May 16th programme notes

About the musicians in the program:

Enjoying her 10th season as the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Keyboardist, Joanne Pearce Martin performs with the orchestra on multiple keyboard instruments including the celesta, various synthesizers, and occasionally a Mac computer, in addition to the ubiquitous piano. Martin performs all over the world as soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist. Her playing has been described by the Los Angeles Times as possessing “unusual fervor and fluency” and “stirring virtuosity.”

Martin Chalifour began his tenure as Principal Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1995. He has appeared as soloist with conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Sir Neville Marriner, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Chalifour and two of his Philharmonic colleagues, Joanne Pearce Martin and Peter Stumpf, met in 1981 while all three were studying at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia; they have joined forces to form the Los Angeles Philharmonic Piano Trio.

After serving 12 years as the Associate Principal Cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Peter Stumpf became the Principal Cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the start of the 2002/03 season. A dedicated chamber music musician, he is a member of the Johannes String Quartet and has appeared on chamber music series at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, as well as with the Boston Celebrity Series and the Da Camera Society in Los Angeles.

 








Xian Zhuo (卓賢) is an extraordinarily talented young international artist known for his stunning technique, sensitivity and superb artistry.  He has performed on three continents and shared stage with Mstislav Rostropovich and Seiji Ozawa.

German pianist Markus Pawlik has been performing in public throughout Europe, North America and Asia since age 7.  As well as playing for the first time at CU, new challenges for Markus this year include a debut with the Dallas Symphony, an upcoming post-earthquake tour of Japan, performing the Beethoven Hammerklavier Sonata for the first time and preparing for a new recording of chamber music works by Arthur Schnabel. 

Harout Senekeremian, pianist, is an eager participant in the performance of new music. Senekeremian continues to concertize in both solo and chamber concerts in Southern California as well as maintaining an active piano studio. He is a regular performer at CU.

Hong Kong born pianist Mary Au is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and the USC. Her collaboration with many renowned artists, including appearances in Columbia Artists Management Community Concerts, has been enthusiastically received. As a former executive of the GRAMMY Awards, Mary Au continues to dedicate herself to cross cultural boundaries and share her musical fabric with audiences worldwide.

The Angeles Saxophone Quartet, all music students from UCLA, has won a prestigious Gold Medal in the  2010 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, and recently won the Prize for Winds in the 2011 Coleman Chamber Music Competition in Pasadena, CA.

Christopher Elchico, soprano saxophone; Ryan Weston, alto saxophone; Umut Dursun, tenor saxophone; Andrew Barnhart, baritone saxophone

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