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 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.
On February 16 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.
Pianist Andreas Haefliger takes the stage on February 25 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.