World-Celebrated Musicians to Visit Scottsdale
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ 2018–19 classical season showcases some of the world’s most celebrated musicians in the intimate Virginia G. Piper Theater. The upcoming performances lineup includes:
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
On March 2, the innovative Aspen Santa Fe Ballet will present An Evening with Pianist Joyce Yang, a program devoted to contemporary dance works accompanied by a live piano performance by Korean-born pianist Yang. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet is named after the Colorado and New Mexico cities where the company maintains homes, and is devoted to curating new ballets. Yang won fame when she was awarded the silver medal at the 2005 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. She has performed with major orchestras and received a Grammy Award nomination for her collaboration with violinist Augustin Hadelich on Works for Violin and Piano (2016).
One of America’s foremost pianists teams with English chamber orchestra, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, for a March 6 concert that is part of the ensemble’s 68th anniversary tour. Denk, winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship for his adventurous programming, will play two works with the orchestra: Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414, and Benjamin Britten’s one-movement study for piano and strings, Young Apollo. The remainder of the program will feature scores by Mozart contemporaries Josef Haydn and C.P.E. Bach and Italian Baroque master Tomaso Albinoni.
VIRGINIA G. PIPER CONCERT SERIES
Midori. PHOTO BY TIMOTHY GREENFIELD-SANDERS
The long-running Virginia G. Piper Concert Series begins Oct. 28 with a debut season performance by Yekwon Sunwoo, gold medalist in the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
On Nov. 11, David Finckel on cello and Wu Han on piano perform three works representing the peak of the classical and romantic traditions: Beethoven’s Op. 69 Sonata, Brahms’s Sonata in E minor and Mendelssohn’s Op. 58 Sonata.
Gold medal winner at the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, Garrick Ohlsson will perform a range of works on Jan. 6, focusing on the music of Brahms.
Violinist Midori and renowned pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet team for April 6 concert of romantic and early 20th-century masterpieces: Schumann’s Sonata No. 1, George Enescu’s sonata in Romanian folk style, Gabriel Fauré’sA Major sonata and Claude Debussy’s Violin Sonata.
The Jerusalem Quartet rounds out the concert series on April 7 with a concert commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel. These four Israeli musicians perform a program that traces the history of the string quartet from its roots to the mid-20th century.
KEYBOARD CONVERSATIONS
Acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Siegel returns for his 40th season of Keyboard Conversations. Siegel’s four 2018–19 concerts are The Joyous Music of Beethoven on Dec. 11, Celebrating Rachmaninoff and Debussy on Jan. 15, The Romantic Connection: Chopin, Schumann and Liszt on Feb. 12 and Chopin in Paris on March 12.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC
Scottsdale Arts presents an enriching concert experience that brings together chamber music, distinguished performers and insightful commentary. Yehuda Hanani, artistic director and cellist, introduces each program from the stage, placing the composers’ works and their times in perspective.
On Jan. 16, Romantic Quintets: Brahms and Schumann, features Soyeon Kate Lee, piano; Irina Muresanu, violin; Peter Zazofsky, violin; Michael Strauss, viola; and Yehuda Hanani, cello. This concert presents the essence of romanticism in works by two 19th-century giants.
Alexander Shtarkman, piano, and Yehuda Hanani, cello, collaborate on Three Russian Giants: Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Stravinsky on Feb. 6.
2018–19 Classical Season
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale
For more information, visit scottsdaleperformingarts.org.
