JAVS Spring 2006

collaborated to make this event possible. Arta ria String Quartet first violinist, Ray Shows, a child hood fri end of Roberto Diaz, hatched the idea ro bring Roberto ro the Twin C iti es for a viola quin tet concert. Tn addition to the mas ter class and quintet conce rt, Mr. Diaz spent a morn ing coaching chamber music groups in St. Paul. Tt was a homecoming of sorts for Diaz, a former member of the Minnesota Orchestra. Five violists were chosen through an audition adj udicated by retired Min nesota Orchestra violists David Ulfeng and John Tartaglia. Those chosen included Kate Leger, who played the first movement of Der Schwanendrehn~ Krista Windingland played the Penderecki Cadenza; Kirsti Petraborg played the firsr move ment of the 1-lindemirh Sonata Op. 11, #1; Deanna Anderson played the first movement of Bartok Concerto; Erica Burton played rhe Paganini/Primrose La Campanella. Our first concert of the season rook place on November 13th at Mannes Coll ege of Music. As always with group "Collegial" con certs such as th is one, we enjoyed excellent performances of an inter esting mix of pieces. Performers at this concerr were: Sharon Wei and pian ist Angela Park in a moving rendition of Canadian composer Sid Robinovitch's Adieu Babylon, written as a reaction to the 199 1 GulfWar; Dani el Avshalomov wi rh the fireworks of the Esercizio NewYork

Martinu's Three Madrigals, violists Olivia KoppeU and Eddy Malave played Conternplation by [sang Yun; Kimberly f oster gave us Stravinsky's Begie; and for a grand finale Tania Halko-

Puchhammer-Desjardins Duo in February NYVS recital.

Susi played a Grand FrmttlS)I on themes from George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. On t:ebruary 19th, we were privi leged to hear the Puchh~unmer Desjardins Duo: Jut ta Puchhammer Sedillor, Viola and f lise Desjardins, Piano, who offered a splendid recital with several rarely heard works we hope wil l be presented again on future programs. One was the Sonata Rhapsody by Jean Coulthard, one of Canada's most distinguished woman composers of the twenti eth century. Beautifully performed here, the work was composed in 1962, and is striking for its energetic and dramatic outer movements as well as irs lyrical, pastoral midd le movement, "Interlude in May. " The program also included three works by German Romantic composers: the Sonata in G minorfor Viola and Piano, Op. l , of Ernst Naumann, Robert Fuchs' Soncttrt in D minor for Viola and Piano, Op. 86, and Robert Schumann's Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73. The duo's performances of these latter works hi ghlighted the very essence of romanticism, impressively capturing the many different moods the composers sought to convey. Ms.

!! of AJiesandro Rolla; Christine Tms and pianist Yi-Fang Huang in the late-romantic Sonrtta-Fantasia of Ph ili pp Scharwenka; Diane Leung and Ms. Huang performing Hindemith's Sonata Op. II , No. 4; and, as the last two numbers on the program, wo rks by British composer John Hawkins - Gestures, played by violists Nardo Poy and Ann Roggen, and Waiting (Tango), with Ms. Roggen and bass player Gail Kruvand Moye. O n January 29th of the New Year, we returned for our annual appearance at the New York Publi c Libmry's Donnell Library auditorium, presenting another Collegial Concert. This event featured some younger play ers, including two of our scholar ship recipients from 200'5, J\sha Paul and Shani Paul , who played selections from Suzuki. Another young srudenr was Daniel Lay, who gave a vigorous and finely styled performance of d1e first three movements from Bach's C Major Cello Suite. The other per formers fo r the afternoon were: Dawn Smith and pianist Vi -Fang Huang in rhe "Allegro I ronico" movement of the Bloch Suite; Elizabeth Schulze Hosteuer and violin ist Denise Huizenga with

- J DavidArnott

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