Concert November 9: Jin Joo Cho

Jeunesses Musicales Ontario presents

JINJOO CHO, VIOLIN
LOUISE-ANDRÉE BARIL, PIANO

Date: Sunday November 9th Time: 3:00pm
Venue: Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street West
Tickets: $15 Adults/ $10 Students & Seniors
For on-line ticket orders: http://jinjoo.eventbrite.com/

Jeunesses Musicales Ontario is proud to present violinist Jinjoo Cho and
pianis Louise-Andrée Baril with their concert as part of the Desjardins
Concerts 2008-2009. This tour will bring the two musicians in many cities
throughout Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and British Colombia.

JINJOO CHO, VIOLIN
Violinist Jinjoo Cho won the First Grand Prize and the People's Choice Award
at the 2006 Montreal International Musical Competition, and the gold medal
at the 2005 Stulberg International String Competition. She has appeared as a
soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the
Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kalamazoo
Symphony, CityMusic Cleveland, and the Aspen Concert Orchestra. She has
worked with world renowned artists such as Robert McDuffie, Peter Oundjian,
Muhai Tang, and Kent Nagano. Ms. Cho appeared on a national radio broadcast
of From the Top in a program later designated best of the year. Ms. Cho has
given recitals in Seoul, Cleveland, Montreal, and New York, and she served
as a musician-in-residence at the Kentucky Center for Performing Arts. Ms.
Cho made her European debut in the Herkulessaal in Munich last season.
During the 2007-2008 seasons, Ms. Cho had performed in subscription concerts
with the Quebec Symphony, the Winnipeg Symphony, I Musici de Montréal, and
CityMusic Cleveland.

Ms. Cho, a dedicated orchestral and chamber musician, was a member of the
Wo¡-Mén String Quartet. The group was coached by Peter Salaff, Donald
Weilerstein, Arnold Steinhardt and the Cavani, Pacifica, and Takács String
Quartets. Her duo with cellist Joshua Roman regularly performs in Cleveland,
Seattle, and Spokane.

Ms. Cho, a native of Seoul, South Korea, attended the Yewon Art School. She
has been attending the Aspen Music Festival and School and was a member of
the Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music from 2002
onward, in both venues as a student of Paul Kantor. She attended the Curtis
Institute of Music, studying there with Joseph Silverstein and Pamela Frank,
and is currently enrolled at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she is
working as a student of Paul Kantor.

LOUISE-ANDRÉE BARIL, PIANO
A native of Cornwall, pianist Louise-Andrée Baril is one of Canada's most
accomplished musicians. An arranger, soloist, chamber musician, vocal coach,
and rehearsal pianist, she has collaborated with major ensembles and
conductors in Canada and abroad. She is regularly invited to collaborate in
major international competitions. She appears on over forty recordings and
is regularly heard on Radio-Canada's airwaves. Passionate about opera, her
repertoire includes over one hundred operatic works. She is especially
dedicated to French vocal music.

Louise-Andrée takes a great interest in emerging artists and has established
several opera workshops and projects for young artists, such as the
Université de Montréal's opera workshop and the Orford Arts Centre opera. A
much sought-after teacher, she works with several music institutions in
Quebec, Ontario, and the United States. Since 2007, Louise-Andrée Baril has
been an artistic advisor at Jeunesses Musicales of Canada, for the
movement's opera productions in particular.

Since 1949, Jeunesses Musicales of Canada has had a dual mission: to bring
fine music to audiences of all ages, especially 3 to 12-year-olds, and to
foster the careers of outstanding young professional instrumentalists,
singers and composers in Canada and abroad. Thanks to the support of its
partners and the work of hundreds of volunteers, Jeunesses Musicales of
Canada has become Canada's largest classical music performance network and
produces some 800 concerts a year. In 2000, the organization opened a new
building in Montreal that includes a 100-seat chamber music hall.
JMC is affiliated with Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI), founded in
1945 in Belgium and considered today by UNESCO as the world's leading
cultural organization dedicated to youth and music. Each year, Jeunesses
Musicales International's 41 national chapters organize more than 30,000
musical events, reaching an audience of some six million people.

This tour is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Mouvement
des caisses Desjardins, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, The
Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, the Conseil des arts de
Montréal The Ontario Arts Council, and The Toronto Arts Council.

James Ehnes wins 2008 GRAMOPHONE Award

James Ehnes wins 2008 GRAMOPHONE Award

“...James Ehnes brings to this great concerto a rapt identification, tingling temperament and glowing ardour...Not only is Ehnes's technical address impeccable and intonation miraculously true, his contribution is remarkable for its intrepid emotional scope, athletic agility and (perhaps above all) jaw-dropping delicacy (nowhere more heart-tuggingly potent than in the finale's accompanied cadenza).” (Gramophone)

“Ehnes, in whom technical acumen and beauty of tone can be taken for granted, captures the passion and wistfulness of the concerto's temperament ideally, the ebb and flow of emotion and pacing finding poignant counterparts in the way Andrew Davis conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra” (Daily Telegraph)

“He plays Elgar’s Violin Concerto with an alchemic mix of passionate intensity and clear-headed intelligence, lavishing upon this spacious, hyper-romantic work a sound of staggeringly rich, luscious beauty, from first note to last.” (Sunday Times)

James Ehnes has won the 2008 Gramophone Award for Best Concerto Recording of the Year for Elgar’s Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra (London), conducted by Sir Andrew Davis released on the ONYX label. This recording has received unanimous praise from critics worldwide — “[it] will be heard many times over the years as a model of an exceptionally intelligent and sensitive approach to the work.” (BBC 3 CD Review).

This is the third major award for James Ehnes this year – his recording of the Barber, Korngold and Walton Concertos with the Vancouver Symphony conducted by Bramwell Tovey (CBC Records/ONYX) won the 2008 GRAMMY and JUNO Awards for Best Classical Album of the year. It also won the Western Canadian Music Award for Outstanding Classical Recording.

James's extensive discography of over 20 titles includes award-winners for the CBC, Analekta, Black Box, Chandos, Telarc, and Sony Classical labels in repertoire ranging from Bach to John Adams. His 250^th Mozart anniversary double-disc of the composer’s complete works for violin and orchestra won the 2007 JUNO for best orchestral recording and has been hailed as a benchmark recording: “a clear first choice in the field” (Classic FM).

“Homage”, to be released shortly on the ONYX label, pays tribute to the world’s most celebrated violin-makers. This unique CD\DVD project features performances on 12 of the greatest instruments ever made by Antonio Stradivari, Pietro Guarneri (Peter of Mantua), Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, Andrea Guarneri, Giuseppe Guadagnini, and Gasparo Bertolotti (Gasparo da Salò), all belonging to the extraordinary and unique Fulton Collection.

James Ehnes is widely considered one of the most dynamic and exciting performers in classical music. He has performed in over
20 countries on five continents with many of the world’s most renowned orchestras and conductors. The 2008-2009 season takes him to Malaysia, Western and Eastern Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, the UK, Detroit, Nashville, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.

James Ehnes performs on the “ex-Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715 and gratefully acknowledges its extended loan from the Fulton Collection.

Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn performs with the VSO!

Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn performs Tchaikovsky with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Vancouver BC – The VSO is proud to present 28-year-old internationally-renowned superstar violinist Hilary Hahn for three performances, from October 4^th to 6^th at the Orpheum Theatre. Maestro Bramwell Tovey conducts a concert that includes a piece by former VSO Composer-In-Residence Jeffrey Ryan, Tchaikovsky’s beautiful Violin Concerto in D Major and Berlioz’s colossal Symphonie fantastique.

“Hilary Hahn is one of those rare performers who can dazzle you with the warmth of her personality and knock you dead with the dexterity of her technique and the emotional depth of her interpretations.”

--Los Angeles Times

Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn is part of a new generation of musical stars dedicated to expanding the fan base of classical music. She was named “America’s Best” young classical musician by Time Magazine in 2001 and is well-known for her intellectual and emotional maturity. Hahn maintains a comprehensive website and has launched her own custom-designed YouTube channel which she uses to answer fans’ questions. She recently used her You Tube channel to host a buzz-worthy Q&A session in honour of late composer Arnold Schoenberg’s birthday. Hahn continues to try to bring classical music to a wider audience in new and sometimes unorthodox ways.

Hilary Hahn will join the VSO again for its upcoming Asia-Pacific Tour from October 10^th to 20^th where she will perform the same Violin Concerto by Tchaikovsky featured in these Masterworks Diamond and Beltone Symphony Sundays concerts. The Asia-Pacific Tour will see the orchestra perform in China, South Korea, and the Special Administrative Region of Macau. It will also mark the first time a Canadian symphony orchestra will perform at the prestigious Beijing Music Festival.

CONCERT INFO

Masterworks Diamond & Beltone Symphony Sundays Series:

Hilary Hahn Plays Tchaikovsky!

Saturday & Monday, October 4 & 6, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre

Sunday, October 5, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Bramwell Tovey, conductor

Hilary Hahn, violin

Ryan The Linearity of Light

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35

Berlioz Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14

Hilary Hahn, superstar! This sensational violinist joins the VSO for Tchaikovsky’s exciting Violin Concerto, and the orchestra weaves some sonic magic with a musical colossus by Berlioz.

Tickets $25 to $78.50 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

Symphony Sundays Series Sponsor:

Beltone

October 4 Concert Sponsor:

Keir Surgical

Radio Sponsor:

CKNW AM980

BIOGRAPHIES

Bramwell Tovey

A musician of striking versatility, Bramwell Tovey is acknowledged around the world for his artistic depth and warm, charismatic personality on the podium. Tovey’s career as a conductor is uniquely enhanced by his work as a composer and pianist, lending him a remarkable musical perspective.

Tovey garnered a 2008 Grammy Award and a 2008 Juno Award for his recording with violinist James Ehnes and the Vancouver Symphony. Recently named Principal Guest Conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, he works frequently with the Toronto Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Royal Philharmonic and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras, among many others. He has presided as host and conductor of the New York Philharmonic’s Summertime Classics series at Avery Fisher Hall since its founding in 2004.

As a composer, he was honored with the Best Canadian Classical Composition Juno Award in 2003 for his Requiem for a Charred Skull. New works include a co-commission for the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics’ 2008 summer seasons as well as a full-length opera for the Calgary Opera, The Inventor, to premiere in January of 2011.

Tovey has been awarded honorary degrees, including a Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Music in London, honorary Doctorates of Law from the universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba, and Kwantlen University College, as well as a Royal Conservatory of Music Fellowship in Toronto. In 1999, he received the M. Joan Chalmers National Award for Artistic Direction, a Canadian prize awarded to artists for outstanding contributions in the performing arts.

Hilary Hahn

For the past decade, Grammy® Award-winning violinist HILARY HAHN has been celebrated for her innovative interpretations and thoughtful musicianship. Her captivating stage presence and emotional sophistication belie her 28 years, while extensive international performances and recording activities confirm her place as one of the most sought-after artists on the concert circuit.

Hahn appears regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and on notable recital series throughout Europe, Asia and North America. In the 2007-08 season, she will tour the United States, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Israel, England, Switzerland, Italy, France, Austria, Scotland, Croatia, Japan and Korea as guest soloist with, among others, the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, DC), Montreal Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra. Her recital tours and solo concert collaborations will take her to the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland. Hahn’s 2006-07 season brought wide-ranging recital tours of Europe and North America and appearances with major orchestras throughout the world. In April 2007, she was chosen to be the featured soloist in Pope Benedict XVI’s 80^th birthday celebration at the Vatican, a performance recently released on DVD.

Hahn records exclusively for Deutsche Grammophon and, over the past five years, has released four albums, comprising works by Bach, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Mozart, Paganini and Spohr. Her most recent recording was a collaboration with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and maestro Eiji Oue, pairing Paganini’s Concerto No. 1 and Spohr’s Concerto No. 8. All of Hahn’s recordings have received much critical acclaim and have spent weeks on the Billboard Top Ten list. In 2007, Deutsche Grammophon distributed a popular documentary entitled Hilary Hahn: A Portrait, containing exclusive interviews and concert footage. Her next album—the violin concertos of Sibelius and Schoenberg, with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Esa-Pekka Salonen—will be released in Spring 2008. Prior to signing with Deutsche Grammophon, Hahn made five award-winning recordings for Sony Classical, featuring repertoire by Bach, Barber, Beethoven, Bernstein, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich and Stravinsky, in addition to a concerto written for her by American bassist/composer Edgar Meyer.

In 2004, Hahn was the violin soloist on the Oscar-nominated soundtrack to M. Night Shyamalan’s film The Village, and in 2005 and 2006, she appeared as a guest on albums by the band …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead. Most recently, she wrote and performed violin parts on singer-songwriter Tom Brosseau’s record Grand Forks. Unique upcoming projects include concert collaborations with singer-songwriter Josh Ritter and mandolinist Chris Thile, a commissioned concerto by Jennifer Higdon, and a collection of contemporary encore pieces by living composers.

Hahn has received numerous distinctions throughout her career, including a Grammy® for her recording of the Brahms and Stravinsky violin concertos, Diapason's “d'Or of the Year”, “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik” (German Record Critics’ Award) and several Echo awards. She has appeared on the covers of all major classical music publications and has received mentions in mainstream periodicals such as Vogue, Elle and Town and Country. In 2001, Hahn was named “America’s Best Young Classical Musician” by Time Magazine.

Hahn was born in Lexington, Virginia in 1979. At the age of three she moved to Baltimore, where she began playing the violin one month before her fourth birthday in the Suzuki program of the Peabody Conservatory. For the next five years, Hahn studied in Baltimore with Klara Berkovich, a native of Odessa who taught for 25 years at the Leningrad School for the Musically Gifted. From age 10 to 17, she studied at The Curtis Institute of Music with the legendary Jascha Brodsky—the last surviving student of the great Belgian violinist Eugene Ysaye—working closely with him until his death at age 89. Having completed her university requirements at 16, Hahn deferred graduation and remained at the school for several more years, taking additional elective courses in languages, literature, writing and drama, coaching regularly with Jaime Laredo, and studying chamber music with Felix Galimir and Gary Graffman.

A year and a half after entering the Curtis Institute of Music, Hahn made her major orchestral debut. In March 1995, at age 15, Hahn made her German debut playing the Beethoven concerto with Lorin Maazel and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in a concert broadcast on radio and television throughout Europe. Two months later, she received the Avery Fisher Career Grant. She attended the Marlboro Music Festival for several summers and, in 1996, made her Carnegie Hall debut as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. In May of 1999, at the age of 19, Hahn graduated from Curtis with a Bachelor of Music degree.

An avid writer, Hahn keeps a journal on her website, www.hilaryhahn.com.

Christopher Gaze

Born and Educated in England, Christopher Gaze was inspired to come to Canada in 1975 by his mentor, legendary Shakespearean actor Douglas Campbell. He spent three seasons at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake then moved to Vancouver in 1983. After a couple of experiences with other outdoor Shakespeare events, Christopher recognized the potential in blending excellent Shakespeare productions with Vancouver’s spectacular location. In 1990 he founded Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival where Bard’s signature open-ended performance tent allowed to actors to perform against a backdrop of the city’s skyline and mountains.

The first summer of Bard on the Beach was a huge success. Beginning as an Equity Co-op production, it staged one play in a rented tent on an ‘ambitious’ budget of $35,000. Today the Festival, which recently completed its 17th season, has a budget of over $2.7 million and has seen its attendance rocket from 6,000 in that first summer to more than 87,000 in 2007. The growth has been slow and organic, so the Festival has been able to sustain its mandate ‘to provide quality Shakespeare productions that are accessible and affordable.’ As audiences have grown, so has support from the corporate and private sector, again helping to keep ticket prices among the lowest in the city for a professional production. Not only has attendance burgeoned from the local community, but Bard has contributed significantly to the city as major tourist attraction with approximately one quarter of its patrons from outside the Lower Mainland.

Bard on the Beach has also become a significant employer within the Arts, providing jobs in Vancouver in 2007 for over 100 artists and support staff. This includes a small full time and administration team plus more than 30 actors, 4 directors, 7 designers, 6 stage managers as well as the production crew, box office, front of house. The company’s “Bard in the Vineyard” project in the Okanagan in 2003 also created over a dozen additional jobs for Vancouver artists. Bard employs primarily Equity actors but always mentors a couple of upcoming talents each season both on stage and on the production team. Many emerging actors have cut their professional teeth at Bard and have gone on to secure major roles in subsequent seasons at Bard and with other major theatre companies. Christopher’s support and mentoring of these new talents has played a large part in their success.

Christopher also introduced the “Young Shakespeareans” Acting Program at Bard which provides an opportunity every summer for over 250 young people to train with the season professionals on the Bard stages. The Festival has also developed a Student Matinee Series that annually sees more than 7,000 students introduced to the magic of Shakespeare’s stories and language. During the past two years, Bard has expanded its education programs with heavily subsidized Bard in the Classroom workshops for students and teachers. This commitment to youth outreach and education has made an important contribution to the development of a knowledgeable and enthusiastic “audience of the future” for the Arts in general.

Christopher, who trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, is an extremely talented actor and director. During his four decade professional acting career, Christopher has performed locally with the Playhouse Theatre Company and the Arts Club Theatre as well as in virtually every major centre across Canada, and England and the USA. In 2004 he was honoured with a Jessie Richardson Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the Playhouse production of Equus.

In addition to his role as Artistic Director, Christopher frequently performs and directs at Bard on the Beach. His directing credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2003 & 1990), Henry V (2002), The Winter’s Tale (1997) and As You Like It (1991). Favourite roles among the innumerable characters he has played at Bard are Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, the title role in Richard III, Cornwall in King Lear and Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor. In 2008 he plays the title role in the great tragedy King Lear.

A gifted public speaker, Christopher frequently shares his insights on the theatre and Shakespeare out in the community with school groups, service organizations and local businesses. He works with several other Arts organizations, notably as host of Vancouver Symphony’s Tea & Trumpets and Christmas Concerts series, guest artist at selected Chor Leoni concerts, and as a guest host on the Knowledge Network. Christopher also works extensively as a character actor in film and radio, and he narrated the Emmy Award winning animation series Madeline. For three years he was on the Board of Tourism Vancouver, serving as the Festival and Events representative.

Christopher’s numerous honours include: induction into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame (2002), Canada’s Meritorious Service Medal (2005), an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from Simon Fraser University (2006), the BC Community Achievement Award, and the 2007 Medallion from the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America. Most recently he received a Doctor of Letters from University of British Columbia in 2008.

Violinist Henryk Szeryng Website Launch

WEBSITE DEVOTED TO THE ARTISTRY OF VIOLINIST

HENRYK SZERYNG

TO BE LAUNCHED ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

A FUND OF INFORMATION AND MATERIALS IS NOW AVAILABLE ABOUT ONE OF THE GREAT ARTISTS OF OUR TIME

September 22, 2008, will mark the 90th anniversary of the birth of Henryk Szeryng, one of the greatest violinists of our time. As part of the commemoration of this milestone, a new website will be launched -- www.HenrykSzeryng.net. This site, dedicated to Szeryng's memory, will celebrate his reputation as a master of the violin, a performer of brilliance, an accomplished linguist; the Goodwill Ambassador for Culture of his adopted homeland, Mexico; and as a humanitarian whose life and work served to advance the values of civilization. The website, which will be written in four languages -- English, French, German and Spanish – has been commissioned and managed by the Estate of Henryk Szeryng.

The site will contain extensive material concerning Szeryng's life and art - text, historic documents, photos, and excerpts from audio and video material – that will convey as fully as possible the breadth and depth of this great man and artist.

Visitors to the www.HenrykSzeryng.net are invited to contribute to the contents of this web site. The purpose of this is to establish contact among individuals who have personal memories of Szeryng or are admirers of his art, or who have string connections, personal or professional, to the world of violin playing. www.HenrykSzeryng.net welcomes documents of all kind, personal texts, recollections, anecdotes or tributes to the artist.

It was part of Henryk Szeryng's philosophy of life to create and cultivate relationships between human beings. This web site will endeavor to keep his memory alive by perpetuating what was most important to him.

Henryk Szeryng's Artistry and Reputation

Henryk Szeryng, who was born in 1918 and passed away in 1988, secured his place in the history of music with a rare mastery applied to a wide range of musical styles. Whether involving a Bach Partita or a contemporary work written for or dedicated to him, Szeryng's performances were considered by audiences and fellow musicians alike to be consistently excellent. His interpretations reflected his ardent desire to serve the composer's style and personality and not his own.

Within the full spectrum of musical periods and styles, it was the music of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, that was inextricably woven into his life and career. Szeryng's legendary interpretation of Bach's Solo Sonatas and Partitas was unanimously acclaimed and remains so today. His first recording of these works for CBS in 1955 remains a milestone in violin performance. To this day, many teachers and students all over the world use his edition of the Solo Sonatas and Partitas published by Schott.

His interpretation of Beethoven's Violin Concerto was best expressed by one of his admirers in the following words: "He does not play, he celebrates [the concerto]." Unsurprisingly, therefore, many radio and television stations feature the Henryk Szeryng version of this concerto for broadcast performances.

Szeryng always felt a particularly strong connection to the music of Johannes Brahms; he performed the Violin Concerto throughout his career. Szeryng's career began in 1933 when he performed this beloved concerto. Destiny decreed that his final concert included this very work.

Audiences who attended his famous "marathons" would hear him play the Bach, the Beethoven and the Brahms concertos in the course of a single concert. He effortlessly did these performances -- disregarding the huge physical effort involved -- fired by the sheer joy and happiness of performing them. Often, the encore at these unforgettable events would be one movement of a Bach Partita!

Szeryng's artistry offers a great example of uncompromising devotion to present and future generations of musicians.

Henryk Szeryng - Biography

Henryk Szeryng was born in the Warsaw, Poland, suburb of Zelazowa Wola, the birthplace of Chopin, into a wealthy family, his father being a highly successful industrialist. At the age of three, his musical studies began with piano lessons from his mother. He was seven when he made the violin his instrument.

Szeryng's first teacher was Maurice Frenkel, an assistant to Leopold Auer (one of the greatest violin pedagogues in the history of music) in St. Petersburg prior to World War I. Although Frenkel was perhaps young Henryk's most influential teacher, it was the renowned pedagogue Carl Flesch (1873-1944) who imparted to Szeryng the brilliantly disciplined training in matters both musical and technical. Flesch nurtured Szeryng's immense talent between the years 1928 and 1932. Credit must also be given to the renowned Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman who, after hearing the 10-year-old Szeryng play the Mendelssohn concerto, convinced his parents that they should approach Flesch.

From 1935 to 1936, through the elegant and profound French violinist Jacques Thibaud and the coaching and guidance of Gabriel Bouillon, Szeryng became firmly associated with the French school of violin playing. His studies with them led to his graduation from the Paris Conservatory with the coveted First Prize in 1937. While still a student, Szeryng performed on an extensive concert tour that had resulted from his highly successful 1933 debut featuring the Brahms concerto.

Szeryng went on to study with the legendary teacher Nadia Boulanger, his guide in counterpoint and composition, who was responsible for introducing him to such personalities as Heitor Villa-Lobos, Alfred Cortot, Manuel Ponce, Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel.

At the outbreak of World War II, Szeryng was appointed liaison officer and interpreter (he spoke and wrote eight languages) by General Sikorski for the Polish government in Exile. He served in that capacity until 1945, having given well over 300 concerts for allied troops in Europe, Africa and the Americas. In 1942 he joined the exiled Polish Premier in Mexico who was in search of a home for some 4,000 Polish refugees displaced by the war. It was Mexico that finally accepted these desperate and homeless people. Henryk Szeryng was so moved by this humanitarian gesture that he returned to Mexico in 1943 where he was offered the post of director of the string department at the National University of Mexico. In recognition of his musical and cultural merits, he was granted Mexican citizenship in 1948.

Szeryng regularly gave concerts all over Latin America until 1950, when, in Mexico, he met his fellow Pole, Arthur Rubinstein, who encouraged him to extend his musical activities to all five continents. The two men enjoyed a deep friendship built upon mutual admiration and respect for each other as human beings and musicians. Rubinstein, who died in 1982, thought of his friend as an artist of the highest order and remarked: "Real music lovers want emotion -- great moments -- which Szeryng's playing gives them."

Apart from possessing a great technique and musicality, Szeryng was a tonalist and colorist whose broad musical lines and subtle interpretative nuances always reached for perfection. He was one of the most recorded violinists in the history of the industry; his recording career spanned more than forty years.

In addition to the various posts he held over the years, Szeryng served as Special Music Advisor to the Mexican Permanent Delegation to UNESCO in 1970 -- the first artist ever to travel on a diplomatic passport.

Many honors -- decorations, medals and awards – were bestowed upon Henryk Szeryng, giving proof of the high esteem in which the world held this very special man.

The violins that have passed through the hands of Henryk Szeryng is a story of its own. Among these instruments were the "Hercules" Stradivarius of 1734 which had belonged to Eugene Ysaye. Szeryng put this famous instrument into the hands of Teddy Kollek, Mayor of Jerusalem, on December 24, 1972, for it to be used by the first concertmasters of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, as a special token of friendship towards the Golden City.

Henryk Szeryng, a great musician, diplomat, pedagogue and philanthropist, died suddenly in the middle of a tour on March 3, 1988, after a concert in the city of Kassel, Germany. The program of his last performance was the same as for his very first concert 55 years earlier: the Violin Concerto of Johannes Brahms.

Daniel Hope delivers the Classics Keynote for the Popkomm Conference

The violinist and author is the keynote speaker for the Classics section of this year's Popkomm Conference

He is an internationally renowned violin virtuoso, a celebrated author and one of the stars of the world of classical music: Daniel Hope. Popkomm has been able to acquire the prominent South African violinist as one of the main speakers on the Classics Panel of this year’s Popkomm Conference.

Hope is recognised as an outstanding interpreter of Berg, Britten and Shostakovich, as well as of Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and Vivaldi.

For many years he was the musical partner of the legendary Yehudi Menuhin. As Daniel Hope explains: “Classical music is an important part of our society, and must remain so. At a meeting such as this we, as classical musicians, must show an understanding and a willingness to communicate in order to ensure a discerning and dynamic platform for the 21^st century.” These efforts are also being supported by Popkomm. “The importance of the classics at Popkomm is underlined by the involvement of the Association of Classical Independents in Germany e.V., known by the acronym CLASS, for the first time”, according to the General Manager of Popkomm, Dr. Ralf Kleinhenz.

Daniel Hope’s active life began in 1974 in Durban, South Africa, although the family emigrated only six months later. His father Christopher, a writer, was an opponent of apartheid. In London the mother of Daniel Hope, Eleanor, became Yehudi Menuhin’s secretary and later his manager. Hope had his first violin lessons at the age of four, made his first television appearance at ten, and at eleven he played Bartók with Menuhin on German television. This was the first of over 60 concerts given by the two violinists. In 2001 the London Evening Standard named Hope as Classical Performer of the Year, and one year later he became the newest member of the legendary Beaux Arts Trio – the pinnacle of achievement for a chamber musician. In 2004 he was appointed deputy artistic director of the Savannah Music Festival, was named Young Artist of the Year at the Classical Brit Awards in London, and received the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis and the first of a total of three Classics Echos. One year later he played in Dachau to mark the 60^th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp, and was also nominated for two Grammys. Since 2006 he has been collaborating with Stewart Copeland, drummer with The Police. In 2007 his first book was published, entitled “Familienstücke: Eine Spurensuche” (Family Album: Following the Trail), a complex investigation of the history of his Jewish family, who were expelled from Germany by the Nazis.

Dr. Ralf Kleinhenz, General Manager of Popkomm: “With Daniel Hope an outstanding musician has been acquired as a keynote speaker at Popkomm, but he is also a person who thinks outside the box, who is at home in different areas of music and has also experienced success as a writer.”

Popkomm

As an international platform for the music and entertainment industry Popkomm attracts thousands of trade visitors from all over the world. What makes Popkomm so unique is the integrated concept of this event. Popkomm is the only industry meeting place in the world that combines a trade show with a conference and a festival. Consequently Popkomm is a major attraction not only for its core business of music but also because it brings the representatives of other sectors such as concerts, the movies, mobile entertainment and advertising to the exhibition halls in Berlin. The fifth Popkomm is taking place in Berlin in 2008, from 8 to 10 October. It is organised by Popkomm GmbH, Berlin. This year the partner country at Popkomm is Turkey.

Les Brandebourgeois

LES BRANDEBOURGEOIS Jeudi 11 et vendredi 12 septembre 2008 11 h et 17 h 45 Salle Tudor du magasin Ogilvy Montréal, le 4 septembre 2008 — Pour le coup d’envoi de leur 25e saison, L’Orchestre I Musici propose les trois premiers Concertos Brandebourgeois de Johann Sebastien Bach, considérés comme de véritables joyaux du répertoire baroque. Quoi de mieux que les Brandebourgeois, pour démontrer la remarquable virtuosité d’I Musici. Aux 15 brillants musiciens membres de l’Orchestre se joindront, sous la direction de Yuli Turovsky, les instrumentistes Joël Thiffault (clavecin), Kirsten Zander, Josée Marchand, Camille Gendreau (hautbois), Lise Millet (basson), Jocelyn Veilleux, Jean-Jules Poirier (cors), Stéphane Beaulac (trompette), Luo Di (violoncelle) et Heather Howes (flûte). Accompagnés de ces solistes émérites, les musiciens d’I Musici, également réputés pour leur qualité de solistes, démontreront, sous la baguette du maestro, la magnificence du contrepoint de Bach. Bach et le margrave de Brandebourg En 1718, Bach rencontra Christian Ludwig, margrave de Brandebourg. Ce mélomane qui résidait au Palais Royal de Berlin lui commande alors quelques œuvres pour son orchestre de chambre. Trois ans plus tard, Bach lui a offert ses six « Concerts avec plusieurs Instruments » accompagnés d’une dédicace flatteuse et priant son Altesse Royale « de ne vouloir pas juger leur Imperfection ». Après la mort du margrave, les partitions ont été vendues pour presque rien. Les Concertos Brandebourgeois n’ont été publiés qu’en 1850, soit près d’un siècle après leur composition. De retour d’une tournée sud-américaine, I Musici a été reconnu comme « l’orchestre de chambre le plus important au Canada ». Acclamé et chaleureusement applaudi en Argentine et en Colombie, I Musici a fait un passage fort remarqué notamment au 14e Rencontres internationales du violoncelle à Rio de Janeiro. Au Brésil, l’Orchestre a interprété, lors de ses concerts, des œuvres issues du répertoire national. Les Brandebourgeois, les jeudi 11 et vendredi 12 septembre à 11 h et 17 h 45. Un intermède musical à savourer avant dîner ou pour débuter merveilleusement une soirée en compagnie de maestro Turovsky et d’I Musici. Salle Tudor du magasin Ogilvy. 1307, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, 5e étage. Pour la billetterie ou pour de plus amples renseignements, communiquez au 514 982-6038, ou à info@imusici.com ou encore visitez-nous au imusici.com THE BRANDENBURGS Thursday and Friday, September 11 and 12, 2008 11 am and 5:45 pm Ogilvy Tudor Hall Montréal, September 4, 2008 — To launch its 25th season, I Musici will present the first three Brandenburg Concertos by J. S. Bach – veritable jewels of the baroque repertoire. What better way than the Brandenburgs to exploit the fabulous virtuosity of I Musici. Under the direction of Yuli Turovsky, the core ensemble of 15 musicians will be joined by Joël Thiffault (harpsichord), Kirsten Zander, Josée Marchand, Camille Gendreau (oboes), Lise Millet (bassoon), Jocelyn Veilleux, Jean-Jules Poirier (horns), Stéphane Beaulac (trumpet), Luo Di (cello) and Heather Howes (flute). Along with these great soloists and also soloists from its own ranks, I Musici and Yuli Turovsky will explore Bach’s magnificent contrapuntal excursions. Bach and the Margrave of Brandenburg Sometime during 1718, Bach met Christian Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg, who resided in the Royal Palace in Berlin. The music-loving Margrave requested from Bach some works for his court orchestra. Three years later, Bach presented him with six “Concerts avec plusieurs Instruments” along with an effusive, obsequious dedication and “begging Your Highness most humbly not to judge their imperfection.” After the Margrave's death, the Concertos were auctioned off in a miscellaneous job lot of seventy-seven pieces. The music was not published until 1850, well over a century after its composition. I Musici recently returned from a South American tour in which the ensemble was celebrated as “Canada’s most important chamber orchestra”. They performed at the Rio International Cello Encounter and received ovations in Argentina and Columbia as well. In Brazil they featured great repertoire from that country in many of their concerts. The Brandenburgs on Thursday and Friday, September 11 and 12, 2008 at 11 am and 5:45 pm. Before a gourmet lunch or as a start to a marvellous evening – join Maestro Turovsky and I Musici in the Ogilvy Tudor Hall, 1307 Sainte-Catherine West, 5th floor. For further information please contact us by phone at 514 982.6038, by email at info@imusici.com or visit us at imusici.com.

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Milwaukee Musician Acquires Legendary Stradivarius

MILWAUKEE MUSICIAN ACQUIRES LEGENDARY VIOLIN

Lipinski Stradivarius back on stage after almost twenty years

MILWAUKEE, WIS. – The famous Lipinski Stradivarius, out of the public eye for almost 20 years, was recently uncovered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and will now be played by Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Frank Almond. This violin is one of less than 700 surviving instruments made by Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737). Stradivari's instruments are highly prized due to their craftsmanship, historic significance, and acoustic power and clarity.

The Lipinski Stradivarius was constructed in 1715 in Cremona, Italy, during Stradivari's "golden period" between 1700 and 1720. It is named after the celebrated 19th century violinist Karol Lipinski (a student of Nicolo Paganini) who owned the instrument until his death in 1861. The earlier history of the Lipinski is unclear, but Italian violinist/composer Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770) was the first known owner. In 1962, the Lipinski Stradivarius was sold to Richard Anschuetz, a pianist in New York who had spent summers in Milwaukee as a child. Anschuetz purchased it for his wife, the Estonian violinist and child prodigy Evi Liivak, with whom he had performed since the 1940s. The two performed around the world as a duo until the late 1980s, and the violin has not been heard in public since.

"1715 is the absolute epicenter of the best output from the Stradivari atelier," says Stefan Hersh, President of Darnton and Hersh. "While all of Antonio Stradivari's instruments are magnificent, violins built on the master's large pattern like the Lipinski are generally accepted to be among the most heroic sounding of all violins. The Lipinski violin is typical of the most desirable Strads. It is visually striking and tonally exceptional with an absolutely enormous tone combined with elasticity and range of color one only meets with in a great Strad."

In late April 2008, the current owner of the Lipinski Stradivarius (who wishes to remain anonymous) contacted Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Frank Almond via e-mail to advise in an estate appraisal and possible sale. Almond was curious, cognizant that this instrument had "disappeared" quite some time ago, and contacted Hersh. In the meantime, Almond accompanied the owner to a local storage locker to look through documents associated with the instrument, Mr. Anschuetz, and Ms. Liivak. He then met the owner at the M&I Bank vault in Milwaukee to examine the violin, and with the help of Hersh confirmed its authenticity and condition.

"It's impossible to express the gratitude I feel at being able to play this extraordinary violin, especially considering its pedigree," says Almond.
"I'm still astonished at how this story unfolded; a real Red Violin tale, except that it's all true."

After some minor adjustments, the instrument is performance ready, and the owner of the Lipinski Stradivarius has generously loaned the instrument to Almond. It will be premiered during the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's 50th anniversary season. Almond will perform for the first time with instrument during the MSO's Itzhak Perlman Gala September 18, 2008. In addition, he will perform the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor May 1 & 2, 2009 with conductor Andreas Delfs and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Almond will also be using the instrument for the opening concerts of his Frankly Music Series at the intimate Bader Hall of the Wisconsin Conservatory on September 29 and 30, 2008. That program will feature Beethoven Piano Trios with pianist William Wolfram and cellist Darrett Adkins.

In addition to his work with the MSO, Almond will also appear as a chamber musician and soloist in 08-09 in various locations around the US, as well as a Guest Concertmaster for the Seattle Symphony.

TSMF continues until August 17, 2008

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Elegant start to the Festival by pianist André Laplante;

more of the world's top interpretive artists still to comeŠ

After the brilliant opening concert of the 2008 Toronto Summer Music Festival, with Canadian pianist André Laplante at the historic Carlu, John Terauds of the Toronto Star wrote: "Laplante made magic as he performed Romantic pieces that are at the core of his specialty Š There was even more magic in the air, as the 1,000-strong audience gathered at the Carlu Š But there is much more inspirational music-making on offer to August 17 at the festival."

The Festival, now in its third year, runs until August 17 at various venues in Toronto. Artistic Director Agnes Grossmann's concept of programming an entire festival around a central theme, In the Fire of Conflict, is an innovative way to engage artists and audience in a spiritual and aesthetic conversation that creates an intense musical experience.

On August 5, MUSIC AND DANCE features dynamic cellist and Grammy-award winner, Denise Djokic, who will be joined by dance phenomenon Peggy Baker and percussionist Ryan Scott. The program pushes the barriers of convention in a sonic soundscape with the world premiere of In the Fire of Conflict, fusing classical music with elements of hip hop and play-back rapping, adding to the performance a new, younger sensibility.

PRESSLER AND FRIENDS, on August 9, brings pianist Menahem Pressler to the forefront. Honoured as one of the greatest chamber musicians of all time by the Concertgebouw and celebrated for his lifetime achievements by governments and cultural organizations around the world, Pressler will be accompanied by string superstars violinist Alexander Kerr, violist Roberto Diaz, and cellist Paul Watkins for a stellar piano quartet.

The four-week festival concludes with four fully-staged performances of Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, conducted by Maestra Agnes Grossmann with stage direction by Titus Hollweg. Artistic Director and conductor Agnes Grossmann is one of the very few women on the international conducting circuit. She has just completed an extensive conducting tour of Asia and Italy, and is also the only woman to have held the position of Artistic Director of the Vienna Boys' Choir (during their 500th anniversary celebrations). Stage Director Titus Hollweg, son of famous tenor Werner Hollweg, is well known in the European opera world and has collaborated with Agnes Grossmann on a previous production of Ariadne auf Naxos, after initially meeting her as a young artist while singing with the Vienna Boys' Choir.

For a full listings or all concerts, master classes, and lectures, visit www.torontosummermusic.com.

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

July 22 - August 17, 2008

Violin/Piano Recital: Mayumi Seiler & Tünde Kurucz: Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 8pm _*

In the Fire of Conflict: Suzie LeBlanc and Daniel Taylor: Saturday, July 26, 2008 at 8:00pm ***

Music and Painting: Molinari String Quartet: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 8pm _*

Revolution and Tyranny in Europe: Leipzig String Quartet: Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 8pm ***

Music and Dance: Denise Djokic: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 8pm _*

Chamber Music Treasures: Anton Kuerti: Thursday, August 7, 2008 at 8pm ***

Pressler and Friends: Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 8pm ***

Music and Masks: Gryphon Trio: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 8pm _*

Ariadne auf Naxos: Thursday, August 14, 2008 to Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 7:30pm;

Sunday, August 17, 2008 at 2:00pm ***

Festival passes ($175 - $250) and single tickets ($27 - $50) are available

online www.torontosummermusic.com or by calling 416.597.7840

* At Walter Hall, *** At MacMillan Theatre (Edward Johnson Building, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park)

Digital Only Disc For Angèle Dubeau

ANGÈLE DUBEAU & LA PIETÀ

GYPSIES

Release date : June 2008

On all digital stores

Catalog number : AN 6 1001

Montréal, July 2008 :

“I lived in Romania from 1981 to 1984, studying in Bucharest with the renowned master Stefan Gheorghiu. It was, under Ceausescu’s regime, three years of hardship so musically rewarding !

I discovered that Romanians could freely convey their feelings through their music. Actually, it was their only way to have some freedom of expression: festive music, dancing music, music from the heart.

Violin has been the instrument of choice for the persecuted throughout history: easy to carry, easy to hide. I am thinking of the Jewish people for whom the violin has been such an important component of Klezmer music. But most of all, my heart is with the Romany who know so well how to make their violin cry.

I learnt to make my violin cry, dance and sing during my years spent in Eastern Europe. It is therefore a real pleasure for me to share that Gypsy passion, and express the profound emotions and human feelings associated with this extraordinary music.

The digital era enables me to assemble this repertoire plus an uncommon rendition of 5 Brahms’ Hungarian dances coupled with a Liszt’s Rhapsody. This Pietà montage had no title to begin with so I asked my public to give me its suggestions for one. I received hundred of replies. I chose the proposal of a great man, a friend, Frédérik Back and its “Hongroiseries”!

Gypsies is now available for download, exclusively on digital format.”

Happy listening,

Angèle Dubeau C.M., C.Q.

2008 AVS Primrose Competition Update

ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL STRING COMPETITIONS TO BE HELD IN TEMPE, ARIZONA JUNE 1-8

Phoenix, AZ - The Primrose International Viola Competition (PIVC), one of the most renowned string instrument competitions in the world, takes place June 1 through June 8, 2008 at Arizona State University's Herberger College of Music.

The 11th Competition features the world's best young violists up to age 29. The competition received a record number of entries this year - up thirty percent from 2005. The 75 competitors represent the countries of Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Mexico, New Zealand, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States. The 2008 Competition awards over $30,000 USD in cash and prizes, including a viola by Italian master luthier Carlo Testoni and select engagements in the United States and Europe. The Competition offers the Phoenix area one week of exceptional international competition, exquisite music and an exhilarating finish. All rounds are open to the public, and audiences can expect to hear a broad survey of the viola repertoire.

Renowned violist and 1993 Competition First Place winner Nokuthula Ngwenyama serves as current director of the Primrose International Viola Competition. She is joined by former Competition director Claudine Bigelow of the United States, who serves as this year's jury chair. Joining the Competition as jurors for the first time will be Amir Shiff of Israel, Bruno Pasquier of France, Steven Tenenbom of the United States, Eugene Sarbu of Romania, and Ensik Choi of Korea. Carol Rodland of the United States will return having served as juror for the semi-final and final rounds in 2005.

In addition to the performances, which include the world premiere of Recitativo for solo viola by New Orleans composer and violist Scott Slapin, there will be many exhibits and educational symposiums as part of the 36th International Viola Congress, concurrently held June 4 through June 8, 2008.

Founded in 1979 as the first international competition solely for violists, William Primrose served as chair of the jury for its inaugural year. The American Viola Society (AVS), through an endowment established by memorial contributions made by friends, collegues, artists, and admirers, has sponsored the competition since 1986. The Competition continues to function as an inspiration to young artists. Over the last thirty years it has continued to attract the mos