Friday / 7 Nov 2003 / 8 pm
julia fischer, Violin
robert kulek, Piano
CHICAGO DEBUT

Mozart Sonata in F Major, KV 376
Brahms Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100
Hindemith Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 11-6
Schubert Fantasy in C Major, D. 934

“…Not a talent, but a full-fledged phenomenal violinist.”
Die Welt

Nineteen-year-old German violinist Julia Fischer has been accused of creating “musical ecstasy” with her virtuosic technique and expressive maturity. We will be her willing subjects when she makes her Chicago recital debut. Ms. Fischer won first prizes in the eight national and international competitions in which she competed since her debut at the age of fifteen: five for violin and three for piano. Every season needs a phenomenon: Julia Fisher is ours.

“They seem to be listening to the same heartbeat.”
The Times (of London)

When they made their Chicago debut with the University of Chicago Presents in 2000, we knew that the Brentano Quartet would shake up the world of chamber music. We have not been disappointed. This season they are sharing with us their 10th birthday present to themselves: a commission inviting ten of their favorite composers (including Wynton Marsalis, Sofia Gubaidulina and Chicago’s own Shulamit Ran) to react to one of the contrapuncti in Bach’s final masterpiece, “The Art of the Fugue.” The result, hailed as “a defining event,” proves that it is possible to continue to make this art form relevant in a unique and illuminating way.

“Thank heaven for music that helps us lose our way – that yanks us completely off task and pulls us half against our will to dark, even weird places.”
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Crazy, life-changing and unconventional are not words often associated with string quartets, unless one is talking about the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Formed fourteen years ago in Toronto, Canada, now resident at Stanford University, these audacious and consummate musicians have most decidedly not “settled down.” When they are not encouraging music-making just-for-fun in their Institute for Adult Amateurs, they are seeking out demanding new works like Osvaldo Golijov’s “Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind.” Inspired by a work of Jewish mysticism, the composition blends prayer from the High Holy Days with Klezmer music in an exciting evocation of the sacred and the profane.

“Just when I was beginning to feel culturally immune, along came the Florestan Trio. . . .”
The Scotsman

This young British trio, named for Schumann's optimistic alter ego, has risen rapidly int he ranks of chamber musicians. In May 2000 the Florestan became the first piano trio ever to receive Britain's Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music. Their recordings consistently win critical acclaim, including the coveted Gramophone Award for chamber music. Now, in collaboration with Carnegie Hall, The University of Chicago Presents has brought the trio who makes "everything they touch . . . turn to musical gold" to American audiences for the first time.

“It is a magnificent black velvet cloak of a voice that wraps itself around everything in sight . . . ”
The Scotsman

Twenty-eight-year-old John Relyea’s voice is often described in terms of color – dark, black velvet, inky and purple bass. The remarkable young Canadian’s vocal palette is indeed rich and resonant, belying his age, but not his enormous talent. Son of baritone Gary Relyea, this one-time rock guitarist studied at the Curtis Institute and was an Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera. Since then he has been conquering audiences worldwide with his authoritative presence, impressive range and perfectly nuanced phrasing. His Chicago debut promises to be “the start of something big.”

Shostakovich Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Minor, Op. 138
Schnittke Piano Quintet
INTERMISSION
Schubert Quartet for Strings in D Minor, D. 810, Op. Posth. "Death and the Maiden"

“He is a lot more than a fantastic fiddler; he is a genius.”
Newsday

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear one of the undisputed artistic geniuses of our time in the intimate setting of Mandel Hall. This performance by Mr. Kremer and his hand-picked, young Baltic musicians will focus on music that testifies to the invincibility of the human spirit in oppression. Long an advocate for Soviet composers, Kremer was largely responsible for introducing Schnittke to Western audiences. A fitting finale for the season, this concert provides a chance to hear one of the most intense and interesting violinists in spirited conversation with three of his musical friends.