Photo Flash: PREFORMANCES WITH ALLISON CHARNEY Continues 10th Season

PREFORMANCES WITH Allison Charney offered its second evening concert of its Tenth Anniversary Season on Monday, February 11 at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center with a star-studded guest roster including New York Philharmonic principal cellist - Carter Brey; co-concert master of both the Orchestra of St. Luke's and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra - Eriko Sato; principal flutist of the Orchestra of St. Luke's - Elizabeth Mann and pianist Donna Weng Friedman performing together with series founder, soprano Allison Charney and collaborative pianist, Craig Ketter.

A proponent of new works, PREFORMANCES' February concert featured a collaboration of soprano Allison Charney, violinist Eriko Sato and pianist Donna Weng Friedman performing a movement of Kim D. Sherman's "The Clara Cycle" - which receives its world premiere on the Her/Music;Her/Story concert this March at Steinway Hall. In a highlight of the evening, cellist Carter Brey treated the audience to a thrilling performance of his own composition for solo cello, "Tango para Ilaria" and also performed with Ms. Weng Friedman several pieces by Rachmaninoff and Kreisler that they are considering as encores for their upcoming concert at Princeton University.

Ms. Weng Friedman played Scriabin's "Nocturne for the Left Hand" exquisitely, and, despite suffering from a traumatic injury to her right hand, accompanied Ms Sato with extraordinary grace in their heartbreakingly beautiful rendition of Lili Boulanger's "Nocturne".

Flutist Elizabeth Mann rounded out the instrumental music with a stirring interpretation of Copland's "Duo For Flute and Piano" with series' collaborative pianist, Craig Ketter.

Series founder, soprano Allison Charney performed several operatic arias, including "Pace, pace mio dio" from Verdi's LA FORZA DEL DESTINO which the audience greeted with thunderous applause. As always each PREFORMANCES concludes with Ms. Charney's signature performance of Zueignung by Strauss, which brought the packed audience at Merkin Hall to its feet for a rousing standing ovation.

PREFORMANCES WITH Allison Charney 10th Anniversary Concert Series continues Monday March 11th, 2019 at 1:00 pm with featured guest artists The Neave Trio; cellist Susan Salm and pianist Reiko Uchida.

A portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales supports the cutting-edge cancer research of the Basser Center for BRCA. To learn more visit www.preformances.org

Photos Credit: David Andrako

Elizabeth Mann plays Copland

PREFORMANCES founder and host -soprano Allison Charney, New York Philharmonic principal cellist - Carter Brey, co-concermaster of the Orchestra of St. Luke's and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra - Eriko Sato, principal flutist of the Orchestra of St. Luke's - Elizabeth Mann, pianists Donna Weng Friedman and Craig Ketter before the concert

Donna Weng Friedman, receiving a well-deserved ovation, following her stirring rendition of Scriabin's "Nocturne for the Left Hand"

Following Eriko Sato's explanation of the need for different bows, depending on the demands of the music, Allison Charney shares one of her signature "un GOOGLEABLE" reflections about how a singer "is always stuck with the same equipment, no matter what the demands!"

Allison Charney and Carter Brey discussing his own composition, "Tango para Ilaria" for solo cello - after he revealed he composed it in one night!