“[Simone] Dinnerstein is a throwback to such high priestesses of music as Wanda Landowska and Myra Hess . . . She is touring. Go hear her, and get religion.” – Slate.com
ASPEN, Colo. — Each winter the Aspen Music Festival and School enriches and deepens the winter Aspen experience with inspiring performances of classical music. The 2009 Artist Recital Series offers a luminous lineup of top classical artists, including violin sensation Joshua Bell (Feb. 12), joined by pianist Jeremy Denk; Colorado Symphony Orchestra music director Jeffrey Kahane (Feb. 16) performing on the piano; flutist Marina Piccinini and piano virtuoso Andreas Haefliger (Feb. 25); and rising-star pianist Simone Dinnerstein (March 14) who returns after a triumphant and highly individual performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variation, here last summer.
Violinist Joshua Bell is quite simply one of the greatest classical stars of our time. For over two decades, he has enchanted audiences world-wide with his breathtaking playing and opulent tone. This year, Bell received the 2008 Academy of Achievement Award for exceptional accomplishment in the arts, but he has also won numerous other awards including Grammys. He is an alumnus of the festival and comes for his only Aspen concert of 2009 on February 12. Bell and pianist Jeremy Denk will present a program of violin sonatas by Janáček, Brahms and Franck.
The series continues February 16 with the CSO’s beloved music director Jeffrey Kahane playing a piano program which includes Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A major, D. 959 and movements from Rachmaninoff’s emotional Ten Preludes, op. 23 and 13 Preludes, op. 32. Kahane enters his twelfth season as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and is ending his successful tenure as music director of the CSO after this season. In addition to these posts, Kahane is a piano soloist of great acclaim. In 2008 in Aspen , he combined these talents by conducting the Aspen Chamber Symphony from the piano.
On February 25, pianist Andreas Haefliger takes the stage with flutist Marina Piccinini for a colorful duo recital. Haefliger is a recitalist and chamber musician who was described in the Guardian as a “fascinating artist;” Piccinini is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading flute virtuosos. They will be performing the works of Prokofiev, Debussy, Marc André Dalbavie, and Franck, with the pianist playing unaccompanied on Liszt’s transcription of Isolde’s Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde by Wagner.
American pianist Simone Dinnerstein has fast been gaining international attention since making a triumphant New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2005. Last summer, her Aspen audience enthusiastically confirmed the accolades she’s received and embraced her highly individual and dynamic style. The AMFS closes the winter series on March 14 with a Dinnerstein program including Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D. 899, op. 90 and Schumann’s Kreisleriana, op. 16, considered to be one of the composer’s finest compositions for the piano.
All Artist Recital concerts begin at 6:30 pm in the 500-seat Harris Concert Hall ( 960 N. Third Street , Aspen , CO ). Single tickets are available at the AMFS Harris Concert Hall Box Office, by calling 970-925-9042 or online at www.aspenmusicfestival.com. Subscriptions for the four-concert series are $200 ― and sponsor $600 and patron $1400 winter packages are also available with benefits including discounted pricing and keeping your same seats in the Hall throughout the winter.
The Aspen Music Festival and School is America ’s premier music festival, presenting more than 400 musical events during its nine-week summer season in Aspen . The institution draws top classical musicians from around the world to this Colorado mountain retreat for an unparalleled combination of performances and music education.
Contact: Janice Szabo 970-205-5071 jszabo@aspenmusic.org