Mr. Epstein’s Studio Newsletter Fall2012

Fuscemollistempusfelis.

‐aliquam.

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VanessaPerez(Rutgers/AD/’11):Thisspringof2012,PerezmadeherTelarc/Concorddebutwiththereleaseofanall‐Chopinstudiorecordingthatfeaturesthe24PreludesOp.28,FantasieinFminorOp.49,BarcarolleOp.60,andtwoPreludes‐No.25Op.45,andNo.26,AFlatmajor.SoonafterthisrecentMayUSrelease,her“ChopinPreludes”reachedNo.5,ontheClassicalBillboardCharts.AmericanRecordGuidedescribesthisrecordingas,“ThisisexceptionalChopinPlaying...emotionallyboldyetfinelynuancedplaying,thecombinationyouneedforthisrepertory.”RecentperformancesincludehersolodebutattheGilmoreFestivalwithpianistIngridFliter,performanceofRachmaninoffNo.3underConductorNikolajZnaider,andaperformancewithoneoftheSistemaorchestraspresenting"TheTeresaCarreno"underGustavoDudamel'sseasonclosingconcertsinCaracas.SherecentlyappearedonNPRwithFredChildon"Performancetoday"(http://ow.ly/ePw6x)andwithGuyRazon"AllThingsConsidered"(http://ow.ly/ePw9L).

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AllisonBrewsterFranzetti(Rutgers/DMA/’12):MieczyslawWeinberg:CompletePianoWorksVol.2isafeaturedCritics'ChoiceRecordingonNaxosRecords'websiteSeptember2012.AllisonBrewsterFranzetti'spodcastisfeaturedonNaxosRecords'websiteSeptember2012.ThisrecordingwasnamedasRecordingoftheMonthonmusic‐webinternational.MieczyslawWeinberg:CompletePianoWorksVol.3isbeingreleasedinOctober2012asGrandPianoGPO610‐thisisNaxos'newlabel,dedicatedtoworksbyneglectedcomposersorneglectedworksbyprominentcomposers.PierrotetColombinewasjustreleasedonSunnysideRecords.ThisprojectcontainsoriginalcompositionsbyCarlosFranzetti,multipleGrammynomineeandLatinGrammywinnerwhowasnominatedthisweekforaLatinGrammyinthecategoryofBestClassicalComposition.AllisonBrewsterFranzettiisthefeaturedpianistonthisrecording.AllisonBrewsterFranzettiisperformingattheTeatroColoninBuenosAires,ArgentinaonOctober28,2012withJorgedelaVega,principalflutistoftheoperaorchestraattheTeatroColon.SheisalsofilmingaDVDwithherhusband,composer/arrangerCarlosFranzetti,inBuenosAireswithworld‐renownedtangomusiciansFernandoSuarezPaz,violinandNestorMarconi,bandoneon.

UpdatesandNewsfromCurrentandFormerStudents!

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Mr.Epstein’sStudioNewsletter

Fall2012

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2012withJorgedelaVega,principalflutistoftheoperaorchestraattheTeatroColon.SheisalsofilmingaDVDwithherhusband,composer/arrangerCarlosFranzetti,inBuenosAireswithworld‐renownedtangomusiciansFernandoSuarezPaz,violinandNestorMarconi,bandoneon.

SangTaePark(Rutgers/DMA/Current)wastheGrandPrizeWinneroftheSouthOrangeSymphonyCompetition.HeperformedBrahmsConcertoNo.1withtheorchestraonMarch19,2012at8pmatSterlingHall.TheconductorwasMaestroRobertHelmacy.

EstherShieh(MSM/MM/’11)internedattheRossbuyingofficeinmidtownthissummerandhasjustreceivedafulltimejobofferasanassistantbuyerstartinginJanuary!Currently,sheistaking6classesatFITandinterningatMichaelKors'buyingofficetobuildupherresumeforfuture

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possibilities.Beingabuyerisalotmoreexcitinganddemandingthanshethought,butshelovesit!Shestillplayspianoforchurchandfortheprecollegeonweekends.

CristinaAltamura’s(Rutgers/MM/Current)ChopinAnniversaryconcertsinCanadain2010‐11receivedthefollowingreview:ForLaPresse,ClaudeGingrasnoted,“TheyoungpianistofItalianoriginsopenedtheconcertwithsevenofthetwelve(Chopin)EtudesfromOp.10.Thesepagesfromthepianorepertoirearemonstrouslydifficult,butMs.Altamuraperformedthemeffortlesslyandwithapowerthatwasastonishing.”TheCanadianappearancesculminatedinaperformanceofthePianoConcertoNo.2withtheNewWorldPhilharmonicOrchestra,underthebatonofCanadianconductor,MichelBrousseau,inApril2011.InOctoberof2011,shereturnedtoMontrealtothe

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pianoseriesattheChapelleHistoriqueduBonPasteur(whichfeaturesafabulousFaziolipianoandisfamousforitsexcellentacoustics)toperformherclassicalLatinmusicinspiredprogramentitled"DivertissementLatin".OnNovember,25th,2012,CristinaAltamurawillappearonceagainwiththeNewWorldPhilharmonicandconductor,MichelBrousseauinMozart'sPianoConcerto,No.23,K.488attheCathedralofNotreDameinMontreal.CristinaAltamurarecentlymarriedAdamSliwinskiofSoPercussiononSeptember8,2012.Theyperformedajointrecital(piano/marimba)inFebruary2012attheCivitanovaClassicsConcertSeriesinCivitanova,Italy.TheprogramincludedworksbyBach,Gershwin,PiazzollaandSchwantner.ShewillreturntoItalyonMarch23,2013toperformasolorecitalatthe

SangTaeParkafterconcertoperformancewithhismotherandMr.E.

CristinaAltamura’sweddingwithhusbandAdamSliwinskiofSoPercussion

Intheconcerthallwithhusband,AdamSliwinski(left)andthepresenter,LorenzoDiBellaattheTeatroAnnibaleCaroinCivitanovaVecchia,Italy.

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Mr.Epstein’sStudioNewsletter

Fall2012WaelFarouk

(Rutgers/DMA/Current)wasawardedtheprestigiousBuncheFellowshipatRutgersUniversity,whereheisintheDMAprograminpianoperformance.Inthefall,hejoinedtheArtistFacultyinthePianoDepartmentattheChicagoCollegeofPerformingArtsatRooseveltUniversity.HewontheNewYorkConcertArtistsandAssociates'RisingArtistConcertoPresentationAwardwiththe

Rachmaninoffthirdpianoconcerto.TheconcertwasperformedattheLincolnCenterinMayandearnedexcellentreviews,includingthefollowing:http://www.nyconcertreview.com/blog/?p=2056.Inthesummer,hewasaguestartistattheLyraMusicFestival.RecentperformancesincludeRachmaninoffthirdinNYCatthegoodShepherdChurchonSaturdayMay19thforwiningtheNYCA(NewYorkConcertArtistandAssociatesrisingartistsaudition)http://www.newyorkconcertartists.com/NYCA_Concerts/concerts_all.html.ReadabouthisupcomingCarnegieHallDebutinthegreenboxontheright.

JaheeBae(Rutgers/DMA/Current)wasinKoreathispastsummerwheresheperformedBrahmsPianoTrioNo.1BmajorintheKoreanEnsembleFestivalonAugust.22nd,2012.ShealsoperformedBrahmsPianoQuintetOp.34intheBrahmsFestivalinKorea.ShehasanupcomingsolorecitalonNov.20thinKorea.

AnthonyRomaniuk(MSM/BM/'03):InOctober2012hewillplayasoloconcertinAnnArbor,MI,forthefirstoftheprize‐concertsresultingfromlastyear'sfirstprizeintheWestfieldInternationalFortepianoCompetition.In2013he'llbeplayinginL.A.,SanFrancisco,Phoenix,RaleighNC,IthacaNY,NYCandBoston(inadditiontotheEuropeandates!a.o.Paris,Vienna,Amsterdam...)InSeptember2012,hebeganworkingasanaccompanistattheConservatoiredeBruxelles,onfortepianoandharpsichord.

MinYeongKim(MSM/M.M./‘11)iscurrentlylivinginMacon,GAandworksatWesleyanCollegeasanaccompanistforvocalstudiolessons.

JeongJaShim(Rutgers/DMA/Current)hasworkedatSUNYPurchaseCollegeasastaff‐pianistsince2009andWSVI(WestchesterSummerVoiceInstitute)asastaff‐pianistsince2006.SheperformedintheAlexander&BuonoFestivalofMusicwithProf.KaoriSatoonJuly14th,2012andplanstohaveasolorecitalin2013.

WaelFarouk

DearFriendsandColleagues,

IampleasedtoannouncemyCarnegieHalldebut:Nov.1at8:00p.m.

Featuringwell‐knownworksandnewcompositions,therecitalwillbeatapestryofmusicbasedonliterature.Theprogramincludes

Liszt’sDantesonataandsongtranscriptions,Ravel’sGasparddelanuit,excerptsfromTchaikovsky’sTheSeasons,aworldpremierebyScottRobbins,andU.S.premieresbyEgyptiancomposersMaunaGhoneimandGamalAbdel‐Rahim.

IhopeyouwillbeabletoattendthisspecialeventandinviteyourfriendsintheNewYorkarea.

Formoreinformationortopurchasetickets,pleasevisittheCarnegieHallwebsite:

‐WaelFarouk

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Mr.Epstein’sStudioNewsletter

Fall2012

PollyvanderLinde(SUNYPurchase/BFA/’82)istheownerandDirectorofSonatinaEnterprises,aninternationalpianocampforadultsandchildren,heldinOldBennington,VT.Thehouse/campischockfullof30pianos!ThecamphasbeenfeaturedintheNewYorkTimesTravelsection,onCNNNewsnightwithAaronBrown,VermontLifeMagazine,TheAlbanyTimesandanentirechapterinthebook:"PianoLessons:MusicLoveandTrueAdventures"byNoahAdams.Pollyhasparticipatedinseveralinternationalpianocompetitions,performedassoloistwiththeVermontSymphonyOrchestra,theSageCitySymphonyOrchestraandthePurchaseCollegeOrchestraandwasarecipientofaNaumbergAward.ShefoundedacommunitymusicschoolatRutgersUniversity,whichisnowtheContinuingEducationProgramintheArtsatMasonGrossSchooloftheArts.PollyhastraveledtoWashingtonDC,Boston,SanFrancisco,Philadelphia,Denver,SeattleandNYC(atSteinwayHall),offeringmasterclassesandlessons.Recently,PollysolicitedafunddrivetohelpcleanupherhometownofBennington,VTafterHurricaneIrene.Hundredsofpianists,whohavecometostudywithher,gavegenerouslytothefund.Over$22,500wasraisedalmostovernight.TheTownofBenningtonandSenatorBernieSandersrecognizedherforallofherefforts.Thispastsummer,theyoungpianistsatSummerSonatinasurprised

Scene.Thepointoftheevent,besideshavingloadsoffun,wastoshowthestudentsthatsometimesyouneedtopromoteyourselfinveryflourishingwaysinordertogainacknowledgementinthemedia.TheMobScenehitseveralfront‐pagenewspapers.NewtotheSonatinawebsite,atwww.sonatina.com,arearchivedmasterclassesandconcertsthatreceiveover1500‐2000hoursofviewspermonthafterinitiallylivestreamingthem.Pollyco‐authoredacookbookatage10withher8‐yearoldsister,titled"AroundtheWorldin80Dishes."ShecurrentlyisonthepianofacultyatBenningtonCollege.

Pollyinaquietandrelaxingmomentawayfrompianos!

EunbiKim(MSM/M.M./’12)isleading“MurakamiMusic”,aseriesofmulti‐disciplinarypresentationsbasedonthewritingsofnovelistHarukiMurakami.SheiscollaboratingwithactressLauraSnelltocreateshowscombiningreadingsandconcertsofthemusicMurakamireferencesintwoofhisnovels.IthasbeenacceptedforworkshoppingatTheCellTheaterandwillpremierethereonOctober17th,2012aspartoftheirproduction‐“LifeisNeverStill”,apop‐upartsextravaganza(http://www.thecelltheatre.org/life‐is‐never‐still‐october‐2012/).Sherecentlylaunchedandhopestokeepbuildingherprivateteachingstudio,SilverBeeStudio(www.silverbeestudio.com)

EunbiKim

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Mr.Epstein’sStudioNewsletter

Fall2012

SohyunAhn(Rutgers/DMA/Current)joinedRutgersUniversityin2011andConcordiaCollegein2012asAdjunctFaculty.InMay2012shetravelledtoMalaysiatopresentmasterclassesandaconcertfortheUniversityofMalayaandUniversityPutraMalaysia.ShewasalsoanadjudicatorattheGreaterPrincetonSteinwaySocietyScholarshipCompetition.Hertrio(withMikyungKim,violinandYoniEtzion,cello)washonoredtoperformatthe2012MTNANationalConferenceinapublicmasterclasswithMr.MenahemPressler.

SungchulLee(Rutgers/DMA/Current)willbegivingalecturerecitalinSchareRecitalHallatRutgersUniversityWednesday,October24,2012at8pm.HewillbeplayingandpresentingatheoreticalanalysisandperformanceinterpretationofL.v.BeethovenPianoSonataNo.32,Op.111.

KellyLin(Rutgers/DMA/Current)hasbeenperformingandaccompanyingmanyrecitals.ThispastJanuary,sheandherbrothermadeamusicvideo:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjzppeZmN‐I&feature=g‐all‐u

RudinLengo’s(MSM/MM/'10) recentaccomplishmentsinclude‐July,2012:ScholarshipRecipientattheBanffPianoMasterclasses,March,2012:1stPrizeWinneroftheKniggeNationalCompetitioninVancouver,BritishColumbia,February,2012:

WinneroftheGlennGouldSchoolConcertoCompetitionplayingLiszt’sConcertoNo.1inE‐flat,October,2011:PerformedBeethoven’sEmperorConcertowithOrchestraLondon,Summerof2011:SoloperformancesattheEloraandChautauquaFestivals,March2011:2ndPrizeWinnerattheWilliamC.ByrdInternationalPianoCompetition,January2011:BestPianistPrizeattheWAMSOMinnesotaCompetition.

YunjungKimhasgivenbirthtobeautifulidenticaltwinboysnamedSoohyukPeterLeeandSoowonPaulLee.(Picturebelow:Yunjungwithhertwosons)

TatjanaRankovich(PrivateStudent)wasreviewed(August4,2012)ofarecentperformanceinGermany.Excerpt‐“Withanunpretentiouscharm,offeringgreataffectionforthecomposer,shecelebratedtheRachmaninoff’sEtudes.TogetherwithLinoRivera,Stravinskybecameafour‐hand“super‐experience.”(pictureonp.6)JillianZackRodgers(MSM/BM/’09)recentlycompletedherMastersinCollaborativePianoatJuilliard.Itwasawhirlwind,butahugegrowingexperience.Sheplanstodelveintothefreelanceworld.JillianiscurrentlyinNewZealanduntilNovember,givingconcertswithJamesRodgers(tenor),whomsherecentlymarriedthispastAugust.

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Mr.Epstein’sStudioNewsletter

Fall2012

fieldofstudyasmanyofthemethodsheemployedinteachingherwerenotstandard,butrather,individuallycomposedforherbenefit.Shecurrentlyhas30privatestudentsontheupperwestsideonNYC,andteachesatManhattanHighSchoolforGirlsontheuppereastsideofManhattan.Sheteachesmusicappreciationtothe9thand10grades(modeledaftertheclassesofDr.NoonatMSM),andapianoplayingclasselectiveto11thand12thgraders.Thepianoclassallowsfortwelvestudentsgatheredaround12electricpianosandmodeledaftermykeyboardclassesatMSM.Shegivesseveralconcertsforherstudentseveryyear,andhopestokeepupplayingthoughtimeishardtocomebywithherschedule.ShecurrentlylivesinClifton,NJ,andtravelsintothecitydaily,ashort20‐minuteride.

CurrentMSMstudentsYiYao(MSM/MM/Current)andMiaoyiZeng(MSM/BM/Current)participatedintheRaphaelTrioChamberMusicWorkshoplastAugustattheHighMowingSchoolinWilton,NHwheretheywerecoachedbymembersoftheRaphaelTrioandothereminentmusicians.ForthefinalconcertstheybothperformedworksbyFaure,ReinekeandShostakovich(Miaoyi)andBrahms,ShostakovichandZemlinski(Yi).

Aftercompleting,RuthLeiter(MSM/BM/MM/09)stayedinNYCandcontinuedtobuildherpianostudioandpursueaMasters/PhDineducation.Herareaofinterestisalternatemethodsofeducation/experientiallearning,withafocusonthepositiveandnegativeeffectsofthestandardgrammarofschoolingincomparisontothatofafree/natural‐learningenvironment.HeryearsofstudywithMr.Epsteingreatlyhelpedherinchoosingthis

YiYaoandMiaoyiZenginNewHampshire

Mr.EandMiaoyiatRaphaelTrioChamberMusicWorkshop

Mr.EandMiaoyiZenginNewHampshire

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Mr.Epstein’sStudioNewsletter

Fall2012

ToddTarantino’s(Bennington/BA/'97)newcomposition"CapMalheureux"forsopranoandteninstrumentswaschosenasoneofsixfinalistsforthe2012AleaIIIInternationalCompositionCompetitionfromamong200anonymoussubmissions.ItwillbepremieredinBostononOctober7th.Otherrecentperformancesinclude"ThreeScottishFolksongs"forstringquartetbytheLocrianChamberPlayersand"StudyforBody22"bytheParhelionTrio.FutureperformancesincludeapremiereofanewworkforviolinandpianobytheOrfeoDuo.ToddwasjustnamedExecutiveDirectoroftheMATAFestival.Hereceivedhisdoctorateincompositionin2009fromColumbiaUniversitywherehecurrentlyteachesChromaticHarmonyandEarTrainingasanadjunctassistantprofessor.Inpersonalnews,hisdaughterDessarecentlyturnedthree.

MinaNourbakhsh(Rutgers/BM/Current)hasparticipatedinnumerouspianocompetitionssponsoredbythePianoTeachersSocietyofAmericaperformingatWeillRecitalHallatCarnegieHall,NewYork.ShehadalsoparticipatedintheMozartandHaydnPianoConcertoStudyCourseinAltenberg,Austriain2009aswellasTheRaphaelTrioPianoWorkshopinNewHampshirein2010.AfterauditioningatMasonGrossSchooloftheArtsinOctoberof2012,shewasselectedamongtenotherpianiststoperformfortheFranzLiszt200thAnniversaryGalaRecitalinNovember2012atWeillRecital,CarnegieHall,performingthesecondofLiszt'sThreeConcertEtudes,"LaLeggierezza."ThispastApril,MinawasannouncedoneofthewinnersoftheConcertoCompetitionatMasonGrossandwillbeperformingEdvardGrieg'sPianoConcertoinAminorinSpring2013atRutgersUniversity,NewJersey.Thispastsummer,MinahadparticipatedagainintheMozartandHaydnPianoConcertoStudyCourseinVienna,Austria(nowre‐namedViennaConcertoFest)andparticipatedinthesolocourse.SheperformedthefirstmovementofMozart'ssonatainCmajor,K.279atSchlossHalbturn.

Aftergraduating,JuliaOh(Rutgers/DMA/’10)establishedaprivatestudioof30plusstudentsinNorthernNewJersey.InJune2011,shemarriedaTexanandrelocatedtoDallas/FortWortharea.ShehastaughtprivatepianolessonsandkeyboardensembleattheUniversityofTexasatArlingtonforthispastspringsemester.ShealsostartedworkingattheTarrantCountyCommunityCollegeasanaccompanistandhasbeenplayingfortheconcertchoir,classvoice,andstudentrecitals.DuringherappointmentatUTA,shegaveseveralcollaborativerecitalswithbassoonistsattheIronsRecitalHall.

MinaNourbakhsh

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Mr.Epstein’sStudioNewsletter Fall2012

DonaldDolan(Rutgers/DMA/’09)isenteringhis4thyearasdirectorofinstrumentalmusicatThePenningtonSchool,teachingclassesinmusictheory,musictechnology,andconductingtheorchestraandjazzband.Inhis"extratime",hecoordinatestheprivatelessonsprogramattheschoolandperformsatweeklychapelasasoloistandaccompanyingthechoir(s).HeservesastheorganistatthePenningtonPresbyterianChurch,wherehegetstoplayafine1970'sCasavantorganandan1890'sSteinwayBeveryweek.

SalvatoreMallimo(Rutgers/DMA/Current)recentlyplayedthefirstmovementoftheBrahmssonatainastudent/alumnirecitalattheTaubmanInstituteSeminaratMontclairStateinJuneandhasbeenactivelywritinghislectureandpreparinghisrecital.HisdaughterAugust(picturedbelow)isdoinggreat‐she'sgoingtobe2in31/2months!

RanSaguchi(MSM/MM/’07)isbasedinTokyoandgotmarriedlastyear.SheisexpectingababyinNovember.Sincedecidingtotakealongmaternityleaveandtravelwithherhusbandthisyear.TheyvisitedShiretokoPeninsulainHokkaido(theworldnaturalheritage)andOkinawa(includingYonaguni,thewesternmostislandofJapan).

Salvatore’sdaughterAugust

Ta‐WeiYu(Rutgers/DMA/Current)wastheGrandPrizeWinneroftheNewYorkConcertiSinfoniettaInternationalPianoConcertoCompetition.HeperformedProkofiev’sPianoConcertoNo.3withtheNewYorkConcertiSinfonietta,underconductorMaestroHotsetterataconcertcommemoratingthe11thanniversaryofSept.11.TheEpochTimeswroteinareview,“Ta‐WeiYu,anativeofTaiwan,deliveredanelectrifyingperformanceofstaggeringvirtuosity,withoutslightingProkofiev’slyricismorhisplayfulwhimsy.”

RanSaguchi

BY MICHAEL SHERWIN

NEW YORK—On the night of Sept. 11, Julie Jordan Presents sponsored a concert commemorating the 11th anniversary of that epic trag-edy. The concert was held in the Church of St. Joseph in Greenwich Village, serving the downtown community north of the World Trade Center site.

On hand for the proceedings was an assortment of gifted solo-ists, supported by Julie Jordan’s New York Concerti Sinfonietta, a superb 38-piece professional orchestra sensitively led by prin-cipal conductor Paul Hostetter.

The orchestra’s personnel includ-ed such luminaries as Adele Pena, concertmistress of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and Julia Bruskin, cellist of the acclaimed Claremont Trio. Dr. Jordan, the concert presenter, is a member of The Juilliard School Evening Division faculty.

The first two works of the evening were designed to offer a message of consolation. The program opened with David Pop-per’s “Requiem” for three cellos and piano, Op. 66. Popper, a Czech cellist and composer, was roughly contemporaneous with Antonin Dvorák.

The “Requiem” is a nine-minute, single-movement work of elegiac and prayerful character. As played by cellist André Emelianoff (a Juilliard faculty member) and his students, 12-year-old Marco Biag-gio and 14-year-old Jakob Taylor, the sonority of three cellos in close harmony was beautiful. Dr. Jordan’s piano accompaniment was notable for its strong under-pinning of the bass line and its glowing, resonant timbre.

Next, violinist Claudius Agrip-pa, accompanied by Julie Jordan, mesmerized the audience with the “Meditation” from “Thaïs” by Massenet (the centennial of whose death was observed on Aug. 13).

Dr. Jordan had discovered

12-year-old Claudius playing the violin in the subway two months ago. (The diminutive, bespectacled, African-American seventh-grader can be seen in the online video

“Violin Tribute on the One Train” regaling straphangers with unac-companied Bach.) He has just been admitted to The Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program (MAP) for highly talented students ages 8 to 14.

At a supplemental concert on Sept. 8 at Steinway Hall, Julie Jordan afforded Claudius the opportunity to perform the first movement of Mozart’s Fifth Vio-lin Concerto with her orchestra, as winner of the New York Youth Debut Prize.

He played from memory with an appealing directness, well-articulated bowing, and inherent musicality. Although his playing will surely exhibit greater refine-ment as he matures, there was no question of his potential.

Also on the program of the Sept. 8 concert was an outstanding obo-ist, Julia DeRosa, First Prize winner

of the Young Artist Debut award. The 21-year-old DeRosa studies at The Juilliard School with Elaine Douvas, principal oboe of the Metropolitan Opera. DeRosa per-formed Mozart’s Oboe Concerto in C Major, K. 314.

Mozart later adapted the Oboe Concerto as his Flute Concerto No. 2, but DeRosa’s warm tone and highly nuanced molding of the melodic line imparted an inter-pretative depth that a flute could not hope to match.

DeRosa’s playing was extraor-dinary in every aspect, exhibit-ing consummate breath control, evenness of sound from low to high registers, exemplary varia-tion of dynamics, and chiseled appoggiaturas and trills. Melo-dies soared while her shapely playing danced and sang, atten-tive to structure and phrasing. The effervescent finale concluded this concerto—one of Mozart’s greatest—in buoyant high spir-its.

At the Sept. 11 concert, Marco Biaggio, one of the cellists in the Popper, was also heard in the Boc-cherini Cello Concerto in B Flat Major. Marco, a Grand Prize Debut winner, is entering the seventh grade. He studies with André Eme-lianoff at The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division.

Marco played the Friedrich Grützmacher arrangement of the concerto, a romanticized recompo-sition of the work made in 1895, 125 years after it was written, which is now being gradually displaced by Boccherini’s original. Nonetheless, it was comforting to re-encounter the once ubiquitous traditional transcription—however anach-ronistic.

Marco’s highly disciplined play-ing conveyed a maturity consider-ably beyond his years. His com-mand of bowing and fingering was precocious. He produced a full-bodied tone, varied the speed and amount of vibrato, was will-ing to play really quietly when warranted, and savored slower passages for their full expressive potential.

His intonation was remarkably secure in rapid scales and arpeg-gios, even in the highest reaches of the fingerboard. If pitch was not always equally reliable else-where, this was of small conse-quence, considering the totality of his accomplishments. Maestro Hostetter led a sympathetic, well-balanced accompaniment.

Next, Sara Sherman performed Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54. Sherman, who was awarded First Prize in the

“Shining Stars Debut Series,” has earned advanced degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. She delivered a deeply satisfying, fresh, and insightful performance of this repertory staple.

Producing a rich sonority that made the piano sound bigger than it was, Sherman effectively con-veyed the dichotomy between the work’s heaven-storming bravura and its caressing, tender episodes. Her rock-steady pulse in the assertive passages highlighted

the rhythmic displacements and syncopations so fundamental to Schumann’s style.

In the hushed interludes, her highly inflected playing incorpo-rated a wide variety of touch; her accenting of inner voices evidenc-ing both poetry and imagination.

Fluidly conducted by Maestro Hostetter, the orchestra’s playing was on a very high level, especially in the slow movement, distin-guished by a gorgeous-sounding cello section and a beautifully lyrical clarinet solo played by Todd Palmer.

Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 26, came as the conclusion of an already long program. It proved worth the wait.

The Grand Prize winner of the

New York Concerti Sinfonietta International Piano Concerto Competition, Ta-Wei Yu, a native of Taiwan, delivered an electrifying performance of staggering virtu-osity, without slighting Prokofiev’s lyricism or his playful whimsy. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Yu is presently a doctoral candidate in musical arts at Rut-gers University.

Possessed of a seemingly limit-less technique, it was exhilarating to watch his fingers devour the keyboard like a pianistic carnivore. He effortlessly played the most difficult passages with such stun-ning rapidity that one was afraid the tempo police would issue him a speeding ticket.

The finale concluded in a cor-

uscating blaze of perfectly con-trolled, blindingly fast octaves that appreciably outstripped nearly every well-known pianist who has recorded the work. Mae-stro Hostetter and the orchestra partnered him with full-throated abandon.

If the first part of the concert looked back to provide consolation for what had been lost on 9/11, the remainder of the concert looked forward. It demonstrated the pow-er of inspired music-making as an affirmation of life, sustained by the promise of youth, serving as a beacon of hope for the future.

Michael Sherwin has held Rock-efeller and Fromm Foundation Fel-lowships in music criticism.

ARTS & CULTURE B1 - B3SPORTS B4

CLASSIFIEDS B5PUZZLES B6

ARTS & CULTURE B7DINING B8SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

Church Concert Commemorates 11th Anniversary of 9/11

American Artist Tatijana Jacenkiw works almost exclusively in pastels, though she sometimes experiments with watermedia for under-painting to create a toned sur-face and to add more depth or interest. Colors and the refrac-tive quality intrigue her, and she is fascinated by the way one can play with colors through layer-ing, strokes and cross-hatching to give a certain iridescence to the work.

She strives to capture the essence of the subject, tell a story, and convey a mood, a feel-ing, or a moment in time.

From tatijana-jacenkiw.com

"Goatherder of Castle Hill," 11 inches x 14 inches. When visiting Castle Hill, a park in the heart of the city of Lviv, in western Ukraine, I saw a man walking with a herd of goats along a path and disappear into the woods. A moment out of time, a touch of the past, a village inside a city.

“Henhouse Maneuvers” 18 inches x 26 inches. One late fall afternoon on a local farm, I was struck by the social interaction of the roosters as well, as the shadows they cast.

Tatijana Jacenkiw

Julie Jordan Presents features prizewinning soloists

Julia DeRosa receives a standing ovation after playing the Mozart Oboe Concerto with the New York Concerti Sinfonietta on Sept. 8 at Steinway Rotunda.

Pre-College Grand Prize Winner Marco Biaggio performs Boccherini Cello Concerto.

Claudius Agrippa, violinist, and Paul Hostetter, principal conductor, and the New York Concerti Sinfonietta take a bow.

Ta-wei Yu, a candidate for a doctorate of musical arts at Rutgers, performed at the New York Concerti Sinfonietta.

Sara Sherman bows after her Schumann Piano Concerto.

ARI NOVAK

COURTESY OF TA-WEI YU

JAMAAL LEVINE

DAVID DEROSA

IVAN BIAGGIO

COURTESY OF TATIJANA JACENKIW

COURTESY OF TATIJANA JACENKIW

Ta‐WeiYu

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Mr.Epstein’sStudioNewsletter

Fall2012

What has Mr. Epstein been up to?

LastOctober29th,Mr.EpsteinopenedtheRutgersSymphonySeasonwithBeethovenEmperorConcertounderconductorShinikHahm.(pictureabove)

FebruarythroughMayperformanceswiththeRaphaelTrioincluded:ManhattanSchoolofMusic(performanceof“Echo’byMarjorieMerryman);RutgersUniversitywithguestsviolinistPamelaFrankandviolistCJChang;BargemusicandPerformersofWestchesterwithguestsPamelaFrankandviolistAyaneKozasa;performanceofthetwotriosofWolf‐FerrariatthePhillipsCollectioninWashington,DC.

Lastspring,AlbanyRecordsreleasedMr.Epstein’srecordingofAllanShawn’sRecollections,(writtenforhim).TherecordingwasmadeinNicholasMusicCenteratRutgers.Youcanhearithere:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3jqiKvkFcc

InAugust,Mr.EconductedhisannualChamberMusicWorkshopinNewHampshireandthenplayedaconcertinMainewithviolinistClaudiaWarburg,violistRobertDan,cellistBarbaraStein‐MallowandsopranoBetseyPeters‐Epstein(hiswife!).

InMid‐OctoberMr.EheadsouttonorthernCaliforniaforconcertswiththeRaphaelTrio.OnNov.1,hewillbefeaturedintheManhattanSchoolofMusicHongKongFestival,performing“ThreeDancesforTwoPianos”byManuelInfantewithpianistNancyLoo.