The Embassy Concert Series the world’s foremost orchestras and has worked with Prize for t he best per for mance of Mendelssohn Rondo- such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Vladimir Capriccioso at the International Piano Competition 2014- 2015 Season Ashkenazy, Herbert Blomstedt, Christoph von “ Virtuosi per musica di pianoforte” (Czech Republic, st (21 YEAR) Dohnányi, Bernard Haitink, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, 2003), 1st Prize at the IX Jerome Barry, Director/Founder Manfred Honeck, Sir Charles International Carl Filtsch Macker r as, Kur t Masur , Kent Piano Competition Advance Notice Brochure N agano, Leonar d Slat ki n, and (Romania, 2004), 2nd As of January 1, 2015 Lothar Zagrosek, among many pr ize at t he VI Moscow others. Till Fellner first came Int er nat ional Fr eder ic to world attention in 1993 by Chopin Piano Competition winning First Prize at the important Clara Haskil for young , plus special prize “ for the best Inter national Piano Competition at Vevey, performance of miniatures” (2008) – in 2010, aged only Switzerland. He was a st udent of Helene Sedo-St ad l e r 18, Nikolay was the youngest finalist of the XVI Uniting People Through Musical Diplomacy before going on to study privately with Alfred International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Brendel, Meira Farkas, , and Claus- W ar saw , Pol and. H i s mat ur e and sensi t i ve ar t i st r y has Christian Schuster. Program: Bach, Mozart, H aydn impressed public, music lovers and observers. Program: 2015 and Schumann - $70/ hors-d’œuvres, wine, H aydn, Chopin, T chaikovsky, Rachmaninov. EMBASSY OF FRANCE☼ cheese, sweets reception- Street parking on at Russian buffet/wine/vodka/free valet parking- 4101 RESERVOIR ROAD, NW U D C gar age. $175 HERMÈS QUARTET Thursday, February 26, 2015- 7:30 pm EMBASSY OF EMBASSY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC T he Par i s-based Hermès Quartet has Friday, March 13, 2015, 7:30 pm 3900 SPRING OF FREEDOM, NW already been heard in prestigious The Minet t i Quar t et t has collect ed mor e MARTIN KASIK, PIANO European venues. They have been important pr izes than any ensemble since 2003 when it Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 7:30 pm presented in Italy at the Chamber Music received the Haydn Award at the International Joseph Martin Kasík (b. 1976) ranks among the foremost Association of Trieste, Accademia Haydn Competition in Czech pianists of the present Filarmonica di Bol ogna, t he Vi ar eggi o , followed by the time. He has devoted himself to Fest i val , and Pagani ni Fest i val de l a International Rimbotti piano playing since four year s of Spezia; in Fr ance at t he Fest ival de Competition for String age. He studied with Monika l ’ O r anger i e de Sceaux, Q uat uor s à St . Quar t et in Flor ence, t he Tugendliebová at the Janáček Roch Festival, Yver don-les-Bai ns conservatory in Ostrava, and Cast l e, Fest i val Q uat uor à L’O uest , Chât eau de Competition in Graz, the national “ Gradus ad subsequently with Ivan Klánský at the Academy of Music Lourmarin, Festival Musique dans le Grésivaudan, Festival Par nassum” Prize. Soon after the formation of the and Performing Arts in Prague. The winner of several de l ’ Épau in Sarthe, Les Musicades in Lyon, and Festival ensemble it received strong suppor t from the Herbert domestic and international contests, and the recipient of de Radio France et Montpellier; at the Lockenhaus von Karajan scholarship, the Musica Juventutis Vienna, a number of prestigious awards, he has to his credit Festival in Austria; and in Germany at Festspiele Live Music Now, Jeunesse Musicales Austria, Start - laureateships from the 1998 Prague Spring International Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Crescendo festival at Scholarship of the Austrian Ministry for Education, Arts Music Competition, the 1999 Young Concert Artists Universität der Künste Berlin. In the U.S., they have and Culture. Program: Mozart, Shostkovich, Competition, the 2000 Davidoff Prix, the 2002 Harmonie given recitals at the Lied Center of Kansas, the Mendelssohn- $70/ hors-d’œuvres, wine, cheese, Magazine Award, and other dist inctions. Program: University of Georgia, and the Friends of Chamber Music sweets reception- Ample Street parking on at DC Beethoven “Moonlight,” Sonata “Les Adieux,” i n Texas. Program: H aydn, Schumann, Jánaček- gar age. Ravel, Prokofiev- $85. Buffet/W ine- Ample on $75 (parking available indoors for $8 or on street) street parking. RESIDENCE OF THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR 1125 16th STREET, NW☼- NEWLY ADDED! EMBASSY OF SLOVENIA☼-NEWLY ADDED EMBASSY OF AUSTRIA NIKOLAY KHOZYAINOV, 2410 CALIFORNIA, NW 3524 INTERNATIONAL CT., NW PIANO MENDELSSOHN PIANO TRIO TILL FELLNER, PIANO Tuesday, March 31 2015, 7:30 pm Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 7:30 pm Friday, March 6, 2015, 7:30 pm Limited Seating Born in Blagoveshchensk, a city in Russian Far East in Till Fellner’s international career and the list of his 1992, Nikolay Khozyainov began to play the piano at the Mendelssohn Piano T rio, our collaborators reads like a “ W ho’s W ho” of classical age of five. Prizewinner in several International Piano r esident ensemble, will per for m Piano music; he has appeared as guest soloist with many of Competions during his youth – 1st Prize and Special Trio in B Major Op. 8 by Brahms and 1 Piano Trio in D Minor Op. 63 by Schumann. W ritten contemporary compositions. He has appeared as a t he wor d saudade, or "longing"). However, although the within a decade from each other, these two celebrated soloist with orchestras such as the St. Petersburg or i gi ns ar e di ffi cult t o t r ace, t oday fado i s r egar ded, by mast er pieces ar e finest examples of German Symphony in Russia, the Singapore Festival and Chinese many, as simply a form of song which can be about Romanticism with its dramatic scope of expression Orchestras, and the Baltimore Baroque Band. He has anything, but must follow a certain structure. The music ranging from poignant melancholy to soaring been honored with the Goh Soon Tioe Centenary is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade which passion. Buffet/wine- $95 Award in 2014 and was the winner in 2011 of symbolizes the feeling of loss (a permanent, irreparable Si ngapor e’s National Piano and Violin Competition. Visit loss and its consequent lifelong damage). Buffet/wine- EMBASSY OF LUXEMBOURG☼-NEWLY ViolinistAlan.com for news about upcoming appear ances ample parking on street- $150 ADDED by Alan Choo. $95/buffet/wine 2200 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, NW RESIDENCE OF THE ICELANDIC ADRIENNE HAAN, CABARET ARTIST EMBASSY OF AUSTRIA AMBASSADOR ☼ RICHARD DANLEY, PIANO JULIAN SCHWARZ, 2443 KALORAMA ROAD, NW

MARIKA BOURNAKI, PIANO SAEUNN THORNSTEINSDOTTIR, Friday, May 2, 2015, 7:30 pm Friday, May 22, 2015, 7:30 pm CELLO, ALEXANDRA JOAN, PIANO Friday, June 12, 2015. 7:30 pm “ Adrienne Haan is an exceptional artist who can’t be Born in 1991 to a musical family, cellist Julian Schwarz is described in merely a few words!” (Voice of Luxembourg) Sh e already being recognized as one of the finest cellists now had also been described as “ one before the public. In August 2013 he won the first prize in “ Char i smat i c” (New York Times) cellist, Sæunn of the best kept secrets in the the inaugural Schoenfeld International Thorsteinsdóttir recently made her debut with the Los world of intellectual solo String Competition in H ong Angeles Philharmonic for which the LA Times praised entertainment” and “ an Kong. Mr. Schwarz made his her for her “ emotional intensity” . Following the release exceptional song interpreter with a orchestral debut at the age of 11 of her recording of Britten’s Suites for Solo Cello, last playing the Saint-Saëns Concerto No. grand voice” by the Westdeutsche season she per for med in some of the wor ld s gr eat est 1 with the Seattle Symphony and his Allgemeine Zeitung. Since 2007 halls including Carnegie Hall, father, Gerard Schwarz, on the Suntory Hall and Disney Hall. A Ms. H aan has el at ed audi ences podium. Upcoming performance with her magnificently concocted shows in Europe, the versatile cellist, Saeunn’s 2013-2014 highlights include concerto season includes debut s as soloist USA and Australia alike. Her passion belongs to the appearances with the Modesto, music of the 1920s and 30s, inspired by her fascination with the Toronto Symphony Queensland, Toledo, Amarillo, Hartford, and Charlotte Orchestra and the Quad City for t he time bet ween t he t wo W orld W ar s… The so- Symphonies, the Louisville Orchestra, the Northwest Symphony in Iowa; an inaugural called dance on the volcano. Based on her int er est for Sinfonietta, and the Symphony Silicon Valley. In Fall 2013 he culture, history, politics, art and poetry, Adrienne is a was a feat ur ed soloist wit h t he All St ar O r chest r a for season as cellist of the Manhattan time traveler who feeds upon the energy of the world national public television, performing the Samuel Jones Cello Piano Trio including a debut surrounding her.. $150/Buffet dinner/wine/champagne Concer to. After br oadcast, the per for mance was r eleased as performance at the Chautauqua Music Festival; a a D VD on t he N ax os label. Pr o gr am: Schumann, performance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as W ebern, Poulenc Bach, Boccherini, Bloch, Kreisler cellist in the group Decoda; a performer in composer EMBASSY OF SINGAPORE $70/ hors-d’œuvres, wine, cheese, sweets D avi d Lang’ s collected stories pr oj ect at Car negi e H all ; and 3501 INTERNATIONAL PLACE, NW reception being named the 2013-2014 -in-Residence at Sonoma ALAN CHOO, VIOLIN State University’s Green Music Center in California. IRIS HSU, PIANO RESIDENCE OF THE PORTUGUESE $100/Buffet/wine- Program: Brahms, Schubert, Thursday, May 7, 2015, 7:30 pm AMBASSADOR ☼ Webern and Jón Nordal. Limited Seating 2125 KALORAMA ROAD, NW EVENING OF FADO ORDER FORM INCLUDED. BECOME A Virtuoso violinist Alan Choo performs as a solo and Friday, June 5, 2015. 7:30 pm “FRIEND.” SUBSCRIPTIONS NOT AVAILABLE collaborative artist in his native Singapore and across the ONLINE. PLEASE CONSIDER A TAX-EXEMPT CONTRIBUTION TO THE EMBASSY SERIES. globe. His playing has been In popular belief, fado i s a for m WWW.EMBASSYSERIES.ORG described by The St rait s Times of music characterized by [email protected]. as “ an intoxicating brew of mournful tunes and lyrics, often THE EMBASSY SERIES, P.O. BOX 9871 poetry and dare-devilr y,” and about the sea or the life of the WASHINGTON, DC 20016 he infuses those charismatic poor, and infused with a qualit ies int o ever y characteristic sentiment of N B: Doors open ½ hour before concert. Program per for mance.His r eper t oir e encompasses celebr at ed resignation, fatefulness and begins promptly on time. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. CALL: (202) 625-2361 masterworks for the violin as well as Baroque and melancholia (loosely captured by ☼buffet reception 2