92nd Street Y Announces 2018-19 Classical Concert Season

92nd Street Y (92Y) and Tisch Center for the Arts Director Hanna Arie-Gaifman proudly announces its concert programming for the 2018-19 season, which aims to present the most established musicians of today, and cultivate the world's upcoming classical artists with an intimacy and collective yen for knowledge in the extraordinary acoustics of Kaufmann Concert Hall. 92Y is renowned in the arts community for its leadership in new musical initiatives and collaborations, where artists are given license to explore new repertoire, revisit the classical canon in innovative ways, and communicate original artistic concepts to the audience. As a result, the performer and audience are drawn closer in a spirit of artistic honesty, musical vibrancy, and high level of engagement. Curious, inquisitive concert-goers enjoy an atmosphere in which musicians and artists are encouraged to explore and push their boundaries and the message they wish to convey. 92Y maintains a firm commitment to reaching and fostering new classical music enthusiasts, and has championed educational initiatives that bring artists to a diverse group of New York City public school students, who are given the opportunity to attend concerts at no cost and interact with the artists on a personal level as part of a wider curriculum.

"I feel extremely proud to launch a new season which engages deeply, not only with touchstones and rarities of the musical canon ranging from the 17th century to the 21st, but also with some of the crucial questions of humanity," says Dr. Arie-Gaifman. "I am looking forward to welcoming a range of musical voices to 92Y, and to sublime and daring performances by some of today's most exciting instrumentalists, ensembles, and singers."

92Y 2018/19 SEASON

Full program details are available in the chronological listing below.

CHAMBER ORCHESTRAS

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra & Steven Isserlis - December 9, 2018
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra & Mahan Esfahani - May 8, 2019
The conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, known for their "highly charged (New York Times) interpretations and "amazing precision" (ZEALnyc), returns to 92nd Street Y on two occasions in 2018-19. Joined by famed cellist Steven Isserlis in December with a program entitled "Bleeding Hearts," which includes the US Premiere of Hans Rott's Symphony for String Orchestra in A-flat, CPE Bach's A Major Cello Concerto, and Gustav Mahler's arrangement of Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" String Quartet. The Orchestra's second season appearance with harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani is in May, with a program entitled "Merry Pranks." The concert features a fascinating selection of De Falla, Martin?, Australian composer Brett Dean's arrangement of Strauss's Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, and Jean Françaix's arrangement of Mozart's E-flat Major Wind Quintet.

Gidon Kremer & Kremerata Baltica - March 12, 2019
Following the outstanding critical acclaim earned by Gidon Kremer and the Kremerata Baltica during 92Y's 2016-17 season in which the ensemble presented a multimedia exploration of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," the group of musicians from the Baltic region under Kremer's mentorship and musical direction return to New York as a part of 92Y's new Inflections series with a program which includes Schumann's Bilder aus Osten, Op. 66, in an arrangement by Friedrich Hermann.

Pictured: Kremerata Baltica, by Paolo Pellegrin

VOCAL SERIES

"East West Street: A Song of Good and Evil" - October 14 2018
Lawyer Philippe Sands is the author of East West Street, a monumental story detailing the intersection of war crimes, international law, and humanity during the infamous Nuremburg trials. Mr. Sands joins German actress Katja Riemann as co-narrator, with French bass-baritone Laurent Naouri and pianists Emanuel Ax and Guillaume de Chassy, in "East West Street: A Song of Good and Evil," a semi-staged performance with music of Ravel, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, Bach, and Leonard Cohen, among others. The production, also part of the Inflection series, is directed by acclaimed English opera director Nina Brazier.

Matthias Goerne, Daniil Trifonov & New York Philharmonic String Quartet & - March 17, 2019
In this concert co-presented with the New York Philharmonic, German baritone Matthias Goerne joins together with the outstanding musicians of the New York Philharmonic String Quartet, Principal Bass Timothy Cobb, and star pianist Daniil Trifonov in Brahms' Piano Quintet in F Minor, selected German lieder, and the rarely heard Ernste Gesänge (Serious Songs) by Hanns Eisler. Of Goerne's recent recording of these poignant songs, BBC Music Magazine remarked: "Matthias Goerne's performance of the Ernste Gesänge is mesmerising. Like his great predecessor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Goerne colours every word with insight and intensity and moulds the melodic line with amazing fluidity."

Pictured: Matthias Goerne, courtesy of the artist's website

"Leonardo" - April 6, 2019
The Leonardo da Vinci legacy endures unwaveringly even half a millennium after his death. His groundbreaking artwork was unrivalled, his curiosity and technical know-how resulted in thousands of inventions both practical and fantastical, and his investigation of the human body aided important progress in medicine - but the mystery of the man behind the brilliance remains elusive. 92Y has proudly commissioned Leonardo, a multifaceted examination and celebration of the genius and psyche of Da Vinci. Through a series of vignettes progressing from the profane feast to the sacred Last Supper, composer Jonathan Berger and designer/architect Gabriel Calatrava invite us to join Leonardo on his most personal quest: an obsessive search for the soul.

GARRICK OHLSSON - BRAHMS EXPLORATION, YEAR I

Garrick Ohlsson - October 27, 2018
April 28, 2019
The distinguished American pianist Garrick Ohlsson, renowned for his astonishing technical ability and ethereal artistry, and heralded for his "virtuoso brilliance" (Los Angeles Times), embarks on a two-year survey of the complete Brahms catalog for piano, with two performance this season exclusive to New York City audiences.

CHAMBER ENSEMBLES

Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble - October 16, 2018
The London-based Academy of St Martin in the Fields has released an extensive discography of critically acclaimed recordings since its founding by Sir Neville Marriner in 1958, and it continues to perform under the musical direction of violin virtuoso Joshua Bell worldwide. Its Chamber Ensemble, created in order to perform larger-scale chamber music with musicians from the Academy, brings a thrilling program of Françaix and Schubert Octets, as well as Glazunov's Idyll, to 92Y.

Danish String Quartet - November 17, 2018
Making their 92Y debut, the Danish String Quartet has been a favorite among classical, contemporary, and traditional music aficionados since the foursome joined together as teenagers, due to their impeccable ensemble and technical ability, profoundly heartfelt interpretations, and vigorous artistic energy. With numerous accolades including the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, CMS Two and BBC 3 New Generation Artists residencies, the Quartet brings a program of Haydn's Op. 20 No. 2 Quartet in C Major; Hans Abrahamsen's String Quartet No. 2, which the Danish String Quartet recently recorded for ECM Records; and Beethoven's beloved "Razumovsky" Quartet No. 7 in F Major.

Pictured: Danish String Quartet, by Caroline Bittencourt

Brentano String Quartet - March 9, 2019
Joining the fascinating lineup of Inflection concerts, the Brentano String Quartet, renowned for both their unique artistic ingenuity in programming and their thoughtful artistry, curates a program which combines readings of poetry by Wallace Stevens with works of Beethoven and Bresnick. The Quartet performs the New York Premiere of a new string quartet by Martin Bresnick, inspired by Stevens's poems, as well as Beethoven's powerful String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132.

Artemis String Quartet - April 9, 2019
The German Artemis Quartet makes their 92nd Street Y debut, performing a captivating program of Barber's Adagio from String Quartet No. 1 in B Minor, Britten's String Quartet No. 2 in C Major, and Schubert's heart-rending final String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, "Death and the Maiden." Of a recent performance, the Chicago Tribune remarked, "The apparent ease with which the players completed each other's musical sentences was matched by their meticulous attention to blend, dynamics and intonation."

Pictured: Artemis String Quartet, by Felix Broede

ANGELA HEWITT - BACH ODYSSEY, YEAR III

Angela Hewitt - October 21, 2018
May 11, 2019
May 14, 2019
The penultimate season of virtuoso pianist Angela Hewitt's four-year traversal through the entirety of Bach's keyboard works commences in October with the Well-Tempered Clavier Book II; programs in May include the toccatas, English Suites, and others. Of the first 92Y concert in Ms. Hewitt's mammoth all-Bach project, The New York Times praised, "Ms. Hewitt's performance and presentation were exemplary...she found an endless variety of moods, emotions and atmospheres..."

SOUNDSPACE

In the intimate environment and warm acoustics of Buttenwieser Hall, 92Y's smaller concert hall, 92Y presents the Soundspace series; this season, the series spotlights seven unique programs by riveting young artists; the five outstanding pianists each make their 92nd Street Y debut.

Jessica Xylina Osborne - November 2, 2018
Jessica Xylina Osborne has made a name for herself as a pianist "with a refreshing mellowness and poetic touch" (Washington Post), having performed in eminent concert halls around the world such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Musée du Louvre in Paris, and the Seoul Arts Center. Her program is a fresh look at the salon concerts of the 19th century, and includes works of Ruth Crawford Seeger, Clara Schumann, and Agathe Grøndahl, as well as Chopin's Andante Spinato and Grande Polonaise, two transcriptions of selections from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, and Scriabin's apocalyptic Vers la Flamme.

JACK Quartet - November 9, 2018
Of their previous 92Y appearance, the New York Times remarked, "The JACK Quartet has received such praise for its involvement with new music that it's easy to take for granted how superbly accomplished these players are, as they demonstrated in this daunting program." Returning to 92Y for the first time since their change of two members in 2016, the new-music trailblazers bring a program which spans nearly fifty years of contemporary repertoire, from Ligeti's String Quartet No. 2 (1968) to Andreia Pinto Correia's String Quartet No. 1 "Unvanquished Space" (2017) (New York premiere), with pieces by Sabrina Schroeder and Zosha di Castri in between.

Einav Yarden - December 7, 2018
Israeli-born, Berlin-based pianist Einav Yarden has enjoyed a thriving international career, heralded by the Washington Post for her "...imagination and exceptionally vivid playing...sense of immense majesty, tempered by gentleness and quiet grace." Her program at 92Y includes Schumann's Fantasie, Op. 17, as well as works of Bartók and Haydn, whose sonatas Ms. Yarden has recently recorded to great critical acclaim.

Pictured: Einav Yarden, courtesy of the artist's website

Conrad Tao & Stefan Jackiw - January 25, 2019
Born in 1994, pianist and composer Conrad Tao has already recorded for the EMI and Warner Classics labels, the latter of which The New York Times lauded Mr. Tao's performance as having "enormous imagination, color, and command." Together with the rapidly rising young violinist Stefan Jackiw, the two artists bring a fascinating program of Stravinsky's Suite Italienne, Lutoslawski's Partita, Kaija Saariaho's Nocturne in Memory of Lutoslawski for solo violin, and Aaron Copland's violin sonata.

Pictured: Conrad Tao, by Brantley Gutierrez

Horszowski Trio - February 15, 2019
Comprising violinist Jesse Mills, cellist Raman Ramakrishnan, and pianist Reiko Aizawa, who was the last pupil of the famed pianist Mieczyslaw Horszowski, the Horszowski Trio made their professional debut in 2011, and have since been selected the Ensemble-in-Residence at the prestigious Longy School of Music at Bard College. The young musicians, praised for their "lithe, persuasive" (The New York Times) interpretations of both the standard classical repertoire and the avant-garde, give their 92Y debut with a program of Schumann, Shostakovich, and Charles Wuorinen.

Juho Pohjonen - April 5, 2019
The Finnish pianist, Juho Pohjonen is no stranger to New York City's vibrant classical music community, having been praised by The New York Times as, "the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's in-house Liszt... effortless brilliance..." Having earned a reputation for his astonishing ease and vigorous musicality through fiendishly difficult repertoire, Pohjonen performs works of Rameau, Scriabin, and Dichotomie by Esa-Pekka Salonen, a fellow Finn. The United Kingdom's Daily Echo commented, "this very humble young man just dazzled with his incredible talent and thoughtful interpretation."

Pictured: Juho Pohjonen, by Lisa Marie Mazzuco

Orion Weiss - May 10, 2019
A past recipient of the Gilmore Young Artist Award and an Avery Fisher Career Grant, American pianist Orion Weiss makes his 92Y debut performing Ravel's Le tombeau de Couperin, Shostakovich's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B Minor, and transcriptions of selected chorale preludes from Brahms Op. 122 by Ferrucio Busoni. "When you're named after one of the biggest constellations in the night sky, the pressure is on to display a little star power - and...Orion Weiss did exactly that in a high-powered and often ferocious recital," states the Washington Post.

DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS

Yefim Bronfman & the New York Philharmonic String Quartet - January 20, 2019
In this concert co-presented with the New York Philharmonic, the consummate pianist Yefim Bronfman joins the New York Philharmonic String Quartet, whose New York recital debut took place at 92Y during the 2017-18 season, and which comprises Concertmaster Frank Huang, Principal Associate Concertmaster Sheryl Staples, Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps, and Principal Cello Carter Brey. The distinguished artists present a program which includes Schumann's E-flat Major Piano Quintet.

Nicola Benedetti & Alexei Grynyuk - January 30, 2019
Nicola Benedetti's meteoric rise to international fame and her fervent advocacy for artistic mentorship of the younger generation has earned the Scottish violinist the reputation as one of the most interesting classical violinists today. Of a performance of Wynton Marsalis's Violin Concerto, written for Ms. Benedetti by the Pulitzer Prize winner, the Washington Post remarked: "It's a big gleeful mashup not only of timbres, but of styles...She played it...with grace and grit and the theatricality the piece requires." The violinist also performs the magnificent Chaconne from Bach's D Minor Violin Partita, as well as violin sonatas of Prokofiev and Strauss with frequent musical partner, Alexei Grynyuk.

Pictured: Nicola Benedetti, by Simon Fowler

The Zukerman Trio - February 3, 2019
Comprised of the global phenomenon Pinchas Zukerman and his outstanding artistic colleagues, cellist Amanda Forsyth and pianist Angela Cheng, the Zukerman Trio returns to 92Y with a riveting program of Beethoven's Kakadu Variations and Piano Trios of Arensky and Brahms. Limelight Magazine noted of the Trio, "With Pinchas Zukerman's matchless musicianship and charisma at its core, this is a trio made in heaven. His South African-born wife Amanda Forsyth brings passion and formidable technique as a cellist, and Canadian pianist Angela Cheng is the dream accompanist who lives every note."

Pictured: Zukerman Trio, by Cheryl Mazak

Marc-André Hamelin & The Juilliard String Quartet - February 8, 2019
Inarguably one of the most iconic American string quartet in history, the Juilliard String Quartet's immense legacy as trailblazers of unconventional repertoire and masters of the classics cannot be understated; the musicians perform Haydn's String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76, and Kurtág's Six Moments Musicaux, Op. 44. Renowned for his vibrant, fluid interpretations of both the classical canon and rarer works, Mr. Hamelin and the "endlessly agile" (New York Times) Juilliard String Quartet come together on the impassioned Dvo?ák Piano Quintet.

Alban Gerhardt, Gergana Gergova, Sommer Ulrickson & Alexander Polzin - March 6, 2019
This fascinating, multidimensional examination of the ubiquity and diversity of love is an artistic collaboration designed to explore the ever-present mysteries of the romance, devotion, and heartbreak of the collective human experience. Part of the Inflections series and structured around readings from Roland Barthes's "A Lover's Discourse," musical selections of J. S. Bach and Jörg Widmann accompany dancers and musicians in interactions with sculpture and each other to delve into questions of love, loss, and how our physical and emotional worlds collide in the presence and absence of love.

MASTERS OF THE KEYBOARD

Richard Goode - November 13, 2018
The Washington Post heralds Richard Good as "one of the finest pianists in the world," with "unfailingly beautiful tone, effortless technical command, interpretive insights and total emotional commitment to the music he plays." Opening the excellent Masters of the Keyboard series at 92Y, Mr. Goode presents an inspired program of Haydn's Variations in F Minor; four short pieces of Mozart; Beethoven's famed "Moonlight" sonata, as well as Janá?ek's introspective In the Mists and works of Chopin.

Peter Serkin - December 1, 2018
Of Peter Serkin's 92Y performance in 2016, The New York Times opined that "Mr. Serkin was at it again, and at his best...". The legendary pianist, for four decades renowned for his inspired and unusual programming of new works, returns to the classical canon with Mozart's evocative Adagio in B Minor and uplifting Sonata in B-flat Major to balance Bach's Goldberg Variations, which Serkin notably recorded for the first time in 1965, when he was only 18 years old. A recent performance of the Goldberg Variations resulted in praises from the Star Tribune: "It was a master class in how to lend individual character to each variation, without losing sight of the work's overall balances and architecture."

Pictured: Peter Serkin, by Regina Touhey Serkin

Behzod Abduraimov - February 2, 2019
The young Uzbek pianist, winner of the London Piano Competition, made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall in 2015 at the age of 24 to tremendous critical acclaim. Known for his unusual sense of musical maturity and flawless technique, Abduraimov gives his 92Y debut, and his exclusive New York City engagement of the 2018-19 season, with Liszt's transcription of Wagner's Isolde's Liebestod, Liszt's B Minor piano sonata, and Prokofiev's 10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet.

Pictured: Behzod Abduraimov, by Nissor Abdourazakov

Ignat Solzhenitsyn - March 2, 2019
Ignat Solzhenitsyn is equally renowned as a pianist and as a conductor. The Boston Globe has praised him as "a musician's musician and a pianist's pianist," and Solzhenitsyn's thoughtful program, works by Scriabin, Scarlatti, Debussy, and Mozart, includes meditations on sunlight (Scrabin's Sonata No. 10, which evokes butterfly wings and which the composer called "kisses of the sun") and moonlight (in the second movement of Debussy's second book of Images).

ART OF THE GUITAR

Eduardo Fernández & David Leisner - November 3, 2018
The opening performance of 92Y's celebrated Art of the Guitar series, now commencing its 20th season, features two leading performers and composers for the instrument, the Uruguayan artist Eduardo Fernández and American musician David Leisner. With a widely varied program which ranges from a guitar arrangement of Bach's beloved D Minor Chaconne to Steve Reich to original compositions written by both Mr. Leisner and Mr. Fernández, this performance epitomizes the breadth of repertoire and artistry that this hugely important series consistently offers to lovers of classical guitar.

The Romero Guitar Quartet - December 15, 2018
Known familiarly as Los Romeros, and called "the royal family of guitar" by The New York Times, the Romero Guitar Quartet was founded in 1960 and exclusively comprises guitarists bearing the Romero name. Returning to New York with a program of great variety, including works by Vivaldi, Diabelli and Schubert as well as Granados, Llobet and Pepe Romero himself, the Romeros have made 92Y their New York City home base, where they continue to perform for enraptured audiences.

Pictured: Romero Quartet, by Mark Johnson

Manuel Barrueco - February 9, 2019
Grammy-nominated classical guitarist Manuel Barrueco remains among the highest echelon not only of guitarists, but instrumentalists on the international stages today. The Cuban-born artist celebrates his national heritage with a program exploring music of Cuba and Spain.

David Russell - April 13, 2019
Guitarist and composer David Russell's many accolades have included a Grammy Award and honorary doctorate from University of Arizona, Tucson, and his impressive discography contains more than two dozen recordings. Returning to 92Y, Russell will perform the world premiere of Phyllis's Portrait by Sergio Assad, as well as works by Dowland, J. S. Bach, and Ascensio.

92nd Street Y
2018/19 CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING OF CONCERTS
All Concerts this Season are in Kaufmann Concert Hall unless otherwise noted
at 1395 Lexington Avenue @ 92nd Street

Sunday, October 14, 2018, 3:00 pm
"East West Street: A Song of Good and Evil"
Laurent Naouri, bass-baritone
Emanuel Ax, piano
Guillaume de Chassy, piano
Katja Riemann, narrator
Philippe Sands, narrator
Nina Brazier, director

Works by RAVEL, BACH, BEETHOVEN, RACHMANINOFF, SCHUBERT, Leonard Cohen, and others

Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 7:30 pm
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble

GLAZUNOV: Idyll
FRANÇAIX: Octet for clarinet, horn, bassoon and strings, "À huit"
SCHUBERT: Octet in F Major, D. 803

Sunday, October 21, 2018, 3:00 pm
Bach Odyssey VII (Year 3)
Angela Hewitt, piano

BACH: The Well-Tempered Clavier Book II

Saturday, October 27, 2018, 8:00 pm
Brahms Exploration - Year 1
Garrick Ohlsson, piano

BRAHMS: Eight Pieces for Piano, Op. 76
Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21, No. 1
Variations on a Hungarian Song, Op. 21, No. 2
Ballades, Op. 10
Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 35 (Book I)

Friday, November 2, 2018, 9 pm
Buttenwieser Hall
Jessica Xylina Osborne, piano (92Y debut)

C. SCHUMANN: Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann
GRØNDAHL: Concert-Etude No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 11
GRØNDAHL: Sketch No. 4 in A-flat Major, Op. 19
CHOPIN: Andante Spinato and Grande Polonaise Brillante in E-Flat Major, Op. 22
WAGNER/SCHILLER: Prelude, from Tristan und Isolde
WAGNER/LISZT: Isolde's Liebestod, S. 447
SEEGER: selected Preludes
MESSIAEN: Le baiser de l'Enfant-Jésus, from Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus
SCRIABIN: Vers la flamme, Op. 72