Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Music

Chestnut Brass Company
Saturday, Oct 10, 2009 at 8 p.m.

One-day residency, including master class, on Friday, Oct. 9, 2009

“Talent, skill, superb musicianship and engaging humor — the Chestnut Brass Company has them all.” – The Erie Times

The Grammy Award-winning Chestnut Brass Company has earned international acclaim for brilliant performances on modern and historical brasses, and is the only ensemble in the world touring with a museum-quality collection of brass instruments. As curators of the sounds of antique brass and champions of works by contemporary composers, the company has toured North and South America, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. The extraordinary diversity of their repertoire ensures that audiences — young and old alike — will enjoy an exciting and entertaining evening of innovative programming.

Pacifica Quartet
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 at 8 p.m.

“Their performances were filled with vigor, humor, delicacy and swing.” – The New York Times

Recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style and often daring repertory choices, the Pacifica Quartet has carved out a compelling musical path. Formed in 1994, the ensemble quickly won top prizes including the 1998 Naumburg Chamber Music Competition. The quartet was honored in 2003 with Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award and appointment to the Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society Two program for gifted young musicians. In 2006, the Pacifica Quartet became only the second chamber music ensemble to be awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. The quartet won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance and was also named 2009 Ensemble of the Year by Musical America.

Capuçon-Angelich Trio
Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010 at 8 p.m.

“With playing at this level, who needs any other piano trio?” – The Washington Post

The Capuçon-Angelich Trio, one of the most promising ensembles in the world of chamber music today, features 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, and award-winning American pianist Nicholas Angelich. In February 2008, the Capuçon-Angelich Trio received rave reviews for their debuts in San Francisco, New York, Quebec City and Montreal. They return to the U.S. each year for performances in the best venues and with the best concert series in the country.

Arnaldo Cohen, piano
Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010 at 8 p.m.
Piano master class on Feb. 19, 2010, at 4 p.m.

“He’s a big pianist, a large man with a roaring, muscular tone, digital precision and individual interpretations. He is debonair at the keyboard, and he is wise.”
– The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Brazilian-born pianist Arnaldo Cohen enjoys an increasingly successful career that has taken him to the major concert halls of Europe and North and South America. He came to prominence after winning first prize at the 1972 Busoni International Piano Competition and making his debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. He has performed with many chamber ensembles, including five years as a member of the acclaimed Amadeus Trio, and engagements with the Lindsay and Chillingirian quartets. Cohen is also a frequent recording artist, including a 2007 rendering of the two Liszt piano concertos and the “Totentanz” for BIS Records.

Jupiter String Quartet
Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 8 p.m.

“The Jupiter Quartet had me at the first stroke of their bows.” – The Denver Post

Formed in 2001, the Jupiter String Quartet is a particularly intimate group, consisting of violinists Nelson Lee and Megan Freivogel, violist Liz Freivogel and cellist Daniel McDonough. The quartet has received several chamber music honors, including first prize in the Banff International String Quartet Competition, grand prize in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, membership in Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society Two and Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award. The quartet also won the 2005 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and now holds YCA’s Helen F. Whitaker Chamber Music Chair. Most recently, they received an Avery Fisher Career Grant.

Pieter Wispelwey, cello
Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 8 p.m.

“An outstanding cellist and a really wonderful musician.” – Gramophone Magazine

Pieter Wispelwey is among the first of a generation of performers who are equally at ease on the modern or the period cello. His acute stylistic awareness, combined with a truly original interpretation and a phenomenal technical mastery, has won the hearts of critics and public alike in repertoire ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach to Elliott Carter. Wispelwey’s career spans five continents, and he has appeared as soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras. In 1992, he became the first cellist to receive the Netherlands Music Prize, awarded to the country’s most promising young musician. Wispelwey’s discography displays an impressive lineup of more than 20 recordings, six of which attracted major international awards.