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Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall < Back Lehner Quartet Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall Apply here Download Conditions Previous Next For Composers " New Classics Quartet" Project Album Recording and Performance at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall with the Lehner Quartet The New Classics Quartet project includes: Composers may attend a dress rehearsal remotely. Performance at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall (dates on the page): https://www.soundespressivocompetition.com/carnegie-hall-auditions Archival video recording* of performance from Carnegie (*video recording may be presented on your website, in grant applications and other career enhancement projects and communications, included in lectures, presentations, shared via email. Video may not be placed on commercial platforms and social media where monetization is available, even if you don't monetize it yourself; it may not be modified or monetized). See sample: Separately recorded, mastered, and produced commercial audio recording, to be included in the upcoming Lehner Quartet New Classics Quartet Album dedicated to contemporary quartet music by living composers, to be distributed on audio platforms (Spotify, Apple, Amazon and similar) by Cicerone Music and Arts (CiMA) . Interview for media with Steve Robinson. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Robinson_(executive) Artist Spotlight documentary video about you (up to 30 min) produced and broadcast by Virtual Concert Halls on video and social media channels. See samples here: https://www.soundespressivocompetition.com/internet-tv-2023-24 Promotion through websites, press releases, posts on socials. Picture and bio included in the full color booklet and other memorabilia. Artists of the Lehner Quartet Vladimir Dyo, Violin 1 Vladimir Dyo Since his debut with the Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra at age 12, Vladimir Dyo has toured and performed at prestigious venues of the former USSR, Europe, Asia, and the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Hall, Seoul Arts Center, Rachmaninoff Hall, Tchaikovsky Hall, Column Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, KBS Hall, UNESCO, United Nations General Headquarters etc. His individual tone and personal approach to phrasing set him apart from his peers. Critics write: "His mystic contour merged with the instrument and hypnotized the audience....Subtlety and flawlessness of Rachmaninoff's endlessly versatile music created such an emotional reaction with the audience that many had tears in their eyes..." (N. Zemlyakova, musicologist). "Dyo's Sarasate was dazzling..." (Michael Church, BBC World Service). "Vladimir Dyo is a violinist who plays with incredible energy and electricity. His rendition of my LEX was spectacular. He is a major talent who has a very bright future ahead!" (Michael Daugherty, Grammy winner composer). He has received numerous awards from foundations, politicians, and national and international competitions including Grand Prize at the Michelangelo Abbado International Competition in Milan, Italy, 2nd prize at the International Yampolsky Violin Competition in Moscow, Russia, Grand prizes at the top National and International Competitions in Kazakhstan. In 2015, he was invited to perform as guest soloist with Ulsan Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium) and at the Peace Concert at the United Nations General Headquarters in NY dedicated to the 70th Anniversary of UN and 65th Anniversary of Korean War, along with legendary coloratura soprano Sumi Jo under the baton of maestro Hong-Jae Kim. As soloist and chamber musician, Vladimir Dyo performed at the international music festivals including the Graduates of Moscow Conservatory (Russia), Ost-West-Musikfest, Prague-Vienna-Budapest, and Mozarteum (Austria). The Cliburn Institute (USA), Seoul International Music Camp Festival, GwangJu International Classic Festival (Korea), the iPalpiti International Laureates Festival (Los Angeles, USA), and served as faculty member and assistant conductor at the 20th Summit Music Festival in New York. In 2017, Vladimir Dyo was featured soloist at the Namdo International Classical Music Festival in Gwangju, South Korea, where he performed with the Festival Orchestra comprised of musicians of world's leading orchestras, including Vienna Philharmonic, Baltimore, Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, Mariinsky Orchestra etc. In addition, he has collaborated and performed works of living composers including Daugherty's "Lex", Tsontakis' 2nd Violin Concerto, and premiered works by David Carpenter, Allen Krantz, Kareem Roustom, Paul Moravec and others. In 2019, he was featured on the cover of Strad Korea Magazine including a cover story about his activities as soloist, educator and artistic director of the Global Music Partnership. Yevgeniy Dyo, Violin 2 Yevgeniy Dyo Since his debut with the Kazakh State Orchestra at the age of nine, Yevgeniy Dyo has performed at prestigious venues in the former Soviet Union, Europe, Asia, Canada, and the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Kimmel Center, Tchaikovsky Hall, Mozarteum Wiener Saal, Meyerson Hall, Astana Philharmonic Society Presidential Hall, Embassies of the Vatican and South Korea, and the United Nations General Headquarters. He has won numerous awards from foundations and national and international competitions, including the grand prize at the Shabyt International Chamber Music Competition, Astana, Kazakhstan, and the International Organization "New Names" Award, Moscow, Russia. Yevgeniy Dyo was featured in the KBS Overseas Compatriot Award recipient Ten Chu documentary, South Korea; the WWFM program "Celebrating Our Musical Future" hosted by David Osenberg in Princeton, New Jersey; and in a number of interviews and performances on Kazakhstan National Radio and Television. He was featured in the Washington Post's coverage of the regional premiere and second-ever performance of Bernstein's "Music for String Quartet" in Washington, D.C.; other U.S. publications include Korea Phila Times, Korea Week, Kazakhstan's national newspaper Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, Koryo Ilbo, and other international publications. As a chamber musician and soloist, Dr. Yevgeniy Dyo was a founding member of the Musica D'Accordo Astana, the premier chamber ensemble at the Astana State Philharmonic Society, comprised of six of Kazakhstan's most distinguished musicians, performing a regular season at the Presidential Hall and touring nationally. He has performed in the inaugural concert of the Bridge International concert series (currently Vancouver Chamber Music Society) in Vancouver, Canada; he co-founded the Solo and Chamber Music Series in Ewing, New Jersey; and he has performed at international festivals, including Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. His orchestral performances include the world premiere of Karl Jenkins' Requiem in London, England, conducted by the composer; a guest concertmaster appearance with the New Jersey Capital Philharmonic Orchestra; and the assistant concertmaster position with Camerata Kazakhstan. As a member of Trio Fontes, he frequently performs in the tri-state region. Dr. Dyo has taught violin and chamber music at institutions including Temple University, where he coached alongside Philadelphia Orchestra principal harpist Elizabeth Hainen, and The Peddie School. He has also given master classes at institutions including the Mongolian State Conservatory, Flint School of Performing Arts and The Music School of Delaware, among others. He served as a judge for the GMP International Violin Competition in New York. Since 2015, he has also served as a regular judge at the New Jersey All-State auditions. Dr. Dyo has served as vice-president and president of the Philadelphia Korean Musicians Association, one of the nation's oldest and most respected Korean arts organizations. Under his leadership, the organization participated in numerous events, including The First Korean Congress Centennial Celebration, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Korean liberation movement, and "Korea in Philly" Korean Cultural Week, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Korean American Association of Greater Philadelphia. During his tenure, he oversaw the organization of two competitions that served more than one hundred young Korean musicians in the region. He has been named the competition's permanent artistic director. As Artistic Director of the GMP International Violin Ensemble of the multifaceted music organization Global Music Partnership, Dr. Dyo directed the ensemble's Carnegie Hall performance. In addition, he served as an artistic advisor in collaboration with the Association of Modern Georgian Artists to present the world premiere of five compositions by contemporary Georgian composers at the DiMenna Center in New York. Joseph Kauffman, Viola Joseph Kauffman Joseph Kauffman has studied with Yayoi Numazawa of the Philadelphia Orchestra, James Lyon and Max Zorin of The Pennsylvania State University, and Dr. Eduard Schmieder of Temple University. Kauffman holds violin performance degrees from Penn State (BM) University and Temple University (MM). He is currently a DMA candidate at Temple University. Kauffman has performed in many of the most prestigious concert halls throughout the world including Tchaikovsky Hall, Disney Hall, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kimmel Center, the Mariinsky Theatre, and the Kennedy Center amongst others. Kauffman received 1st Prize in the MTNA chamber music competition, and was the winner of the Beene, Kroulik, and Brewster solo competitions. He was awarded the Albert Tashjian and Max Aronoff Prizes by Temple University for excellence in performance and teaching, and the creative achievement award by Penn State University for his memorable performances. He has performed as a soloist with the PSU Philharmonic, Williamsport Chamber Orchestra, Temple Symphony Orchestra, and others. In 2010, Kauffman joined iPalpiti Artists International, an organization that helps young musicians begin their careers. He has performed chamber music live on the radio in both Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Kauffman performs regularly with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the Princeton Symphony, ipalpiti Artists International, Symphony in C, AVA Opera, and the Philadelphia Virtuosi. During this past year, Kauffman performed chamber concerts with Branford Marsalis, and even had the opportunity to perform for Pope Francis during his visit to Philadelphia in the fall of 2015. Kauffman teaches a talented class of violin and viola students who have gone on to win competitions and college scholarships. He also teaches chamber music at Temple University. Kauffman recorded for the television series documentary, “Philadelphia the Great Experiment,” and is participating in other upcoming television recording projects. Kauffman is the Co-founder and Co-artistic director of the “Music Transforms” concert series in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Igor Zubkovsky, Cello Igor Zubkovsky Igor Zubkovsky is a Russian-born cellist who made his solo debut at age twelve with the Minsk State Philharmonic Orchestra in Belarus, performing the Haydn C Major Cello Concerto. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory in Russia with Natalia Shakhovskaya and later earned a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory in the United States on full scholarship. An award-winning musician, he has received top prizes at the International Cello Competition in Minsk, Belarus, and Belgrade, Serbia, and the Grand Prix at the Tansman Competition in Łódź, Poland, as well as high awards at the Trapani, Italy (2nd prize), and Weimar, Germany (1st prize) International Chamber Music Competitions with The Brahms Trio (Moscow). Since 2003, Zubkovsky has been a member of the Washington National Opera Orchestra and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. He has performed across the U.S. and Europe, including Weill Recital Hall and Merkin Hall in New York, the Newport Music Festival, and the Moscow Conservatory, and has appeared as soloist in works including Brahms’ Double Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations. Most recently, he spent two seasons with the critically acclaimed Veronika String Quartet and is currently a founding member of the Lehner Quartet, with whom he has recorded two Modern Classics albums of new works by living composers, with a third in production. In addition to performing, Zubkovsky is an active arranger and editor, creating original transcriptions for duos and trios with cello, and he has premiered new works, including Isaac Mikhnovsky’s Cello Sonata.

< Back Previous Kevin Kenner Next WATCH VIDEO THE YEAR 1990 WAS A MILESTONE FOR PIANIST KEVIN KENNER whose artistry was recognized throughout the world by three prestigious awards: the top prize at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw (together with the Peoples’ Prize and prize for the best Polonaise), the recipient of the International Terrence Judd Award in London, and the bronze medal at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow (together with the prize for best performance of a Russian work). It was the first time an American pianist had managed to win prizes in both the Chopin and Tchaikovsky Competitions. And in the years leading up to those remarkable accomplishments, he won prizes at the Van Cliburn International Competition (Fort Worth, 1989) and the Gina Bachauer International Competition (Salt Lake City, 1988). Kevin Kenner’s achievements have won him critical acclaim throughout the world. He has been praised as “one of the finest American pianists to come along in years” (Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune), “…fulfilling a criterion which one only knows from great Chopinists such as Rubinstein, Benedetti-Michelangeli and Dinu Lipatti” (Winfried Wild, Schwaebische Zeitung, Germany). Adrian Jack of London’s Independent describes one of Kenner’s recitals as “…the best performance I have ever heard in the concert hall of all four of Chopin’s Ballades”. The Financial Times described Kenner as a “player of grace, subtle variety and strength, with a mature grasp of dramatic structure and proportion: in short, a grown-up musician nearing his peak.” And the Washington Post recently proclaimed him “a major talent… an artist whose intellect, imagination and pianism speak powerfully and eloquently.” The conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, who recorded with pianists such as Artur Rubinstein, claimed Kenner’s Chopin interpretations to be the most sensitive and beautiful he remembered. BORN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, Kenner showed his interest in piano from a very young age and studied there with Polish pianist Krzysztof Brzuza. As a teenager, Brzuza sent him to Poland to audition for the eminent professor Ludwik Stefanski, who immediately prepared him for the 1980 International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, where he was the youngest competitor and in which he received a special award as the most promising talent. Kenner’s sojourn in Poland took place during a momentous period in Polish history, coinciding with the beginnings of Solidarity, strikes, protests and severe food shortages. This left an indelible impression and initiated a lifelong love affair with Poland. Following the death of his Polish teacher, he continued his studies for the next five years with legendary pianist Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. Returning to Europe once again, Kenner concluded his formal training in Hannover with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and made his permanent home in Europe. Kenner now resides in Krakow and London, where he teaches at the Royal College of Music. KENNER HAS PERFORMED AS SOLOIST with world-class orchestras including the Hallé Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Czech Philharmonic, the Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic, the NHK Symphony of Japan, and in the US with the principal orchestras of San Francisco, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Kansas City, New Jersey, Rochester, Baltimore, St. Paul and many others. He has been invited to work with renowned conductors, including Sir Charles Groves, Andrew Davis, Hans Vonk, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Kazimierz Kord, Jiri Belohlavek and Antoni Wit. He has been invited to perform chamber music with illustrious string quartets such as the Belcea, Tokyo, Endellion, Vogler and Panocha to name but a few. He has toured and recorded with the Piazzoforte ensemble performing special arrangements of Astor Piazzolla, Chopin, and Bach. He is also creator and artistic director of the Ensemble XIX, performing the concert music of Chopin on 19th century instruments. He has been invited to adjudicate in some of the most celebrated international piano competitions in Asia, Europe and the US. And in 2010 he comes full circle, having been asked to serve as a juror on the next International Chopin Competition. Kevin Kenner’s recordings are distributed internationally and include many discs of Chopin works as well as recordings of Ravel, Schumann, Beethoven and Piazzolla, the latter having been awarded a “Fryderyk” in Poland as best CD of the year under the category Chamber Music. He has also established himself as a specialist in period instruments and his recent recording of Chopin solo piano works on an 1848 Pleyel for the National Chopin Institute of Poland received a 5 star “superb” rating by the French magazine Diapason. This season’s activities include concerts with Franz Bruggen and the Orchestra of XVIII Century, performances and recording sessions with the Ensemble XIX, a Chopin recital on an 1826 Graf at the Cité de la musique in Paris, concerts and recording celebrating Paderewski’s 150th birthday, and concert tours in Japan, USA, Mexico, Canada, Germany, France, Britain and Poland.

< Back Mike Vaccaro Clarinet/Saxophone Learn More Videos About Mike Vaccaro is a freelance musician in greater Los Angeles, California. He is active in the fields of motion pictures, television, jingles, live theater, and classical, jazz, and pop concerts. Performing on a multitude of woodwind instruments including the clarinet, flute, saxophone, and oboe families his background and current performance activities are varied. After studies at Cerritos College and Cal State University Long Beach (where he premiered the Scaramouche for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra by Darius Milhaud) in classical music he served his professional apprenticeship on tours with Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Paul Horn, and the American Folk Ballet. A four year stint in Las Vegas had him performing for production shows and celebrities and various hotels. At the same time he was performing with the Las Vegas Chamber Players and the Las Vegas Symphony Orchestra. Since 1975 Mike has performed as a freelance musician in virtually every performance situation in the Los Angeles area. Most recently he has been performing at the Pantages Theater, South Bay Civic Light Opera, with The Pageant Of The Masters Orchestra, Long Beach Grand Opera, and in a variety of recording studios, venues, and at concerts throughout the area. Recent recording engagements include The Academy Awards, and the motion pictures, Up, Star Trek, Speed Racer, Ratatouille, Hairspray, Land of the Lost, and Mission Impossible lll, The Incredibles, etc. In addition he is the music contractor at The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Mike has recently released two new CDs, which, along with his other CDs, can be accessed on this site. He continues to record new CDs, so revisit this page from time to time to see Mike's Latest Hits. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For the past twenty-nine years I have been the house music contractor at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts . My duties include hiring, managing, and payroll for musicians in conjunction with celebrity accompaniment, musical theater, and concerts. In addition I have contracted for such eminent names as the Westwood Theater , Bellagio Productions , The Ovation Awards , Children's Miracle Telethon , Avalon Attractions , The Jack Morton Company , PGI International , and the motion picture Apartment Zero . I also contracted the 80 piece orchestra for Ray Charles' Grammy Award-Winning, Platinum CD entitled "Genius Loves Company". Several years ago I contracted and performed the Stravinsky Octet on composer John Scott's CD. It was a companion piece to his brilliant composition, The Wind in the Willows. Since then, I have done several projects with John, both for film and concert music. This composition, Concerto for Two Trumpets, Harp, and Strings , is another example of John's excellent writing, this time for chamber orchestra. I trust you will enjoy these samples of each of the four movements of the piece that I contracted. Movement 1 Movement 2 Movement 3 Movement 4 Here are contracting samples from the Ray Charles CD: Click on the titles below to listen to excerpts from "Genius Loves Company" "Hey, Girl" with Michael McDonald "It Was a Very Good Year" with Willie Nelson "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" with Elton John Grammy Award 47th Annual Grammy Awards Category 84 "Over The Rainbow" with Johnny Mathis Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) Previous Next

< Back Previous Theodore Wang Next Gala at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall April 4, 2024 WATCH VIDEO Teddy Wang was born in New York City and began studying the violin at the age of four. In addition to violin, he has pursued piano, demonstrating remarkable musicality from an early age. Teddy has earned second place in the Elite Music Competition for piano in 2020 and for violin in 2022. In 2022, he performed at Lincoln Center as a member of the Greater Westchester Youth Orchestra. He serves as concertmaster of his elementary school orchestra since fourth grade and occasionally performs as a piano accompanist. Teddy studies violin with Prof. Elizabeth Faidley. Outside of music, he enjoys art, cooking, and playing soccer, reflecting his diverse interests and creative spirit.

< Back Previous Peter Dickson Lopez Next Gala at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall April 1, 2024 WATCH VIDEO Internationally performed composer Peter Dickson Lopez traces his artistic roots to a remarkably diverse lineage of influences shaped during his graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, his tenure as a Tanglewood Fellowship Composer, and as recipient of the George Ladd Prix de Paris (1976–78). His eclectic mature style reflects early work with composers of sharply contrasting aesthetics and philosophies, including Joaquin Nin-Culmell, Andrew Imbrie, Edwin Dugger, Olly Wilson, and Earle Brown at UC Berkeley (1972–1978), and Ralph Shapey and Theodore Antoniou at Tanglewood (1979). Equally formative was Lopez’s residency in Paris, where his immersion in contemporary European music—including performances and activities at IRCAM—proved pivotal to the development of his artistic voice. Central to Lopez’s creative philosophy is the principle that “Composition is performance on paper,” a conviction underscored by the expressive and performative nature of his works. Recognized early in his career, Lopez received numerous awards and distinctions, including the George Ladd Prix de Paris and the Lili Boulanger Memorial Prize, and his music has been performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe. His major electroacoustic work The Ship of Death for male voice, chamber orchestra, and live electronics was originally released on 1750 Arch Records and reissued in 2021 in abbreviated form by PARMA Recordings on the Navona label, following its world premiere in 1979 by the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra under Ernest Bour. Lopez’s catalogue spans experimental instrumental techniques (IFASIA for octet), electronics (Moment Pieces for extended piano), digital media (MISE-EN Series I–III), electroacoustics (The Ship of Death), and traditional orchestral writing (Visions des reflets et nocturnes for piano and string orchestra; Song of Thirteen Moons for orchestra; Aujourd’hui for double string orchestra). Recent premieres include performances by Sydney Contemporary Orchestra (2017, 2018), Ensemble MISE-EN in Seoul (2018), and the Lviv Philharmonic Society (2022). Navona Records released Lopez’s MISE-EN Series II, Episode I for amplified string quartet and acousmatic sound in July 2023, and will release Pieces From A Distant Land for solo piano in January 2024. Acclaimed pianist Anna Kislitsyna recorded the work at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Massachusetts, and pianist Jennifer Wang subsequently premiered it at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall in June 2023 during the Laureate Gala Performances presented by Progressive Musicians and Sound Espressivo. Lopez remains actively engaged in new projects across solo piano, orchestral, electroacoustic, vocal, and digital media. Current recording initiatives include Serenade from Song of Thirteen Moons, recorded by the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra (Ostrava, Czech Republic) for release on Navona Records in 2024, as well as an album of solo piano and chamber works to be released on Petrichor Records, also in 2024. MISE-EN, Series II MIS-EN comprises an extended series of works, the first of which (Series I) was written for the Ensemble MIS-EN (Moon Young Ha, conductor) and first performed in Seoul, South Korea in 2018. The initial series was meant to reflect the aesthetic agenda of Ensemble MISE-EN, whose name roughly translates from Korean to English as meaning “Decorative Beauty”, an aesthetic agenda which is also closely aligned with the composer's artistic world view. “Decorative Beauty” thus defines the two divergent but complementary musical components with which these works are composed: “sound tapestry” (“beautiful”), and ornamentation (“decorative”). To achieve this goal for each Series, I score for a given chamber ensemble in a way which would reflect a larger sonic landscape than what might be considered traditional chamber writing. Each ensemble of the MISE-EN Series consists of a standard, legacy, or traditional chamber ensemble with the addition of some form of electroacoustic extension including tape delay and echo, live processing of the ensemble acoustic instruments, digital manipulation of audio samples, and acousmatic audio tracks consisting of synthesized audio, sampled audio, and modulation of various components of that audio. I scored Series I for (roughly) the "Pierrot" ensemble (of Schoenberg's Op. 21 Pierrot lunaire"), without the Sprechstimme but with added percussion; I scored Series II for amplified String Quartet. Additional MISE-EN Series I am working on include Series III for Amplified Piano Quartet and Electroacoustic Devices, Series IV for Two Pianos, Percussion, and Acousmatic Sound (à la Bartok's Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion), and Series V for Extended Piano and Orchestra. The Sirius String Quartet recorded MISE-EN Series II Episode I in early 2022, and this recording was released on the Navona record label of PARMA recordings. To simplify logistics, the live Acoustic Devices were prerecorded and mixed with the Acousmatic Soundtracks for the Sirius Quartet recording, and this was also done for the subsequent recording by the Lehner Quartet in 2024. In Series II, “decorative” and “beauty” find their musical analogs in tight, ornamental arabesques and soaring melodies, respectively.

< Back Previous Maurizio Mastrini Next Gala at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall November 21, 2023 WATCH VIDEO Maurizio Mastrini is considered one of the most original pianists and “uncontaminated” composers on the international music scene. He rose to global attention in recent years for performing classical masterpieces backwards—from the final note to the first. The result is astonishing: audiences hear a completely new work built from the same notes as the original, yet transformed by reverse order. His musical creativity is rooted in his retreat in Umbria, where he lives far from the frantic rhythms of daily routine. This solitude enriches his compositions with raw emotion, earning him the reputation of a “wild heart”—solitary by nature, yet expressing a vast world of feeling at the piano. Mastrini’s works bridge traditional classical forms and contemporary classical aesthetics through refined and emotional research. Elements of minimalism, dodecaphony, mathematical construction, and lyrical expression coexist in his writing. “Even just a few notes may move a person to tears,” he says; other compositions unfold with such density of sound that they evoke a full orchestra. Critics have praised him widely: “Maurizio is extraordinary.” — Steve Orchard, Grammy Award–winning engineer, Air Studios, London “A little bit crazy and a little bit genius — but 80% genius.” — Corrado Canonici, World Concert Artists, London “Phenomenal pianist.” — Margherita Ferrandino, RAI “Mastrini: madness and brilliance in pure essence. Fantastic!” — Federico Taddia, RADIORAI “Maurizio Mastrini is a genius!” — Michele Cucuzza, RAI “Mastrini represents one of the best international music talents.” — Fabrizio Frizzi, RAI Major newspapers including Corriere della Sera, Repubblica, Il Giornale, La Nazione, Il Messaggero, Focus, and L’Espresso have written about him. He has appeared as a guest on RAIUNO, RAIDUE, RAITRE, Italia 1, Canale 5, Rete 4, Deutsche Welle, BBC, RADIORAI, and more. His world tours continue to bring him to major cities across the globe. Mastrini graduated from the “F. Morlacchi” Conservatory in Perugia, where he studied with Maestro Vincenzo Vitale. Although the piano remains his primary medium, he is also active as a composer and conductor. Born in Panicale, a small village in Umbria, he showed early musical gifts. At age seven or eight his father discovered him creating rhythms on makeshift drums made from metal paint cans. Recognizing his unusual talent, a local teacher encouraged him to enter the conservatory. Soon labeled a child prodigy, Mastrini won numerous national and international competitions, toured extensively, and recorded for the AZZURRA label, achieving notable international sales. Among his many recordings, the Ricordi series Storia della Musica – Capolavori holds particular importance, placing Mastrini’s interpretation of Schumann’s Phantasiestücke alongside Artur Rubinstein. His discography includes I Miei Romantici Vol. 1, Sogno d’Amore, Sacro & Profano, I Miei Classici (Progetti Sonori), Love Music, Classic Music for Christmas, Le Musiche dello Zodiaco, and Love Piano. He wrote a Mass in Latin at age fourteen, an opera, an Ave Maria, and numerous other compositions, many of which he performs in concert. His tours have taken him to Iceland, Denmark, Turkey, France, England, the Netherlands, the United States, Spain, and the Czech Republic, with performances in cities including Dijon, Basel, Cincinnati, London, Inverness, Paris, Verona, Rome, Besançon, Perugia, Milan, Messina, and Reykjavík. He has recorded for Italian RAI, Swiss Radio and Television, BBC, ABC, and Mediaset. His principal teachers include Vincenzo Vitale, Don Mario Venturi, and Winjand van de Pol. Mastrini founded and directed the Accademia Nazionale d’Arte Musicale, one of Europe’s most respected music schools, introducing innovative programs for pre-school children using his self-developed Pentamano method. He has published educational works including La tecnica del pianista contemporaneo, Mastro Solfeggio, Mastrini Piano, and collections of four-hand pieces. From 1994 to 2002 he directed the Royal Academy of Music Art. Beginning in 1998 he staged short operas including Mozart’s La finta semplice, Scarlatti’s Il trionfo dell’onore, Cimarosa’s Il marito disperato, Salieri’s Falstaff, and Donizetti’s Giovedì Grasso and Il campanello. After performing his own music alongside Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Beethoven, and Scarlatti—with enthusiastic audience response—he began presenting concerts entirely dedicated to his compositions. Critics described him as “a great technician with sublime sensitivity.” He later founded Mastrini Production & Communication, producing musicals, television programs, communications projects, and marketing initiatives. His productions have included VIP Mobile and Dindo Mobile for networks such as Canale 5, Italia 1, MTV, and All Music. For the Cinque Stelle network he created the musical program Musica Maestro, Palcoscenico Aperto, and Il Diavolo e l’Acqua Santa. He developed the television formats Drin Game, L’Autostop, Tutti a sCQuola, and Un biglietto per due, and produced the fiction series Oltre la Collina, which received special recognition at Romafictionfest 2009. He composed the soundtrack for the sitcom Così fan tutte broadcast by Mediaset. Balancing public activity with private solitude, Mastrini continues to create from his Umbrian retreat. Since 1992 he has served as artistic director for festivals including the Piano Festival in Verneuil en Halatte (France), Ross Shire Music (Scotland), and the youth orchestra Malden Young Strings at Reykjavík Song Skólinn. He managed the Città di Folgaria Musica & Neve festival from 1993 to 2003, directed the international festival Euritmia Sonora, and led competitions including the M. Petri (Città della Pieve), Città di Marsciano, and the Panicale Mosaico Sonoro festival. For RAI he composed theme music and arrangements for twenty-seven episodes of Favolando Favolando and wrote music for Uno Mattina. He was musical consultant for TMC’s Zap Zap TV (1998–2000), RAI’s Uno Mattina from 1996, and I Fatti Vostri (RAIDUE) from 1999 to 2003. In 2001 he composed the shortest opera in the world, Il Bacio (The Kiss), with a duration of 3 minutes and 20 seconds—soon to be included in the Guinness World Records. His artistic language is both cultivated and immediate, complex yet emotional. While his concerts have long attracted attention in Italy, his international recognition as a contemporary composer expanded with the 2009 release of Il Mio Mondo al Contrario (My World in Reverse), featuring masterpieces and original works performed backwards, from last note to first. Driven by relentless research and experimentation, Mastrini continues to explore new musical frontiers, drawing growing media attention and recognition as one of the most surprising contemporary pianists of our time.

< Back Previous Yin Yin Huang Next Composer/pianist Gala at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall February 17, 2025 WATCH VIDEO Born in Taiwan, pianist and composer Yin Yin Huang made her concerto debut at age sixteen with the Formosa Chamber Orchestra. She is a graduate of Chinese Culture University in Taipei, and later earned her Master’s degree in Piano Performance from California State University, Los Angeles after relocating to the United States. Ms. Huang has appeared as guest soloist with the Guatemala City Symphony Orchestra (2006), the Harmonium Trio in Beijing (2011), and the La Mirada Symphony Orchestra (2011). She has been a featured performer in The Mid Summer Night Concert Series in Pasadena from 2010–2023. During the 2020 pandemic, Ms. Huang embarked on a new creative chapter, devoting herself to original composition. Her first piano work, Time to Say Goodbye, Birdies, later orchestrated as Empty Nest, premiered in 2021 in Culver City with her Harmonium Polytimber Ensemble. Her compositions have garnered numerous accolades, including: “Rebirth” for violin and piano — 3rd Prize, MTAC Composers Today State Contest (2022), dedicated to her brother, Dr. Chi Chou Huang. “Angeles in Harmony” for cello and piano — 2nd Prize, MTAC Composers Today State Contest (2022), written in solidarity with Ukraine. MTAC Composers Today State Contest — 2nd Place (2024), with performance at the MTAC State Winners Recital. “Journey of Life” — Platinum Prize, Global Genius Music Competition, Summer 2024. Harmonium Trio (Shelly Ren, Ling Yan, and Yin Yin Huang) — Gold Prize, Chamber Music Category, July 2024. Her recent commissioned work, Silk Road: Original Theme & Variations, premiered in Pasadena on September 14, 2024, for Unity Through Music & Education for PUSD. Ms. Huang currently serves as Artistic Director of the Two Cranes International Music Festival and the Acevedo Music and Art Education Foundation, Inc. She has maintained a thriving private teaching studio in Alhambra since 1982, where many of her students have gone on to study at distinguished conservatories.

< Back James Greening-Valenzuela Violin, piano, vocal coach Learn More Videos About James Greening-Valenzuela "A violinist with a sound technique. His musicianship is acute and mature. And, at its best, his playing shows a willingness to avoid the glamorously routine; as in employing different speeds of vibrato, or even no vibrato at all. The expression gained thereby through range of inflection." - Boston Globe "A performance of potency and passion." - The Strad Acclaimed violinist JAMES GREENING-VALENZUELA's ties to the opera and vocal scene are extensive. He has worked as a vocal coach for many years, was a staff member for the International Institute of Vocal Arts for three years in Chiari, Italy and has served as studio and master class accompanist for Sherrill Milnes, Patricia McCaffrey, Mignon Dunn, Ellen Alexander, Olivia Stapp, Chloe Owen, and Judith Natalucci, among others. Carnegie Hall, April 1, 2024 Photo curtesy of Chris Zhau As a violinist, Dr. Greening-Valenzuela made his solo debut while in his teens, at the Bach Festival de Font’Neuve in France and went on to win First Prize in the Shreveport Symphony National Young Artist Competition, followed by critically acclaimed debut recitals at Symphony Hall in Boston and New York’s Carnegie Hall. He has been featured on seven solo CDs, produced by Musical America, Locrian Recordings and as an artist on the Con Brio Recordings label: his recording of the Bach Sonatas for Solo Violin earned a submission for a Grammy Award nomination. He was the recipient of the Elebash Fellowship Award from The Graduate Center (City University of New York), for his doctoral dissertation on the life and career of composer Ruggero Leoncavallo. Other performances include Internacional Festival de Musica in Costa Rica, San Francisco War Memorial Herbst Theater, Wildflower Music Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, Las Vegas Summer Music Festival, Menton Music Festival in France, New York’s 92nd Street Y, Kosciuszko Foundation, Tibor Varga Festival in Switzerland, Rodolfo Lipizer Festival in Italy, as well as guest appearances at Yale, Boston, UCLA, UNLV, Hofstra, NYU and South Dakota State Universities. In addition, he was Founder and Artistic Director of California Music Festival, which ran for eight years. He has served as an adjunct faculty member of Queens College, Brooklyn College and Boise State University. Dr. Greening-Valenzuela currently maintains a private violin/viola studio in California and is sought after as a master teacher, lecturer and competition adjudicator. JAMES GREENING-VALENZUELA is the Founder of the VOCAL ARTISTS MANAGEMENT SERVICES, featuring today's distinctive classical singers Classical - Opera - Symphony - Oratorio - Concert - Musical Theatre - Auditions - Professional Materials Business website: https://www.vocalartistsmgmt.com/ Personal website: http://jgreeningvalenzuela.wix.com/jamesgreeningval Previous Next

< Back Previous Ingrid Cusido Muntada Next Gala at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall November 24, 2024 WATCH VIDEO Ingrid has performed extensively across Europe and abroad, presenting a wide-ranging repertoire with a special focus on Spanish composers such as Albéniz, Granados, and De Falla. She is a laureate of international piano competitions in Vienna, Bonn, Berlin, New York, and Lugano, earning two first prizes. She has studied with acclaimed pianists Nikolai Demidenko, Tatiana Sarkissova, and Joaquín Achúcarro, and has appeared both in recitals and with orchestras throughout Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Colombia, the United States, Hong Kong, and Russia. Ingrid has performed in prestigious venues including the Musikverein in Vienna, Congress Park in Hanau, Auditori de Barcelona, Palacio de Congresos de Ávila, Teatro Principal de Guanajuato, Casal del Metge, Ateneu de Barcelona, and the Philharmonia Hall in Russia. Her recent engagements include solo appearances at major festivals such as the Cervantino Festival, Ceiba Festival, Pitic Festival, Academia Festival of the University of Guanajuato, Oaxaca Festival, the All Mozart Festival in Paraguay, and the Festival in Honor of Pope John Paul II in Uruguay. She has also given notable benefit performances for organizations such as the Foundation for the Protection of Mothers and K.mon, and has been involved in large-scale projects featuring Albéniz’s Iberia, Granados’s Goyescas and Spanish Dances, and De Falla’s Fantasia. Her recordings are available on Spotify, iTunes, Deezer, Amazon, and other platforms. Upcoming engagements include a tour in Mexico in May, a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, and a tour in Argentina.

< Back Gevorg Sargsyan Conductor Learn More Videos About Hailed as "...one of the most inspiring artists of his generation..." Gevorg Sargsyan is a Singapore based conductor and music director from Armenia. Recipient of Sir Georg Solti Award he has been guest-conducting in various venues around the world with different orchestras including Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, Armenian National Opera and ballet productions, Jayakarta Symphonic Orchestra, Pescara Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra among others. Gevorg studied in his native Armenia at the Yerevan State Conservatory and later continued in Vienna Conservatory in Austria and Goldsmiths College of Music, London (UK). After moving to Asia, he is combining his career between conducting and running masterclasses and lectures. He is a visiting professor of the University of Philippines College of Music, and is regularly guest-lecturing in various educational establishments across South East Asia. Gevorg is also a member of adjudication panels of various festivals and music competitions and worked as a music director of Madison Academy of Music and SCGS String Orchestra. He has recently been appointed an Artistic Director of Music Hubs with Ministry of Culture of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Previous Next

< Back Previous Marta Hadžimanov Next Gala at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall June 30, 2026 WATCH VIDEO Serbian soprano Marta Hadzimanov is currently based in Germany, where she is pursuing dual Master’s degrees in Opera and Concert/Lied at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Mannheim under the guidance of Prof. Caroline Melzer, following the completion of dual Bachelor’s degrees with Prof. Snežana Stamenković. Her recent and upcoming operatic engagements include Countess Almaviva in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at the Bergen National Opera Summer Academy, Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Operosa Festival Montenegro, the title role in Handel’s Alcina, and Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel. She has appeared as a featured soloist at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna with the Symphony Orchestra of the Serbian National Theatre and made her debut as a soloist at the Berliner Philharmonie in Poulenc’s Gloria. Her distinctions include First Prize at the International Mozart Competition in Vienna, First Prize and Special Prize at the Young Opera Artist Competition “Daleki akordi” in Split, Third Prize at the Paula Salomon-Lindberg Competition “Das Lied” in Berlin, and three special prizes at the Oper Oder Spree Festival. She is also a recipient of multiple merit-based scholarships, including the Deutschlandstipendium. At the age of 17, Marta made her professional theatre debut as Christine Daaé in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at the National Musical Theatre in Belgrade, where she performed the role for three consecutive seasons. Her artistic development has additionally been enriched through masterclasses with artists including, among others, Lisette Oropesa, Rudolf Piernay, David Bižić, Snežana Brzaković, Claudia Visca, and Eva Blahová.