Kirill Gerstein and Steven Isserlis Play 92nd Street Y, 1/27

Frequent recital partners Kirill Gerstein and Steven Isserlis will perform together in recital at the 92nd Street Y in New York on Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. as part of the Distinguished Artists in Recital series in the Kaufmann Concert Hall. The recital will bring together 19th and 20th century composers in a program of songs and sonatas: Liszt's Romance oubliée for Cello and Piano and Die Zelle in Nonnenwerth for Cello and Piano; Busoni's Kultaselle, variations on a Finnish folksong for Cello and Piano; Brahms's Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38 and Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 in F minor, Op. 99; and, performed between the two Brahms sonatas, Bartók's Rhapsody for Cello and Piano.

In a case of mistaken identity, Mr. Isserlis met Mr. Gerstein by chance in 2004 at Schloss Elmau in Germany. Mr. Isserlis, who thought he had been asked to play with violinist Kirill Troussov, was both surprised and impressed to instead meet Mr. Gerstein, and thus began an enduring musical partnership - and friendship - that has prospered over the past eight years.

Mr. Gerstein made his 92nd Street Y debut with Mr. Isserlis in 2007. He made his solo piano debut there in April featuring dance-themed works of which the New York Times said, "While there is much to love about Mr. Gerstein's assured, warm, generous playing - which is clean and clear but never arid or dull - his command of color was particularly astonishing..."

In addition to the New York recital on Sunday, January 27, Mr. Gerstein and Mr. Isserlis will perform this program at Wolf Trap, Virginia on Friday, January 25; the Cleveland Chamber Music Society on Tuesday, January 29; and the University of Chicago Presents Classic Concert Series on Friday, February 1.