Sejong Soloists With Gil Shaham & Adele Anthony to Perform Carnegie Hall
The performance will take place on April 8.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 29, 2025
Internationally renowned New York-based chamber orchestra Sejong Soloists will return to Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall on April 8, 2025, with a program showcasing their commitment to presenting carefully curated selections from the classical repertoire alongside exciting new works for strings. Superstar violinists Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony are the soloists for two double violin concertos: J.S. Bach's Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, and the world premiere of A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance by Avner Dorman, co-commissioned by Sejong Soloists. Rounding out the program are Bach's Air on the G String, Vivaldi's Variations on “La Follia,” and David Diamond's Rounds.
The 18-minute concerto is in four movements, played without pause. As the work's title indicates, the first and third movements are solemn and mournful, incorporating Jewish prayer themes and the “sigh” motif of a descending half step, while the second and fourth movements are upbeat and dancelike, even joyful. Dorman writes of the final movement, “This joy acknowledges the pain and sorrow yet embraces the opportunity to dance again.” The two violin parts are in constant dialogue with each other and with the rest of the ensemble; each movement is structured like a fugue with contrapuntal textures throughout.
A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance was co-commissioned by Sejong Soloists, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival and School, and the Santa Barbara Symphony. After its world premiere by Sejong Soloists at Carnegie Hall, the piece is also scheduled to be performed in Aspen, CO in July 2025; Seoul, Korea in September 2025; and Rochester, NY in March 2026.
Sejong Soloists, hailed by CNN as “one of the top ensembles of today,” recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, with two concerts at Carnegie Hall in May 2024, which included the world premieres of works by Augusta Read Thomas and Texu Kim and a US premiere by Unsuk Chin. In March 2023, Sejong commissioned and premiered Overstory Overture by Tod Machover, featuring mezzo-soprano soloist Joyce DiDonato. From its inception in 1994, Sejong Soloists has been dedicated to musical excellence, and many of its alumni have landed concertmaster positions and leading roles in orchestras around the world.
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall
Sejong Soloists
Gil Shaham and Adele Anthony, violins
VIVALDI Trio Sonata in D Minor, Op. 1, No. 12 (Variations on “La Follia”)
J. S. BACH Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043
DIAMOND Rounds
J. S. BACH “Air on the G String” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068
AVNER DORMAN A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance, Concerto for Two Violins and Strings
ABOUT GIL SHAHAM
Gil Shaham is one of the foremost violinists of our time; his flawless technique combined with his inimitable warmth and generosity of spirit has solidified his renown as an American master. He is sought after throughout the world for concerto appearances with leading orchestras and conductors, and regularly gives recitals and appears with ensembles on the world's great concert stages and at the most prestigious festivals.
Highlights of recent years include a recording and performances of J.S. Bach's complete sonatas and partitas for solo violin and recitals with his long-time duo partner, pianist Akira Eguchi. He regularly appears with the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco Symphonies, the Israel Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, and in multi-year residencies with the Orchestras of Montreal, Stuttgart and Singapore.
Mr. Shaham has more than two dozen concerto and solo CDs to his name, earning multiple GRAMMYs, a Grand Prix du Disque, Diapason d'Or, and Gramophone Editor's Choice. Many of these recordings appear on Canary Classics, the label he founded in 2004. His 2016 recording 1930s Violin Concertos Vol. 2 as well as his 2021 recording of Beethoven and Brahms Concertos with The Knights were nominated for GRAMMY Awards.
Gil Shaham was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1990, and in 2008 he received the coveted Avery Fisher Prize. In 2012, he was named “Instrumentalist of the Year” by Musical America. He plays the 1699 “Countess Polignac” Stradivarius and performs on an Antonio Stradivari violin, Cremona c1719, with the assistance of Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative. He lives in New York City with his wife, violinist Adele Anthony, and their three children. Read more
ABOUT ADELE ANTHONY
Since her triumph at Denmark's 1996 Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition, Adele Anthony has enjoyed an acclaimed and expanding international career. Performing as a soloist with orchestra and in recital, as well as being active in chamber music, Ms. Anthony's career spans the continents of North America, Europe, Australia, India and Asia.
In addition to appearances with all six symphonies of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Ms. Anthony's highlights from recent seasons have included performances with the symphony orchestras of Houston, San Diego, Seattle, Ft. Worth, and Indianapolis, as well as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. Being an avid chamber music player, Ms. Anthony appears regularly at La Jolla SummerFest and Aspen Music Festival. Her wide-ranging repertoire extends from the Baroque of Bach and Vivaldi to contemporary works of Ross Edwards, Arvo Pärt and Phillip Glass.
An active recording artist, Ms. Anthony's work includes releases with Sejong Soloists and Eric Ewazen, Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra (Albany); a recording of the Philip Glass Violin Concerto with Takuo Yuasa and the Ulster Orchestra (Naxos); Arvo Pärt's ‘Tabula rasa' with Gil Shaham, Neeme Järvi and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon); and her latest recording of the Sibelius Violin Concerto and Ross Edwards “Maninyas” with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (Canary Classics/ABC Classics). Read more.
Adele Anthony performs on an Antonio Stradivarius violin, crafted in 1728.
ABOUT SEJONG SOLOISTS
Hailed by CNN as “one of the top ensembles of today,” Sejong Soloists is a first-class chamber orchestra renowned for its exceptional dynamic style with ranges of quartet-like precision to full orchestra resonance. Sejong Soloists has performed over 600 concerts in more than 120 cities throughout the world, and is highly praised for its innovative programming, documentaries, television broadcasts, and recordings. The ensemble has championed and commissioned music by distinguished living composers such as Augusta Read Thomas, Richard Danielpour and Eric Ewazen—with whom Sejong has ongoing collaborations—as well as Osvaldo Golijov, Tan Dun and others. For more information, visit Sejong Soloists' website. 
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