Stephen Kovacevich Continues PianoForte, Joan Kwuon and André Previn Offer a Recital,
The Guarneri String Quartet and MMArtists in Concert Continue Series,
and Trio Capuçon Appears on Accolades
For tickets, call the Concerts & Lectures Department at 212-570-3949, or visit www.metmuseum.org/tickets, where updated schedules and programs are also available.
Tickets are also available at the Great Hall Box Office, which is open
Tuesday-Saturday 10-5:00, and Sunday noon-5:00.
Student discount tickets are available for some events; call 212-570-3949.
Friday, February 8, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. - Trio Capuçon
Trio Capuçon, consisting of Renaud Capuçon, violin; Gautier Capuçon, cello; and Nicholas Angelich, piano, performs piano trios by Brahms (No. 2 in C Major, Op. 87), Shostakovich (No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67), and Mendelssohn (No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 66) in their only New York appearance of the season. They continue the season's Accolades young artists series.
This series is made possible by the Xerox Foundation.
The Trio Capuçon features the American-born award-winning pianist Nicholas Angelich with the native French duo of violinist Renaud Capuçon and cellist Gautier Capuçon, considered internationally to be two of the world's most gifted young string players. Pianist Angelich entered the Paris Conservatory at age 13 to study with the legendary Aldo Ciccolini, taking first prize in both piano and chamber music. He was awarded first prize in 1994 at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition; in 1996 he was awarded second prize in the International Casadesus Piano Competition in Cleveland; and in 2002 he received the International Klavierfestival Young Talent Award in Germany from pianist Leon Fleisher. He performs worldwide in solo recital and with orchestra under conductors such as Kurt Masur, David Robertson, and Myung-Whun Chung as well as in chamber music with Martha Argerich and the Capuçons. Cellist Gautier Capuçon was awarded a Victoires de la Musique (French equivalent of the Grammy) as "New Talent of the Year" in 2001, and is considered one of the most promising cellists of his generation. He began his studies at Ecole Nationale de Musique de Chambéry at age five and won first prize in cello at Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris, where he studied with Annie Cochet-Zakine and Philippe Muller. He plays a 1701 Matteo Goffriler cello. Violinist Renaud Capuçon, named "Instrumentalist of the Year" for 2005 by the French Victoires de la Musique, has taken his place among the top echelon of young violinists. He has performed with world-renowned orchestras including the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood, Bayerische Rundfunk, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Paris, NHK Symphony, and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, with conductors Bychkov, Chung, Dutoit, Eschenbach, Fischer, Robertson, and Sawallisch. His chamber music partners include Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim, Yuri Bashmet, Yefim Bronfman, Katia and Marielle Labèque, Mikhail Pletnev, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. An exclusive Virgin Classics artist, Mr. Capuçon has recorded several CDs, his latest being the Mendelssohn and Schumann concertos with Daniel Harding and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
Tickets: $25
Saturday, February 9, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. - Joan Kwuon, Violin
André Previn, Piano
Joan Kwuon returns to the Metropolitan Museum – having performed in the Accolades series in February 2006 – joined by André Previn at the piano, for their only New York appearance of the season together, a program of sonatas for violin and piano: Brahms' Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100; Prokofieff's Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94; and Beethoven's Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96.
Joan Kwuon and André Previn first met at Tanglewood when Ms. Kwuon was the soloist in the Sibelius Violin Concerto, conducted by student conductors who were being coached by Mr. Previn (she was a former student at Tanglewood, and had returned there to teach at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute). André Previn was so impressed with her musicianship that he asked if she would perform in concert with him. They performed at Tanglewood, and they collaborated with the Prometheus Chamber Orchestra for the benefit Artists for the Cure at Carnegie Hall. She performed as soloist in the Sibelius Violin Concerto with Previn conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in 2002. Joan Kwuon's CD of the Previn and Strauss violin sonatas, Mozart's Adagio and Rondo, and Tchaikovsky's Mélodie will be released this season.
In 2007-2008, Joan Kwuon performs the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the Mozart Violin Concerto No. 1 with JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic, and is featured soloist in the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra. Joan also tours in the U.S. as soloist in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico. Ms. Kwuon has been engaged as guest artist at numerous international music festivals, and has enjoyed collaborations with Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, the Juilliard String Quartet, Bright Sheng, Gilbert Kalish, and Vladimir Feltsman. Tony Bennett invited Ms. Kwuon to perform a duet with him at Jazz at Lincoln Center and at Tanglewood. With Sidney Weiss, former concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Ms. Kwuon was featured in the U.S. premiere of Luciano Berio's Duetti. Devoted to raising funds for breast cancer research and awareness among younger women, Ms. Kwuon is founder of the non-profit organization Artists for Breast Cancer Survival, Inc., presenting Artists for the Cure at Carnegie Hall, a gala benefit concert. Celebrated artists who have appeared include Tony Bennett, Itzhak Perlman, Dawn Upshaw, Roberta Flack, Kristin Chenoweth, Cho-Liang Lin and André Previn. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ms. Kwuon received advanced degrees from Indiana University, The Juilliard School, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. She currently teaches at The Juilliard School.
Conductor, composer, and pianist André Previn has received a number of awards and honors for his outstanding musical accomplishments. He holds both the Austrian and German Cross of Merit, was a Kennedy Center honoree for his lifetime achievements, and was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1996. He was recently presented with the Glenn Gould Prize in Toronto in 2006. Maestro Previn has received several Grammy awards for his recordings. He was honored at the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005 for the recordings of his violin concerto, "Anne-Sophie," and Bernstein's Serenade featuring Anne-Sophie Mutter together with the Boston and London Symphony Orchestras. Musical America named him "Musician of the Year," and his first opera, A Streetcar Named Desire, was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque. A frequent guest with the world's major orchestras – both in concert and on recordings – André Previn appears annually with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Vienna Philharmonic, among others. André Previn has held the chief artistic posts with such orchestras as the Houston Symphony, London Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, and Royal Philharmonic. The 2007-2008 season finds Maestro Previn conducting the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on tour with Anne-Sophie Mutter as soloist, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for the premiere of his Harp Concerto, and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, in Rome.
Tickets: $45
Sunday, February 10, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. - Blue Hill Troupe
The Blue Hill Troupe – a chorus of 70 – returns to the Museum for its annual presentation of Gilbert & Sullivan gems, including favorites from The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado.
The Blue Hill Troupe was launched in 1924, when Dr. and Mrs. Seth Milliken's schooner, Shawna, anchored near a yacht club in Blue Hill, Maine, became the H.M.S. Pinafore for one shaky community performance. The four founding families – the Millikens and their friends the Pattersons, the Boardmans, and the Sullivans – persevered, even after a midsummer night's storm soaked the following year's performance of The Mikado. The Blue Hill Troupe moved to New York in 1926 and, with the exception of an August 1927 production of The Pirates of Penzance in Blue Hill, has been in New York ever since, performing a G&S operetta every year except 1929. In 1930, one-night stands expanded to two performances, and thereafter by steps to the present eight performances. The initial floating musical accompaniment of piano and a few strings was gradually expanded until the troupe achieved a full orchestra in the 1940s. The troupe has produced all 13 G&S operettas at least three times during its history; the more popular ones have been performed more often. The troupe's presentations now also include productions of such Broadway shows as She Loves Me, A Little Night Music, and Cabaret.
Tickets: $30
Thursday, February 21, at 8:00 p.m. - Stephen Kovacevich, Piano
Stephen Kovacevich returns to the Metropolitan Museum for his only New York recital of the season, a program of Bach's Partita No. 4 in D Major, BWV 787; Schumann's Kinderszenen, Op. 15; and Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, Op. 120.
Stephen Kovacevich has had a long and distinguished career as a concert pianist and is particularly renowned for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms. A native of Los Angeles, his international reputation has been built both on his concert appearances and the highly acclaimed recordings he has made throughout his career. Mr. Kovacevich's recent and upcoming engagements in North America include appearances with the Chicago, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Montreal, Houston, Detroit, and Indianapolis symphonies; the Los Angeles Philharmonic and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra; and recitals in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Abroad, Stephen Kovacevich regularly appears with the major orchestras in the U.K. and on the continent. He also frequently tours throughout Australia and Japan. As a tribute to his interpretations of the works of Beethoven, Mr. Kovacevich was recently featured in a six-concert series "Kovacevich, Beethoven and the Piano," which was produced in collaboration with the Harrods International Piano Series, the London Philharmonic, and the South Bank Centre. The project included performances of the "Emperor" Concerto with Kurt Masur and the London Philharmonic in the U.K. and Germany, three all-Beethoven recitals at Royal Festival Hall, public master classes and a play/conduct concert with the London Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
In addition to his performances as a pianist, Mr. Kovacevich has built an extensive career as a conductor. He is currently in the process of conducting all nine Beethoven symphonies and playing and conducting the five Beethoven concertos with the London Mozart Players.
Stephen Kovacevich has enjoyed two long-term relationships with recording companies, first Philips and then EMI. His concerto recordings for Philips, including works by Beethoven, Brahms and Bartok, have long been staples in the catalogue. As an exclusive EMI artist, he recorded both Brahms concertos with the London Philharmonic and Wolfgang Sawallisch; No. 1 was nominated for a Grammy and won the 1993 Gramophone Award and the Stereo Review Record of the Year, while No. 2 won a Diapason d'Or. In addition, he is featured with four discs in the Philips "Great Pianists of the 20th Century" series while his recording of the complete Beethoven Sonatas for EMI is the culmination of ten years of work and was released as a boxed set in October 2003. His latest release for EMI is a disc of Chopin and Ravel.
Mr. Kovacevich made his debut as a pianist at the age of 11. Seven years later he moved to London to study with Dame Myra Hess and has been a resident of London since that time.
Tickets: $45
Friday, February 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. - MMArtists in Concert
MMArtists in Concert, led by cellist Edward Arron, the artistic coordinator, was created in Metropolitan Museum Concerts' 50th anniversary season, and it is the first ensemble to bear the Museum's name. The ensemble has received critical acclaim not only "bring[ing] solo quality to ensemble playing," but also for the inviting nature of the events: "Connections play an important part in this fine ensemble's programs," noted Steve Smith in The New York Times, and "so do communication and enthusiastic advocacy." The three Friday evening programs will be introduced onstage by WQXR Morning Host Jeff Spurgeon and will be broadcast live on 96.3 FM WQXR as well as streamed online on www.WQXR.com.
String quintets of Beethoven – original and in arrangement – is the theme for the ensemble's fifth season of concerts. This second program features Beethoven's String Quintet in C Minor, Op. 104; Wuorinen's Quintet for Piano and Strings (1994); and Dvořák's String Quintet in E flat Major, Op. 97.
The ensemble musicians performing on the program are Colin Jacobsen and Jesse Mills, violin; Nicholas Cords and Max Mandel, viola; Edward Arron, cello; and Andrew Armstrong, piano.
Tickets: $35
Saturday, February 23, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. - Guarneri String Quartet
Guarneri String Quartet – Arnold Steinhardt and John Dalley, violin; Michael Tree, viola; and Peter Wiley, cello – performs four concerts of quartets by Bartók, Beethoven, Brahms, Foss, Haydn, Kodály, Mendelssohn, and Smetana. The Guarneri String Quartet made its first appearance in the Metropolitan Museum Concerts series in 1965 and has been performing there annually ever since.
This third concert features Haydn's String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 74, No. 3, "Rider"; Smetana's String Quartet No. 1 in E Minor, "From My Life"; and Beethoven's String Quartet in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3.
The spring series of the Guarneri String Quartet is supported by the Grace Jarcho Ross and Daniel G. Ross Concert Fund.
The Guarneri String Quartet has announced that it will retire at the completion of the 2008-2009 season. In the coming seasons the quartet will celebrate by doing what it does best - touring extensively throughout the United States as they have for nearly 45 years. These performances also include their annual Metropolitan Museum concert series as well as a collaboration with the Johannes String Quartet. The ensemble also makes its annual tour to Europe this winter.
One of the longest-continuing artistic collaborations of any ensemble in the world, the Guarneri has been featured in many television and radio specials, documentaries, and educational presentations, including a full-length film entitled High Fidelity - The Guarneri String Quartet. It has won numerous awards, including the first New York Seal of Recognition and the Award of Merit from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, as well as the 1996 Deutsche Schallplattenkritik Award for their recording of Juan Crisostomo Arriaga's String Quartets Nos. 1-3. The quartet records on the Arabesque, Philips, and RCA Red Seal labels and performs in many of the major concert halls throughout North and South America, Europe, the Far East, and Australia.
Tickets: $50
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December 27, 2008
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