Heifetz on Air

Episode 45: Mostly Mendelssohn

This episode features some of the great works by the “Renaissance Man of the Romantic Generation,” Felix Mendelssohn, including the shimmering Octet, a brooding String Quartet, and a pair of piano trios by both Felix and his sister Fanny Mendelssohn.
This Episode’s Playlist
Felix Mendelssohn: Song Without Words, Op. 109Juan-Salvador Carrasco, cello | Lynne Mackey, pianoSouth Market Stage, Grace Christian School, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 04.22.2022
Mendelssohn: Octet for Strings in E-flat, Op. 20I. Allegro Moderato ma con fuocoStrauss Shi, violin | Becca Kasdan, violin | Daniel Kim, violin | Carmen Johnson-Pajaro, violin | Ian Niederhoffer, viola | Peter Cho, viola | Allegra Whiting, cello | Ayoun (Alex) Kim, celloFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.26.2015
Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 44 No.1I. Molto Allegro Vivace [excerpt]Rachell Wong, violin | Shuxiang Yang, violin | Stephanie Block, viola | Ben Fried, celloFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.20.2016
Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80I. Allegro MoltoKenneth Naito, violin | Ria Honda, violin | Matt Cohen, viola | Dominic Lee, celloAbramson Family Recital Hall, Katzen Arts Center,American University, Washington, DCHeifetz Institute Recording | 05.05.2019
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 11III. Lied. AllegrettoYezu Woo, violin | Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello | Michel-Alexandre Broekaert, pianoSouth Market Stage, Grace Christian School, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 03.25.2022
Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 49IV. Finale. Allegro assai appassionatoRia Honda, violin | Dominic Lee, cello | Zhenni Li-Cohen, pianoAbramson Family Recital Hall, Katzen Arts Center,American University, Washington, DCHeifetz Institute Recording | 05.05.2019
Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2II. Scherzo [excerpt]Phoenix Quartet: Ilkhom Mukhiddinov, violin | Hyun Ji Lee, violin | Arielle Fentress, viola | Elliott Kim, celloFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin UniversityHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.06.2023
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64II. AndanteIII. Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivaceJi-Won Song, violin | Hui-Chaun Chen, pianoFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin UniversityHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.19.2015
Go Deeper
Leave it to the folks at Classic FM to share with us 15 Facts about Felix Mendelssohn,  including his  praise from Queen Victoria: “The most amiable man. He was quite worshipped by those who knew him intimately, & we have so much appreciated & admired his wonderfully beautiful compositions.”
Heifetz alum Ian Niederhoffer, who you hear introducing and performing the Mendelssohn Octet in this episode, now directs his own chamber orchestra in New York called Parlando. Their next concert features fellow Heifetz alum, violinist Geneva Lewis.
This episode is devoted to music both by Felix and his sister Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, whose talents as a composer in her own right are receiving long-overdue recognition.

Episode 43: Spooky Sounds

This time around, it’s Spooky Sounds, featuring a parade of musical ghosts, goblins, and even a Devil’s Trill. Not to mention scary stuff from Shostakovich, Leos Janacek, and more, all played live on stage at the Heifetz Institute.
This Episode’s Playlist
Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 10 in A-flat, Op. 118II. Allegro furiosoEmerson Quartet:Philip Setzer, violinEugene Drucker, violinLarry Dutton, violaFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.08.2016
Antonio Bazzini: Dance of the Goblins, Op. 25Samuel Garcia, violinBeilin Han, pianoFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording | 06.25.2023
Steven R. Gerber: Elegy on the name Dmitri ShostakovichLoxea Hipsky, violaFirst Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording | 07.17.2021
Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 [excerpt]Beilin Han, Yoon Lee, piano four-handsFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording | 07.17.2022
Svante Henryson: Black Run (2021)Alex Fowler, celloFirst Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording | 07.04.2021
Leoš Janáček: String Quartet No. 1, “Kreutzer Sonata”I. Adagio – Con motoII. Con motoPegasus Quartet:Maya Buchanan, violinMinji Lee, violinGene Hotta, violaJoan Herget, celloFirst Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording | 08.04.2021
Eugène Ysaÿe: Sonata for Solo Violin in D minor ‘Ballade’, Op. 27, No. 3 [excerpt]Julia Angelov, violinStaunton Augusta Art Center, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 03.26.2021
Giuseppe Tartini: Violin Sonata in G minor, “Devil’s Trill”Chunyi Grace Zhou, violinMiki Sawada, pianoFirst Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording | 07.17.2023
Camille Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre, Op. 40Miki Sawada, Jingxuan Zhang, piano 1Allison Freeman, Seonmi Lee, piano 2Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording | 07.17.2022
Go Deeper
In this episode, cellist Alex Fowler describes Svante Henryson‘s Black Run as “the Devil went down to Georgia to meet at the Crossroads.”  Check out the fascinating bio of the contemporary Swedish cellist/bassist/composer.
Check out this playlist of the 17 Strange & Creepy Classical Music Pieces for Hallowe’en! Yes, there’s plenty of Shostakovich!
Zombie Mozart, Werewolf Beethoven, Shostakovich the Terminator, and more….check out Classic FM’s fanciful list of composers in their Hallowe’en costumes! 

Episode 40: North by Northeast

To mark the Heifetz Institute’s first New England tour in four years, Heifetz On Air goes “North By Northeast.” This episode features some classical favorites in performance from fascinating venues, including a 19th-century meetinghouse on the coast of Maine, a Massachusetts middle School, and a Rhode Island arts center. 
This Episode’s Playlist
François Francœur: Cello Sonata in E MajorClare Bradford, celloCarlos Avila, pianoGalvin School Auditorium, Wakefield, MAHeifetz Institute – WCAT (Wakefield Community Access Television) Recording | 04.10.2016
Franz Schubert: Quartettsatz in C Minor, D. 703Daniel Aizensthadt, violin | Rachell Ellen Wong, violin | Matt Cohen, viola | Clare Bradford, celloGalvin Auditorium, Wakefield, MAHeifetz Institute – WCAT (Wakefield Community Access Television) Recording | 04.10.2016
Antonín Dvořák: Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 81II. Dumka: Andante con motoYebin Yoo, violin | Julian Rhee, violin | Nicholas Kitchen, viola | Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello | Jingxuan Zhang, pianoSt. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Newcastle, MEHeifetz Institute Recording | 10.22.2019
Samuel Barber: String Quartet, Op. 11II. AdagioRachell Ellen Wong, violin | Daniel Aizensthadt, violin | Matthew Cohen, viola | Clare Bradford, celloGalvin School Auditorium, Wakefield, MAGalvin Auditorium, Wakefield, MAHeifetz Institute – WCAT (Wakefield Community Access Television) Recording | 04.10.2016
Henri Vieuxtemps: Élégie, Op. 30Matt Cohen, viola | Carlos Avila, pianoGalvin Auditorium, Wakefield, MAHeifetz Institute – WCAT (Wakefield Community Access Television) Recording | 04.10.2016
Robert Schumann: Romance, Op. 28, No. 2 [excerpt]Lynne Mackey, pianoHouse concert, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 11.20.2020
Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2I. Allegro con brioYebin Yoo, violin | Jingxuan Zhang, pianoRobinhood Free Meetinghouse, Georgetown, MEHeifetz Institute Recording | 10.24.2019
Enrique Granados, arr. Gaspar Cassadó: Intermezzo, from GoyescasMo Mo, cello | Hsin-Ciao Liao, pianoJamestown Arts Center, Jamestown, RIHeifetz Institute Recording | 10.24.2015
Go Deeper
One of the featured venues in tooday’s program is St. Andrew’s Church in Newcastle, ME, a historic Episcopal church listed on the National Register of Historic Places. St. Andrew’s is considered the first example of a cottage Gothic Revival church in the country, and the first US design of the celebrated English architect Henry Vaughan. Read the church’s Wikipedia entry and check out the fascinating backstory of how it was built in the Boston Globe.
Fire up the tour bus! This month Heifetz on Tour returns to New England for the first time in four years, with concert stops with the Portland Chamber Music Festival in Maine, Mountain Top Music in Conway, NH, and the Wolfeboro Friends of Music in Wolfeboro, NH, home to the Heifetz Institute from 2002 – 2011.
Another favorite Heifetz On Tour stop on the Maine Coast is the Robinhood Free Meetinghouse, a concert venue, community center, restaurant and pub in the Five Islands community of Georgetown, ME.  The 1855 Meetinghouse is also listed on the National Register, and has a fascinating history. 

Episode 39: Fridays in the Gallery

We’ll take you inside the Staunton Augusta Art Center for highlights from our free Friday afternoon concert series presenting solo and chamber works in an intimate and inspiring setting. Featuring works ranging from J.S. Bach to Philip Glass.
This Episode’s Playlist
J.S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major, BWV 1010I. PreludeMaeve Whalen, violaStaunton Augusta Art Center GalleryHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.02.2021
Claude Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10I. Animé et très décidéSo Hyun Ko, violin | Will Josseloff, violin | William Beardslee, viola | Lauren Mathews, celloStaunton Augusta Art Center GalleryHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.23.2021
Georg Friderich Handel: Sonata in G Minor for Two Cellos in G minor, HWV 393I. Andante [excerpt]Antonio Lysy, cello | Mo Mo, cello | Coleman Itzkoff, cello continuo | Andrew Rosenblum, harpsichordFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording 07.10.2016
Bach: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003IV. AllegroJonathan Okseniuk, violinStaunton Augusta Art Center GalleryHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.02.2021
Krystof Penderecki: SuiteVI. AriaHun Choi, celloStaunton Augusta Art Center GalleryHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.28.2023
Renee Esmail: Darshan, Partita for Solo ViolinIIII. CharukeshiMaya Buchanan, violinStaunton Augusta Art Center GalleryHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.02.2021
Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009V. Bourrées I & IIBoubacar Diallo, celloStaunton Augusta Art Center GalleryHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.02.2021
Georg Philipp Telemann: Fantasia No. 7 in E-flat major: I. Dolce [excerpt]Geneva Lewis, violinVirtual Performance, Los Angeles CAHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.29.2020
Philip Glass: String Quartet No. 5V. (Untitled)Blue Ridge Quartet: Clara Kim, violin | Kearston Gonzales, violin | Alicia Yang, viola | George Wolfe-McGuire, celloStaunton Augusta Art Center GalleryHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.21.2021
Prokofiev: String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92I. Allegro sostenutoHudson Quartet: Jane Lim, violin | Audrey Kim, violin | Vivian Van de Sype-Cucu, viola | Mira Kardan, celloStaunton Augusta Art Center GalleryHeifetz Institute Recording | 06.30.2023
Go Deeper
Check out the full-length video of our first Fridays in the Gallery concert from Heifetz 2023, and keep your eyes out for more to come on our Heifetz YouTube Channel!  View and Subscribe
Check out the exhibit schedule at the Staunton Augusta Art Center to see what’s currently hanging in their galleries.  The SAAC is located in the heart of historic downtown Staunton, Virginia, across the street from our new Heifetz Institute headquarters!
This episode features the String Quartet No. 5 by American composer Philip Glass, pictured here receiving a National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2016 on the occasion of the composer’s 80th birthday..

Episode 38: Nordic Sounds

This episode features works both rare and familiar by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, and Norwegians Edvard Grieg and Johan Halverson, all presented live in concert on the stages of the Heifetz International Music Institute. Performances by the legendary Shmuel Ashkenasi, rising star Angela Chan, and promising Heifetz students past and present.
This Episode’s Playlist
Edvard Grieg: Holberg Suite, Op. 40
V. RigaudonKobi Malkin, violin | Rachell Ellen Wong, violin | Stephanie Block, viola | Coleman Itzkoff, celloKreeger Museum Of Art, Washington DCHeifetz Institute Recording | 12.15.2016
Jean Sibelius:Romance, Op. 78 No. 2WaItzes, Op. 81 No. 3Berceuse, Op. 79 No. 6Rondino, Op. 81 No. 2Shmuel Ashkenasi, violin | Dina Vainshtein, pianoFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.13.2018
Edvard Grieg: Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45I. Allegro molto ed appassionato [excerpt]Liana Branscome, violinHui-Chuan Chen, pianoFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.07.2015
Jean Sibelius: String Quartet in D minor, Op. 56, “Voces intimae”III. Adagio di moltoV. Allegro ma pesanteKettle Run Quartet: Clara Kim violin |  Elinor Detmer, violin | John Czekanski, viola | Miles Levine, celloFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording  | 08.06.2022
Edvard Grieg: Holberg Suite, Op. 40III. GavotteKobi Malkin, violin | Rachell Ellen Wong, violin | Stephanie Block, viola | Coleman Itzkoff, celloKreeger Museum Of Art, Washington DCHeifetz Institute Recording | 12.15.2016
Grieg: Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45II. Allegretto espressivo all RomanzaIII. Allegro animatoAngela Sin Ying Chan, violin | Miki Aoki, pianoFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording  | 07.25.2019
Georg Frideric Handel / Johan Halverson: Passacaglia  [excerpt]Nigel Armstrong, violin | Steven Baloue, violaSouth Market Stage, Grace Christian Church, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording | 04.22.2022
Go Deeper
Heifetz faculty member Shmuel Ashkenasi and outstanding alumna violinist Angela Sin Ying Chan, both of whom are featured in this episode, will be part of the inaugural Heifetz Hear & Now concert of the 2023-24 season.  Joining them will outstanding Heifetz alums Matt Cohen, viola; Andres Sanchez, cello, and faculty pianist Allison Freeman.  Tickets and Info
This episode features a portion of the Passacaglia, first written as part of a keyboard sonata by Georg Friderich Handel, and then transformed into a virtuoso showpiece for two instruments by the Norwegian composer Johan Halverson.  Check out this video made by Heifetz alums Rachell Ellen Wong (also coming to the Heifetz Hear & Now series) and Andrew Gonzalez. Marvel at the music-making, and enjoy the visual tour of our home base of Staunton, Virginia! 
"I can see it all before me…snow, hail, storm and every kind of foul weather, huge male choir with open mouths, the rain streaming into them, myself conducting with waterproof cape, winter coat, galoshes, and umbrella! And a cold afterwards, of course, or goodness knows what kind of illness! Oh well, it’s one way of dying for one’s country!”  Read the story about the dismal climate conditions surrounding the premiere of two commissioned works by Edvard Grieg – one beloved, one forgotten!  

Episode 37: September to Remember

This episode is a  showcase of some great musical moments from the Heifetz summer of 2023. Including a riveting performance by the Borromeo Quartet of an overlooked Haydn quartet, a savory Souvenir de Florence by Tchaikovsky, a 10-year old violinist’s Spanish flair, and even a Swan for string sextet!
This Episode’s Playlist
Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2
II. ScherzoPhoenix Quartet: Ilkhom Mukhiddinov, violin | Hyun Ji Lee, violin | Arielle Fentress, viola | Elliott Kim, celloFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin UniversityHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.06.2023
Pablo de Sarasate: Introduction & Tarantella, Op. 43Le-Yu Ho, violin | Jingxuan Zhang, pianoSouth Market Stage, Grace Christian School, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.15.23
Franz Anton Hoffmeister: Viola Concerto No. 1 in D majorIII. RondoRebekah Sung, viola | Tae Kim, pianoFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin UniversityHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.23.2023
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97, “Archduke”III. Andante Cantabile [excerpt]Madison Vest, violin | Kevin Mills, cello | Carlos Avila, pianoFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 10.15.2015
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70I. Allegro con spiritoKyoko Takezawa, violin | Judith Ingolfsson, violin | Nicholas Cords, viola | Michael Casimir, viola | Steven Doane, cello | Rosemary Elliott, celloFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording | 07.21.2023
Camille Saint-Saëns, arr. Nicholas Kitchen: The Swan, fr. Carnival of the AnimalsZeyu Zhu, cello solo | Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Ji Hyun Baik, violin | Stephen “Adam” Savage, viola | Elliott Kim, cello | Benjamin Doane, celloFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording | 06.29.2023
Franz Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in F major, Op 74, No. 2Borromeo Quartet: Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Kristopher Tong, violin | Melissa Reardon, viola | Yeesun Kim, celloFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute recording | 07.06.23
Go Deeper
Our “September to Remember” is also a season-ending campaign to gin up support for the non-profit Heifetz Institute.  We are thrilled to share with you the best and brightest moments from our summer season—a bountiful harvest of inspiring performances that we hope will inspire you to support the Heifetz Institute before we close our financial books for the season at the end of this month. Read more about our dollar-for-dollar matching campaign.
2023 was a summer for the ages here in Staunton, as we welcomed 164 students to our campus, from 22 states and 15 countries. We presented a whopping532pieces across 57 total concerts, in addition to the 23 outreach events at health care and assisted living facilities, farmers markets, places of worship, and more. See the complete 2023 student roster here.
After witnessing what we consider to be the highest quality series of performances ever delivered by our youngest students, we have, for the first time ever, compiled a catalog of every performance from the Junior Division stage this past summer—all 149 performances by 99 students across 13 concerts! It is now easier than ever to find and share every performance – simply click the button below, and then use the search function (Cmd+F on Mac; Ctrl+F on PC) to search for a specific performer, composer, or composition (see here if you need a quick tutorial on using the search function.)

Episode 34: Schubert at the Gates of Heaven

On this episode, a complete performance of Franz Schubert’s so-called “two-cello” string quintet – the String Quintet in C Major, D. 956. It’s a piece so sublime that pianist Artur Rubinstein called the second movement “the arrival at the gates of heaven.” We’ll hear three different ensembles bring Schubert’s final work to life, all before capacity houses on Heifetz stages.
This Episode’s Playlist
 
Franz Schubert: Impromptu in E-flat, D. 899Lynne Mackey, pianoHeifetz Institute Recording | 11.06.2020
Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956:I. Allegro ma non troppoBorromeo Quartet: Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Kristopher Tong, violin | Mai Motobuchi, viola | Yeesun Kim, cellow/ Ralph Kirshbaum, celloFirst Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 08.09.2019
Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956:II. AdagioYezu Woo, violin | Yeri Roh, violin | Sung Jin Lee, viola | Mo Mo, cello | Zi Wang, celloFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.22.2015
Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956:III. Scherzo. Presto – Trio. Andante sostenutoMark Kaplan, violin | Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Matt Cohen, viola | Ralph Kirshbaum, cello | Timothy Eddy, celloFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.28.2017
Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956:IV. AllegrettoBorromeo Quartet: Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Kristopher Tong, violin | Mai Motobuchi, viola | Yeesun Kim, cellow/ Ralph Kirshbaum, celloFirst Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 08.09.2019
Go Deeper
Watch the complete livestream of this performance from our Heifetz Rubato Virtual Concert series here. 
The legendary Artur Rubinstein discusses Schubert’s quintet, among other things.  View here
Violinist Arnold Steinhardt of the Guarneri Quartet has some fascinating insight’s on Schubert’s quintet in this essay called “A Heavenly Length.” Read it here. 

Episode 33: Serenade - A Bernstein Celebration

In this episode, Ilya Kaler is the soloist and David Stern the conductor in an epic performance of Bernstein’s Serenade after Plato’s Symposium, a five-movement Violin Concerto with the Heifetz Chamber Orchestra, part of an-all Bernstein program marking the composer’s August 25th birthday and the upcoming Netflix biopic Maestro.
This Episode’s Playlist
Leonard Bernstein: There’s A Place For Us / I Feel Pretty fr. West Side Story Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello | Michel-Alexandre Broekaert, pianoMonroe’s Highland, Charlottesville, VAHeifetz Institute Recording | 07.04.2022
Bernstein: Three Meditations from MassIII. PrestoMichael Arumainayagam, cello | Stefan Petrov, piano | Carlos Avila, percussionFrancis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.26.2018
Bernstein: Music for Two Pianos Beilin Han, piano | Dina Vainshtain, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.10.2018
Bernstein: Piano Trio (1937) II. Alla Marcia [excerpt]Ilya Kaler, violin | Amit Peled, cello | Alon Goldstein, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.05.2016
Bernstein: Serenade after Plato’s SymposiumI: Phaedrus: Pausanias (Lento: Allegro) II: Aristophanes (Allegretto) III: Erixymachus (Presto)IV: Agathon (Adagio) V: Socrates; Alciabiades (Molto tenuto; Allegro molto vivace)Ilya Kaler, violin | Heifetz Chamber Orchestra | David Stern, conductor Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.14.2018
Go Deeper
There’s a fascinating backstory behind the creation of Bernstein’s Serenade, including its ties to a James M. Cain potboiler by the same title, an abandoned musical that morphed into West Side Story, and Bernstein’s friendship with the dedicatee, violinist Isaac Stern (pictured here at the 1955 recording session with the New York Philharmonic).   Read – and hear – all about it on our real-time-program-notes video here. 
Coming to a Bijou near you…”Maestro is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between cultural icon Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, Maestro, at its core, is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.”  See the trailer
Check out more from the excellent and in-depth LeonardBernstein.com website, including the newsletter Prelude, Fugue, & Riffs!