PianoSummer at New Paltz International Festival-Institute Announces Summer Events
NEW PALTZ — (NEW PALTZ) – PianoSummer at New Paltz International Festival and Institute, held July 8 – August 2 at the State University of New York at New Paltz announces its schedule of events for 2002.
Founded by Artistic Director Vladimir Feltsman in 1995, PianoSummer at New Paltz comprises two related components. The Institute enables emerging young talent from around the world to work intensely with a distinguished visiting faculty of international artists. A distinctive feature of the PianoSummer Institute is that students have opportunities to study with each faculty member: thereby experiencing a combination of breadth and depth of diverse musical philosophies, traditions, and repertoire.
The concurrent Festival is a major concert series with performances by distinguished artists. The 2002 Festival features solo recitals by three internationally celebrated pianists: Steven Lubin (July 13), Eteri Andjaparidze (July 20), and Vladimir Feltsman (July 27). Their repertoire is choice, from Bach to Barber and beyond. For the final concert on Friday, August 2, Mr. Feltsman will conduct the Hudson Valley Philharmonic in a Symphony Gala program featuring the winner of PianoSummer’s Jacob Flier International Piano Competition.
Together, the PianoSummer at New Paltz Festival-Institute engenders a special atmosphere of creativity and discovery. Wonderful concerts performed by musicians at the top of their form, a close proximity between audience and artist, and the youthful vitality and enthusiasm of students in the PianoSummer Institute-plus master classes, lectures, and discussions that are open to the public-allow music lovers the opportunity to revel in creative programming developed around a favorite instrument.
Steven Lubin Saturday, July 13, 8 pm McKenna Theatre, Tickets: $20; $15 senior/student
Performed on fortepiano (R.W.Regier, 1980 copy of an original by A.Walter, ca.1790): Mozart Sonata in F, K.332, Mozart Variations in C, K.265 (Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman, Beethoven Sonata in F Minor, Op.2/1 Performed on modern piano: Schubert Two Impromptus from Op.90, Chopin Sonata in B Minor, No.3, Op.58
As an early musician, in his sub-specialty as fortepianist, Mr. Lubin has been a dominating figure for two decades. He was the first, among the leaders of the current early-music movement in America, to launch a series of solo recitals including fortepiano in major New York venues (including his 1977 debut in Carnegie Recital Hall), and, having organized a classic-period orchestra in the early 80s, was the first to perform Mozart concertos in period style, as soloist/conductor, in New York’s principal halls (Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Town Hall, and the Metropolitan Museum). His groundbreaking recordings of several Mozart concertos for Arabesque served as an introduction for many listeners worldwide to period-style performance of this repertoire. These recordings garnered widespread critical praise, including a recording-of-the-year citation from Stereo Review magazine, and earned Mr. Lubin a European reputation. He was chosen by Decca to record the five piano concertos of Beethoven with Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music, a recording cited as definitive by many critics internationally, and named as one of the most distinguished recordings of the year by Stereo Review, The New York Times, Gramophone, Fanfare, and The Penguin Guide. Mr. Lubin has also released a series of highly acclaimed recordings for Harmonia Mundi USA.
Eteri Andjaparidze Saturday, July 20, 8 pm McKenna Theatre, Tickets: $20; $15 senior/student Beethoven Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 81a “Les Adieux” Beethoven Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111 Schumann Fantasie in C major, Op. 17
Eteri Andjaparidze has earned a loyal following among PianoSummer audiences. For those who haven’t yet experienced her thoroughly persuasive and entertaining performances, it is important to know that Ms. Andjaparidze has gained international recognition as one of the most versatile artists today. Her vast repertoire encompasses all genres of piano playing, ranging from the transparency of Baroque and ardor of Romanticism, to the swing and sparkle of the Jazz Age. She has triumphed with such varied music as Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto and Zez Comfrey’s Kitten on the Keys, and has brought unique personalization to “standards” of such grandeur as concerti by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. This July 20 concert features Schumann’s glorious Fantasie and two Beethoven sonatas-the beloved “Les Adieux” and the formidable sonata, Op.111.
Vladimir Feltsman Saturday, July 27, 8 p.m. McKenna Theatre, Tickets: $20; $15 senior/student
J.S. Bach French Overture in B minor, BWV 831 (1735) Chopin Four Ballades
It is unusual enough to hear all four Chopin Ballades on one recital, but to enjoy Bach’s rarely performed French Overture on the same night is made even more intriguing since the performer is the inspiration and artistic director of PianoSummer. The intellectual curiosity that attracts Mr. Feltsman to Bach’s counterpoint will surely forge a striking interpretation of Chopin’s Ballades. Pianist, conductor, and teacher Vladimir Feltsman is recognized as one of the most important musicians of his generation and as an artist of immense range and insight. A compelling artistic personality, Feltsman is internationally hailed for the dramatic impact and individuality of his interpretations. He brings his prodigious technique, command of sonority, and evocative musical imagination to an extensive repertoire that includes more than thirty concertos and ranges from Bach to 20th century composers.
Symphony Gala with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic Vladimir Feltsman, conductor Soloist – First Place Winner of the Jacob Flier International Piano Competition Friday, August 2, 8pm McKenna Theatre, Tickets: $30; $25 senior/student
Johann Strauss, Jr. Overture from “Die Fledermaus” Piano Concerto to be announced Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op.98
First, be delighted by Johann Strauss, Jr., and then inspired by Brahms. In between, there will be a piano concerto performed by the winner of the Jacob Flier International Piano Competition. Vladimir Feltsman established this competition in 1998 to honor the distinguished pianist who was his teacher at the Moscow Conservatory.
PianoSummer regulars know another exciting way to enjoy this program: by attending all or part of the competition, held on two days at 3 pm in the Nadia and Max Shepard Recital Hall on Tuesday, July 23, and on Wednesday, July 24. Shepard Recital Hall is located in College Hall on the SUNY campus. Entrants are required to perform a Bach prelude and fugue, a large-scale solo work, and a concerto from a repertoire ranging from Mozart to Prokofiev. It is free and open to the public. Please call the Department of Music 845-257-2700 for exact time and information.
Institute Events Nadia and Max Shepard Recital Hall
Steven Lubin, Guest Artist Friday, July 12, 2:30 pm $10 general admission Master Class
Joseph Horowitz, Music Historian and Artistic Advisor Monday, July 15, 2:30 pm $10 general admission Lecture: “Reinventing the Piano Recital for the 21st Century,” followed by a discussion with a PianoSummer faculty, students, and the public.
Robert Hamilton, Artist/Faculty, PianoSummer Tuesday, July 16, 2:30 pm $10 general admission Lecture/Demonstration: “The Neglected Piano Music of Carl Nielsen”
Vladimir Feltsman, Artistic Director, PianoSummer Thursday, July 25, 2:30 pm $10 general admission Lecture: “Clavier Music of Bach”
Robert Sherman, Broadcaster for WQXR and WFUV and Music Columnist for The New York Times Monday, July 29, 2:30 p.m. $10 general admission Lecture: “The Business of Music: Playing the Career Game,” followed by a discussion with PianoSummer faculty, students, and the public.
Student Recitals Programs to be announced Thursday, July 18, 7:30 pm Thursday, August 1, 7:30 pm Suggested donation: $5 (Proceeds to benefit PianoSummer Community Scholarship Fund)
Jacob Flier International Piano Competition 2002 Competition Tuesday, July 23, 3 pm Wednesday, July 24, 3 pm Free admission
Performance of the Second and Third Place Winners Tuesday, July 30, 7:30 pm $10 general admission
Ticket Information The PianoSummer box office opens June 7, 2002. Hours of operation are 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Wednesday through Sunday. The box office is closed Monday and Tuesday. Tickets may be purchased over the phone with VISA or MasterCard, or in person in Parker Theatre with check, cash, or credit card. For tickets or information, call 845/257-3904. Additional information about PianoSummer can be found at www.newpaltz.edu/piano, or by calling 845/257-3872. All programs, dates and times are subject to change without notice.
About New Paltz Spend a day in a special place and end it with world-class piano music! Nestled between the historic Hudson River to the east and the majestic Shawangunk Mountains to the west, New Paltz provides some of the most breathtakingly beautiful countryside on the East Coast. New Paltz is an aesthetic blend of commerce and natural beauty and is great for hiking and biking or just strolling along its many quiet tree-lined streets. Restaurants, retail shops and professional offices intermingle with historic stone houses built in the 17th and 18th centuries. New Paltz is famous for Huguenot Street, the oldest street in America with its original houses, where visitors are welcome to tour the old stone houses, gaining a glimpse of 17th-century colonial life. For additional information about New Paltz, including accommodations and dining, visit the New Paltz Chamber of Commerce on the Web at www.newpaltzchamber.org.
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