Season 2020111111----2020202011112222

The Philadelphia Orchestra

Sunday, April 11,, at 3:00 27th Season of Chamber Music ConcertsConcerts————PerelmanPerelman Theater

Schubert String Trio in B-flat major, D. 471 Jonathan Chu Violin Beth Guterman Viola Yumi Kendall Cello

Hess Quintet, Op. 95, for basset horn, violin, viola, cello, and double bass I. Tranquillo—Vivace—Allegro vivace—Tranquillo—Adagio II. Romanze: Moderato III. Scherzo (Vivace) and Trio (Meno mosso) IV. Finale: Allegro giocoso Paul Demers Basset Horn Jonathan Chu Violin Beth GuterGutermanman Viola (Guest) Yumi Kendall Cello Robert Kesselman Double Bass

Mendelssohn Concert Piece No. 1 in F minor, Op. 113, for clarinet, basset horn, and piano I. Allegro con fuoco II. Andante II. Presto Samuel Caviezel Clarinet Paul Demers Basset Horn ChaCharles rles Abramovic Piano (Guest)

Intermission

Beethoven String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59, No. 1 (“Razumovsky”) I. Allegro II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando III. Adagio molto e mesto IV. Thème russe: Allegro Yayoi Numazawa Violin Daniel Han Violin David Nicastro Viola James J. Cooper III Cello (Guest)

This program runs approximately 1 hour, 50 minutes.

String Trio No. 1 in BB----flatflat major, D. 471

Franz Schubert Born in Vienna, January 31, 1797 Died there, November 19, 1828

Schubert had a maddening habit of beginning a work at full steam, sketching out a number of magnificent themes, and often nearly completing a first movement (or a whole song) before abandoning the piece forever—frequently for reasons that continue to mystify us. This procedure gave rise to the fallacious cliché about his working-methods, namely that whenever he hit upon a compositional problem that could not be solved almost immediately, it was easier for him simply to move on to another piece than to spend time untangling the knot before him. More serious study of Schubert’s music reveals that—notwithstanding his natural tendency to rely on intuition in matters of tonality and form—Schubert “worked over” his musical ideas with meticulous, self-critical care.

In several instances, including some rather well-known ones, Schubert would actually complete one or more movements, leaving bits and pieces of subsequent movements for scholars to grumble over, or try to reconstruct. The best-known example of the latter is, of course, the “Unfinished” Symphony, the two completed movements of which form perhaps the most majestic torso in Western music. In the realm of chamber music, the great Quartettsatz (the German word for quartet movement) is a first movement so important to Schubert’s output that it has come to exist, in our concert life at least, not as a fragment but as a composition in its own right. And of only slightly less significance is the movement in B-flat major composed in September of 1816 as the opening allegro for a string trio. This piece, and part of the half-completed second movement attached to it, contains every bit of the Haydnesque skill that Schubert later brought to bear in a full-scale String Trio (“No. 2”) written in September of the following year, now known as D. 581.

The string trio as genre does not have the rich history of the quartet, partly because a great deal of traditional harmonic theory—since the 16th century at least—was geared toward the idea of four distinct voices. The trio presents formidable problems of texture (which Mozart had conquered with aplomb in his E-flat Divertimento, K. 563, and Beethoven in his Op. 8 Serenade and Op. 9 trios), in which three players are kept very busy filling in a lively harmonic texture normally allocated to four. Schubert’s approach is less densely wrought and ultimately more lyrical than that of Mozart or Beethoven, yet he still manages to bring his mastery of form and melody to bear.

The trio movement known as D. 471 stems from a period of staggering productivity (1814- 18), which saw the composition of countless songs, five dramatic works, sacred pieces, piano sonatas, the Second through Sixth symphonies, and three string quartets. According to the memoir of Leopold von Sonnleithner, this was also a period in which Schubert was actively involved in informal chamber music performances, and he mentions in particular that on several occasions Schubert was drawn to Haydn’s string quartets and trios with baryton (an 18th- century viol with “sympathetic” strings).

Haydn’s presence is felt in D. 471, for instance in the two-part first theme (whose initial flow is broken by an emphatic unison reiteration of the ascending triad) or the athletic transition and second subject. The development section begins ingeniously from the last notes of the exposition, then proceeds to work through this and other motifs.

—Paul J. Horsley

Quintet, Op. 95, for bbbassetbasset hhhorn,horn, vvviolin,violin, vvviola,viola, cccello,cello, and dddoubledouble bbbassbass

Willy Hess Born in Winterthur, Switzerland, October 12, 1906 Died there May 9, 1997

Swiss musicologist Willy Hess was born in Winterthur, near Zurich, in 1906. He studied piano, composition, and music theory at the Zurich Conservatory before pursuing musicology studies at the University of Zurich and the University of Berlin. After returning to Winterthur he played bassoon in the local orchestra while teaching piano, composition, and working as a music critic.

Soon after World War II ended, Hess became known internationally as one of the leading scholars on the music of Beethoven, renowned especially for his efforts to edit and publish works that had been omitted from the 19th-century edition of Beethoven’s “complete” works. Hess’s addendum to the Beethoven Gesamtausgabe, which restored these authenticated works to the catalog, was finally published in 1957. From 1959 to 1971, Hess then edited and prepared for publication 14 separate volumes of supplemental scores, in a heroic effort to complete the “Collected Works” project. He also wrote more than 400 scholarly articles and publications in the field of Beethoven studies.

While earning a worldwide reputation as a leading Beethoven scholar, Hess was also a prolific composer who produced over 100 works in a traditionally tonal, Classical style. They are mostly small-scale works—lieder, chamber pieces, miniatures, and so on—but he also orchestrated a complete Beethoven Piano Concerto (in E-flat, WoO 4) in 1943 that had existed to that point only in piano score, and produced some other larger-scale works for bassoon and orchestra.

Hess wrote his Op. 95 Quintet in 1979 for basset horn (or B-flat clarinet), violin, viola, cello, and double bass. The genre immediately suggests parallels with the clarinet quintets of Mozart, Weber, Brahms (and perhaps also Reger and Hindemith). But unlike these earlier composers, Hess doesn’t use a traditional string quartet. Instead, he replaces the second violin with a double bass, suggesting that he was thinking along the lines of a concertante work rather than a true chamber piece.

The Quintet’s first movement (TranquilloTranquilloTranquillo) opens with a freely rhapsodic slow introduction based on two motifs from the basset horn, a rising four-note arpeggio followed by a descending scale. The tempo quickens into the main body of the movement (VivaceVivaceVivace), which is a lively five-part fugue based on the same two motifs. But then toward the end the tempo slows again and, after an unaccompanied recitative from the basset horn, the opening introductory materials are reprised.

The second movement—a Romanze in B-flat major (ModeModeratoModerato)—emphasizesrato the basset horn’s lyricism as it duets with the violin in the main refrain of this rondo form. A contrasting episode in staccato rhythms intervenes before the main theme returns, this time in the cello. Then the basset horn and violin share melodic duties again in a second contrasting episode with more rapid figurations leading into one final restatement of the rondo theme.

The Scherzo (VivaceVivaceVivace) turns to A minor, a somewhat unusual choice for Classical-styled work that started in F minor, but it then proceeds to modulate to C major in typical Classical fashion. Repeating the composer’s favored texture in this work, the basset horn and violin exchange scale passages while the other instruments accompany. The Trio section shifts surprisingly to D-flat, and weaves chromatically through myriad tonal centers in preparation for a repeat of the Scherzo.

The sprightly Finale (Allegro giocoso) in F major employs elements of sonata allegro form, but one in which the same theme is repeated after the movement modulates to a contrasting key (sometimes called a “monothematic exposition,” and a favorite Classical-era technique of Haydn.) The development section revisits the variety of keys explored in the previous movements. Then, midway through the recapitulation, the adagio theme from the first movement makes a brief return—a cyclic technique typical of Beethoven—before a presto coda sprints toward the Quintet’s triumphant conclusion.

—Luke Howard

Concert Piece No. 1 in F minor, OpOp.. 113, for clarinet,clarinet, basset horn, and piano

Felix Mendelssohn Born in Hamburg, February 3, 1809 Died in Leipzig, November 4, 1847

While still an adolescent, Mendelssohn had reached maturity as a composer and was a prodigy on both piano and violin. In his teens he was reportedly an exceptional athlete and swimmer, a talented poet who had won the praise and friendship of Goethe, spoke multiple languages fluently, and was a gifted watercolorist and philosopher. As Julian Haylock writes, “He excelled at virtually anything that could hold his attention for long enough.” That Mendelssohn chose a career in music, knowing that he could have succeeded brilliantly in almost any field, is even more remarkable because unlike Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven (his musical idols), he did not come from a family of professional musicians.

That’s not to say the Mendelssohn family was unmusical. Quite the opposite—young Felix was raised in a household filled with music. And with the abundance of in-house amateur performance that was part of his training, it was only natural that he should be interested in chamber music from an early age. Many of his early compositions are for chamber ensembles, and his first four published works are all chamber pieces. While other genres would establish his reputation later in life—symphonies, solo piano pieces, and oratorios—he had a special affinity with the intimacy and transparency of chamber music, and produced some of his most impassioned and emotionally intense works in the chamber genre.

But Mendelssohn also wrote some of his most delightful and carefree works for chamber ensembles. His two Concert Pieces for clarinet, basset horn, and piano, for example, (which date from 1832-33) are charming, innocent works that owe their origins to the culinary skills, not the musical talents, of virtuoso clarinetist Heinrich Baermann and his son, Carl, who played basset horn. The Baermanns were renowned cooks as well as formidable musicians, and Mendelssohn reportedly wrote these virtuosic showpieces for them in the living room while the Baermanns worked in the kitchen cooking a meal for the composer as payment— hardly a milieu for the production of “serious” music.

Heinrich Baermann was the leading clarinetist of his day. He was a close friend of Carl Maria von Weber who, like Mendelssohn, was influenced by Baermann’s artistry in his writing for clarinet. Weber’s Clarinet Concerto and Clarinet Quintet were composed especially for Baermann (although the Grand Duo—one of Weber’s best-known clarinet works, was not), and Giacomo Meyerbeer also produced clarinet concertos for Baermann. But just as the clarinet was gaining in popularity through Baermann’s influence, the basset horn—a tenor single-reed instrument related to the clarinet—was already falling out of favor by the early 19th century. Still, the father hoped to introduce his son to audiences during a European tour by commissioning works for clarinet and basset horn that they could perform together on stage. Mendelssohn completed his first Concert Piece, in F minor, for this duo on December 30, 1832, and the Baermanns premiered it two days later. Mendelssohn then orchestrated it later the next week. He had to mail the score for the second Concert Piece to the Baermanns, however, as they were already on their way to St. Petersburg for a concert. (Many years later, after Mendelssohn’s death, Carl Baermann orchestrated the second Concert Piece himself.)

Mendelssohn suggested to the Baermanns with mock seriousness that the first Concert Piece was meant to invoke “the Battle of Prague.” But then he went on to say that it was actually a “grand duet for steam dumpling and cream strudel,” the two signature dishes the Baermanns prepared as payment for Mendelssohn’s work, and for which the composer was most appreciative!

In the Concert Piece Mendelssohn combines vocal and instrumental elements. Although the three-movement format is an instrumental tradition, this work can at times sound like an operatic duet for soprano and tenor in the style of Rossini, whose operas Mendelssohn enjoyed. When heard this way, the introductory first movement can be thought of as a parallel to operatic recitative, and the ensuing slow movement and finale begin to resemble a cavatina/cabaletta.

The first movement (AllegroAllegro con fuocofuoco) opens with a dramatic dotted-rhythm theme, but it quickly gives way to a lyrical duet between the two soloists, the clarinet weaving a lyrical melody over a basset horn accompaniment. In this movement the basset horn is sometimes a character on stage, and at other times a member of the accompanying “orchestra.” But there are ample opportunities for each instrument to shine individually in recitative-like flourishes. The ravishingly lyrical middle movement (AndanteAndanteAndante) plays out as a true operatic duet in the bel canto style over a simple guitar-like accompaniment from the piano. The Presto finale begins hesitatingly in the minor mode, but very quickly turns playfully major with virtuosic runs and scintillating figurations for the soloists.

—Luke Howard

String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59, No. 1 (“Razumovsky”)

Ludwig van Beethoven Born in Bonn, probably December 16, 1770 Died in Vienna, March 26, 1827

When Beethoven accepted the commission to write a set of three quartets for Count Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador to Vienna, he pledged to “weave a Russian melody into every quartet.” And he almost kept his promise. By the time he had finished the three quartets, only the finale of No. 1 and the third movement of No. 2 had authentically Russian tunes included in them. But even then, the force and individuality of Beethoven’s own voice completely subsumes the quoted folk tunes, making the “Razumovsky” quartets thoroughly Beethovenian in breadth, concept, and invention.

At their premiere in February 1807, the three Op. 59 quartets were not received with the same enthusiastic response that had greeted Beethoven’s Op. 18 quartets several years earlier. The performers themselves laughed at the pieces, thinking Beethoven was playing a joke on them. The violinist remarked, “Surely you do not consider this music,” to which the composer allegedly replied, in all seriousness, “Not for you, but for a later age.” Indeed, later critics have praised these quartets as masterworks, giving them place alongside the Third and Fifth symphonies as significant representatives of Beethoven’s emerging middle period.

The formal design of the first quartet, in F-major, is peculiar and unprecedented in that all four movements are written in a version of sonata form. The first movement (AllegroAllegroAllegro) is at once serene and noble. The first and second key areas abound with distinctive melodies, and the exposition unfolds without any major formal surprises. But what sounds like a repeat of the exposition is actually one of the composer’s boldest formal innovations—he disguises the fact that the exposition does not, in fact, repeat by making the first four measures of the development section identical to it. The development itself is dominated by a central fugal section, and further development of themes takes place in the lengthy coda.

Beethoven again puts the dance movement (AllegroAllegro vivacevivace e sempre scherzandoscherzando) before the slow movement in this Quartet, as he had done previously in his Quartet in A major, Op. 18, No. 5. Even at this stage of his musical development, well into the middle period, that was still a little unusual. But more odd (and to the Quartet’s first audience, particularly amusing), is the insistent drumming on one note that starts the movement. It creates a theme based not on melody or harmony, but purely on rhythm, and the emphasis on rhythmic development continues throughout the movement. This light-hearted scherzo—the first movement so titled that Beethoven had written in a sonata form—omits the repeat of the exposition, and greatly telescopes the recapitulation.

Above the sketches for the third movement (AdagioAdagio moltomolto e mestomesto), Beethoven wrote, “A weeping willow or acacia tree upon my brother’s grave.” This lament of almost Shakespearian tragedy develops around two lyrical themes, both characterized by wide melodic leaps. After a florid and impassioned violin recitative, the fourth movement then follows without a break.

The Russian tune in the Allegro finale (which, in its original form, was in a minor key and twice as slow) is not especially captivating. But here, as in Beethoven’s music generally, it’s not so much the tune itself as what the composer does with it that makes the difference. In Beethoven’s hands it takes on added energy and brilliance, and when played off against the rhythmic motifs and lyricism of the second theme group, creates a wonderfully unified and well-crafted whole. Although lively and brisk, this movement brings a relaxation of emotional intensity to the Quartet. Near the conclusion the Russian theme returns, re-harmonized and in a slower tempo, but before it has a chance to become nostalgic it is dismissed with a final presto flourish.

—Luke Howard

Program notes © 2012. All rights reserved. Program notes may not be reprinted without written permission from The Philadelphia Orchestra Association and/or Luke Howard.

GENERAL TERMS Arpeggio: A broken chord (with notes played in succession instead of together) Bel canto: Literally, “beautiful singing.” A term that refers to the Italian vocal style of the 18th and early 19th centuries that emphasized beauty of tone in the delivery of highly florid music. Cabaletta: Originally an operatic aria with a simple, animated rhythm, and later a fast concluding section of a two-part operatic aria Cavatina: A song, particularly a short aria without da capo Coda: A concluding section or passage added in order to confirm the impression of finality Concertante: A work featuring one or more solo instruments D.: Abbreviation for Deutsch, the chronological list of all the works of Schubert made by Otto Erich Deutsch Fugue: A piece of music in which a short melody is stated by one voice and then imitated by the other voices in succession, reappearing throughout the entire piece in all the voices at different places Lieder: Songs Op.: Abbreviation for opus, a term used to indicate the chronological position of a composition within a composer’s output Recitative: Declamatory singing, free in tempo and rhythm Romanza: Originally a ballad, or popular tale in verse; now a title for epico-lyrical songs or of short instrumental pieces of sentimental or romantic nature, and without special form Rondo: A form frequently used in symphonies and concertos for the final movement. It consists of a main section that alternates with a variety of contrasting sections (A-B-A-C-A etc.). Scherzo: Literally “a joke.” Usually the third movement of symphonies and quartets that was introduced by Beethoven to replace the minuet. The scherzo is followed by a gentler section called a trio, after which the scherzo is repeated. Its characteristics are a rapid tempo in triple time, vigorous rhythm, and humorous contrasts. Sonata form: The form in which the first movements (and sometimes others) of symphonies are usually cast. The sections are exposition, development, and recapitulation, the last sometimes followed by a coda. The exposition is the introduction of the musical ideas, which are then “developed.” In the recapitulation, the exposition is repeated with modifications. Staccato: Detached, with each note separated from the next and quickly released Triad: A three-tone chord composed of a given tone (the “root”) with its third and fifth in ascending order in the scale Trio: See scherzo

THE SPEED OF MUSIC (Tempo) Adagio: Leisurely, slow Allegretto: A tempo between walking speed and fast Allegro: Bright, fast Andante: Walking speed Con fuoco: With fire, passionately, excited Giocoso: Humorous Meno mosso: Less moved (slower) Mesto: Sad, mournful Moderato: A moderate tempo, neither fast nor slow Presto: Very fast Sempre scherzando: Always playfully Tranquillo: Quiet, peaceful, soft Vivace: Lively

TEMPO MODIFIERS Molto: Very Charles Abramovic, piano, made his solo orchestral debut at the age of 14 with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Since then he has appeared with such orchestras as the Baltimore Symphony, the Colorado Philharmonic, the Florida Philharmonic, and the Nebraska Chamber Orchestra. He is active as a solo recitalist and has also appeared with such artists as Midori, Viktoria Mullova, Robert McDuffie, Kim Kashkashian, and Sarah Chang. Actively involved with contemporary music, Mr. Abramovic has recorded works of Milton Babbitt, Joseph Schwantner, Gerald Levinson, Tina Davison, and others for the Naxos, CRI, Bridge, and Koch International Classics labels. Mr. Abramovic is currently professor of piano at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music, where he received the Certificate of Honor in 2006.

Samuel Caviezel, associate principal clarinet, joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1998 after having served as principal clarinet of the Grand Rapids Symphony. He was born in Seattle and grew up in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. He began his clarinet studies with Laurie DeLuca of the Seattle Symphony, progressed through the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association, and spent his senior year of high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. In 1992 he entered the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with then-Philadelphia Orchestra Associate Principal Clarinet Donald Montanaro and played in the Curtis Symphony, becoming its principal clarinet in 1994. Upon graduation in 1996, Mr. Caviezel joined the Grand Rapids Symphony.

Violist Jonathan Chu joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2009. He has toured Japan and Europe with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, was a member of the Saint Louis Symphony and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and served as concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra and guest principal with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Chu has participated in Caramoor’s “Rising Stars” series and was a prizewinner at the Coleman Competition with the Fader Piano Quartet; he is also a founding member of the Io String Quartet. He has attended such festivals as Marlboro, Yellow Barn, and Taos. He can also be heard on an album of the rock band Vampire Weekend, playing both violin and viola. Mr. Chu is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and the Juilliard School, where he studied with Robert Mann.

James J. Cooper III began cello studies in Cincinnati and after four years of study was accepted as a student of David Soyer and Peter Wiley at the Curtis Institute. He appeared twice as soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony and was principal cello of the American Symphony. At Curtis he participated in several European tours, chamber music concerts, competitions, and solo performances. Since graduating he has been principal cello of the Relache Chamber Orchestra and the Harrisburg, Lancaster, and Reading symphonies. Mr. Cooper is currently co-principal cello of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra and the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra. He can be heard performing the cello solos on CDs by Jennifer Lopez and other pop artists. He is also an active cello teacher and composer.

Paul Demers was appointed bass clarinet of The Philadelphia Orchestra in March 2006. Prior to his appointment, he performed as bass clarinetist with the National Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony, among others. In 1997 he won a position with “The President’s Own” Marine Band in Washington, D.C., and during his four-year tenure performed as a member of the clarinet section, and as a soloist, chamber musician, and E-flat clarinetist. Mr. Demers is currently a member of Network for New Music in Philadelphia and serves on the faculty of Temple University. Born in Westbrook, Maine, he started playing clarinet at age 10 and began private lessons at age 14. He continued his studies with Larry Combs and John Bruce Yeh at DePaul University in Chicago, where he earned a Bachelor of Music, a Master of Music, and a Performance Certificate.

Violist Beth Guterman has appeared as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician in Zankel Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Perelman Theater, Wigmore Hall, Jordan Hall, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, as well as having toured across America, Europe, and Asia. She is also a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. She has performed as guest artist with the Orion Quartet, members of the Guarneri Quartet, and the Claremont Trio, and she has participated in many summer festivals. Ms. Guterman received her Artist Diploma at the New England Conservatory, studying with Kim Kashkashian, and her bachelor and master degrees from Juilliard as a student of Masao Kawasaki. Ms. Guterman is currently principal viola in the IRIS Chamber Orchestra, and she has been a member of ECCO since 2008.

Daniel Han, violin, joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2006. He was previously a member of the Minnesota Orchestra and the Fort Worth Symphony, and guest concertmaster of the Daejeon Philharmonic in Korea. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and artist diploma from Boston University, where he was a student of Roman Totenberg. A native of Lexington, KY, Mr. Han studied with Kurt Sassmannshaus and Dorothy DeLay at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department. Mr. Han has performed as soloist with the CCM-Starling, Philharmonia, and Boston Classical orchestras, and the Fort Worth, Northern Kentucky, Boston University, and UK symphonies, among others. He also attended the Aspen Music Festival, Kneisel Hall, Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, and Music in the Mountains Festival.

Yumi Kendall joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2004 as assistant principal cello after graduating from the Curtis Institute, where she studied with David Soyer and Peter Wiley (she is acting associate principal cello for the 2011-12 season). She previously served as principal cello of the Haddonfield Symphony (now the Symphony in C). Ms. Kendall began studying the cello at age five, made her recital debut at age seven, and in 1998 made her orchestral solo debut with the National Symphony. She has participated in the Tanglewood Institute, Music from Angel Fire, the Verbier and Marlboro festivals, the Taos School of Music, and the Kingston Chamber Music Festival. She is also a member of the Dryden String Quartet. Ms. Kendall won first place in the Friday Morning Music Club Competition and the National Symphony Young Soloists’ Competition.

Robert Kesselman, double bass, is a native Philadelphian and attended Temple University and the Curtis Institute of Music. In 1980 he won a section bass position with the Pittsburgh Symphony, where he remained until 1987. Mr. Kesselman had always dreamed of playing in The Philadelphia Orchestra, and in 1987 he was accepted into the bass section. When he is not playing in the Orchestra, he enjoys teaching, solo playing, and performing chamber music. He was formerly on the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and currently teaches at Temple University.

Violist David Nicastro became a member of The Philadelphia Orchestra in the summer of 1995. Previously he served as associate principal viola of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. He has been guest violist with the Takács String Quartet and was a member of the Kono Quartet in Indiana. Born in New York, Mr. Nicastro grew up in the Hague, Netherlands, where he began violin studies at the age of six. Returning to the U.S., he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from Boston University while studying with Yuri Mazurkevich. Continuing his musical studies, Mr. Nicastro received a University Fellowship and an Artist Diploma from Indiana University, where he studied viola with Abraham Skernick, Atar Arad, and former Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Viola Joseph de Pasquale.

Born in Tokyo, Yayoi Numazawa began studying violin at age five with Ami Watanabe. Ms. Numazawa won her first competition at age nine and at age 12 was invited to study with Ivan Galamian at Meadowmount in upstate New York. The following year she enrolled full time at the Curtis Institute, where she studied with Mr. Galamian, Philadelphia Orchestra violinist Yumi Ninomiya Scott, Jamie Laredo, and Felix Galimir. Ms. Numazawa made her solo debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra as a winner of its Albert M. Greenfield Student Competition. She became a member of the Orchestra in 1995. Her active performance schedule has included solo performances in Japan and the United States, as well as many chamber performances. Ms. Numazawa teaches privately and many of her students have gone on to study at leading institutions.