Interview with Violinist Stephen Waarts: Debut Recital at Wigmore Hall
When he practices these days, violinist Stephen Waarts thinks a lot about his mentor, the great violinist Aaron Rosand. Rosand, who died in July, certainly would have taken pride in the fact that Waarts will take the stage Tuesday for his debut recital at London's Wigmore Hall. Waarts and pianist Gabriele Carcano will perform works by Fauré, Szymanowski and Bartók.
"Mr. Rosand was very interested in what his students were up to, and very proud of us," Waarts told me over the phone last month. "He wanted to be involved, even after his students stopped studying with him."
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V.com weekend vote: What do you play for your 10-minute warm-up?
Let's say you arrive to the performance -- or to your lesson -- with less than 10 minutes to warm up. What will you play? Do you have any interesting warm-up rituals? Please vote, and share your thoughts below.
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For the Record, Op. 94: Jennifer Koh; Barenboim-Soltani Trio; Patricia Kopatchinskaja; Sirius Quartet
Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!
Limitless
Jennifer Koh, violin
Violinist Jennifer Koh's newest album features recently commissioned duo works, with Koh performing with the composers themselves. World-premiere recordings include Qasim Naqvi’s "The Banquet"; Lisa Bielawa’s "Sanctuary Songs"; Du Yun’s "Give Me Back My Fingerprints"; Tyshawn Sorey’s "In Memoriam Muhal Richard Abrams"; Wang Lu’s "Her Latitude"; and Vijay Iyer’s "The Diamond," all newly commissioned by ARCO Collaborative. In addition to the new commissions, the album also includes Nina Young’s "Sun Propeller," in its world-premiere recording, plus two pieces by Missy Mazzoli: "A Thousand Tongues" and "Vespers for Violin." Koh worked closely with the composers as the pieces were being written. "Each collaboration has been truly special and unique," Ms. Koh writes in the CD booklet, "and collectively, they reflect the multiplicity of voices that will guide our art form into the future." BELOW: Jennifer Koh talks about "Limitless."
...and here is a substantial interview with Jennifer, who talks with Jim Ginsburg's Classical Chicago podcast about her life, and about this project:
The Week in Reviews, Op. 288: Leonidas Kavakos; Richard Tognetti; Tasmin Little; Friends of Lara St. John
In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world.
Leonidas Kavakos performed Korngold’s Violin Concerto with the Vienna Philharmonic at BBC Prom 61.
- Financial Times: "Korngold’s Violin Concerto gave Leonidas Kavakos the opportunity to show off a silken thread of Hollywood lyricism against an iridescent orchestral backdrop, though little can be done to disguise the poverty of invention in Korngold’s finale."
- The Telegraph: "Fortunately there was a musician on hand whose spellbinding virtuosity can always be relied on to lift any occasion: the Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos....Kavakos played this confection of hoary old clichés with such radiant purity of sound and tuning that one could almost believe it was a genuine masterpiece. "
- Music OMH: "The detail and nuance to be found in his sound proved quite staggering, and he achieved a level of expressiveness that felt appropriate since it never saw the piece feel overly sentimental or mawkish."
