Concert Schedule

World renowned violinist McDuffie recently premiered a work written for him by Philip Glass. This year at the Phillips, he performs 19th- and 20th-century works with talented students and faculty from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings. The program includes Prokofiev's rarely heard sonata for two violins as well as Chausson's lyrical Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet. Program and Artist Biography

Del Pino has received critical praise for his virtuosic performances of Spanish music. His Phillips program, with works by Granados, Albeniz, and de Falla, as well as Liszt's dazzling Spanish Rhapsody, celebrates Columbus Day and Spain's National Day. Program and Artist Biography

Pianist and composer Padova has been highly praised for his interpretations of Bach and for his own Interludes, based on J. S. Bach's preludes. His Washington performance of Bach's Goldberg Variations prompted the Washington Post to write, "[He]... turns sound into poetry. His virtuosity, sensitively managed, resounds through every measure." Program and Artist Biography

An acknowledged leader in the field of new music, the trio will present a world premiere by Venezuelan Paul Desenne, a new work by American Evan Chambers, and pieces by Dvorˇak and Mozart. Over the past 35 years, the Verdehr Trio has commissioned more than 200 new compositions from composers around the world and is listed in The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Program & Artist Biography

Ponochevny won a bronze medal at the 2002 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition as well as first prize at the 1998 William Kapell International Piano Competition. He will open with Nikolai Medtner’s epic "Night Wind" sonata, following with pieces by Scriabin and Prokofiev. Program & Artist Biography

Composer and pianist Hersch brings three of his pieces to Washington for their premieres. Two are for cello and piano; one is for solo cello. The New York Times asserts: "If the symmetries and proportions of Mr. Hersch's music evoke the grounded fixity of architecture, its dynamism and spontaneous evolution are those of the natural world." A solo cello excerpt from the Bach suites completes the program. Program & Artist Biography

Moldovan virtuoso Aksenov is an associate professor at the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music in Moscow. Recently, his playing was judged spectacular by a Washington critic. At the Phillips, he performs showpieces by two keyboard geniuses of the Romantic era: Alexander Scriabin and Franz Liszt. Program & Artist Biography

Daniel del Pino and his colleagues celebrate the bicentennial of Chopin's birth by presenting chamber music versions of the Polish master's two piano concertos. Del Pino's interpretations of Chopin's music have received recognition in international piano competitions. Program & Artist Biography

To celebrate his 75th year and the 45th anniversary of his first Phillips concert, Mandel will offer a world premiere of his composition Duetto with the collaboration of flutist Jonathan Baumgarten. Mandel will also play Toccata, which premiered in 1947 at the beginning of a storied career in composing and performing. Mandel concludes the program with his Phillips Phantasia, commissioned by and premiered at the Phillips, which presents impressions of 13 iconic Phillips paintings.
Program & Artist Biography

Hailed for her 2008 Phillips performance as "an uncommonly fine young violinist," (The Washington Post) Frankel, in collaboration with the “gifted” young pianist DeTurck (New York Times),  returns to present sonatas by Mozart and Bartok, as well as Schumann’s rarely heard, late-career masterpiece,  Fantasy for Violin and Piano. Program & Artist Biography

Last year, with a string of similar awards behind her, Russian pianist Bulkina won a gold medal at the Wideman International Piano Competition and first prize at the MTNA National Young Artist Piano Competition. Her program features Gubaidulina and Beethoven, capped by Brahms's masterpiece, 28 Variations on a Theme by Paganini. Program & Artist Biography

Ukrainian pianist Stanislav Khristenko will be performing works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Scriabin and Prokofiev. Khristenko is the prizewinner of many international piano competitions and an acclaimed pianist worldwide, having performed in world renowned concert halls such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Hong Kong City Hall, the Great Hall of Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and the Severance Hall in Cleveland. His debut recital at Carnegie Hall was described as “sparkling like a gem, honed to perfection.” Critics described his interpretations as “deeply spiritual with great individuality” and “a tour-de-force of technical, musical and stylistic mastery.”
Program & Artist Biography

In a program titled, "The International Saxophone: The Sounds of Eastern Europe," the quartet performs Romanian Folk Song Suite by Absil, Bagatelles by Bartók, and pieces by Jánaček, Dvorak, Ligeti, Glazunov. They conclude with "Sofia" (Bulgaria), a movement from D'Rivera's New York Suite.
Program & Artist Biography

Ms. Hall-Tompkins's distinguished orchestral career has included extensive touring in the U.S. and internationally with the famed Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, as well as more than 150 performances with the New York Philharmonic. Her program includes sonatas by Debussy and Richard Strauss. Program and Artist Biography

A rare opportunity to hear all four of Schubert's trios performed over two consecutive Sundays. With the exception of two one-movement pieces - a very early experimental work (D. 28) and a late Notturno (D. 897) - Schubert wrote only two complete trios for violin, cello, and piano (D. 898 and D. 929); however, they quickly came to be considered pinnacles of the genre. Program and Artist Biography

A rare opportunity to hear all four of Schubert’s trios performed over two consecutive Sundays. With the exception of two one-movement pieces – a very early experimental work (D. 28) and a late Notturno (D. 897) – Schubert wrote only two complete trios for violin, cello, and piano (D. 898 and D. 929); however, they quickly came to be considered pinnacles of the genre. Program and Artist Biography

The Danchenko siblings have been performing together around the world since 1967. Both are faculty members at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. Their program includes Beethoven's Kreutzer sonata as well as works by Mozart, Dvořák, and Smetana. Program and Artist Biography

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra principal cellist Christopher Rex joins pianist Elizabeth Pridgen in performing the Sonata in G minor, Op. 65, the last of Chopin's works published in his lifetime, and Samuel Barber's Cello Sonata, Op. 6. Rex's teacher, Orlando Cole, advised Barber on the technical writings for the cello and gave the sonata its 1933 premiere. Program and Artist Biography

In a major event, pianist and composer Haskell Small performs the world premiere of his new work, Journeys in Silence, based on paintings in the Phillips's Rothko Room. A few years ago, Small created Renoir's Feast, a commission by the Phillips to celebrate the beloved painting, Luncheon of the Boating Party.
Program and Artist Biography

We would like to thank the Embassy of Estonia for their generosity which allows us to offer this special concert event at no charge. Reservations Required. There is a $20 suggested donation at the door.

The first in the Leading European Composers series this season highlights the work of Erkki-Sven Tüür of Estonia. Innumerable organizations and prestigious performers have commissioned works by Tüür, drawn to his mastery of combining diverse musical genres. Tüür and his selected performers, the New Tallinn Trio, travel from Estonia to share their accomplishments in celebration of both Mr. Tüür's achievements as a composer as well as the 93rd anniversary of the establishment of the Estonian Republic. The concert is followed by Coda Sessions with the composer, giving audience members a chance to converse with this preeminent figure in contemporary music. Program and Artist Biography

This documentary by Marianne Kõrver observes the different sides of being a composer - from writing a piece in the solitude of the woods of Hirmuste in the island Hiiumaa to orchestral rehearsals in co-operation with acclaimed conductors Paavo Järvi and Anu Tali, the travels and presentations in different parts of the world as well as immediate post-concert impressions by the listeners and top musicians. Full Description

Joaquín Achúcarro Foundation Concert

Italian pianist Codispoti will contrast works by Liszt and Rachmaninoff, pairing the Hungarian composer's pieces based on poems by Italian poet Petrarch with études by perhaps the most "Italian" of the Russians. Codispoti has collaborated with some of the world's leading orchestras, and his performances have been aired by Italian RAI, Spanish TVE and RNE, and Hungarian and Icelandic radio. Program and Artist Biography

Resonating with Howard Hodgkin's As Time Goes By (2009) duo red and blue paintings, Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer Roger Reynolds presents a concert in two parts in the Phillips Main Gallery. Through his work Reynolds is a pioneer in multichannel spatial explorations. Two solo guitar pieces, "imAge/guitar" and "imagE/guitar" will precede an extended "transformation" of them in a work called "Dream Mirror" as performed by guitarist Pablo Gomez and computer musician Jaime Oliver. Program and Artist Biography

Expanding the role of the harp through exciting, genre-bending repertoire, Kibbey performs works by Rameau, Spohr, Fauré, and Britten, along with new arrangements exploring Venezuelan choros, Hungarian folksongs, Celtic reels, and Appalachian bluegrass. She has been featured in Symphony, MUSO, and Harp Column magazines as well as on New York's WQXR and A&E's "Breakfast with the Arts." Program and Artist Biography

Composer Morton Feldman found inspiration in The New York School, and in his friendship with Philip Guston. The Red Light Ensemble performs Feldman’s The King of Denmark, Palais di Mari for solo piano, and Why Patterns?, a conversation between flute, piano, and percussion. The concert is followed by a Coda Session with Philip Guston, Roma curator Susan Behrends Frank and Feldman’s protégé Dr. Nils Vigeland, chairman of Manhattan School of Music composition department. Program and Artist Biography

Kutik is rapidly gaining attention as a highly acclaimed and sought-after concert artist. As first-prize winner of the Boston Symphony Young Artists Competition, he debuted with the Boston Pops Orchestra in 2003 playing the challenging Sibelius Violin Concerto. His Phillips program includes preludes and sonatas by Ravel and Shostakovich, with accompaniment by Timothy Bozarth, piano.
Program and Artist Biography

A perennial favorite at the Phillips concerts and an acknowledged leader in the field of new music, the trio will present a world premiere by Yang Liqing, the Washington premiere of Peter Dickinson's Celebration Trio in addition to works by Szymanowsky and Rachmaninoff.  Over the past 35 years, the Verdehr Trio has commissioned more than 200 new compositions from composers throughout the world. Program and Artist Biography

Swiss-born Olivier Cavé has prepared a fresh Italian musical bouquet centered on the music of Beethoven's contemporary, Muzio Clementi, whose works are featured on Cavé's newly released second album. Selections from Bach, Scarlatti, and Beethoven round out his program. Cavé has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and Aeon. Program and Artist Biography

Hailed for his warm, expressive sound, consummate musicianship and winning way with the audience, Randall Scarlata is firmly established as one of the most highly regarded musical interpreters of his generation.  He has appeared as soloist with many American and European orchestras and on concert stages across five continents. Together with pianist Laura Ward, he will present a Spring-inspired program anchored by Schumann’s song cycle Dichterliebe.  Songs of Schubert and Ives round out the delightful program. Program & Artist Biography

Warner and Nuzova bring to their duo performances a rare artistic synergy, described as so effortless, so riveting, it's as though they play with a single harmonizing voice. On two consecutive Sunday afternoons, the duo showcases its interpretation of Beethoven's five sonatas for piano and violoncello. Program & Artist Biography

Warner and Nuzova bring to their duo performances a rare artistic synergy, described as so effortless, so riveting, it's as though they play with a single harmonizing voice. On two consecutive Sunday afternoons, the duo showcases its interpretation of Beethoven's five sonatas for piano and violoncello. Program & Artist Biography

To showcase her virtuoso abilities, Washington native Daneshpour brings to the Phillips a program of favorite piano composers: Haydn, Franck, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev. She has performed at the Kennedy Center, with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, at Carnegie Hall, and in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Critics have praised her "powerhouse" technique and have called her performances "sensational" for their strength and passion. Program & Artist Biography

Members of the prize-winning Formosa Quartet are established solo, chamber, and orchestral musicians with degrees from Juilliard, the New England Conservatory, the Cleveland Institute, Curtis, Harvard, and Yale. They have performed in major venues around the world and have established themselves as a "must see" ensemble among string quartet enthusiasts. Program and Artist Biography

With his wide-ranging interests and informal manner, Stallman defies most stereotypes of the virtuoso flutist. His mentor and teacher, Jean-Pierre Rampal, characterized him as "one of the mostgifted musicians I have ever met." Stallman and Swanborn have performed together since the 1970s, specializing in the baroque repertoire. Their program poses the question: Did J. S. Bach, pinnacle of the musical baroque, unwittingly sire romanticism? Program and Artist Biography

Two bright stars in the field of chamber music blend their perspectives in a diverse and rewarding program. Keefe is known for her "exhilarating temperament" and fierce integrity. Chung studied with the late Lazar Berman and graduated from both Juilliard and Curtis before reaching the age of 20. Their program includes Stravinsky's colorful Suite Italienne and the Beethoven Sonata No. 7 for violin and piano. Program and Artist Biography

Lithuanian-born virtuoso Zlabys has appeared throughout the world as soloist with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic. He has also performed in recital with violinists Gidon Kremer and Hillary Hahn. He brings to his Phillips recital works by J.S. Bach and Chopin, and performs Prokofiev's best-known and perhaps most demanding Sonata No. 7. Program and Artist Biography

Swann makes her Metropolitan Opera debut in this season’s Die Walküre. She has appeared in Puccini's Edgar with the Opera Orchestra of New York under Eve Queler and at Avery Fisher Hall in Verdi's Requiem. Recently, as Emilia in Kurt Weill's The Firebrand of Florence with the Collegiate Chorale, her singing was judged as "beautiful and imbued with lush warmth." Program and Artist Biography

Music of Italian Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti inspired Frank Stella's recent Scarlatti Kirkpatrick Series of sculptures.  Following introductory remarks by Music Director Caroline Mousset, harpsichordist Steven Silverman performs selected Scarlatti sonatas in the Stella exhibition space, providing a dual-sensory experience. Program and Artist Biography

Music of Italian Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti inspired Frank Stella's recent Scarlatti Kirkpatrick Series of sculptures.  Following introductory remarks by Music Director Caroline Mousset, harpsichordist Steven Silverman performs selected Scarlatti sonatas in the Stella exhibition space, providing a dual-sensory experience.  Included in admission to special exhibition; free for members. Registration required. Program and Artist Biography