For Immediate Release s288

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 6, 2015 CONTACT: Jennifer Bassman, PR & Production Coordinator • [email protected]; 607.255.5144 GENERAL INFO & TICKETS: www.cornellconcertseries.com

PRESS PHOTOS • OFFICIAL CCS LOGO Breaking Beethoven: Instrumental Masters Steven Isserlis & Robert Levin Bring Beethoven’s Sonatas New Life

"Isserlis's playing has spirit to spare. But the fortepiano ensures an even fresher sense of discovery to his cello odyssey." -The Guardian

Ithaca, NY – Steven Isserlis, the celebrated British cellist and Robert Levin, one of America's leading pianists, present their spirited and brilliant interpretations of Beethoven on Tuesday, October 27 at 8pm in the Barnes Hall Auditorium at Cornell University.

Steven Isserlis has described playing the Beethoven Sonatas as "a journey through a life." In this endlessly moving and thought-provoking series, the duo traverses through the early, middle, and late periods of the monumental composer's life. The duo started the project of tackling the Beethoven Cello Sonatas and Variations over five years ago, leading to the release of a much- praised recording on Hyperion last year. The objectives of this undertaking seem clear: to illuminate the works in a textually faithful and ‘authentic’ way while not sacrificing the outstanding individual attributes of each artist.

Concert attendees can look forward to hearing Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No. 1 in F Major, Op. 5, Cello Sonata No. 5, Op. 102 No. 2, Variations on ‘Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen’, Op.66, and Cello Sonata No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69. (program subject to change at discretion of artists)

STEVEN ISSERLIS & ROBERT LEVIN TUES. OCTOBER 27 • 8:00 pm, Barnes Hall, Gen. Admission $30 Students $15 British cellist, author, and musical explorer Steven Isserlis enjoys a distinguished career as a soloist, chamber musician and educator, and also takes a strong interest in historical performance practice. Together with Robert Levin, Professor Emeritus of the Humanities at Harvard renowned for his active mastery of the Classical musical language, he presents an evening of Beethoven sonatas and variation sets for cello and fortepiano. http://www.cornellconcertseries.com/performance/steven-isserlis-robert-levin/

EVENT PARKING Free evening parking is available at the Forest Home [37 Forest Home Dr.] and Schoellkopf Field garages. More information and campus maps can be found at www.transportation.cornell.edu and concertseries.cornell.edu. ABOUT CORNELL CONCERT SERIES The Cornell Concert Series has been hosting musicians and ensembles of international stature since 1903. Originally featuring Western classical artists, the series presented Ravi Shankar in 1987 and has since grown to encompass a broader spectrum of the world's great music. More information is available at www.cornellconcertseries.com.