Rolfs
Piano Series
1997-98
A Classical Piano Recital Series
|
Rolfs
Piano Series |
Biographical Sketches
Donna
Stoering
American pianist, DONNA STOERING, began music lessons at age 3 and began public
performances at age 5. In California, she studied under Joyce Grantham winning numerous
competitions, awards, and scholarships. During her first solo appearance with an orchestra
she performed Rachmanonov’s First Piano Concerto.
After completing both her undergraduate and postgraduate university degrees by the age of 19, Ms. Stoering was awarded a Marshall Scholarship from the British Government and for the next two years she taught piano at York University while researching Mozart Piano Concerte and giving concerts throughout Europe. These concerts led to invitations to give lecture recitals at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. She now resides permanently in Britain where she has recently been named as Artist-in-Residence to St. Edmund Hall College of Oxford University.
In 1991, Donna Stoering became the first Western artist to tour in Russia under the auspices of a new private-enterprise concert agency which had been given permission to exist after the reforms of Perestroika.
Ms Stoering consistently supports contemporary composers from various musical cultures by performing international premieres of their music. Her first recording , an all-Debussy solo recital received tremendous critical acclaim upon its release in the U. S. A. "…a tremendous sense of tone and clear conception…powerful virtuosity and plating of ravishing intensity." Berchlesgadener Anringer Germany. "Playing of tremendous lyricism and intellectual depth of interpretation…" Bergamo Oggi Italy
Mr. Peskanov made his American debut as orchestral soloist with the National Symphony under Instislav Rostropovich and subsequently has appeared with many orchestras throughout the United States. He was soloist on the entire six-week U. S. tour of the Polish Chamber Orchestra. He has performed at leading music festivals including Wolf Trap, Aspen and Saratoga and has collaborated with such illustrious artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Maurice Andre and Jean Pierre Rampal. Affiliate Artists chose him to be a Xerox Pianist and he has received two special ASCAP Awards.
Alexander Peskanov is a successful composer of classical work, musicals and film scores. His own solo piano compositions entitled: "Spirits of the Wind-Peskanov Plays Peskanov" have been released on CD.
Mr. Peskanov is the author of the recently-released series of six books on The Russian Technical Regimen for the Piano. He is the founder of the Piano Olympics - a program designed to stimulate progress in piano pedagogy utilizing the benefits of the Russian Piano School.
"A powerful player with a temperament and a virtuoso flair." The New York Times. "Peskanov set some roaring fires on the stage" with his debut performance of Liszt’s Concerto in E flat Major…" The Washington Post.
Virginia Hogan
VIRGINIA HOGAN was born in Rio de Janeiro. At age thirteen, she began studies with Analdo
Estrella, one of Brazil’s leading pianists, and made her professional debut at age
sixteen with the Brazilian Orchestra. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the
Brazilian Conservatory at age 17 with a full scholarship to attend the Mendelssohn
Conservatory in Leipzig where she completed her Master’s Degree studying with Adolf
Fisher. After performing a series of concerts, Ms Hogan was invited to take graduate
courses at the Vienna Conservatory and studied with Paul Baduraskoda and Bruno Seidlhofer.
She became a specialist in Mozart Piano Concertos and performs most of them..
Virginia Hogan has performed extensively on five continents to critical and audience acclaim. In addition to her international career as concert pianist, Ms Hogan has given Master classes at the Mendelssohn Conservatory, Cristobal School in Panama, the American School in Rio de Janeiro and Texas Christian University. She has completed an extensive series of lecture/performances on the Federal Radio Station of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Ms. Hogan has command of at least six languages and has served as an advisor for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and as Cultural Director of the Order of Musicians of Brazil.
Edith Arvelos wrote in The Diary of Lisbon, Portugal, "Immediately a great silence prevailed. Total receptivity indicated the arrival of a great artist."
Tadeusz
Majewski
TADEUSZ MAJEWSKI made his first public appearance at the age of 13 performing at the
Philharmonic Hall in Krakow. He studied in Poland with composer/pianist Janina
Garscia-Gressel for seven years, continuing his musical education with Maria Szrudl-Dormus
at the Chopin Conservatorie where he graduated with highest honors. While still a student
in Krakow, he appeared before Pope John Paul, II during the first papal visit to Poland in
1979. Since the time of the Solidarity upheaval in 1981 when Mr. Majewski decided to
remain in the United States, he has had private coaching sessions with Murry Perahia at
the Aldeburgh Festival and with Andras Schiff in London. He furthered his studies at the
Banff Centre in Canada with such distinguished piano pedagogues as Menahem Pressler, John
Perry and Richard Goode.
Mr. Majewski has won many honors in piano competitions in his native Poland including the top award at the l977 Annual Chopin Society Competition in Warsaw. However, it was the prize in the Rist New York Chopin Piano Competition that placed Tadeusz Majewski among the noted Chopin interpreters of his generation. In his first American appearance as a soloist with the Bloomington (MN) Symphony Orchestra, Frances Berns of the Bloomington Sun wrote "Majewski took over Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto is if he owned it as he demonstrated his astounding piano technique."
In addition to his performing activities as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, Mr. Majewski is a founder and Programming Director of the Frederic Chopin Society in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Raymond Jackson
RAYMOND JACKSON is a Professor of Music at Howard University, Washington, D.C. He
graduated summa cum laude from the New England Conservatory of Music and is a
recipient of the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the Juilliard School of Music under
the renowned Ania Dorfman. His dissertation entitled, "The Piano Music of Twentieth
Century Black Americans" is now a permanent part of the Juilliard library. A recently
completed 3-volume compilation, "Black composers: Their Lives and Piano Music, An
Annotated Anthology" is now being prepared for publication.
Raymond Jackson has been the recipient of numerous awards; as well as, top prizes in national and international piano competitions. These include the Marguerite Long International Piano Concour in Paris, the Tenth International Piano Competition in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the National Association of Negro Musicians Piano Competitions (Champlain, IL) and the J.U.G.G., Inc. New York Town Hall Debut Award. For his many achievements, Dr. Jackson has the distinction of being the first African-American musician and youngest person from his native state to be elected into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Also In Rhode Island he is one of two honorary members of the prestigious Chopin Club, the second oldest music club in America.
As a soloist with symphony orchestras and as a recitalist Raymond Jackson has performed in major concert halls of the United States, Europe and South America. Noted for his deeply affecting intensity and rare musical perception as well as for this technical wizardry this "…born pianist…" (Geneva, Switzerland), "…masterly talent…" (Munich, Germany), and "…artist of grand valor…" (Paris, France) will keep the great tradition of American pianism alive.
Rachel Franklin
RACHEL FRANKLIN - British pianist Rachel Franklin studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School
with Vlado Perlemuter and Louis Kentner. During this time, she performed at the Queen
Elizabeth Hall, London, and at the Menuhin Festival, Gstaad. She studied with Kendall
Taylor at the Royal College of Music and in the United States with Ann Schein at the
Peabody Conservatory of Music where she recently gained her Doctorate of Musical Arts. Ms.
Franklin also studied with Irina Zaritskaya at the Rubin Academy of Music, Tel Aviv
University where she won First Prize in the scool’s piano competition and received
highest honors upon graduation. In addition, she has particiaped in master classes with
such artists as Joseph Kalichstein, Andras Schiff and Manachem Pressler. Ms Frankloin is a
faculty member at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Teaching Associate
for Ann Schein at Peabody.
As a Pro Musicis International Award winner, Rachel Franklin gave solo debuts in Carnegie Hall, New York and Jordan Hall, Boston in 1997 and in Paris and Rome in 1995/ The prestigious Pro Musicis Award also brings her recitals in other such major artistic centers as Tokyo and Hong Kong. She has been the subject of a feature on National Public Radio’s "Performance Today" with whom she now gives frequent spoken broadcasts. Among her many awards are top prizes in the Florence International Chamber Music Competition and the Louise B. McMahon International Music Competition. "On Franklin’s recent Endeca CD "there is an account of the Chopin Furinos Ballade that struck your reviewer as not at all inferior…to the recorded performances of Cartot and Rubenstein." Boston Globe 1994.
Hanni
Schmid-Wyss
Swiss pianist, HANNI SCHMID-WYSS, began piano lessons when she was five years old. She
received her general education in piano with Gertrud Swoboda and Bertie Biedermann at the
Academy of Zurich, where she received her teaching diploma with honors as well as her
master’s degree. She continued her studies at the Staatliche Hochschule fier Musik in
Cologne with Professor Heinz Schroter. Master Courses were taken with Beza Anda in Zurich
and Buido Agosi in Siena. She is a winner of numerous competitions including a medalist at
the International Competition in Geneva.
Hanni Schmid-Wyss performs as a recitalist, a chamber musician, an accompanist of lieder and as a soloist with orchestras in Europe and the United States. She has had numerous radio and television appearances. Her repertory ranges from baroque to contemporary music and she has had several compositions dedicated to her. Her performances have gained her an outstanding reputation as a mediator between composers and audiences. The press praises her magnificent playing, her exceptional sound as well as her perfect technique.
"Pianist, Hanni Schid-Wyss performed Franz Josef Hayden’s Concerto for Piano and orchestra in D Major with such feeling that it gained a personality of its own. Her playing was so effortless that it seemed as if she were singing with her fingers." (Sunday News, Lancaster, PA). "Miss Schmid-Wyss played Schumann’s Davidsbundlertanze Op. 6 in a masterful performance which highlighted her musical understanding and great technical development underlining the contrasting qualities of the composer’s personal imaginings." (The Sunday Peninsula Herald, CA)
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