Violin virtuoso Gil Shaham launches New Year with Brahms performances
Violinist Gil Shaham begins the New Year performing the music of one of his most treasured composers: Johannes Brahms. Following performances of the composer’s Violin Concerto – one of ten concertos Shaham is playing throughout the current season – with the Atlanta Symphony (Jan 8-10), Shaham returns to his hometown, New York City, to begin a three-concert series at Zankel Hall beginning January 13, with additional concerts on February 6 and 9. “Gil Shaham and Friends” will team Shaham with some of his favorite musician friends and relatives – including his wife, violinist Adele Anthony and sister, pianist Orli Shaham – in performances of some of the most beloved and powerfully expressive music in the chamber music repertoire.
This season’s series of “Gil Shaham and Friends” concerts was inspired by the success of a similar Zankel Hall chamber music series featuring the violinist and musical collaborators during Carnegie Hall’s 2006-07 season. These concerts were preceded by a highly successful tour by Shaham and his colleagues.
In the coming weeks, Shaham will play the Khachaturian Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Jan 22-25) and Philadelphia Orchestra (Mar 26-29) and the Stravinsky Concerto with the Lexington Symphony (Feb 14), Cleveland Orchestra (Feb 19-21), and National Symphony Orchestra (Feb 26-28).
Gil Shaham’s busy fall season included several extraordinary achievements and a major milestone. Following acclaimed performances of Elgar’s Violin Concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic and David Zinman, Shaham released on his own Canary Classics label a recording of the work with Zinman and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra that became an unlikely Billboard bestseller. On November 20, Shaham performed an all-Sarasate program with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at the Kaplan Penthouse in New York City, which was broadcast nationally on Public Television’s “Live From Lincoln Center”series. At the end of the performance, Shaham was taken entirely by surprise when special guest Gustavo Dudamel informed him that he had won the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize. “The prize is for people who have really reached the pinnacle of their career,” Nathan Leventhal, chairman of the Avery Fisher Artist Program, told the 150-member audience.
Program and personnel details for “Gil Shaham and Friends” at Zankel Hall and additional tour information follows.
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“Gil Shaham and Friends” program information
Tuesday, January 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
Gil Shaham, violin
Adele Anthony, violin
Cynthia Phelps, viola
Brinton Averil Smith, cello
Orli Shaham, piano
SCHUMANN; BRAHMS; ALBERT DIETRICH: F.A.E. Sonata, for violin and piano
JOHANNES BRAHMS: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5
JOHANNES BRAHMS: String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51, No. 2
Friday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
Gil Shaham, violin
Adele Anthony, violin
Masao Kawasaki, viola
Paul Neubauer, viola
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Akira Eguchi, piano
ALL-BRAHMS PROGRAM
Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101
Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100
String Quintet in F major, Op. 88
Monday, February 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
Gil Shaham, violin
Adele Anthony, violin
Masao Kawasaki, viola
Paul Neubauer, viola
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Orli Shaham, piano
ALL-BRAHMS PROGRAM
Piano Trio in A major, Op. posth.
String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111
Gil Shaham Winter / Spring 2009 engagements
Jan 8-10: Brahms Violin Concerto with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra / Roberto Abbado (Atlanta, GA)
Jan 13: Shaham and Friends play Brahms: Program 1 of 3 at Zankel Hall (New York, NY)
Jan 22, 24, 25: Khachaturian Concerto with Los Angeles Philharmonic / Denève (Los Angeles, CA)
Jan 23: Khachaturian Concerto with Los Angeles Philharmonic / Denève (Irvine, CA)
Feb 4: Brahms chamber music at the Mike Lazaridis Theatre (Ontario, Canada)
Feb 6: Shaham and Friends play Brahms: Program 2 of 3 at Zankel Hall (New York, NY)
Feb 9: Shaham and Friends play Brahms: Program 3 of 3 at Zankel Hall (New York, NY)
Feb 14: Stravinsky Concerto with Lexington Symphony / Nardolillo (Lexington, KY)
Feb 19-21: Stravinsky Concerto with Cleveland Orchestra / Petrenko (Cleveland, OH)
Feb 26-28: Stravinsky Concerto with National Symphony Orchestra / Xian Zang (Washington, DC)
March 26-29: Khachaturian Concerto with Philadelphia Orchestra / Krivine (Philadelphia, PA)
April 2-6: U.S. tour with Sejong, the conductorless string orchestra: Haydn concertos in C major and G major and Mendelssohn Octet
April 23-26: Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 with Munich Philharmonic / Thielemann (Munich, Germany)
May 12, 13: Brahms Concerto with Montreal Symphony / Nagano (Montreal, Canada)
June 3: Bolcom Violin Concerto with Toronto Symphony / Slatkin (Toronto, Canada)
June 10-13: Berg Violin Concerto with San Francisco Symphony / Michael Tilson Thomas (San Francisco, CA)