Romantic Masterworks by Curtis On Tour
VIEW EVENT DETAILSEvening concert
Registration at 6:15pm
Concert at 6:30pm
Close at 8:00pm
Curtis On Tour, the global touring initiative of the Curtis Institute of Music, brings a sextet of rising stars and distinguished alumni to Asia Society Hong Kong Center. This special evening of Romantic masterworks will feature the Sextet from Richard Strauss’s Capriccio and the Tchaikovsky Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70, followed by a Q & A with the musicians and Curtis President and CEO Roberto Díaz. They’ll discuss the conservatory’s distinctive “learn by doing” philosophy, which has produced an impressive number of notable artists, from such legends as Leonard Bernstein and Samuel Barber to current stars Jonathan Biss, Juan Diego Flórez, Alan Gilbert, Hilary Hahn, Jennifer Higdon, and Lang Lang. Curtis alumni hold principal chairs in every major American orchestra, and each season they are featured as guest soloists with the world's leading orchestras, opera houses, and chamber music series. The Curtis Institute of Music educates and trains exceptionally gifted young musicians for careers as performing artists on the highest professional level. In addition to more than 200 performances in and around Philadelphia each year, students perform internationally with Curtis On Tour. When they graduate, they become musical leaders, making a profound impact on music around the globe.
Concert Program
R. STRAUSS Sextet from Capriccio
TCHAIKOVSKY Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70
Musicians**
Roberto Díaz, Viola
Eunice Kim, Violin
Oliver Aldort, Cello
Born Lau, Viola
Timotheos Petrin, Cello
Marié Rossano, Violin
A violist of international reputation, Roberto Díaz (Viola) is president of the Curtis Institute of Music, following in the footsteps of renowned soloist/directors such as Josef Hofmann, Efrem Zimbalist, and Rudolf Serkin.As a soloist, Mr. Díaz collaborates with leading conductors of our time on stages throughout the world. He has also worked directly with important 20th- and 21st-century composers, including Krzysztof Penderecki—whose viola concerto he has performed numerous times with the composer on the podium—as well as Edison Denisov, Ricardo Lorenz, and Roberto Sierra. He will premiere a concerto by Jennifer Higdon in 2015.A frequent recitalist, Mr. Díaz enjoys collaborating with young musicians, bringing a fresh approach to the repertoire and providing invaluable opportunities to artistsat the beginning of their careers. In addition to performing with major string quartets and pianists in chamber music series and festivals worldwide, he is a member of the Díaz Trio; and has recorded for the Artek, Dorian, Naxos, and New World labels.In addition to his decade-long tenure as principal viola of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Mr. Díaz was also principal viola of the National Symphony under Mstislav Rostropovich, and was a member of the Boston Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music, where he continues to serve on the faculty, holding the James and Betty Matarese Chair in Viola Studies.
Eunice Kim (Violin), from San Francisco, has performed across North America, Asia, and Europe. She has appeared as a soloist with the Aspen Festival Orchestra; the Fremont, Oakland East Bay Symphony, and Prometheus symphony orchestras; the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Orchestra; and the San Francisco School of the Arts Orchestra. She was invited to perform and teach in Norway’s Valdres Festival Soloist Academy in 2013 and was a winner of Astral Artists’ 2012 National Auditions. Ms. Kim has been featured on NPR’s From the Top, New Tang Dynasty Television, Philadelphia’s WHYY, Taos’s KTAOS Solar Radio, and KEMS in Korea. An avid chamber musician, she has participated in Curtis on Tour with Roberto Díaz and Time for Three. She is the violinist of Ensemble 39 and tours and performs with her piano trio, the KCK Trio. As one of the co-founders of “Formerly Known as Classical,” she has organized and performed in numerous contemporary music concerts. She has attended the Aspen Music Festival, Great Mountains Music Festival, Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival, Hotchkiss Summer Portals, Music@Menlo, Music Academy of the West, and the Taos School of Music.
Oliver Aldort (Cello), from Eastsound, Wash., entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2011 and studies with Carter Brey, principal cello of the New York Philharmonic. Mr. Aldort has performed as a soloist with the Newton, Sammamish, Skagit, Victoria, and Whatcom symphony orchestras; the Academy Chamber Orchestra; Philharmonia Northwest; and the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra. He has attended the Verbier Festival in Switzerland and was a fellow at the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Music Institute (2013) and the Tanglewood Music Center (2011 and 2012).
Mr. Aldort has appeared on KOMO TV’s Northwest Afternoon, NPR’s From the Top, and CBC Radio. He also appeared in the 2008 British TV documentary The World’s Greatest Musical Prodigies. He was a featured performer at the Miami International Piano Festival’s Discovery series. He has been awarded top prizes in the MTNA Junior Competition the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival competition.
Born Lau (Viola), from Hong Kong, entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2012 and studies with Roberto Díaz. Mr. Lau was invited to perform as the guest principal viola of San Diego Symphony in the 2012–13 season. He has appeared as soloist with the Hong Kong Festival Orchestra, the New Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Dreyfoos Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Colburn Orchestra. He is the violist of the Tallis String Quartet, and has given master classes at Temple Music Prep and the New World School of the Arts. Mr. Lau won the 2013 Prix Musique de Chambre at the American School in Fontainebleau, and was a winner of the Astral Artists’ 2012 National Auditions, among other competitions. He has also been a prizewinner in the Hellam Young Artists’, Schmidbauer International Strings, and Artists Series of Sarasota competitions. Mr. Lau has attended Switzerland’s Verbier Festival Academy, the Perlman Music Program, and the Yellow Barn and Sarasota music festivals.
Timotheos Stanislav Petrin (Cello), from Thessaloniki, Greece, entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2012 and studies with Carter Brey, principal cello of the New York Philharmonic, and renowned chamber musician Peter Wiley. Mr. Petrin won first prizes in the New Artists 2012 Cello Competition, the 2010 Techni Cello Competition, and the 2008 Filonas String Instruments Competition. He has performed as a soloist with the Athens State Orchestra, Greek-Turkish Youth Orchestra, Orchestra of Colours, Symphonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, and Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra. He was also a soloist at the opening concert of the 2011 Dimitria Festival in Thessaloniki. Mr. Petrin is a member of Symphony in C, and was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra from 2010 through 2012. He has attended the Moritzburg Summer Festival and the Euro Arts Festival (Germany), the Bolzano Festival (Italy), and the Robeco Summer Festival (Netherlands). Also an avid chamber musician, he has performed with the PRISM Saxophone quartet as part of Philadelphia’s citywide festival, “Cage: Beyond Silence.”
Marié Rossano(Violin), from Bellevue, Wash., entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2011 and studies with Ida Kavafian. Ms. Rossano has been a soloist with the Seattle, Utah, Bremerton, Coeur d’Alene, Federal Way, and Ottawa Chamber symphonies; the Bellevue and Seattle philharmonics; and the Northwest Sinfonietta. She has won top prizes in numerous competitions, including the 2010 Stradivarius International Violin Competition (first laureate), Music Teachers National Association 2008 Junior Strings Competition (national winner), and Music of Remembrance 2008 David Tonkonogui Memorial Award. She has participated in many festivals, including the Deer Valley Music Festival, Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival, Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival, and Strings Music Festival. In 2010 she performed on the 1715 “Baron Knoop” Stradivarius violin from the Fulton Collection in the documentary Violin Masters: Two Gentlemen of Cremona.
* A private dinner with musicians will be organized at Asia Society Hong Kong Center after the concert, limited seating. Open to Asia Society President Circle & Corporate members only. Contact [email protected] for registration form.
Co-presented with