Positive Motions Concert Series Features The Glendale Trio Tonight
By: BWW News Desk Mar. 28, 2015
Now celebrating their Fifth Anniversary Season, the Glendale Philharmonic Association and Positive Motions Foundation will present Positive Motions Concert Series, Ruslan Biryukov, Artistic Director in a concert performed by THE GLENDALE TRIO, consisting of Roberto Cani, Violinist and Los Angeles Opera Orchestra Concertmaster, Armen Guzelimian, Pianist and Ruslan Biryukov, Cellist. Repertoire will include composers Arno Babajanian's Piano Trio in f# sharp minor and Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor in a Chamber Music Concert dedicated to the memory of Armenian Genocide Victims at First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 North Louise Street (at Wilson Avenue) in Glendale, CA 91206 tonight, March 28, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. Portions of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the Armenian General Benevolent Union and Western Diocese of the Armenian Church.
Roberto Cani (Violinist, Los Angeles Opera Orchestra Concertmaster) is acclaimed throughout the music world as not just a performer, but as an "artiste" violinist. He continues to bring his art to the highest levels, captivating and delighting audiences in the United States and abroad, since his solo debut at Gaveau Hall in Paris. Cani began his studies at the age of seven and has been a first and grand prizewinner of numerous competitions, including the Paganini International Competition in Genoa, the Courcillon International Competition, and the Jeunesses Musicales International Competition in Belgrade, where he also captured a special award for the best performance of a contemporary work. In addition, he has been the winner of the Minetti Prize and received honors at the Tchaikovsky Competition. Throughout his successful career as soloist, chamber musician and Concertmaster, he has established himself as a versatile and respected artist worldwide. Cani has performed throughout the United States, as well as in Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, Russia, Croatia, Belgium, Poland, Serbia, France, Taiwan, Japan and South Africa. He has appeared as soloist with the Moscow Philharmonic, the RAI Symphony (Italy), the Belgrade and Zabreb Soloist, the Orchestra Haydn of Bolzano, the American Youth Symphony, the Oregon Symphony, the Missouri Chamber Orchestra and Symphony of the Americas. His performances have been televised nationally for PBS, RAI in Italy, RB in Yugoslavia, NHK in Japan, ZDF in Germany and in Taiwan. He has been featured on several occasions in radio broadcasts on both KMZT and KKGO in Los Angeles. Other notable appearances include his widely acclaimed performance of the first concerti of Paganini and Szymanowski in Italy and his premiere of a piece by Polish composer, Gorecki, for violin and piano. Cani has performed as guest Concertmaster for the La Scala Philharmonic in Milan under the baton of Riccardo Muti. He was also invited by Vladimir Jurowski to be guest Concertmaster for the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Cani was appointed Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra in May 2011. As Concertmaster of Los Angeles Opera, he works closely with Placído Domingo and James Conlon, among others. Actively involved in chamber music, Can has had the pleasure of touring with conductor and pianist Justus Frantz. He has also performed alongside Lynn Harrell, Jeffrey Swann and Jason Vieaux. Presently, he is the First Violinist of the New Hollywood String Quartet and has an active presence in many west coast chamber music series. He has also participated in Chamber Music Festivals in Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna and the Canary Islands. Cani has given Master Classes at many California Universities, among them those at the University of Southern California (USC), the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as well as playing and teaching at Summer Music Festival in Positano, Italy and Hvar, Croatia, Music Festival in Prague. Cani has recorded Vivaldi's Four Seasons, sonatas by Respighi and Busoni with pianist Jeffrey Swann, and the solo sonatas of Bartók, Ysaye, Bloch and Prokofiev under the Arkadia and Agora labels. His other recordings include the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, and a CD of favorite encores. Roberto Cani is a graduate of the Milan Conservatory, the Gnessin Institute in Moscow, and the University of Southern California. He has studied with world-renowned violinists Vikto Trtiakov and Abraham Shtern. Armen Guzelimian (Pianist) enjoys a distinguished career of national and international acclaim for his versatility as a top-ranking collaborative artist. A first-rate virtuoso soloist, Guzelimian is a sought after master vocal coach as well. For one of his numerous guest appearances in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Chamber Music Concert, Los Angeles Times Music Critic Mark Swed wrote: "Guzelimian was understated but superbly detailed and magisterially musical...he is a chamber music master who contributed just the kind of support that makes everyone sound better. He has the discipline and authority that makes freedom possible and responsible, that makes the best chamber music serve as a grand model for society." Guzelimian has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, California Chamber Symphony, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Nebraska Chamber Orchestra and American Youth Symphony, among others. He has performed at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Steamboat Springs Chamber Music Festival, Santa Barbara Chamber Music Festival, San Luis Obispo Music Festival and at Aspen Festival and School. In March 2014 he made his Disney Hall debut performing with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and in June 2014 her performed as soloist with the Pasadena Pops Orchestra conducted by Michael Feinstein. The pianist has partnered with such luminaries as Viktoria Mullova, Thomas Zehetmair, Miriam Fried, Kim Kashkashian, Lars Tomter, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Thomas Hampson, Lucia Popp, Rod Gilfry and Peter Schreier. Other chamber music partners include the Rossetti String Quartet, Angeles Quartet and the Spokane Quartet. Guzelimian has performed in many of the major music capitals of the world - London, Paris, Vienna, Brussel, and most of the concert halls in the United States. Guzelimian has diverse recordings on the EMI, Angel, Teldec, Nonesuch, Delos, Crystal and Orion labels. He and Michael Feinstein recorded an album of World War II songs for Angel Records. The pianist's latest recording of solo piano music by Armenian composers is now available on CD Baby and Amazon. Many of his performances have been heard nationally on NPR and other radio networks, and he can be seen performing on the Classic Arts Showcase on PBS as well as in director Peter Rosen's documentary, Shadows In Paradise that was aired throughout Europe in 200i and on PBS. The pianist made his silver screen debut in Robert Altman's Short Cuts. In the realm of contemporary music, Guzelimian has had the great fortune of working with/performing in the presence of such great composers as Aram Khachaturian, Alan Hovhaness, Witold Lutoslawski and Tigran Mansurian. He is honored to have had piano music composed for him by Thomas Pasatieri and Byron Adams. As an inspiring educator, the pianist has been on the faculties of Music Academy of the West, Thornton School of Music at USC, with guest residencies at the Eastman School of Music, Loyola University of New Orleans, University of Maryland and Aspen School. He is in demand for Master Classes across the nation, as well as an adjudicator for piano and vocal competitions. Guzelimian is currently the Chairman of the Shnorhali Music Committee of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church.Ruslan Biryukov (Cellist) is the Founder of the Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra and Artistic Director and Producer of the Positive Motions Concert Series and Los Angeles Cello Quartet, as well as Professional Cellist and Educator. Biryukov is the only cellist ever invited to perform for 10 consecutive years solo recitals at the Sundays Live Concert Series in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the longest running live radio broadcasted concert series in the United States on KUSC 91.5 FM. Biryukov was also the only Russian cellist invited to solo with an orchestra during the inaugural season of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County. Recent appearances in the Los Angeles area include appearances with the Redlands Bowl Symphony in Dvo?ák's Cello Concerto, with the Marina Del Rey Symphony (Summer Series), with the Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra in the World Premiere of Bestemming: Concerto for Cello, Orchestra and Narration written by composer Sharon Farber, with the San Bernardino Symphony, and with the CalStateLA Symphony Orchestra and Olympia Youth Orchestra in the World Premiere of composer Masatoshi Mitsumoto's 2nd Cello Concerto. He has performed with world-renowned violinist Midori at the Disney Hall in Los Angeles, with cellist Kirill Rodin at the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory, and with members of the Ysaye Quartet. Biryukov has been a master teacher in music festivals in Europe and Russia. He has held teaching positions at the Ippolitov-Ivanov State Institute of Music in Moscow, Russia; the Music Academy in Lovran, Croatia; and the California Institute of Music in the United States. His creative artistic ideas are based upon the traditions he learned from esteemed artists Kirill Rodin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Daniil Shafran, Natalia Gutman, Janos Starker, Steven Isserlis, and Eleonore Schoenfeld. Within the last decade of his teaching career his students won over 200 prizes at various competitions worldwide including the 8th International Youth Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (Nathan Le, 3rd Prize), American Protégé International Competition in New York (Meagan Wu and Stephen Yang, 1st Prizes), American Fine Arts International Festival (Zoe Lavoie-Gagne, Stephen Yang, 1st Prizes). Ruslan Biryukov was born in Baku, Azerbaijan and received his formal music education at the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory in Russia (Master of Music, M.A.), and the USC Thornton School of Music in United States (Artist Diploma and Graduate Certificate). He first earned international recognition by winning major awards in Azerbaijan and through the inclusion of his name in the Golden Book of Russia's international program "New Names." Biryukov has gone on to win numerous other awards worldwide, including the Grand Prize at the 17th Mu Phi Epsilon International Competition. Biryukov has resided in Los Angeles since 2002. He was awarded permanent residency from the U.S. government as an "Artist with Extraordinary Ability." The title signifies that he has "sustained national or international acclaim and his achievements have been recognized" in his field, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Biryukov also is the only professional musician in the world granted a U.S. Commercial Pilot license and is a Certified Flight Instructor single/multi-engine instrument license (SEL, MEL, CFII, MEI). To learn more about Ruslan Biryukov please visit www.CelloArt.com or www.GlendalePhiharmonic.com.
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