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The New York Viola Society's 2003-2004 Season of
Concerts, Recitals and other Viola Events
The New York Viola Society's Twelfth Season:
- Collegial Concert I - October 20, 2003
- Brian Chen - November 17, 2003
- Helen Callus - January 11, 2004
- Collegial Concert II - January 25, 2004
- Cynthia Phelps - March 14, 2004
- NYVS ViolaFest 2004 - April 18, 2004
October 20, 2003, 7:30 p.m.
Mannes College of Music
Collegial Concert I
Vincent Persichetti - Parable for Solo Viola
Valentina Charlap-Evans, Viola
Leanne Darling - Mirage I (2002) and Aftershock (2001) for Solo
Amplified Viola and Boomerang
Leanne Darling, Viola
Stephen Siegel - Midnight's Garden (2002)
Ann Roggen, Viola
Shmuel Katz, Violin
Paul Salerni - "Speaking of Love"
Donald Dal Maso, Viola
Debra Field, Soprano
Paul Salerni, Piano
Joseph Pehrson - "Levitations" for Viola and Piano (2003)
Lev Zhurbin, Viola
Leonard Lehrman, Piano
Benjamin Britten - Lachrymae
Richard O'Neill, Viola
Yi-Fang Huang, Piano
November 17, 2003, 7:30 p.m.
Mannes College of Music
Brian Chen, Viola
Yi-Fang Huang, Piano
Max Reger - Suite No.1, Op. 131d
George Rochberg - Sonata for Viola and Piano (1979)
Arnold Bax - Sonata for Viola and Piano
Efrem Zimbalist - Sarasateana: Tango
First prize winner of the 2003 William Primrose Viola Competition
and "Yuri Bashmet prize" winner of the 2003 Lionel Tertis Viola
Competition, twenty-five year old violist Brian
Chen was born in Taipei, Taiwan, where he studied with Ben
Lin, and made his solo recital debut at age 10. A four-time winner
of the National Viola Competition in Taiwan, he came to the US in
1992 and was accepted to The Curtis Institute of Music, where he
studied with Michael Tree, Karen Tuttle, and Joseph dePasquale.
Mr. Chen received his Masterís degree from The Juilliard School,
where he studied with Paul Neubauer. At age 21, he joined The Florida
Orchestra, directed by Maestro Jahja Ling, as the principal viola.
As an active chamber musician, Mr. Chen has performed
with members of Guarneri, Juilliard, Cleveland, Mendelssohn, and
Orion string quartets, and has collaborated with such artists as
Jaime Laredo, Chiao-Liang Lin, and Felix Galimir. Mr. Chen is currently
a member of Chamber Music Society Two of the Chamber Music Society
at Lincoln Center. He has performed throughout the US and abroad,
including in Alice Tully Hall, Merkin concert Hall, Weill Recital
Hall, Carnegie Hall, Barge Music, 92nd Street Y in New York, Library
of Congress in Washington, D.C., Kimmel Center in Philadelphia,
National Concert Hall in Taipei, and Wigmore Hall in London. He
was a participant at the Ravinia and Marlboro Festivals, and appears
frequently with Musicians from Marlboro and Musicians from Ravinia
tours.
Yi-Fang Huang, a native of Taiwan, began
her piano studies at age 7, and also studied viola beginning at
age 10. She made her piano solo debut at age 12 with the Fu-Shing
Orchestra. In 1995, Ms. Huang graduated from the Affiliated Senior
High School of the National Taiwan Normal University and has since
continued her studies in the United States. She received her Bachelor
of Music and Master of Music degrees at The Juilliard School, where
she studied with Martin Canin. Ms. Huang has won several prizes
in Taiwan's piano competitions, second place at the Juilliard concerto
competition, and first place at the Rutgers University concerto
competition. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts
degree at Rutgers University under the tutelage of Susan Starr.
She is also the staff accompanist at The Juilliard School.
January 11, 2004, 4:00 p.m.
Manhattan School of Music
Helen Callus, Viola
Peter Vinograde, Piano
Brahms - Scherzo from FAE Sonata (arranged by Barbara Westphal)
DeFalla - Suite Populaire Espagnole (arranged by Helen Callus)
Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet Suite (arranged by Vadim Borisovsky)
Rebecca Clarke - Morpheus
Rebecca Clarke - Sonata
Helen
Callus has been described by critics as "a player with impeccable
sensibilities and a beautiful sound, infinitely malleable into all
kinds of musical subtleties" and with "a technique that is unobtrusively
excellent".
Her recent recording "Portrait of the Viola"
with Robert McDonald - piano [ASV CD DCA1130] has been met with
the highest of critical acclaim. Gramophone Magazine described
it as a "superbly stylish recording, always with flexibility and
poetry in abundance. No other recording surpasses this newcomer
in terms of sweep or communicative ardor" and Strings magazine
described Ms. Callus as a "violist of the highest caliber; with
a performance that is beautifully interpreted with somnolent abandon".
A native of England, Ms. Callus graduated
with Honors from The Royal Academy of Music and recently was bestowed
an honorary ARAM (Associate of the Royal Academy of Music) for
her achievements in the field. She then continued her studies
with renowned Scottish violist Paul Coletti at The Peabody Conservatory
of the Johns Hopkins University and shortly afterwards, became
his teaching assistant at the school. During this time, Ms Callus
was the winner of several important competitions including a special
prize at the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and
Congress.
At the age of 26 she was invited to the faculty
of The University of Washington, where she was Professor of Viola
and Head of the Chamber Music Program for 7 years. In 2003 Ms
Callus accepted the position of Professor of Viola at the University
of California at Santa Barbara where she now lives and enjoys
a busy teaching and performing schedule. She continues to be much
in demand across the country as a visiting professor and has given
masterclasses in many of the nations leading music schools. A
much sought after teacher at summer festivals across the country
she has also adjudicated for such national organizations as ASTA,
most recently acting as Chair of the Primrose International Viola
Competition. Ms. Callus is the founder of "BRATS" (Bratsche [meaning
viola] Resources and Teaching in the Schools) brought to national
attention in the February issue of the STRAD magazine. She has
also written articles for publications such as the Strings and
STRAD magazines.
In 2001, Ms Callus made a special appearance at
the 29th International Viola Congress, performing Hindemith's Der
Schwanendreher Viola Concerto with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
Adding to her commitment to teaching, education and public awareness
of the viola, in 2002 she accepted the honor of being the first
women elected President of the American Viola Society and in June
of that year hosted the 30th International Viola Congress in Seattle,
considered one of the most successful congresses in the society's
history (www.violacongress2002.org).
In June of 2003 she performed at the 31st International Congress
in Germany alongside some of the world's greatest viola players
and in 2004 will be performing at the 32nd International Viola Congress
at the University of Minnesota.
She has delighted audiences across the world
in major cities of Russia, Europe, America, New Zealand and Canada.
A regular artist on radio and TV, she has been heard on such programs
as "Performance Today" and has recently been invited for a return
visit as a solo guest on Minnesota Public Radio's Saint Paul Sunday.
In 2003, whilst a guest at Brigham Young University as the featured
artist for the Primrose Memorial Recital, Ms. Callus performed
with the world renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City
to an audience of 4,000 and broadcast to over 2,000 television
stations around the world.
An
outstanding interpreter of J.S. Bach and contemporary composers,
pianist Peter Vinograde's annual tours
of the U.S., Canada, and Asia feature music of living composers.
A regular performer on New York City's St. Andrews Series, he recently
returned from a tour of Southern China, playing Bach concerti with
the Macao Chamber Orchestra. During the Copland Centennial, he presented
lecture/recitals on the Passacaglia and Piano Fantasy.
World premiere performances have included Nicolas
Flagello's Concerto #3 (1962) with Nicholas Palmer and the Owensboro
(KY) Symphony, Hal Campbell's Piano Concerto (1997) in Utah, and
Mark Zuckerman's On the Edges (1996) in Taiwan. Dr. Vinograde's
numerous awards began with first prize in the 1971 J.S. Bach International
Competition, followed by his New York debut at Carnegie Recital
Hall and an N.E.A.-sponsored Lincoln Center recital at Alice Tully
Hall. Frequently heard on National Public Radio, his National Gallery
programs are aired on Performance Today, and he was featured on
CBC-TV's the Journal. As a chamber musician, he has appeared as
guest pianist at Wolftrap, Caramoor, and the Bard Music Festival.
CD releases include a CBC recording of Canadian
composers Michael Matthews and Alfred Fisher, an Albany recording
of solo/chamber works of Nicolas Flagello, and Catalina recordings
of the Rachmaninoff Concerto #3 and Bach's 7 Toccatas. A new release
on Phoenix features works by Copland, Creston, and Mark Zuckerman.
A member of the Manhattan School of Music's piano
faculty since 1981, he studied there with Zenon Fishbein.
January 25, 2004, 2:30 p.m.
Donnell Library Center Auditorium
Collegial Concert II
J.C. Bach - Concerto for Viola(first movement)
Amanda Hall, Viola
Hector Villa-Lobos - Duo for Violin and Viola (first movement)
Cori Tolda, Viola
Heather Sommerlad, Violin
Rebecca Clarke - Prelude, Allegro and Pastorale
Arman Alpyspaev, Viola
Ricardo Morales, Clarinet
Tigran Mansourian - Lachrymae
Joseph Turrin - Fragments
Martin Lodge - Ritual
Timothy Deighton, Viola
Carrie Koffman, Saxophone
Paola Prestini - Sympathique
Melia Watras, Viola
Maurice Wright - Grand Duo for Viola and Percussion
Anthony Simmons, Viola
Harvey Price, Percussion
March 14, 2004, 7:30 p.m.
Manhattan School of Music
Cynthia Phelps, Viola
Yi-Fang Huang, Piano
J.S. Bach - Gamba Sonata #3 in g minor
Paul Hindemith - Sonata op. 25, #1 for Viola Alone
Hendrik Andriessen - Sonatina in one Movement, for Viola and Piano
Arnold Bax - Legend
Julius Rontgen - Sonata in c minor

Photo by J. Henry Fair |
"Not only does CYNTHIA PHELPS produce
one of the richest, deepest viola timbres in the world, she is a
superb musician" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). Principal
Violist of the New York Philharmonic, Ms. Phelps has distinguished
herself both here and abroad as one of the leading instrumentalists
of our time. The recipient of numerous honors and awards, including
the 1988 Pro Musicis International Award and first prize at both
the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the Washington
International String Competition, she has captivated audiences with
her compelling solo and chamber music performances. She is "a performer
of top rank...the sounds she drew were not only completely unproblematical
--technically faultless, generously nuanced-- but sensuously breathtaking"
(The Boston Globe).
Ms. Phelps performs throughout the world as soloist with orchestras,
including the Minnesota Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, San
Diego Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica de Bilbao, and Hong Kong Philharmonic.
She has appeared in recital in Paris, Rome, Los Angeles, Boston
and Washington, and at New York's Alice Tully Hall, London's Wigmore
Hall, and St. David's Hall in Cardiff, Wales. She has also been
heard on National Public Radio's St. Paul Sunday Morning,
Radio France, and RAI in Italy, and has been featured on The
MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, and CBS Sunday Morning.
Ms. Phelps has performed internationally as a collaborator with
such artists as Isaac Stern, Itzak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman,
Yo-Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell, and Yefim Bronfman, among many others.
A much sought-after chamber musician, she performs regularly with
the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New York's Bargemusic,
the Boston Chamber Music Society, and Music From Copland House.
Ms. Phelps has performed with the Guarneri, American, Brentano,
and Prague String Quartets, the Kalichstein-Robinson-Laredo Trio,
and at the Mostly Mozart, Marlboro, Seattle, Bridgehampton, Ravinia,
La Jolla, Santa Fe, Bravo!Colorado, Naples, Cremona, Schleswig-Holstein,
and Chamber Music Northwest Festivals.
Ms. Phelps regularly receives enthusiastic reviews for her performances
as soloist with the New York Philharmonic; works she has performed
include Berlioz's Harold in Italy, the Bartok Viola Concerto
and Strauss's Don Quixote, the Benjamin Lees Concerto
for String Quartet, and the recent premiere of a concerto
written for her by Sofia Gubaidulina. Recent performances have
included a New York Philharmonic International tour featuring
the Gubaidulina, a new work written for her by composer Steven
Paulus (commissioned by the Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival),
and return solo engagements with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the
San Diego Symphony and numerous other orchestras.
This season, Ms. Phelps appears in virtually every major concert
hall in New York City, including performances with the American
String Quartet, the Kalichstein-Robinson-Laredo trio, and mezzo-soprano
Suzanne Mentzer. She also performs in recital in La Jolla, as
well as on tour with violinist Ida Kavafian and cellist Ronald
Thomas. She looks forward to a new viola concerto written for
her by Richard Danielpour. Her solo debut recording is on Cala
Records, and can also be heard on the Marlboro Recording Society,
Polyvideo, Nuova Era, Virgin Classics, and Covenant labels. Ms.
Phelps and her husband, cellist Ronald Thomas, reside in New Jersey
and have three children, Lili, Christinia, and Caitlin.
Yi-Fang Huang, a native
of Taiwan, began her piano studies at age 7, and also studied viola
beginning at age 10. She made her piano solo debut at age 12 with
the Fu-Shing Orchestra. In 1995, Ms. Huang graduated from the Affiliated
Senior High School of the National Taiwan Normal University and
has since continued her studies in the United States. She received
her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees at The Juilliard
School, where she studied with Martin Canin. Ms. Huang has won several
prizes in Taiwan's piano competitions, second place at the Juilliard
concerto competition, and first place at the Rutgers University
concerto competition. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Musical
Arts degree at Rutgers University under the tutelage of Susan Starr.
She is also the staff accompanist at The Juilliard School.
April 18, 2004, 1 - 6 p.m.
Bloomingdale School of Music
NYVS ViolaFest 2004
An Afternoon of Playing
Throughout the afternoon, participants were able to play through
works for ensembles of 3 to 12 violas, including pieces performed
at our Collegial and Multiple Viola Concerts.
Lecture/Demonstration:
- String Secrets. Fan Tao, string developer for D'Addario Strings,
spoke about varieties of strings, their tone and other properties,
and how to choose them. Fan is currently developing a new A-string
for the viola.
Get Together
A reception followed the afternoon's activities. A fine afternoon
for old and new friends to get together.
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