Chicago Tribune: Mahan Esfahani Featured in Best Classical Albums of 2019
Chicago Tribune
Howard Reich
Bach’s Toccatas carry a measure of mystery, in that definitive scores for this music are impossible to come by, leaving performers ample latitude in ornamentation and other details. Harpsichordist Esfahani applies meticulous scholarship to this process yet has produced a vivid recording built on animated performances appropriate to the toccata form.
To see the Chicago Tribune’s complete list of “Best Classical Albums of 2019,” click here.
Chamber Music America Magazine: Bridge Builders
Chamber Music America Magazine
Claire Sykes
It was the last thing they ever expected. When the foursome first teamed up more than 35 years ago, they didn’t think their string quartet would continue for long, let alone become one of the most successful in the world.
The 35-year-old Shanghai Quartet travels as seamlessly between hemispheres as it does between traditional and new music. To read more of the quartet’s feature in Chamber Music America Magazine, click here.
The Canadian Jewish News: Azrieli Prize Winners Explore Diversity of Jewish Music
Yotam Haber, a Dutch-born composer who’s based in New Orleans, is the recipient of the 2020 Azrieli Commission for Jewish Music, the organization announced on Nov. 7. The winner of the 2020 AMP for the best new major work of Jewish music is Yitzhak Yedid, an Israeli-born Australian. For the first time, a third AMP winner was selected this year for the new Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music (not with a Jewish theme). It goes to Keiko Devaux, a composer of music for ensembles, dance and film, who’s currently completing a doctorate in composition at UdeM.
The Canadian Jewish News
Janice Arnold
The distinct musical tradition of the Jews of Rome, who trace their lineage back to their dispersal after the Second Temple’s destruction, will be revived in a new composition that’s being written by the latest winner of a $50,000 commission from the Azrieli Foundation.
Yotam Haber, a Dutch-born composer who’s based in New Orleans, is the recipient of the 2020 Azrieli Commission for Jewish Music, the organization announced on Nov. 7.
His work-in-progress will receive its premiere at the Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP) concert on Oct. 22, 2020, at Salle Pierre Mercure in Montreal, performed by the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, a chamber orchestra in residence at the Université de Montréal (UdeM).
The winner of the 2020 AMP for the best new major work of Jewish music is Yitzhak Yedid, an Israeli-born Australian. The Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music also carries a $50,000 cash award.
His “Kiddushim Ve’ Killulim” (“Blessings and Curses”) for voice and ensemble had its debut in 2017. The AMP jury hailed the piece for its unconventional synthesis of ancient religious musical sources with contemporary Western music.
For the first time, a third AMP winner was selected this year for the new Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music (not with a Jewish theme). It goes to Keiko Devaux, a composer of music for ensembles, dance and film, who’s currently completing a doctorate in composition at UdeM.
To read more about the 2020 winners and their works, click here.
Classical Voice North America: Beijing Music Festival is Innovative
“Golden Week” is the name for the national holiday period held in the People’s Republic of China at the beginning of October. This year, it also signaled an earlier-than-usual start to the annual Beijing Music Festival (BMF) — the country’s largest and most extensive festival devoted to classical music.
Classical Voice North America
Thomas May
“Golden Week” is the name for the national holiday period held in the People’s Republic of China at the beginning of October. This year, it also signaled an earlier-than-usual start to the annual Beijing Music Festival (BMF) — the country’s largest and most extensive festival devoted to classical music.
BMF, which unfolds over the course of the month, is also spread out spatially. This year, in its 22nd edition, BMF took place in venues dispersed across this vast, sprawling, restlessly energetic city: from the Poly Theatre and the Forbidden City Concert Hall to an exhibition space in the lively nightlife district of Sanlitun and the enormous, egg-shaped National Centre for the Performing Arts (where the grand opening was held on October 9 for the first time in BMF history). It even extended to the Great Wall north of Beijing (specifically, the Wall’s Shuiguan section).
To read more, click here.
The New York Times: Two Pianists Offer Contrasting Paths of Exploration
The New York Times
Anthony Tommasini
Last week in New York, two brilliant pianists offered examples of adventurous programming in classical music. According to Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times, Marc-André Hamelin’s program lingered with him the most: “That Mr. Hamelin played both works with technical dazzle and wondrous subtleties made the music seem even wilder.” To read the full review, click here.
Strings Magazine: Political Turmoil & Personal Tragedy Inform Composer Qigang Chen’s Emotional New Violin Concerto
Strings Magazine
Greg Cahill
Over the years, Qigang Chen has composed numerous works—from symphonies and chamber pieces to film scores and songs—to become one of China’s foremost composers. In an interview with Greg Cahill of Strings Magazine, he reveals details about his latest violin concerto, La Joie de la souffrance (The Joy of Suffering). To read the complete article and interview, click here.
The New York Times: 6 Classical Music Concerts to See in N.Y.C. Including Marc-André Hamelin
Marc-André Hamelin visits Carnegie Hall on October 22, 2019 at 8:00 PM. Hamelin has always relished performing the most technically challenging of piano music, and there is plenty of it in this recital, with pieces by Scriabin, Prokofiev, and Samuil Feinberg. But this Canadian pianist has recently been recording more canonical works, including a fine account of Schubert’s final sonata, the last work on the program here.
The New York Times
David Allen
Our guide to the city’s best classical music and opera happening this weekend and in the week ahead.
MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN at Carnegie Hall (Oct. 22, 8 p.m.). Hamelin has always relished performing the most technically challenging of piano music, and there is plenty of it in this recital, with pieces by Scriabin, Prokofiev, and Samuil Feinberg. But this Canadian pianist has recently been recording more canonical works, including a fine account of Schubert’s final sonata, the last work on the program here.
Limelight: Yo-Yo Ma to Lead Bach Youth Project in Guangzhou
Limelight Magazine
Angus McPherson
Superstar cellist Yo-Yo Ma will lead a Bach youth project in Guangzhou, China, this January as part of the annual Youth Music Culture Guangdong. The workshop will last for nine days with the cellist and international colleagues, and is open to young musicians from all over the world. To read more about the project, click here.
WRTI 90.1: Pianist Haochen Zhang Plays Schumann, Brahms, and More!
WRTI 90.1
Susan Lewis
Haochen Zhang visited the WRTI 90.1 Performance Studio ahead of his return engagement as soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra. He played some of his favorite recital pieces before his performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with The Philadelphians. To read his comments on the program and watch the full performance, click here.
Dominican Violinist Aisha Syed Returns to Carnegie Hall Following Sold-Out 2018 Debut
Dominican violinist, Aisha Syed, returns to Carnegie Hall on October 10 at 8:30 PM, after her acclaimed sold-out performance at Weill Recital Hall in 2018. The performance, this time in Zankel Hall, is part of her Heritage World Tour which takes her to 11 countries across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Dominican violinist, Aisha Syed, returns to Carnegie Hall on October 10 at 8:30 PM, after her acclaimed sold-out performance at Weill Recital Hall in 2018. The performance, this time in Zankel Hall, is part of her Heritage World Tour which takes her to 11 countries across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
The New York-based Dominican Heritage and Culture Society (DHCS) presents the performance as their third annual concert, this year titled “Heritage,” with proceeds supporting their newly-established scholarship fund. The DHCS Scholarship will be given to underserved young Dominican talents pursuing their dreams in music, art, history, literature, and the performing arts.
“With these scholarships, DHCS strives to support, promote, encourage, inspire and stimulate the creativity of our young Dominican leaders, creating new Ambassadors for our community who will continue the legacy of previous generations while becoming the voice of a promising future. To celebrate the achievements of our current leaders, this year we are thrilled to establish a tradition of honoring tremendous influences in the Dominican community. I’m delighted to announce the 2019 honorees – former United States Ambassador to Uruguay Julissa Reynoso and humanitarian doctor Dr. Ramon Tallaj. Julissa and Ramon – in addition to Aisha who is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Dominican Republic – are wonderful role models for our young leaders,” says Fresia Olivero Momani, Founder and President of The Dominican Heritage and Culture Society.
A native to the Dominican Republic, Julissa has extensive policy and legal experience, engaging both as a lawyer in private practice and as a senior diplomat on behalf of the United States Government. Julissa’s extensive experience includes analyzing and advising on complex cross-border litigations, investigations and disputes before U.S. Courts and Agencies.
Also born in the Dominican Republic, Dr. Ramon Tallaj actively participates in a variety of institutions dedicated to improving the lives of all New Yorkers including SOMOS Community Care, which he helped found in 2015 as the only physician-led performance provider system participating in New York State’s Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program (DSRIP). As a humanitarian committed to promoting human welfare, Dr. Tallaj has led numerous health care missions to the Caribbean over the course of his career.
Violinist Syed has been hailed as the “future of classical music in the Dominican Republic” by Maestro Carlos Piantini. For her Carnegie Hall debut in 2018, Strings Magazine praised her “inspired, technically secure playing” saying she “maintained an air of unflappable poise.”
Syed’s Heritage project is a conglomerate of pieces that form her musical identity as a Dominican with an Indian background growing up in the United Kingdom who later moved to the United States. In the words of Syed, “As the world becomes more globalized it can be puzzling finding a place one belongs in. But by embracing each and every heritage that forms part of who I am, I have found that unique voice which defines me within society. Heritage follows the journey of searching for my musical identity through an array of wonderful pieces that best describe where I come from.”
The evening concert will be hosted by Evi Siskos, an actress, producer, author, and NY Emmy-nominated television host of shows on the Telemundo network, such as Impuestos y Finanzas and Acceso Total. Pianist Martin Labazevitch performs with Syed.
Tickets, $125-150 ($75 for seniors and students with valid ID), in support of the Dominican Heritage and Culture Society, are available at carnegiehall.org, the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, or by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800. DHCS is also offering a special discount code, ABC32456, for 25% off.
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.
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.
About Julissa Reynoso
Julissa Reynoso is currently a partner at the law firm of Winston & Strawn. Julissa has conducted arbitrations under the major international rules and managed bilateral investment treaty disputes under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). She also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central American, Caribbean and Cuban Affairs in the US Department of State. While in this role, Julissa was charged with developing comprehensive security and rule of law strategies for Central America and the Caribbean.
Julissa is the recipient of the highest diplomat honors bestowed by several Latin American governments. Julissa serves on the boards of several nonprofit and advocacy organizations, and was on the faculty of Columbia Law School and Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. Julissa serves as trustee for New York Attorney General Letitia James’s transition committee. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese. Julissa holds degrees from Harvard University, the University of Cambridge, and Columbia Law School.
About Ramon Tallaj
Ramon Tallaj attended Medical School at Universidad Nacional Pedro Enriquez Ureña (UNPHU) where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1981. After great success both in the Dominican Republic and New York, Dr. Tallaj completed his Internship in Internal Medicine at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital and obtained his American Board of Internal Medicine Certification that same year. Dr. Tallaj established his private practice inWashington Heights in 1997 where he continues to serve his community.
Dr. Ramon Tallaj is the Chairman of the Board of SOMOS Community Care, which he helped found in 2015 as the only physician-led performance provider system participating in New York State’s Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program (DSRIP). Dr. Tallaj oversees SOMOS’ network of nearly 3,500 health care providers and over 650,000 patients from largely underserved communities across New York City, including many Asian and Hispanic immigrants – populations that face unique health challenges. He led a delegation of SOMOS bilingual network physicians and specialists from New York to Puerto Rico in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
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.