The Violin Channel and Alphadyne Foundation to Launch Virtual Vanguard Concerts

The Violin Channel, a leading classical music news source for more than a decade, announces the launch of Vanguard Concerts, a free original digital concert series co-produced with the Alphadyne Foundation by VC Founder Geoffrey John Davies and veteran performing arts executive Charles Letourneau, featuring a lineup of today's top string players.

Nearly a year into a pandemic that has created devastation for the performing arts across the globe, The Violin Channel and Alphadyne Foundation demonstrate a commitment to the health and survival of the industry by engaging artists for a highly produced 10-episode digital series of hour-long concerts which kicks off on February 11th at 5pm ET, with new episodes airing weekly on The Violin Channel's social media platforms (Facebook and YouTube).

"Our series was created with the sole purpose of helping artists during this time of crisis" says VC Founder and co-producer Geoffrey John Davies. "Not only are we paying them real fees for their performances, we are also creating the ultimate promotional materials and giving the artists the right to use them at no cost in perpetuity."

The Vanguard Concerts lineup includes violinist Joshua Bell with pianist Alessio Bax; the Dover Quartet; Junction Trio Jay Campbell, Stefan Jackiw, Conrad Tao; violinist Philippe Quint with pianist Jun Cho; violinists Nathan Meltzer and Kevin Zhu with pianist Rohan de Silva; violist Jordan Bak; violinist Charles Yang with pianist Peter Dugan; violinist Tessa Lark with pianist Amy Yang and guitarist Frank Vignola; cellist Sophia Bacelar with pianist Noreen Cassidy-Polera and dancer Jamaii Melvin.

Each episode of Vanguard Concerts was shot in 4K with seven cameras at the Kaufman Music Center's Merkin Hall. Creative Director David Katzive produced a custom look and feel for the concerts with a 41-foot-long and 11.5-foot-high background curved LED wall that incorporates gently moving colors, patterns, or scenic views customized for each performer. The result is a musically and visually stunning product that redefines the virtual concert experience for audiences worldwide.

"I am excited to be joining my fellow violinists in The Violin Channel's new Vanguard Concerts series," said violinist Joshua Bell. "VC has always been a wonderful resource for musicians and music-lovers, and I'm grateful to this community for providing this opportunity for me and my colleagues to share music and express our spirit of camaraderie."

Full Concert Details:

Thursday, February 11, 2021, 5pm ET

The kickoff episode will feature all artists on the series, each performing a short work. Repertoire ranges from Beethoven, Ravel, and Kreisler to Jessie Montgomery, Joan Tower, and John Zorn, as well as original arrangements of standards by Harold Arlen and The Beatles.

Thursday, February 18, 2021, 5pm ET

Joshua Bell, violin

Alessio Bax, piano

J.S. Bach | Sonata for Violin & Keyboard No. 4 in C minor BWV 1017

Schubert | Rondo for Violin & Piano in B minor D. 895

Wieniawski | Polonaise Brillante No. 1 in D major Op. 4

Chopin | Nocturne in E minor Op. 72 No. 1 (Arr. Bell/Wallace)

Thursday, February 25, 2021, 5pm ET

Charles Yang, violin

Peter Dugan, piano

House of the Rising Sun (Trad. arr. Yang/Dugan)

Monti | Czardas (Arr. Yang/Dugan)

Ravel | Blues from Violin Sonata No. 2 in G major

The Beatles | Blackbird (Arr. Yang & Dugan)

Harold Arlen | Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Arr. Yang & Dugan)

Charles Yang / Peter Dugan | Loopy

Rachmaninoff | Vocalise

Thursday, March 4, 2021, 5pm ET

Dover Quartet

Joel Link, violin

Bryan Lee, violin

Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola

Camden Shaw, cello

Beethoven | String Quartet No. 16 in F major Op. 135

Dvořák | Lento from String Quartet No. 12 in F major ("American")

Thursday, March 11, 2021, 5pm ET

Nathan Meltzer, violin

Kevin Zhu, violin

Rohan de Silva, piano

Jessie Montgomery | Rhapsody No. 1 for Solo Violin

Bartók | Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Piano

Brahms | Sonatenatz in C minor

Wieniawski | Fantasia on Themes from Faust Op. 20

Leclair | Presto from Sonata for Two Violins in E minor Op. 3 No. 5

Thursday, March 18, 2021, 5pm ET

Sophia Bacelar, cello

Noreen Cassidy-Polera, piano

Jamaii Melvin, dancer

Rachmaninoff | Andante from Cello Sonata in G minor Op. 19

Piazzolla | Oblivion

Chopin | Nocturne in C# minor (Arr. Piatigorsky)

Mancini | Moon River (Arr. Bacelar)

Bach | Prelude from Solo Cello Suite No. 1 in G minor

Saint-Saëns | Romance Op. 36

Piazzolla | Le Grand Tango

Rimsky-Korsakov | Captured by the Nightingale

Thursday, March 25, 2021, 5pm ET

Tessa Lark, violin

Amy Yang, piano

Frank Vignola, guitar

Kreisler | Syncopation

Kreisler | Praeludium and Allegro

Telemann | Fantasia No. 4 in D major

Ysaÿe | Sonata No. 4 in E minor

Michael Torke | Milk from Spoon Bread

Avner Dorman | 5th Movement from Violin Sonata No. 4

Kreisler | Liebesleid

Thursday, April 1, 2021, 5pm ET

Junction Trio

Stefan Jackiw, violin

Jay Campbell, cello

Conrad Tao, piano

John Zorn | Ghosts

Schumann | Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor Op. 63

Thursday, April 8, 2021, 5pm ET

Jordan Bak, viola

Bach | Adagio and Fuga from Solo Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor

Hindemith | Thema mit Variationen. Schnelle Viertel (ma maestoso) from Sonata for Solo Viola Op. 31 No. 4

Jeffrey Mumford | wending

Joan Tower | Wild Purple

Thursday, April 15, 2021, 5pm ET

Philippe Quint, violin

Jun Cho, piano

Debussy | Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor

Clara Schumann | Three Romances for Violin and Piano

Piazzolla | Le Grand Tango (Arr. Gubaidulina)

Bloch | Nigun from Baal Shem

Ravel | Tzigane

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