanding solos by Okura." "Meg Okura offers a clear sense of vision of her world of music. Okura's Naima goes to many places, speaks in many voices, and is often rich with surprises and admirable in it's aspirations." - Mark Hayes, EJazz News "...(Meg Okura ) is equally comfortable playing classical chamber music, rock and everything in between." - Stephen Holden, The New York Times "Ms. Okura's vibrant, Eastern-influenced, jazzy score and the playing of her musicians were the most sophisticated parts of the work" - Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times "... (some of) the best jazz New York has to offer." - Elliot Simon, All About Jazz '... mixes a classically trained mastery of strings, piano and drums with quick-witted compositional twist performed with high energy.' - Jennifer Odell, Down Beat Magazine "The group delivers exactly what it's name promises... The group found a common ground in '60s-style modality, occasionally reminiscent of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner's Eastern explorations." - Will Friedwald, The New York Sun "...elegantly intertwine(s) elements of classical, jazz and world folk into a new sound...by presenting precisely played ethnically inspired Playing everything from Paganini to Coltrane, violin virtuoso Meg Okura puts a certain sparkle into jazz. Formerly a classically trained concert violinist, the composer and jazz violinist has revolutionized the world of chamber jazz by artfully entwining her already colorful and moving pieces with inspirations from various cultures and countries to create a purely enchanting experience. Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, the multi-faceted artist cultivated her musical talent at the Toho Gakuen School of Music at the age of five. Meg's artistic ability later led to her position as concertmaster and soloist of Asian Youth Orchestra, and eventually her United States debut with the late Alexander Schneider's New York String Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in her teenage years. She furthered her education at the Julliard School, earning both bachelors and masters degree in the study of classical violin. Soon, persuaded by her Juilliard professors' belief in her exceptional talent, Meg began to pursue a transition from the classical violin to something even more challenging-jazz. Studying jazz harmony and improvisation, Meg dedicated herself to mastering the tradition of jazz and soon, with her switch of genres and evolution into what she explains as "a more complete musician", Meg began to advance her career as a jazz violinist. Touring with artists such as 13-time Grammy winner Michael Brecker and Steve Swallow, and recording with jazz artists Dianne Reeves, Lee Konitz, and Sam Newsome, Meg has performed at prominent venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Lincoln Center, and London's Barbican Centre. In addition, she has collaborated and performed with Oscar nominee actor and Columbia recording artist Terrence Howard, as well as been featured in three Cirque du Soleil shows, exhibiting her remarkable talent as an improviser on the violin. In 2005, however, Meg embarked on a journey unlike one she had ever endured, challenging herself as both a violinist and composer, and starting her own group. Inspired by her experience in the various countries that comprise Asia, Meg composed and recorded a compilation of music that would soon lead to the birth of her latest project, the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble. The works she composed comprised the seven-person ensemble's self-titled debut album, which won the group notoriety as a finalist for "Best Album" in the 2006 Independent Musicians Awards, and have made the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble the rare gem of the jazz world. "Composing is the most natural thing for me to do-it's as though music just comes to me. Sometimes I can be composing complicated music in my dreams and thanks to my perfect pitch, I can hear music in my head and know exactly what notes I am hearing and can write them down," says Meg. The ensemble, which "mixes a classically trained mastery of strings, piano and drums with (a) quick-witted compositional twist" (Down Beat Magazine, Jennifer Odell), played to sold-out concerts in Japan in 2008 and has also performed at the NYC Winter Jazz Festival, Knitting Factory, and the Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center. Now, Meg's Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble presents their second album, "Naima", named as a tribute to jazz icon John Coltrane, highlighting Meg's unique new arrangement of the classic. "The first album was the music that came naturally to me without any objective. This album is...more Asian, more jazz, and more chamber music. Touring Asia as a teen was really a life-changing experience, making music with musicians representing nine different Asian countries, working closely together and traveling together. I draw upon my memories of Asia and try to access my feelings toward the people, the culture, and the nature and sceneries of Asia (for inspiration)," Meg says. Featuring rare instruments the shinobue (Japanese bamboo flute) and the erhu (a two-stringed Chinese violin), which Meg plays in addition to the violin, the album is a "collection of original works that represent and symbolize the name of (the) group." The ensemble "...elegantly intertwine(s) elements of classical, jazz and world folk into a new sound...by presenting precisely played ethnically inspired original compositions in an exciting modern jazz context" (All About Jazz, Elliot Simon). This unique approach to music has earned her numerous grants and awards as a composer, making her to be one of today's leading voices in the world chamber jazz. Yet, Meg also offers two familiar tunes including the title cut "Naima." "The modal quality of Coltrane's 'Naima' echoes with the music of French Impressionist period," she says. In this unique new version, she creates fluidity in texture and colors by writing arpeggios moving towards different directions while slowly shifting the chords to encompass stillness within movements. "It's an Impressionist violin concerto meets modern Jazz with a hint of Japanese mode", Meg says. The other familiar piece on the album "Carpice", on the other hand, is a Latin jazz piece based on a theme from the famous Caprice No. 24 by the Italian composer and violinist, Nicolo Paganini. It features virtuosic cadenzas by Meg Okura herself and pianist Mamiko Kitaura. The album ends with a 25-minute through-composed suite entitled "Lu Chai"--music inspired by a poem of the same title by Wang Wei, a great poet from the Chinese Tang Dynasty. "To play chamber jazz, most, if not all of the players in the group must be jazz improvisers," Meg says. The suite showcases variety of solos including one by the veteran jazz flutist, Anne Drummond, as well as solos on instruments not typically associated with jazz, such as the cello and even the erhu. Today, Meg resides in New York City with her husband, soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome, and says she is living her life, fulfilling her dreams and relishing every day in new understandings and identity. "I take to heart the new challenges of being a composer, jazz violinist, Asian American, artist and wife, while at the same time, constantly reminding myself of the responsibility to do my absolute best to achieve foremost excellence in the arts..." Meg Okura (violin, erhu), Anne Drummond (flute), Jun Kubo (flute, shinobue), Rubin Kodheli (cello), Mamiko Kitaura (piano), Jennifer Vincent (bass), Willard Dyson (drums), Satoshi Takeishi (percussion), Dave Eggar (cello)

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  Electric & Acoustic Improvisations Vol. 1

  Nachmanovitch, a pioneer in string improvisation and author of Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art, has presented solo and group improvisation concerts on violin, viola and electric violin since the 1970s. He has also presented master classes and workshops at conservatories and universities around the world. Summers, a Juilliard and Harvard trained violinist, has been a concertmaster and chamber musician in North America and Europe. He is co-director of the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival, and is a recent recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship in electroacoustic music.

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  Fragments

  I was born in 1958 in Vienna (Austria).I live in France and I am concertmaster of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Nice/Opera de Nice. Most of my music is written for string instruments. SHEET MUSIC - When you order this album and you wish to have the sheet music (+parts), contact me, I send you a pdf file (+parts) of any of theses pieces. European customers should try the link to Amazon. Fr.

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