The Embassy Concert Series MARTIN BABJAK, (Ukraine), International Spohr Competition (); International Montreal Competition (Canada); Int er nat ional 2014- 2015 Season DANIEL BURANOVSKÝ, PIANO Premio Lipizer (Italy), International Niredgazi Violin (21st YEAR) Thursday, September 18, 2014, 7:30pm Competition (), Int er nat ional D var ionas Violin Among the many roles which Martin Babjak has por t r ayed Competition (Lithuania) and International Molinari Jerome Barry, Director/Founder on t he st age ar e: Amonasr o in Ver di's Ai da, Count Almaviva Competition ( Sw i t zer l an d ) . He plays a violin from Giuseppe Advance Notice Brochure i n Mo zar t ' s The Marriage of Guarneri del Gesù, one of the greatest violinmakers in the Fi gar o, Count Danilo music hist or y, which is lent to him to recognize his high cl ass As of August 1, 2014 lovitsch in Franz Lehár' s as a violinist and a musician. Program: Schubert, The Merry Widow, Escamillo Mendelssohn, Ysaÿe, Sarasate, Koryk, Schimanovsky. in Geor ges Bizet's Car men, Buffet/wine/ parking across the street ($6) or on- Figaro in Rossini' s The Bar- street parking- $95 ber of Seville, Golaud in

Claude Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, Guglielmo in Mozart's EMBASSY OF HUNGARY☼ Uniting People Through Musical Diplomacy Così fan tutte, the Lord Duke of Nottingham in Donizetti's 2900 SPRING OF FREEDOM, NW , Iago in Ver di's and many more. He is widely known as one of Slovakia’s finest singers. Daniel HUGO KAUDER TRIO Bur anovsk ý, piano, is a brilliant artist, returning to The Tuesday, October 14, 2014- 7:30pm EMBASSY OF SLOVENIA ☼ Embassy Series. The W ashington Times at that time wr ote: 2410 CALIFORNIA STREET, NW “Mr. Buranovsky’s bracing recital offered an intellectual LANA TROTOVŠEK, VIOLIN challenge to his audience: a summons to once again learn O boist Ivan Danko, the principal oboist of the Stuttgart from and build upon the work laid down by our artistic St at e O per a and fir st pr ize winner of the "International ANNA SHELEST, PIANO pr edecessor s r ather than r ejecting it as ir r elevant or H ugo Kauder Competition" in N ew H aven in 2009, founded Tuesday, September 9, 2014- 7:30pm hopelessly outmoded in our tempestuous times — t he the H ugo Kauder Trio. Fr o m D anko 's ear lier music with t he fashionable t act ic of incr easingly out -of-t ouch violist Róber t Lakat os and pianist Ladislav Fanzo w i t z t he i dea The winner of international competitions and prizes, post moder nist s.” Program: Arias & Songs/Piano solos. for this unique trio was Slovenian violinist Lana Trotovšek was a pupil of Ruggiero $75 -Cold buffet/wine/Ample on Street Parking born. Oboe, Viola and Ricci. She made her debut in 2012 with the Mariinsky Pi ano ar e a sonically Theatre Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev; a interesting alternative to perform-ance was received both with standing ovations and EMBASSY OF UKRAINE☼ the classic piano t r io and ecstatic reviews. Lana has given recitals in the United 3350 M STREET, NW open a path t o an Kingdom, wher e extraordinary and novel repertoire. In sear ch o f suitable she has per for med OLEH KASKIV, VIOLIN music, t he musicians discover ed the oeuvr e of H ugo Kauder at W igmor e Hall, OKSANA SKIDAN, PIANO (1888 - 1972). Kauder (now Tovacov, ) was King’s Place, Friday, October 10, 2014- 7:30pm born in Tobitschau near Olomouc and is part of the Cado gan H al l , St gener at ion of per secuted and displaced Jewish artists of t he Jo h n ’ s Sm i t h 20th centur y. It s or igin and its late romantic, lar gel y Sq u ar e, St M ar t i n - As a soloist , O leh Kaskiv regularly performs with great unknown music, especially their cent r al Eur opean folk music in-the Fields. success in his native country with the National Symphony of elements inspir ed the ensemble to the name Hugo Kauder Elsewher e in Ukraine, Odessa Philharmonic Trio. The tr io is t r ying to discover gr eat works of other Europe she has played at the Konzerthaus in Vienna, at the and Lviv Philharmonic per secuted and unknown composers of the 19th and 20th Teatro la Fenice in Venice, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Symphony Orchestras and centur ies, and to convey this to the public. $75- Muziekgebouw Frits Phillips in Eindhoven and elsewhere in worldwide: with the Camerata Buffet/wine-ample parking on the street. Germany, , Por tugal, , Finland, Sweden, Slovenia, Lysy, Camer at a de Lausanne, Cr oat ia, Ser bia, China, UAE and t he USA. Progr am : Symphonisches O r chest er EMBASSY OF UKRAINE Zür ich, Or chestr e N at ional de ☼ Beethoven: Spring Sonata, Škerjanc, Franck, 3350 M STREET, NW Gershwin. Buffet/wine- $95- Ample parking on the Belgique, Or chest r e street. Symphonique de Montreal and Sinfonieor chest er Baden- ALEKSEY SEMENENKO, VIOLIN Baden. He is a laureate of many prestigious violin competitions such as Queen Elisabeth International Music INNA FIRSOVA, PIANO EMBASSY OF SLOVAKIA☼ Com-petition (Belgium); International Oistrakh Competition Thursday, October 23, 2014- 7:30pm 3523 INTERNATIONAL COURT, NW (Ukraine); International Kotorovych Violin Competition

1 Mr. Semenenko, Young Concert Artist 2012 winner, has three wonderful musicians. $80- Balkan buffet/wine- Reception at 6:30pm appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Moscow Parking on street and garage Virtuosi, the Kiev National Thursday, November 20, 2014- 7:30pm Orchestra, the Junge Philharmonie RESIDENCE OF THE JAPANESE in Cologne, and the Sinfonietta For med in Isr ael, the Quar tet moved to the in H ungar i ca, among o t her s. A t t he AMBASSADOR (New Venue!) ☼ 2004 to continue its professional studies. The resident 2011 Musik:Landschaft W estfalen NANAE IWATA, VIOLIN ensemble in the New England Conservatory’s prestigious Festival, he per for med Pagani ni ’s Professional String Quartet Training Program through their Concer to No. 2 with the National INNA FIRSOVA, PIANO graduation in 2010, the Ar iel has won a number of Philharmonic of Russia under Friday, November 14, 2014- 7:30pm international prizes, Vladimir Spivakov, and was including the Grand Prize subsequently invited by the at the 2006 Fischoff Spivakov Foundat ion t o per for m at Known for her “ lovely playing” (New York Times) and N at ional Chamber Music the Kr emlin in Moscow and at the “ expansive lyr icism” (N ew Yor k Concer t Review), violinist Competition. After they Moscow International Per for ming Arts Center . In 2007, Mr . N anae Iwata has quickly established herself in versatile won t he Székely Prize for Sem enenko per for med t he violin solo fr om John William’s roles as a soloist, period performer, chamber musician, their performance of “ Schindler’s List” with the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra orchestral musician, and educator. She is a fr equent Bar t ó k, as w ell as t he under Hobar t Earle in Hambur g. An avid chamber musician, performer all over the world making appearances in the overall Third Prize at the Mr. Semenenko founded the Stolyarsky Quartet, which has United States, Japan, Germany, , New Zealand, and Banff International Str ing Quar tet Competition in 2007, the given concerts in Russia, the Ukraine, France, Malta, and Cuba. As a winner of the Artist International Competition American Record Guide described the Ariel Quartet as “ a . Mr. Semenenko’s honors include First Prize in Ms. Iw at a w as aw ar ded a consummate ensemble gifted with utter musicality and the 2012 European Young Concert Artists Auditions in debut r ecit al at Car negie remarkable interpretive power” and called their Leipzig, Germany, the Alois Kottmann Award at the 2010 Hall in 2008 which w as performance of Beethoven’s Op. 132 “ the pinnacle of the International Day of Music Festival in Hofheim, Germany, lauded by critic, Anthony competition.” Program: H aydn: Q uartet in B-flat the Grand Prix of the 2006 National Violin Competition in Aibel as “ riveting” and Major, Op. 76, N o. 4; Beethoven: Q uartet in F Lviv, Ukr aine. Pr ogram : Schubert, Chausson, Ysaÿe, “ exquisitely done.” As a minor, Op. 95, “Serioso” /Ravel: Quartet in F Major. Poulenc, Tchaikovsky, Rossini Buffet/wine/parking Bar oque violinist Ms. Iwat a Reception/wine- $75 across the street ($6)- $95. has performed with renowned artists such as William Christie, Monica Huggett, Jor di Savall, and Ton Koopman. Her playing in the Telemann EMBASSY OF BOSNIA Concer t o Grosso in Bflat Major earned praise by critic Harry EMBASSY OF ARMENIA☼ Rolnick, “ The most delicious violin solos by concertmaster, 2225 R STREET, NW HERZEGOVINA (New Venue!) ☼ Nanae Iwata set the joyous sound for the whole piece.” As a 2109 E STREET, NW result of winning the Juilliard Concerto Competition in 2011 KARINÉ POGHOYAN, PIANO she gave her N ew Yor k City concer to debut at Alice Tully Friday, December 5, 2014- 7:30pm WASHINGTON, DC 20037 Hall performing Bach’s A minor Violin Concerto. Her AZRA SINGS edition of Corelli’s “La Follia” Variations was recently Friday, November 7, 2014, 7:30pm published by International Music Company commemorating Kariné Poghosyan has performed in recitals at the ter centennial of the composer ’s death. Ms. Iwata Carnegie’s Well Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, par ticipated in 2013 Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Steinway Hall, the Tr inity Chur ch Azra’s singing reflects the lyrical melancholy of Sevdah and Ceremony which was held at the W arner Theater on March Concerts at One ser ies, t he Balkan folk with sultry elements of Gypsy Jazz and 23, 2013. For more information please Beverly Hills Sundays at Two Andalucian Flamenco. Her per for mances illuminate an inner visit www.nanaeiwat a.com. Pr ogram : Mozart, wor ld for ever mar ked by the war Beethoven, Takemitsu, Franck. $150/cockt ails, buffet ser ies, t he Valley Commit t ee for in her homeland, and her dinner/ample parking on grounds. the LA Philharmonic, the Bach’s immigrant life in the United States. Lunch Recital Series in California, Raised in Bosnia, on Tom W ait s, the Young Ar tists Inter national Django Reinhardt, U2, Br oadway Peninsula Festival in California, musicals, and classical music IN COOPERATION WITH THE and the Inter nat ional Keyboard – the young Azr a successfully EMBASSY OF ISRAEL☼ Institute and Festival in New mixed those genr es wit h t he Yor k. In the fall of 2007, she traditional musical form of the VENUE TO BE ANNOUNCED Bal kans. A dr amat i c mezzo -soprano, with unique THE ARIEL QUARTET or ganized and per for med a thr ee-recital concert series at the Yamaha Piano Salon titled Twentiet h or nament at ion and ex pr essive singing st yle, Azr a is a rd capt ivat ing st age per for mer . Azr a will be accompanied by 3 ANNUAL DANIEL PEARL Century Piano Sonata. Recent ly, she helped or ganize MEMORIAL CONCERT the “ Requiem and Resur r ection” concer t in 2 commemoration of the 95th Anniver sar y of t he Macker r as, Kur t Masur , Kent N agano , Ar menian Genocide at t he Saint Var t an Ar menian EMBASSY OF FRANCE☼ Leonard Slatkin, and Lothar Zagrosek, among Cat hedr al in N ew Yor k, wher e her per for mance of many others. Till Fellner first came to world t he Piano Sonat a by Khachat ur ian r eceived a st anding 4101 RESERVOIR ROAD, NW attention in 1993 by winning First Prize at the ovat io n and was descr ibed as “ jaw-dr opping. The HERMÈS QUARTET impo r t ant Clar a H askil Int er nat io nal Piano Armenian Mirror Spectator wrote, "The three- movement Khachat ur ian Sonata—a r ar ely per for med Thursday, February 26, 2015- 7:30 pm Compet it ion at Vevey, Swit zer land. He was a composition—is a real tour-de-force for the virtuoso st udent of Helene Sedo-St adler befo r e go ing pianist. Technically pr istine, Ms. Poghosyan br ought T he Par i s-based Hermès Quartet has already been heard in on to study privately with Alfred Brendel, out the dr iven qualit ies of the outer movements, and prestigious European venues. They have been presented in Meir a Far kas, O leg Maisenber g, and Claus- Italy at the Chamber Music Association of Trieste, t he hear t -r ending beaut y of t he middle sect ion .” Accademia Filarmonica di Bo lo gna, t he Christian Schust er . Program: Bach, Program: Komitas, Khachaturian, Beethoven Viareggio Festival, and Paganini Festival Mozart, H aydn and Schumann - $70/ hors- and more. $80/Armenian buffet, ample de la Spezia; in France at the Festival de d’œuvres, wine, cheese, sweets reception- parking on street. l ’ O r anger i e de Sceaux , Q uat uor s à St . St reet parking on at U D C garage. Roch Festival, Yver don-les-Bains Castle, Festival Quatuor à L’Ouest, EMBASSY OF LUXEMBOURG☼ Château de Lourmarin, Festival Musique EMBASSY OF AUSTRIA 2200 MASSACHUSETTS dans le Grésivaudan, Festival de l’Épau in Sarthe, Les Musicades in Lyon, and AVENUE, NW Festival de Radio France et Montpellier; at the Lockenhaus Festival in Austria; Friday, March 13, 2015, 7:30 pm “COMMEMORATION OF THE and in Germany at Festspiele (Returning by popular demand!) 70TH ANNIVERSARY TO THE Mecklenbur g-Vorpommern and the Crescendo festival at The Minetti Quartett has collect ed mor e Universität der Künste Berlin. In the U.S., they have given import ant pr izes t han any ensemble since 2003 BATTLE OF THE BULGE” r ecitals at the Lied Center of Kansas, the Univer sity of Georgia, and the Friends of Chamber Music in Texas. when it r eceived t he Haydn Awar d at t he AN EVENING OF SONG AND Program: Haydn, Schumann, Jánaček- $75 (par king International Joseph Haydn Competition in CHAMBER MUSIC available indoors for $8 or on street) Vienna, followed by t he Friday, December 12, 2014, 7:30pm EMBASSY OF AUSTRIA Int er nat io nal Saturday, December 13, 2014, 7:30pm 3524 INTERNATIONAL CT., NW Rimbotti TILL FELLNER, PIANO Competition for Limited Seating (Returning by popular demand!) String Quartet in Friday, March 6, 2015, 7:30 pm Florence, the An evening devoted to music of World Franz Schubert Competition in Graz, t he nat io nal “ Gr adus ad Par nassum” Pr i ze. So o n W ars I & II, with an evening of chamber Till Fellner’s international career and the list music and song t hat was i ndicat i ve of t he after the formation of t he ensemble it received period. Patriotic and nostalgic of his collaborators reads like a “Who’s strong support from the Herbert vo n Kar aj an songs and music t hat gave Who” of classical scholarship, t he Musica Juventutis Vienna, Live Amer ica and t he world comfort music; he has Music N ow, Jeunesse Musicales Aust r ia, St ar t - and solace in very difficult times. appear ed as guest Scholarship of the Austrian Ministry for The Thomas Circle Singers will soloist with many of Education, Arts and Cult ure. Pr ogram : Mozart, enhance t he pr ogram on t he wor ld’s for emost Shostkovich, Mendelssohn- $70/ December 13t h wit h Chr ist mas songs and car ols. hors- o r chest r as and has d’œuvres, wine, cheese, sweets Buffet/wine/valet parking- $150 worked with such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Vladimir reception- Ample Street parking on at DC Ashkenazy, Herbert Blomstedt, Christoph von garage.

2015 Dohnányi, Bernard Haitink, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Manfred Honeck, Sir Charles 3 EMBASSY OF THE CZECH concer to appearances with the “ Char ismat ic” (N ew Yor k Ti mes) cellist, Sæunn REPUBLIC Modest o, Queensland, Toledo, Thorsteinsdóttir recently made her debut with the Los Amarillo, Hartford, and Charlotte Angeles Philharmonic for which the LA Times praised her 3900 SPRING OF FREEDOM, NW Symphonies, the Louisville for her “ emotional intensity” . Following the release of her MARTIN KASIK, PIANO recording of Britten’s Suites for Solo Cello, last season she Orchestra, the Northwest per for med in some of the wor ld s gr eatest halls including Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 7:30 pm Sinfonietta, and t he Symphony Carnegie Hall, Suntory Hall and Disney Hall. A versatile Martin Kasík (b. 1976) ranks among the foremost Czech Silicon Valley. In Fall 2013 he was cellist, Saeunn’s 2013-2014 season includes debuts as soloist pianists of the present time. He has devoted himself to piano a featured soloist with the All with the Toronto Symphony playing since four year s of age. H e st udied wit h Monika Star Orchestra for national public Orchestra and the Quad City Tugendliebová at the Janáček conser vat or y in O st r ava, and television, performing the Samuel Symphony in Iowa; an inaugural season subsequently with Ivan Klánský at the Academy of Music and Jones Cello Concer t o. Aft er br oadcast , t he as cellist of the Manhattan Piano Trio Performing Arts in per for mance was r eleased as a D VD on t he N axos including a debut performance at the Prague. The winner of Chautauqua Music Festival; a sever al domestic and label . Pr ogr am: Schumann, W ebern, Poulenc performance at the Metropolitan international contests, Bach, Boccherini, Bloch, Kreisler $70/ hors- Museum of Art as cellist in the group and the recipient of a d’œuvres, wine, cheese, sweets reception Decoda; a performer in composer number of pr estigious D avi d Lang’ s collected stories project at awar ds, he has t o his Carnegie Hall; and being named the 2013-2014 -in-Residence credit laureateships RESIDENCE OF THE PORTUGUESE at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center in from the 1998 Prague AMBASSADOR ☼ Califor nia. Spring International Music Competition, the 1999 Young $100/Buffet/wine- Progr am : Brahms, Schubert, Concert Artists Competition, the 2000 Davidoff Prix, the 2125 KALORAMA ROAD, NW Webern and Jón Nordal. 2002 Harmonie Magazine Award, and other distinctions. EVENING OF FADO Program: Beethoven “Moonlight,” Sonata “Les Friday, June 5, 2015. 7:30 pm ORDER FORM INCLUDED. BECOME A Adieux,” Ravel, Prokofiev- $85. Buffet/W ine- Ample “FRIEND.” SUBSCRIPTIONS NOT AVAILABLE on street parking. In popular belief, fado is a form of music characterized by ONLINE. PLEASE CONSIDER A TAX-EXEMPT mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life CONTRIBUTION TO THE EMBASSY SERIES. EMBASSY OF SINGAPORE of the poor, and infused with a 3501 INTERNATIONAL PLACE, NW characteristic sentiment of WWW.EMBASSYSERIES.ORG [email protected]. ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED resignation, fatefulness and melancholia (loosely captured by Thursday, May 7, 2015, 7:30 pm t he wor d saudade, or " l ongi ng" ). THE EMBASSY SERIES Limited Seating However, although the origins P.O. BOX 9871 Music, including Reception- $95 ar e di ffi cul t t o t r ace, t oday fado WASHINGTON, DC 20016 is regarded, by many, as simply a N B: Doors open ½ hour before concert. form of song which can be about Program begins promptly on time. EMBASSY OF AUSTRIA anything, but must follow a certain structure. The music

JULIAN SCHWARZ, CELLO is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade which ALL SALES ARE FINAL. MARIKA BOURNAKI, PIANO symbolizes the feeling of loss (a permanent, irreparable loss and its consequent lifelong damage). Buffet/wine- CALL: (202) 625-2361 Friday, May 22, 2015, 7:30 pm ample parking on street- $150 ☼buffet reception PROGRAM AND VENUES SUBJECT TO Bor n in 1991 t o a musical family, cellist Julian Schwarz RESIDENCE OF THE ICELANDIC CHANGE. is already being recognized as one of the finest cellists AMBASSADOR ☼ now befor e the public. In August 2013 he won the 2443 KALORAMA ROAD, NW TICKETS WILL BE MAILED BY AUGUST fir st pr ize in t he inaugural Schoenfeld Inter national 24TH Str ing Competition in Hong Kong. Mr. Sc h w ar z SAEUNN THORNSTEINSDOTTIR, made his or chestr al debut at the age of 11 playing t he CELLO, Sai n t -Saëns Concerto No. 1 with the Seattle ALEXANDRA JOAN, PIANO Symphony and his father , Ger ard Schwarz, on the Friday, June 12, 2015. 7:30 pm podium. Upcoming per for mance highlights include

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