SEASON FINALE
The Voice of the Violin

BEETHOVEN @ 250

From Artistic Director Julio Elizalde:

This year, the world commemorates 250 years since Beethoven’s birth. Although we can’t be together to celebrate the monumental impact his music has left on history, I felt it especially important to feature his music this summer. Beethoven’s compositions capture an astonishing range of emotions, but I believe it is his spirit of struggle and courage in the face of adversity that resonates so deeply within us. I hope this summer’s programs illuminate his influence on the history of music and inspire your hearts and minds. I am extremely grateful to all the generous donors who joined together to support our spring fundraising drive—making these 2020 Virtual Salon Concerts possible! We wish you and your loved ones health and safety, and we eagerly look forward to when we can reunite in person to enjoy the beauty and magic of the music we love.

SUN August 2
5:00 PM

Kristin Lee violin
Adelya Nartadjieva violin*
Dimitri Murrath viola
SoHui Yun viola*
Sein Lee cello*
Matthew Zalkind cello
Julio Elizalde piano
Chelsea Wang piano*

*2019 Olympic Chamber Music Fellow

Rewind 2019: Passions in Paris

Debussy Petite Suite for Piano Four Hands
Franck Piano Quintet in F minor (1879)
Fauré Piano Quartet No. 2 in G minor, Op. 45

Relive the beauty and power of the great French composers, with Debussy’s charming work for two pianists at one keyboard, and Franck’s fevered passion, which inspired Fauré in his uniquely gorgeous piano quartet. This performance features the 2019 Olympic Chamber Music Fellows, four gifted young artists who were selected to participate in an educational residency program supporting musicians as they embark on their professional careers. Enjoy the performance—plus insights about the music with OMF Artistic Director Julio Elizalde.

WED August 5
7:00 PM

Julio Elizalde host

Behind the Notes: Beethoven & Music in Our New World

Join OMF Artistic Director Julio Elizalde for an in-depth look at this year’s virtual programs, behind-the-scenes preparation for chamber music performances, and inner workings of classical music and its history. He will take questions submitted by audience members. Submit your questions ahead of time using the link below.

MON August 10
7:00 PM

Andrew Wan violin
Yura Lee viola
Matthew Zalkind cello
Julio Elizalde piano
Robert McDonald piano

Rewind 2019: Secret Love

Brahms Clarinet (Viola) Trio in A minor, Op. 114
Clara Schumann Mazurka in G major, Op. 6 No. 5
Robert Schumann Davidsbündlertänze, Op. 6
Brahms Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60

Experience once more the powerful music written by two men inspired by a legendary woman of the Romantic era. The works by Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms were musical declarations of love for Clara Schumann, who, along with Franz Liszt, was considered one of the greatest pianists of that time.

WED August 12
7:00 PM

Julio Elizalde host

Behind the Notes: From Classical to Romantic Piano Music

OMF Artistic Director Julio Elizalde hosts a preconcert discussion before his solo recital featuring music by Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin. He delves into how composers explored the piano’s limitations and possibilities as the instrument evolved from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Julio will answer questions submitted by audience members.

MON August 17
7:00 PM

Julio Elizalde piano

The Piano As Orchestra

Mozart Piano Sonata in B-flat major, K. 333
Beethoven Piano Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 31 No. 3
Chopin Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52

OMF Artistic Director Julio Elizalde performs a solo piano recital showcasing the evolution of piano writing from the Classical to Romantic eras. Beethoven’s works drew from Haydn and Mozart to inspire future generations, including Chopin’s extraordinary piano compositions.

WED August 19
7:00 PM

Julio Elizalde host
Matthew Zalkind guest

Behind the Notes: Beethoven’s Cello Sonatas & Beyond

Cellist Matthew Zalkind joins OMF Artistic Director Julio Elizalde to discuss the cello in chamber music. Beethoven took the cello from a supportive bass position in the string quartet to an extreme virtuosity, seen in his later works. Matthew and Julio answer questions submitted by audience members about their upcoming recital of music by Beethoven and Chopin, and about other topics, too!

SUN August 23
5:00 PM

Matthew Zalkind cello
Julio Elizalde piano

The Heroic Cello

Beethoven Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5 No. 2
Beethoven Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Chopin Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65

Cellist Matthew Zalkind joins OMF Artistic Director Julio Elizalde in a recital presenting two of Beethoven’s most beloved sonatas for cello and piano, alongside Chopin’s final published work, his operatic Cello Sonata in G minor.

WED August 26
7:00 PM

Julio Elizalde host
Stella Chen guest
Matthew Zalkind guest

Behind the Notes: It Takes Three to Trio

OMF Artistic Director Julio Elizalde is joined by violinist Stella Chen and cellist Matthew Zalkind to discuss the origins of the piano trio, how Beethoven changed the ensemble’s history, and the challenges of playing in a piano trio compared with a string quartet. The artists answer questions before their performance of Beethoven’s first and final piano trios.

MON August 31
7:30 PM*

Stella Chen violin
Matthew Zalkind cello
Julio Elizalde piano

*Rescheduled due to power outage at post-production location

WED September 2
7:00 PM

Julio Elizalde host
Stella Chen guest

Behind the Notes: Reimagining the Violin Virtuoso

Violinist Stella Chen joins OMF Artistic Director Julio Elizalde in a conversation about the inner workings of the classical music industry, and how stereotypes of star soloists can be transformed for the twenty-first century. Stella and Julio answer questions in advance of their recital featuring music by Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Wieniawski.

SUN September 6
7:00 PM

Stella Chen violin
Julio Elizalde piano

The Voice of the Violin

Beethoven Violin Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 12 No. 3
Brahms Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108
Tchaikovsky Méditation from Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op. 42
Wieniawski Polonaise de Concert in D major, Op. 4

Violinist Stella Chen, winner of the 2019 Queen Elisabeth Competition, makes her OMF debut. From Beethoven’s quicksilver sonata in E-flat major to the romantic beauty of Tchaikovsky’s Méditation, this program brings the Olympic Music Festival’s 2020 Virtual Salon Concerts to a spectacular close!

Winner of the 2019 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition and recipient of a 2020 Avery Fisher Award and Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, American violinist Stella Chen has been lauded for her “phenomenal maturity” and “fresh and spontaneous, yet emotionally profound and intellectually well-structured performance” (Jerusalem Post). The present and upcoming season marks debut performances with the Chicago Symphony; at the Kronberg Academy, Ravinia Festival, and the Salzburg Mozarteum; as well as tours of China, Korea and Japan. Concerto appearances this season include performances with the Luxembourg Philharmonia and her Alice Tully concerto debut with the Juilliard Orchestra featuring Jörg Widmann’s Concerto No. 2, conducted by the composer. Ms. Chen is also the first recipient of the Robert Levin Award from Harvard University, the top-prize winner of the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition and youngest ever prizewinner of the Menuhin Competition. She has given solo performances at venues such as the Kennedy Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago. Other noteworthy ventures include performances in Bhutan, Cuba, and Colombia. Stella is a graduate of Harvard University and continues her studies at the Juilliard School and Kronberg Academy. She also serves as a teaching assistant for Li Lin at Juilliard. Mentors include Li Lin, Donald Weilerstein, Mihaela Martin, and Itzhak Perlman. Ms. Chen plays the ‘Huggins’ 1708 Stradivarius violin, generously on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation.

Praised as a musician of "compelling artistry and power" by the Seattle Times, the gifted American pianist Julio Elizalde is a multifaceted artist who enjoys a versatile career as soloist, chamber musician, artistic administrator, educator, and curator. He has performed in many of the major music centers throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America to popular and critical acclaim. Since 2014, he has served as the Artistic Director of the Olympic Music Festival near Seattle, Washington. Julio Elizalde has appeared with many of the leading artists of our time. He tours internationally with world-renowned violinists Sarah Chang and Ray Chen and has performed alongside conductors Itzhak Perlman, Teddy Abrams, and Anne Manson. He has collaborated with artists such as violinist Pamela Frank; composers Osvaldo Golijov and Stephen Hough; baritone William Sharp; and members of the Juilliard, Cleveland, Takács, Kronos, and Brentano string quartets. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Mr. Elizalde received a bachelor of music degree with honors from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Paul Hersh. He holds master’s and doctor of musical arts degrees from the Juilliard School in New York City, where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal, Joseph Kalichstein, and Robert McDonald.

Praised for his “impressive refinement, eloquent phrasing, and singing tone” by the New York Times, cellist Matthew Zalkind performs regularly as a recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. As a soloist, Mr. Zalkind has performed concerti with the Utah Symphony, the Moscow Chamber Players, the Albany Symphony, the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra, and many orchestras here and abroad.  Mr. Zalkind performed the concerti with many celebrated conductors, including Ludovic Morlot, Thierry Fischer, Giancarlo Guerrero, and David Alan Miller. A frequent recitalist, he has given solo recitals at the Kennedy Center, Phillips Collection, Tongyeong Arts Center in Korea, Dame Myra Hess series in Chicago, Moscow Conservatory, and Beijing Concert Hall. Mr. Zalkind is a regular at numerous chamber music festivals, including Marlboro and “Musicians from Marlboro” tours. As a two-year member of the Harlem String Quartet, Mr. Zalkind toured to Japan, England, Ethiopia, and every region of the United States with jazz legends Chick Corea, Gary Burton, and Stanley Clarke. He garnered top prizes in the Washington International Competition, Isang Yun International Competition, Beijing International Competition, and the Juilliard School Concerto Competition. Mr. Zalkind is a professor at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music and has diplomas from Juilliard and the University of Michigan as a student of Richard Aaron and Timothy Eddy. He plays on a rare Italian cello made by Florentine maker Luigi Piatellini c. 1760, and a bow by John Dodd c. 1800.