PIAZZOLLA CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 7:30 pm ALLEN-BRADLEY HALL MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY POPS Stas Venglevski, bayan Frank Almond, violin Roza Borisova, cello Jeannie Yu, piano Verano Porteño .................................................................Astor Piazzolla Tanguera .............................................................................Mariano Mores Mumuki ................................................................................Astor Piazzolla Quejas de Bandoneón .................................... Juan de Dios Filiberto La Violetera ...............................................................................José Padilla El Choclo................................................................................Ángel Villoldo Jalousie “Tango Tzigane” ................................................. Jacob Gade La Cumparsita ............................................Gerardo Matos Rodríguez Fuga y Misterio ................................................................Astor Piazzolla Allegro Tangabile .............................................................Astor Piazzolla Gitanerias ...................................................................... Ernesto Lecuona Por Una Cabeza .................................................................Carlos Gardel The MSO Steinway piano was made possible through a generous gift from Michael and Jeanne Schmitz. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Reimagined Season is sponsored by the United Performing Arts Fund. 1 MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Guest Artist Biographies Stas Venglevski, bayan His artistry, dazzling technical command, and sensitivity have brought Stanislav “Stas” Venglevski, a native of the Republic of Moldova, part of the former Soviet Union, increasing acclaim as a virtuoso of the bayan. A two-time first prizewinner of bayan competition in the Republic of Moldova, Stas is a graduate of the Russian Academy of Music in Moscow where he received his Masters Degree in music under the tutelage of the famed Russian bayanist, Friedrich Lips. In 1992, he immigrated to the United States. Stas is an accordionist, a musician, an arranger, an entertainer, and a teacher. Stas’s repertoire includes his original compositions, a broad range of classical, contemporary, and ethnic music. He has toured extensively as a soloist throughout the former Soviet Union, Canada, Europe, and the United States, including numerous performances with Doc Severinsen, Steve Allen, and with Garrison Keillor on the A Prairie Home Companion show. Additionally, he has performed with symphony orchestras throughout the United States. He performed the world premiere of Concerto No. 2 by Anthony Galla-Rini and also the world premiere of Bayan and Beyond, composed for Stas by Dan Lawitts. He is a regular participant the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Arts in Community Education (ACE) program; has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra; has done television commercials and performed in theater productions; produced 15 acclaimed albums including a transcription of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite for bayan as well as one of original compositions. He has published several books of original compositions. Stas founded Accordion XXI Century Series in 2010 so that the Midwest audiences can experience the amazing range of the accordion and bayan by bringing gifted artists from all over the world. In a concert setting, these gifted musicians share their skills and cultures to provide the audience with a unique musical experience. The performances feature the accordion or bayan in solo presentation and, when possible, in concert with other instruments. The brilliant artistry and musical virtuosity of Stas afford an expanded dimension in music and an innovative musical adventure to the audience. Beyond his artistry he is a consummate entertainer capable of engaging any audience. MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2 Frank Almond, violin Violinist Frank Almond held the Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for 25 years. He also held the concertmaster position with the Rotterdam Philharmonic with Valery Gergiev and guest concertmaster of the London Philharmonic Orchestra with Kurt Masur. Frank regularly performs as a soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and as soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S. and Europe. He is the founder of his own chamber music series in Milwaukee, Frankly Music, consistently recognized for innovative programming and its ability to attract leading performers from around the world. At 17, Frank Almond was one of the youngest prizewinners in the history of the Nicolo Paganini Competition in Genoa, Italy, and five years later was one of two American prizewinners at the Eighth International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, which was documented in an award-winning PBS film. His extensive recording discography includes a wide range of repertoire on various labels that have garnered multiple Grammy nominations. His most recent series of recordings, A Violin’s Life, chronicles the extraordinary history and lineage of his current violin, the 1715 Lipiński Stradivarius. This instrument has direct ties to Giuseppe Tartini, Edvard Grieg, Johannes Brahms, and Robert and Clara Schumann. On January 27, 2014, the “ex-Lipiński” Stradivarius was stolen from Mr. Almond in an armed robbery after a concert. The violin was recovered nine days later, and the story continues to make headlines around the world. The robbery and recovery are the subject of a new documentary film, Plucked, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2019. Frank will also recalled the event on “The Moth Radio Hour,” the critically acclaimed story-telling program heard on Public Radio stations nationwide. Community outreach and giving back to the Milwaukee community are also at the heart of Frank Almond’s artistic priorities. He mentors young musicians of all performing levels and backgrounds, and performs in nontraditional venues where classical music has a rare and unusual presence. Frank holds two degrees from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Dorothy Delay, Michael Tseitlin, Felix Galimir, and Joseph Silverstein. He currently serves on the Faculty at Roosevelt University in Chicago and is the Johnston Family Artist- in-Residence at the Milwaukee Youth Symphony, one of the largest youth arts programs in the United States. Previous teaching positions include positions at Northwestern University and Texas Christian University. Frank Almond writes an online column, as he admits, “instead of practicing.” Nondivisi offers his thoughts, hopes and expectations for the present and future of classical music. More information about Frankly Music, A Violin’s Life and the Lipiński Stradivarius is available at frankalmond.com. 3 MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Roza Borisova, cello A native of Ioshkar-Ola, Russia, Roza Borisova began studies on the cello at the age of seven. After receiving her B.A. in music performance from the Ioshkar-Ola State Music College, she moved to Moscow where she earned a M.M. in performance pedagogy and a D.M.A. in string quartet performance from the Russian State Academy of Music (formerly Gnesin’s Institute) in Moscow. In 1989, Ms. Borisova was selected to be the cellist of the Veronika String Quartet (newly formed by Valentine Berlinsky, cellist of the Borodin String Quartet). The quartet’s international tours resulted in numerous prizes including the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, the Shostakovich String Quartet Competition, and the Russian National Competition. As an award of the Shostakovich Competition, in 1993 the quartet was invited to study with the Fine Arts Quartet at the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and relocated to the U.S. Ms. Borisova served as artist-in-residence and graduate teaching assistant at various institutions in Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, and Colorado and earned a second M.M. in music performance. As part of the Veronika String Quartet, Ms. Borisova performed regularly as cellist with various symphony orchestras and at many festivals and institutes around the world including the Steans Institute for Young Artists at Ravinia Festival in Chicago, the Second Jerusalem Chamber Music Encounters in Israel, the Britten- Pears School of Music in England, and the Lancaster Music Festival in Ohio. She continues to perform with symphony orchestras including the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the Woodstock Mozart Festival Orchestra, Woodstock, Illinois. She takes pleasure in teaching aspiring cellists and has taught at several major music institutions in the U.S. Currently she is on the faculty of Lawrence Academy of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin. MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 4 Jeannie Yu, pianist Jeannie Yu, pianist, was awarded first prize in the Frinna Awerbuch Piano Competition in New York, the Flint Symphony International Concerto Competition, the Portland Symphony International Concerto Competition, and the Kingsville Piano Competition in Texas. She also earned the prestigious Gina Bachauer Memorial Scholarship Award, a full scholarship for a master’s degree program at the Juilliard School where she also received a bachelor’s degree. Subsequently she was awarded an accompanist fellowship at the Peabody Conservatory of Music where she received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree. Dr. Yu has performed as soloist with the Flint Symphony, Portland Symphony, Marina del Rey-Westchester