Piano solo

Piano Trio

String Quartet

Piano Quintet

C H A M B E R M U S I C P R O G R A M P R O P O S A L S

S e a s o n

2017 – 2018

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Misha Fomin “His interpretation is transparent and flowing, with supple rubatos

and luxuriant sparkling harmonies”

Audiences all over Europe, North America and Russia might know the pianist Misha Fomin as a romantic virtuoso who appears unruffled by the most demanding works in the repertoire. Fomin however is a versatile pianist whose repertoire spans from Baroque through Romanticism to Contemporary music.

Fomin has always been renowned for his fine communicative skills in front of an audience, effortless technique and inspiring musicianship in everything he performs. His playing is praised by prominent musical critics for his subtlety of touch and phrasing, his wide and rich palette of colours and refinement of musical expression.

Misha began studying at an early age in Nalchik (Russia) and his outstanding early promise blossomed into graduation with distinction from the Gnessin’s Russian Academy of Music, Moscow. He studied with Lina Bulatova, herself a pupil of the revered professor Helen Gnessina and legendary Heinrich Neuhaus.

Following his successes in international piano competitions, Misha was invited to take part in several music festivals in Russia, Germany and France and perform with first-class orchestras. He is currently in demand for a wide variety of chamber music ensembles, playing with leading instrumentalists, as well as appearing on major international concert platforms in recitals. Since 2015 Fomin is a member of the Balakirev Pianotrio.

Fomin is passionate about sharing his artistry with the young generation of pianists and enjoys working regularly with students in master classes and educational events. He is frequently heard and seen on national radio and cable-television (e.g. BRAVA HD tv), in- and outside Europe. Recordings he made have received critical acclaim in leading classical music magazines.

Most recent appearances include the Musikverein (Vienna), The Concertgebouw Main Hall (Amsterdam), Fairfield Halls (London), Carnegie Hall (New York), Philharmonic, (St. Petersburg).

Upcoming highlight: Das Konzerthaus, Berlin (2.03.17)

www.mishafomin.com

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Piano SoloCrown Jewels of the Romantic piano repertoire

Program I

Beethoven Sonata in C major op. 2 no. 3 Rachmaninov From: Préludes and/or Études-Tableaux (selection) PAUSE Schumann Fantasy op. 17

For the second part of the recital, a choice of short romantic works by Chopin, Schubert or Brahms is possible.

Program II

Schumann Fantasy op. 17 Rachmaninov 9 Études-Tableaux op. 39

The Fantasy op. 17 by Robert Schumann (1810-1865), a crown-jewel of the romantic piano repertoire. In March 1838, Schumann wrote to Clara, his bride to be: “The first part of the work is probably the most passionate work I ever wrote, a deep longing for you! [....]”

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was the last great Russian romantic and the finest pianist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The préludes and Études-Tableaux of Rachmaninoff include what are possibly his finest compositions for solo piano. Each of these works reflects Rachmaninoff’s emotional intensity, his thrilling gifts as a melodist and his ability to crystallize perfectly a particular mood or sentiment.

‘[…] A highlight became his impassioned plea for Schumann’s famous Fantasy. Fomin knew how to time the ever blazing temperaments and with the wonderful ‘heavenly movement’

he touched the hearts of his listeners [....]’

– Eindhovens Dagblad, Cornélie Hoendervanger 09.2015 –

“Fomin zeigt sich als grandioser Rachmaninow-Spieler! [….]

– Magazine Class: Aktuell, Prof. Kurt Witterstätter, 22.06.2016 –

24 april 2016

Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition

Beethoven op. 81a

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The Balakirev Piano TrioMisha Fomin (piano) Anna Gorelova (cello) Anton Ilyunin (violin)

Their musical knowledge, skills and close ties with the culture of their native country renders them outstanding ambassadors for Russian classical music!

Founded in 2015, the Balakirev Trio is made up of musicians who have achieved considerable success in concert halls all over the world, both as soloists and in chamber-music ensembles. Their years of joint performances and friendship has brought them together in this current ensemble. The Trio’s repertoire comprises compositions by Tchaikovsky, Arensky, Rachmaninov, and Shostakovich, as well as masterpieces by Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Ravel and Mendelssohn. The Trio was named after the Russian pianist, composer, and conductor Mily Alexeevich Balakirev, who became known in the Western world mainly for his brilliant composition for piano ‘Islamey’ (Oriental Fantasy). Balakirev brought composers Borodin, Cui, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov together in Saint Petersburg, where in 1860 he became the artistic leader of this group of likeminded musical friends, known as ‘The Mighty Handful’.

The Trio’s Russian-born musicians have lived and worked for several years in Europe. Their musical knowledge, skills and close ties with the culture of their native country renders them outstanding ambassadors for Russian classical music.

Anna Gorelova (cello) was born in St. Petersburg and began her cello studies at the age of ten with the famous Russian teacher Nina Zhemoldinova. While a student at the music school, she performed as a soloist at international festivals in Russia, Germany, Spain and Norway. In 2003, she graduated from the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, with highest honours in cello. Her teachers were Sergey Tchernyadiev and Alexey Massarsky, and she has also collaborated with Boris Pergamenschikow and Natalia Gutman.

Anna has established an international reputation as a soloist and chamber musician. In recent years, she has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, and the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 2000, Anna has been a member of the Atrium String Quartet, with whom she completed her chamber music studies at the Amsterdam-based Netherlands String Quartet Academy (NSQA) in 2007 and the Berlin-based Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in 2009 (concert examinations).

As a Quartet member, she has received numerous awards, including first prize at the London International String Quartet Competition and the grand-prix at the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition. She has given concerts in the best and most famous concert halls and at festivals in Europe, Asia, and the USA. Since 2007, Anna has played a cello made by Giovanni Battista Ceruti (in 1798), and she makes use of strings from the Larsen Magnacore® selection.

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Misha Fomin (piano) has been highly acclaimed by the international press because of his fluent technique, natural virtuosity, rich palette of colours, and musical intelligence. Fomin began his piano studies in his hometown, Nalchik in the south of Russia, at a young age. He graduated with honours from the prominent Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, where he studied under Lina Bulatova, who had been a pupil of Helena Gnessina and the legendary Heinrich Neuhaus. In Russia, Misha established a successful career, giving numerous concerts across the entire country. His post-graduate studies at the German Hochschule für Musik FRANZ LISZT Weimar and the Amsterdam University of the Arts brought him to the West.

For more information, see page 2: Misha Fomin solo www.mishafomin.com

Anton Ilyunin (violin) is pursuing St. Petersburg’s great violin-school tradition. His first violin lessons were given by his mother, Alisaveta Ilyunina, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and he played his debut concert with a chamber orchestra at the early age of nine. From 1990 to 1997, Anton won several national and international violin and chamber-music competitions, and performed frequently as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Turkmenistan. In 2002, he graduated from the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, where he studied under Professor Alexander Stang, a member of the famous Taneyev Quartet. From 2001 to 2006, Anton was the associate principal second violinist for the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and in 2000 he founded the Atrium String Quartet with a few colleagues and friends.

In 2003 and 2007, the Quartet won first prize at the International String Quartet Competitions in London and Bordeaux. Together with the Atrium String Quartet, he has performed in the most prestigious concert halls of the world, including Wigmore Hall in London, Oji Hall in Tokyo, the Library of Congress in Washington DC, The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and De Doelen concert hall in Rotterdam. In addition to solo performances with an orchestra, Anton also takes part in violin/cello duo performances with Anna Gorelova. They have performed Johannes Brahms’ Double Concerto many times with various symphony orchestras. Since 2010, Anton has played a beautiful Italian violin created in 1770 by Paolo Castello.

Program I

Arensky Piano Trio in d minor op. 32 no. 1 Bernstein Piano Trio (1937) Schubert Piano Trio in E flat major, D929 no. 2

Program II Ravel Piano Trio in a minor Shostakovich Piano Trio in c minor op. 8 no. 1Brahms Piano Trio in B major op. 8 no. 1

Piano Trio no. 1 was dedicated to the memory of the legendary Russian cellist, Karl Davidoff, director of the Petersburg conservatory during Arensky’s time there as a student. It is a personal and intimate dialogue between the instruments, evocative of the composer’s friendship with Davidoff. Though Bernstein categorized it as “juvenilia”, it is a compelling work full of confidence, energy and some sophistication if not possibly some foreshadowing of Bernstein’s more mature oeuvre. Like much of Schubert’s “late” music, it is grand and profound in a way that goes well beyond the relatively modest context in which he wrote. It was among the few pieces performed in the only public concert featuring Schubert’s music held during his lifetime, the only work published outside Austria before his death.

The Trio follows the standard format for a four-movement classical work, with the outer movements in sonata form flanking a scherzo and trio and a slow movement. Nevertheless, Ravel manages to introduce his own innovations within this conventional framework. This student work contains recognizable Shostakovich hallmarks: lyrical melodies coloured by acerbic harmonies, sudden contrasts of pace and energy, insistent rhythms, and spare textures giving way to unashamedly romantic passages and powerful climaxes. The B major Trio is perhaps Brahms’ most Romantic creation, revealing, according to Richard Specht’s voluptuous description, “the whole twenty-year-old composer with all his inner stress, his fullness of heart, his ardent longing; all the apprehension, pride, restraint and expectation of a soul in flower.

The Balakirev Trio will appear in concert halls in 2016 in Berlin (26.5 & 06.11), Hamburg (5.11), Utrecht (12/11) and Geldrop (13.11).

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Atrium String Quartet

“A beautifully balanced group with a fine, burnished tone and excellent blend”

– The Strad –

One of the most charismatic, dynamic and inspiring ensembles on the musical scene. Russian-born the Atrium Quartet have established themselves as performers of deep emotion, intellect and technical brilliance. The Atrium Quartet is a First Prize and Audience Prize winner of the IX London String Quartet Competition 2003 and Grand-Prix winner of the V International String Quartet Competition in Bordeaux 2007.

Highly acclaimed by audiences and press the Quartet has performed in world’s major festivals and concert halls from the North and South Americas to Europe, Asia and Pacific.

The Quartet has performed with such eminent musicians as Antonio Meneses, Richard Young, Brigitte Engerer and Jean-Bernard Pommier. Teaching is becoming another important part of the Quartet’s activities. The members of the Atrium Quartet shared their experience with young musicians from the UK, USA, Brazil, Japan, China and Russia. Atrium Quartet was the Quartet-in-Residence at the Sunflower Music Festival in Topeka, Kansas, USA from 2012 to 2016.

The discography of the Atrium Quartet includes CDs recorded for EMI Classics, Zig-Zag Territoires, RCM and Columna Musica, appeared in top-lists of Gramophone and Luister Magazines. In the beginning of September 2016 their new album ‘Brahms vs Tchaikovsky’ will be released under the label Profil, Edition Günter Hänssler Classic.

Quartet members are playing on unique instruments by Italian Luthiers. Violins by Ferdinando Gagliano (1780) and Paolo Castello (1770) Viola by Lorenzo Carcassi (1775) Cello by Giovanni Battista Ceruti (1798)

For the repertoire starting from the classical period until the beginning of the twentieth Century, the Atrium Quartet uses gut strings with original tuning of 433Hz.

Russian-born Quartet currently resides in Berlin, Germany.

www.atriumquartet.com

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Program IThree ages – three geniuses

Haydn String Quartet in D major op. 64 no. 5 Hob. III: 63 ‘Lark’ Schubert String Quartet in G major op. 161 D887 Bartok String Quartet in C major Cz 91 no. 4

Program II Authentic performance of Romantic masterpieces

Brahms String Quartet in a minor op. 51 no. 2 Tchaikovsky String Quartet in F major op. 22 no. 2Shostakovich String Quartet in C major op. 38 no. 1

Tchaikovsky, String Quartet No. 1 in D major op.11, Andante Cantabile

String Quartets by Brahms and Tchaikovsky on gut strings!

This is the first recording of both quartets on gut-strings and the original tuning of 433 Hertz.Tonal blending in our ensemble is thus entirely different from what our ears are accustomed to and cantabile sections sound

much warmer and more fervent.

Brahms vs TchaikovskyBrahms String Quartet no. 1 in c minor op. 51

Tchaikovsky String Quartet no. 1 in D major op. 11

Release September 2016 under the label: Profil, Edition Günter Hänssler Classic.

Promo Trailer Link:

Program IIIPiano Quintets Atrium Quartet & Misha Fomin piano

Shostakovich Piano Quintet in g minor op. 57 Franck Piano Quintet in f minor Schumann Piano Quintet in E-flat major op. 44 Brahms Piano Quintet in f minor op. 34 Elgar Piano Quintet in a minor op. 84

Franck Piano Quintet in F minor with Atrium String Quartet

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