Alisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan Announce Two New York Area Concerts with the ASMF, 3/9 & 10

Andrew Haveron will lead cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianist Inon Barnatan with The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields in two New York area concerts during their sixteen-city United States tour. The group will perform on March 9 at 8pm at the Purchase College Performing Arts Center, and on March 10 at 3pm at the Kupferberg Center for the Arts in Flushing, NY.

Ms. Weilerstein and Mr. Barnatan, who are frequent recital partners and whose recent chamber music performance at Alice Tully Hall in New York City was named one of the "Top 10 Classical Music Performances of 2012" by New York Magazine, will each perform concertos with the ASMF.

The tour program includes Britten's Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10; Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major; Haydn's Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor 'Farewell'; Haydn's Symphony No. 44 in E minor 'Trauer'; and Bach's Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor BWV1052. Venue details for these New York area concerts along with a full tour schedule are listed below.

2012 was a pivotal year for both Ms. Weilerstein and Mr. Barnatan. Ms. Weilerstein released her debut album on the Decca label, recording both the Elgar and Elliott Carter Cello Concertos along with Max Bruch's Kol Nidrei to widespread critical acclaim. Called a "most distinguished offering" by The New York Times, Ms. Weilerstein's album was included in several 'Best of 2012' lists including "NPR Music's 50 Favorite Albums Of 2012."

Ms. Weilerstein made her Cleveland Orchestra debut at age 13 and her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Youth Symphony at age 15. She graduated from Columbia University in 2004 with a degree in Russian history, and was awarded the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in September 2011. She is the first cellist to sign with the Decca label in more than 30 years.

Mr. Barnatan released his debut recital album, Darknesse Visible, for Avie Records in early 2012. Pairing themes from literature with pieces by Ravel, Adés, Debussy, and Stevenson, Darknesse Visible was reviewed by The New York Times saying, "Mr. Barnatan's extraordinary playing is what makes this release so rewarding." The album was recently included in The New York Times' "The Best Classical Recordings of 2012" list.

Since moving to the United States in 2006, Israeli-born Mr. Barnatan has made debuts with the Orchestras of Cleveland, Philadelphia, and San Francisco; performed at New York's Carnegie Hall, 92nd Street Y, Metropolitan Museum and Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall; and appeared at the festivals of Aspen, Blossom, Music@Menlo, Santa Fe, Spoleto USA, and Vail. Last season, he curated a three-concert series of late Schubert works for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Schubert Ascending, which was previously presented at the Concertgebouw, Festival de México, and Library of Congress. He was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2009.