26th
SEASON
FRENCH
CONNECTIONS
2019 CONCERTS
Saturday MAY 11 at 4 pm
KISLAK CENTER at the RICHTER LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
OPENING CONCERT
MEMORY OF A BELOVED PLACE
GRACE PARK, Violin
MARINA RADIUSHINA, Piano
A special recognition event honoring Jadwiga Gewert, Miami Chamber Music Society's 2019 Cultural Ambassador Award recipient. Jadwiga has led the Chopin Foundation of the United States for more than a quarter century and will be recognized for her contribution to the arts in South Florida.
The Winner of the 2018 Naumburg International Violin Competition, Grace Park is a dynamic violinist, dedicated chamber musician, and passionate pedagogue. Her diverse career has carried her from solo and chamber performances in the world’s foremost concert halls to educational workshops in inner-city schools as an artist resident with Ensemble Connect at Carnegie Hall.
Saturday MAY 18 at 4 pm
KISLAK CENTER at the RICHTER LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
AMERNET STRING QUARTET
MICHAEL LINVILLE, Piano
GHOSTS OF THE PAST
Praised for their "intelligence" and “immensely satisfying” playing by the New York Times, the Amernet String Quartet has garnered recognition as one of today’s exceptional string quartets, they serve as Ensemble-in-Residence at Florida International University in Miami. The Quartet returns to Mainly Mozart with a program of works by Mozart, Francaix and are joined by the acclaimed pianist, conductor Michael Linville in a performance of the rarely heard Elgar Piano Quintet.
SATURDAY MAY 25, 4 pm
KISLAK CENTER at the RICHTER LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
BERGONZI STRING QUARTET
MARINA RADIUSHINA, Piano
(NEO) CLASSICAL PERFECTIONS
Hailed by the critics as "electrifying" and "masterful", the Bergonzi String Quartet has become one of Florida's and America's most important cultural assets. For their much-anticipated return to Mainly Mozart the foursome will present quartets by Mozart and Saint-Saens and will be joined by the festival artistic director pianist Marina Radiushina in an exquisite Piano Quintet by Boccherini.
Saturday JUNE 1 at 4 pm
KISLAK CENTER at the RICHTER LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
RICHARD O'NEILL, Viola
MARINA RADIUSHINA, Piano
AFTER A DREAM
Praised by the London Times as "ravishing" the New York Times for his "elegant, velvety tone" the Los Angeles Times as "energetic and sassy...exceptional" and Seattle Times as "sublime" VIOLIST RICHARD O'NEILL has distinguished himself as one of the great instrumentalists of his generation. An Emmy Award winner, two-time Grammy nominee, and Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, he has achieved recognition and critical acclaim not only as a champion of his instrument but as a social and musical ambassador as well.
For their Mainly Mozart Festival return performance Richard will be joined by the festival artistic director pianist Marina Radiushina in a program of works by Beethoven, Schubert, Debussy, Faure and Rachmaninoff.
Saturday JUNE 8 at 4 pm
KISLAK CENTER at the RICHTER LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
DELRAY STRING QUARTET
FRENCH SWEETS
Acclaimed as a “World-Class String Quartet” by the Palm Beach Post, the Delray String Quartet has clearly established itself as one of the cultural jewels of South Florida. Performing regularly across the region, the Delray String Quartet has been described by the press as “well-balanced and elegant,” “adding luster to the South Florida music scene,” “with the players ripping into the music with savage abandon.”
The Quartet will present a program of works by Handel, Mozart and Ravel.
Saturday JUNE 15 at 4 pm
KISLAK CENTER at the RICHTER LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
MARIA ALEIDA, Soprano
FRANK COOPER, Lecturer
JOSEPHINE
Join us for a special event featuring a lecture, three short films, and a live classical music performance, that collectively respond to Pierre-Joseph Redouté’s monumental three-volume set, Les Roses (1817–1824), which is housed in Special Collections at the University of Miami Libraries. Les Roses was illustrated by Redouté with commentary from botanist Antoine-Claude Thory, who categorized the variety of all roses illustrated in the work. The set was commissioned by Empress Joséphine as a record of her rose gardens at Château de Malmaison, while Redouté served as court painter to her and Napoléon Bonaparte. Original copies of the three-volume set will be on display at the event.
This unique program includes backstories related to Les Roses, accompanied by beautiful imagery of Château de Malmaison, the historical French rose garden that inspired Redouté’s illustrations and eternalized one of the most illustrious love stories of all time, Empress Joséphine and Napoléon Bonaparte.
Saturday JUNE 22 at 4 pm
KISLAK CENTER at the RICHTER LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
FRANCISCO RENNO, Piano
CHOPINIANA
Francisco Rennó is the winner of several major piano competitions and has appeared as soloist with orchestras in North and South America. He has given solo and chamber-music recitals throughout the two continents, including appearances at Carnegie Recital Hall and The Phillips Collection. For ballet performances, he has performed as soloist with the symphony orchestras of Kansas City, St. Louis, Berkeley, Naples, and on tour with MCB at The Kennedy Center, Torino Danza in Torino, Italy and at Les Étés de la Danse in Paris, France. Mr. Rennó was company pianist for the Kansas City Ballet from its inception in 1981, joining Miami City Ballet in 1999. He composed the music to Edward Villella’s “THE WALTZ: Our Lady of Oblivion.” Francisco serves as Miami City Ballet Music Advisor and Company Pianist.
Francisco will present an all-Chopin recital.
Saturday JUNE 29 at 4 pm
KNIGHT CONCERT HALL
ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER
Season Finale:
"REHEARSAL IN PARIS"
REHEARSAL IN PARIS
A ground-breaking intersection of music, dance and film, this dazzling multi-genre performance will take the audiences on an imaginary journey to Paris. Members of the Miami City Ballet will join phenomenal award-winning classical musicians of the Mainly Mozart Festival in this smart and beautiful meditation on the ephemeral nature of dance.
Ashley Knox, dancer
Alexander Peters, dancer
Eric Trope, choreographer
Marina Radiushina, piano
Thomas Mesa, cello
Qianqian Li, violin
Ali Habashi, filmmaker