Dominican Violinist Aisha Syed Makes NYC Debut at Carnegie Hall

Young Dominican violinist, Aisha Syed, debuts in New York City at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, on February 27th at 8pm. The performance marks one of the first on her “Golden Land World Tour” which takes her to 14 countries across the Americas, Europe, and Asia - including her homeland of the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Heritage and Culture Society, based in New York, presents the concert to commemorate the 174th Anniversary of Dominican Independence.

“The board and I are honored to present Aisha Syed at Carnegie Hall. Aisha is a beautiful and monumental representation of the Dominican Republic, and this concert is the perfect way to highlight the excellence of the country in New York,” says Fresia Olivero Momani, Founder and President of The Dominican Heritage and Culture Society.

Aisha has been praised as “full of passion and virtuoso devotion” by Frankfurter Neue Presse and hailed as the “future of classical music in the Dominican Republic” by Maestro Carlos Piantini. The first-class violinist will perform a wide variety of works by Ravel, Bach, Franck, and Paganini, including those with Spanish roots – de Falla’s Danse espagnole and Spanish composer Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy.

Aisha will perform on a Stradivarius violin generously provided by Florian Leonhard Fine Violins and will be accompanied by pianist Martin Labazevitch.

Tickets, $150, in support of the Dominican Heritage and Culture Society, are available at carnegiehall.org or by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800.

About Aisha Syed

Designated by President Danilo Medina of the Dominican Republic as her country’s Honorary Goodwill Cultural Ambassador, Aisha Syed has performed all over the world in venues such as the Luxembourg Palace in Paris, Wigmore Hall in London, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, in addition to performing on BBC Radio 3. 2018-2019 season highlights include her debut at Carnegie Hall, National Performing Arts Center in India, the Arsht Center in Florida, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico, Kirchner Center Symphonic Hall in Argentina, and others.

Born in the Dominican Republic, Aisha quickly established herself as a child prodigy, making her debut with the National Symphony Orchestra at 11 years old. At 13, she moved to England to become the first Latina to attend the Yehudi Menuhin School where she received a scholarship from the British Government through the Music and Dance Scheme. She also studied at the Royal College of Music receiving the prestigious Soirée d’Or full scholarship. Aisha was also offered a full scholarship at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where renowned cellist Jacqueline Du Pré studied.

In 2010, Aisha co-founded the Music for Life Foundation in her home country, which seeks to bring classical music to the less fortunate. She is a devout Christian and dedicates all her performances to God.

For more information about Aisha Syed, please visit www.aishasyedcastro.com.

About The Dominican Heritage and Culture Society

The Dominican Heritage and Culture Society is a cultural foundation established in the United States with a mission to cultivate and maintain the roots that nurture the culture, history, and traditions of the Dominican people in the United States and across the globe.

Sponsors

Michelstein & Ashman PLLC
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New York Presbyterian Hospital
Jesse Barab, Esq.
Healthfirst
Orthopaedic Specialists Greater New York, P.C.
LynX Medical Management LLC
Krieger, Wilansky & Hupart
Alan M. Cass & Associates
Grupo Medico Dominicano PLLC
21st Century Pharmacy
Ola Pediatrics, PC
Bronx Family Pediatrics
CUNY in the Heights
Elefterakis, Elefterakis & Panek
NY Physical Therapy & Orthopedic Medical Pavilion
Raphaelson & Levine Law Firm, P.C
Corinthian Medical IPA, Inc.
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Angelo Rizzo, Sole Prop
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The San Diego Union-Tribune: Meyers triumphs in Schoenberg concerto

San Diego Union-Tribune
Marcus Overton

Commissioned by and written in honor of San Diego native Anne Akiko Meyers, this meditation on age and memory (its title is “Orchard in Fog”) stands a good chance of entering the standard repertory, for it combines evocative tone painting with complex technical demands (like playing on the violin’s highest strings, where faulty intonation is ruthlessly exposed). Its two outer movements, wistful, silvery-gray like a Whistler painting, frame a devilishly syncopated dance movement that almost seems improvised.

Meyers’ playing is what it always has been: a national treasure. Her unshowy approach to her work has saved her from becoming a celebrity, and she has left a trail of unsurpassed achievement behind her in recordings, chamber music and orchestra solo appearances around the globe, as well as authorial collaborations and, best of all, active championing of living composers.

Above all, she is a musical wizard, with astonishing access to every kind of expressive color. Whether within a phrase or on just a single note, she can change tone color in a micro-second from smooth grain to rough, from dark to radiant, from thoughtful to assertive. And she can, like magic, bring new work to vibrant life.

Read the full article here.

South China Morning Post: Yo-Yo Ma China Music Camp - Youth Music Culture Guangdong

South China Morning Post
Bernice Chan

Nine days of classes in Guangzhou take students out of their comfort zone – and Ma, the event’s musical director, is always on hand to encourage, advise and inspire them to experiment and try the unknown.

Yo-Yo Ma and Australian-Chinese cellist Rachel Siu high-five. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

They all wear sweatshirts bearing the letters YMCG, which stand for “Youth Music Culture Guangdong”. Amid the sea of black shirts it is difficult to spot the music camp’s artistic director, renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, until he stands up on the conductor’s podium.

The aim of the music camp is “deep learning”, Ma says, in which the students make connections with the people they meet, but also discovering what links classical music composers such as Beethoven and the improvisational Silk Road Ensemble that Ma founded in 1998.

It is the second such annual musical camp hosted by Ma in the southern Chinese metropolis. Participation is free for those who pass video auditions, as is food and accommodation. Students’ only expense is the cost of their travel to Guangzhou.

Read the full article and watch a video about Youth Music Culture Guangdong here.

Pizzicato: Shanghai Isaac Stern Competition Announces Record Number of Applicants

Pizzicato

Organizers for the Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition (SISIVC) announced that a total of 174 applicants have been submitted for this year’s edition, an increase of more than 22% from the inaugural competition in 2016 (142 applicants).

Applicants hail from 33 countries and regions, an increase of 27% from 2016 (26 countries and regions). The greatest area of growth, by a significant margin, was in non-Chinese applicants (65% growth vs. 2016). Applicant countries/regions this year include: Australia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Canada, China, Czech, Ecuador, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (China), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Libya, Malaysia, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (China), Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

More than 90% of the applicants for the 2018 SISIVC have won prizes in national and international competitions and most are graduates or are currently attending premier music schools and institutions.

For the full article, click here.

Broadway World: Anne Akiko Meyers And San Diego Symphony To Stream World Premiere Of Adam Schoenberg's Violin Concerto

Broadway World

Superstar violinist Anne Akiko Meyers and the San Diego Symphony will present the world premiere of Adam Schoenberg's Concerto "Orchard in Fog" for Violin and Orchestra. 2018 Grammy-nominated composer, Adam Schoenberg, wrote this work for violinist Anne Akiko Meyers who will perform with Sameer Patel conducting the San Diego Symphony Orchestra in performances Saturday, February 10, 2018, at 8pm and Sunday, February 11 at 2pm.

The Sunday performance can be viewed at www.facebook.com/theviolinchannel/ at the following local times: 2:00 pm PST, 5:00 pm EST, 10:00 pm London (GMT), 7:00 am Tokyo (GMT+9).

Anne Akiko Meyers is one of the most popular violinists in the world, regularly appearing as guest soloist with the world's top orchestras, presenting groundbreaking recitals and receiving universal acclaim as a best-selling recording artist with 36 albums releases. She has closely collaborated and commissioned composers including Mason Bates, John Corigliano, Wynton Marsalis, Arvo Pärt and Einojuhani Rautavaara.

Composer Adam Schoenberg was recently named one of the top 10 most performed living classical composers by orchestras in the United States. He also received two 2018 Grammy nominations for his self-titled album.

WQXR: Yeethoven - Great Minds Think Alike: Kanye West vs. Beethoven

WQXR
James Bennett, II

Kanye West and Beethoven

After the success of 2016’s Yeethoven composer and arranger Johan and conductor Yuga Cohler have returned for Yeethoven II, a concert focused on the similarities between the artistry of Kanye West and Ludwig van Beethoven. Besides just having a great name — who wouldn’t want to explore the limits of that wondrous portmanteau — the creators of the project see it as a way to explore the ways in which artists at the top of their game can have a deep impact on the culture beyond their musical influence.

With Kanye’s release of 2013’s Yeezus, the Yeethoven creators were taken by his abandonment of verse-chorus-verse conventions of most popular music and his embrace of a freer, more adventurous sound. Johan and Cohler worked backwards to find Beethoven, but believe their connections fit. For example: the dynamic shifts in the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony share a similar quality with Kanye’s “Blood On the Leaves.”

Some may bristle at the mere mention of these two names in the same breath, but if you look hard enough, it isn’t difficult to find parallels between the two — or of many great artists, for that matter.

For the full story by WQXR, click here.

Ridgefield Press: Yuga Cohler takes over as Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra music director

The Ridgefield Press
Laurie Kenagy

After a search process that spanned two seasons and saw four exceptional finalists conduct concerts before large and enthusiastic audiences, the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra has named Yuga Cohler as the orchestra’s new Music Director.

Cohler will make his debut in his new role at the May 5, 2018 concert at Anne S. Richardson Auditorium at Ridgefield High School. The RSO Board of Directors appointed Maestro Cohler following the unanimous recommendation of the Music Director Search Committee comprised of RSO musician representatives, board members and executive director. The Search Committee received extensive input from surveys sent to RSO musicians and audience members following each of the finalists’ concerts.

Read the full article here.

International Piano: Yekwon Sunwoo at Portland Piano International

International Piano
James Bash

Sunwoo showed no signs of jetlag in his performance at Lincoln Concert Hall. His immaculate playing of Schubert’s Sonata in C minor D958 was filled with subtle nuances such as a slightly slow tempo for the recapitulation of a theme, which made it linger seductively. In the final Allegro he delivered a lightly rocking rhythm that became more demonstrative yet never overstated. The many hand-crossings were incisively executed, and the overall effect of the piece was emotionally satisfying.

Read the full review in International Piano‘s January/February 2018 issue, available digitally here.

21CM: The Future of Classical Music is... Instagram?

21CM
Elizabeth Nonemaker

We classical musicians have changed a lot about our concerts. More and more, we’re playing in nontraditional venues, we’re relaxing show etiquette, we’re developing programs that interact with audience members or respond to their needs.

I’ve been thinking about content as the engine behind transforming listening experiences ever since I came across Ray Lustig’s composagram project. These are typically 15-second musical moments set to video and published on Instagram. Lustig developed the project as a “low-stakes creative exercise,” but what sets this project apart is both its integration with technology and the cumulative effect of the pieces.

Read the full article on 21CM's website here.

New York Arts: Haochen Zhang at Carnegie Hall

New York Arts
Michael Miller

Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall
Saturday, November 18, 2017 7:30 PM
Haochen Zhang, Piano

Schumann – Kinderszenen, Op. 15
Schumann – Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13
Liszt – Transcendental Etude No. 5 in B-flat Major, “Feux follets”
Liszt – Trancendental Etude No. 12 in B-flat Minor, “Chasse neige”
Janáček – In the Mists
Prokofiev – Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83

I hesitate to review Haochen Zhang‘s impressive recital, because a previous commitment made it possible to hear only the second half. Even that, however, made it clear that he is a musician of extraordinary technical mastery and perception. Born in 1990, he is a graduate of the Curtis School of Music, where he studied under Gary Graffman, and winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition—no mean credentials! He is already regarded as something of a hero in China—or, should I say, superstar—as a packed Zankel Hall attested: there were numerous contingents of Chinese families bringing children to inspire them and countless young Chinese women. I have never seen a performer, male or female, accoladed with so many bouquets. I should mention one bit of local color before moving on to the music, which was a teenager explaining to his younger brother (10 or so) about the Well-Tempered Clavier. Where else would one overhear an interchange like this between two young brothers?

In any case Haochen Zhang’s Liszt proved both musical and highly virtuosic. The grand fortissimi were powerful and the more introverted moments properly subdued. Even at the loudest bars, he maintained a warm, pleasing tone. Zhang’s approach to texture is selective. He blurs arpeggi with ample pedal, but at the same time he makes particular lines he wishes to emphasize stand out clearly. He is less interested in overall detail and clarity—a technique which should stand him in good stead when he plays in larger halls than Zankel.

One blessing this program offered was an opportunity to hear Janáček’s In the Mists complete. Mr. Zhang’s basic sound is large, but within this he was able to explore the more intimate aspects of these highly personal expressions. The composer’s tempi are largely slow: Andante-Molto Adagio-Andante, concluded by a Presto, which is a true presto only for a few moments. Each movement begins with a distinct tune of a melancholy bent, suggestive of Czech folk-music, which slips into either more rhapsodic, more passionate, or even pained excursions. Following the melodies is the essence of this work. This was a committed performance which visited many corners of Janáček’s tonal and dynamic palette, if there was anything to criticize, it might be that Mr. Zhang made the pieces seem more virtuosic than they actually are, and the music became rather too busy for us to enter into its melodic and poetic dimensions.

Mr. Zhang closed the program with Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7, a bright, virtuosic work, which enabled him to go out in a blaze of technical display, but not without musical substance. The first movement is troubled and dramatic, the second more intimate and lyrical.

One felicitous gambit of Mr. Zhang’s appeared in several of the more intimate sections. He likes to slow the tempo slightly and holds to a steady meter and appropriate pianissimo. This reminded me of a similar approach which Alfred Brendel favored, when he was playing. However, as Zhang handled them, these passages sounded all the same. The mood, texture, and color seemed imposed like a method rather than like an expression that emerged organically from the music that preceded it. Perhaps this is a reminder that Haochen Zhang is only twenty-seven, something we are like to forget, given the general maturity of his playing. We can look forward to many years of outstanding playing and musical development ahead.

After the concert Mr. Zhang, surrounded six deep by his young countrywomen, signed copies of his latest CD on the BIS label. This includes Schumann’s Kinderszenen, which he played in the recital (before my arrival, unfortunately!), Liszt’s second Ballade, Janáček’s Sonata “From the Streets”, and Brahms’ Three Intermezzi, Op. 117. As we await Haochen Zhang’s return to New York, we can enjoy his playing on this excellent disc.