Press Release
During the month of March 2022, Chamber Music Charleston (CMC) celebrates its educational programs with three substantial events – from a special recital by legendary violinist Midori (right) to the grand finale of the Ovation Concert Series with young virtuoso bassist Xavier Foley and violinist Francisco Fullana joining musicians of CMC at Sottile Theatre.
On Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 7:30 pm at the College of Charleston Sottile Theatre, visionary artist, activist and humanitarian Midori performs a recital with pianist Leva Jokubaviciute. The eagerly anticipated live recital on March 12, 2022 will feature masterworks of the violin chamber music repertoire.
“We are honored to have this unique opportunity to finally welcome Midori to Charleston, in person,” says Sandra Nikolajevs, President and Artistic Director of Chamber Music Charleston. “While we have a tradition of bringing guest artists from around the world to perform with our local CMC musicians, this opportunity of sharing an artist of Midori's stature is a milestone event.”
Chamber Music Charleston was one of two arts organizations chosen for a concert by Midori's nonprofit organization Partners in Performance with the performance scheduled for March, 2020. Due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert was postponed. In the meantime, Midori interacted with audiences in Charleston through a series of virtual events in March, 2021, including a masterclass over Zoom featuring accomplished local high school violinists working with Midori.
“One of the silver linings of the pandemic was that we were able to interact with Midori in four different online programs crafted specifically for Charleston's audiences. An advocacy and inclusion workshop that she held with a select number of our Board members, staff and supporters directly influenced the creation of our new Youth Chamber Music Initiative,” explained Ms. Nikolajevs.
On Sunday, March 13, 2022 Midori will hold a masterclass for two high school chamber music ensembles that are part of the CMC TWO program. Midori will work with the participating students on such masterworks of the chamber music repertoire as Schubert's Cello Quintet and Dvorak's “American” string quartet.
On Friday, March 18, 2022 at 7 pm CMC presents bassist Xavier Foley (right) for a masterclass as part of the Youth Chamber Music Initiative programs. Mr. Foley, an Avery Fisher Career Grant Award recipient and Sphinx Competition prizewinner, will work with four local musicians as they explore J.S. Bach's Suites for Solo Cello. Participating musicians are all students from the Charleston County School of the Arts and include cellists Peter O'Malley, Decker Elam and Jade Williams and bassist Devon O'Brien. This program takes place at the West Ashley Theater Center.
On Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 3 pm at the College of Charleston Sottile Theatre, Mr. Foley will be joined by violinist Francisco Fullana, pianists Andrew Armstrong, cellist Timothy O'Malley and violist Ben Weiss in a grand finale program to the Ovation Concert Series. The program opens with Bottesini's virtuosic Gran Duo for double bass and violin followed by Schubert's “Trout” Quintet. Special student tickets will be made available to area music students.
ABOUT THE GUEST ARTISTS:
Midori is a visionary artist, activist and educator whose unique career has transcended traditional boundaries. A prominent concert violinist for over 30 years, she is also a noted global cultural ambassador and dedicated music educator.
Born in Osaka, Japan in 1971, Midori began her violin studies with her mother, Setsu Goto and made her debut in 1982 with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, which was met by a standing ovation that spurred her to pursue a musical career at the highest level.
Midori has performed with most of the world's great orchestras and collaborated with renowned artists from Leonard Bernstein, Mstislav Rostropovich and Claudio Abbado to Yo-Yo Ma, Mariss Jansons, Christoph Eschenbach, Paavo Järvi, Menahem Pressler, Susanna Mälkki, Zubin Mehta, Antonello Manacorda and Leonard Slatkin.
In the Fall of 2019 Midori was appointed to the Dorothy Richard Starling Chair in Violin Studies at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music and was awarded the Brahms Prize 2020. Highlights of the 2020 season include performances of Beethoven's complete sonatas with pianist Yean-Yves Thibaudet in commemoration of Beethoven's 250th Birthday and concerto performances with the Vienna Philharmonic and Boston Symphony.
Xavier Foley (bass) is known for communicating his virtuosity and passion for music on the double bass, which is rarely presented as a solo instrument. Winner of a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, he has been recognized on New York WQXR's “19 for 19” Artists to Watch list and featured on PBS Thirteen's NYC-ARTs. Also a composer, Xavier was co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall and the Sphinx Organization for a new work entitled “For Justice and Peace” for Violin, Bass, and String Orchestra, which was recently performed at venues including Carnegie Hall as part of a program designed to promote social justice.
As concerto soloist with orchestra, he has performed with the Atlanta Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, Brevard Concert Orchestra, Victoria Symphony, Sphinx Symphony and Sphinx Virtuosi at Carnegie Hall. Xavier won the 2016 Young Concert Artists International Auditions along with four performance prizes and a Paiko Foundation Fellowship, and First Prizes at Astral's 2014 National Auditions, Sphinx's 2014 Competition, and the 2011 International Society of Bassists Competition.
Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana, winner of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant, has been hailed as an “amazing talent” (Gustavo Dudamel) and “frighteningly awesome” (Buffalo News). His latest album on Orchid Classics, Bach's Long Shadow, was named BBC Music Magazine's Instrumental Choice of the Month. As a soloist, he has performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Bayerische Philharmonie led by the late Sir Colin Davis, the Sibelius Concerto with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, and the Brahms Violin Concerto with Venezuela's Teresa Carreño Orchestra under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel.
Francisco is a committed innovator, leading new institutions of musical education for young people. He is a co-founder of San Antonio's Classical Music Summer Institute, where he currently serves as Chamber Music Director. He also created the Fortissimo Youth Initiative, a series of music seminars and performances with youth orchestras, which aims to explore and deepen young musicians' understanding of 18th-century music.
Francisco Fullana performs on the 1735 “Mary Portman” ex-Kreisler Guarneri del Gesù violin, kindly on loan from Clement and Karen Arrison through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.
ABOUT CHAMBER MUSIC CHARLESTON'S YOUTH CHAMBER MUSIC INITIATIVE
In September 2021 CMC launched the new Youth Chamber Music Initiative, a multi-faceted program that includes public and in-school Classical Kids Concerts, the CMC TWO program for accomplished high school strings players, a residency between CMC Guest Artists and the Charleston County School of the Arts and masterclasses with guest artists. For more information, please visit https://www.chambermusiccharleston.org/youth-chamber-music-initiative/
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCES:
Tickets and Information:
Saturday, March 12 2022 at 7:30 pm. An Evening with Midori. College of Charleston Sottile Theatre, 44 George Street. Tickets: $15 for students with senior rates beginning at $35 and general admission from $53-$95. More information at https://www.chambermusiccharleston.org/midori/
Friday, March 18, 2022 at 7 pm. Xavier Foley Masterclass. West Ashley Theater Center, 1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd #11, Charleston, SC 29407. Admission: free with advance reservation required. More information at https://www.chambermusiccharleston.org/event/cmc-two-special-event/
Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 3 pm. Ovation Concert Series Finale. College of Charleston Sottile Theatre, 44 George Street. Tickets: $5-$50.
