Often referred to as the next Victor Borge, Sarah Hagen has transformed her award-winning role as “concert pianist” into a stand-up, or rather, sit-down comedy. Pairing anecdotes from the road with some of her favourite pieces by Chopin, Debussy, and Liszt, Sarah takes audiences deep inside the world of a classical musician as she shares her earnest efforts to keep her spirits up in the midst of troublesome times.
Reservations in advance suggested. Presented in person and online via YouTube.
Following her London debut at Wigmore Hall, Israeli-born pianist Sally Pinkas has garnered universal praise as an eloquent and ardent performer. Among highlights are appearances with the Boston Pops, the Aspen Philharmonia and New York’s Jupiter Symphony, and at the festivals of Marlboro, Rockport (USA), Pontlevoy (France), Havana (Cuba) and HCMC Conservatory (Vietnam). A first-ever performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto in Bandung (Indonesia’s 2nd largest city), premieres of George Rochberg’s monumental Circles of Fire for two pianos in Russia, Israel and Nigeria, and a revival of rarely-heard 19th-century Filipino Salon Music in its birth city Manila, all exemplify Pinkas’ wide-ranging repertoire. Through her travel she shares it generously with enthusiastic audiences and young pianists.
Equally at home in a recording studio, Sally’s discography features works by Mozart, Schumann, Fauré, Debussy, Gaubert, Martinů, Rochberg, Shapiro, Pinkham and Wolff, released on the MSR, Centaur, Naxos, Toccata Classics and Mode labels. Her most recent CD release of Sonatas by Shostakovich and Bridge was hailed as “…A mandatory purchase for all pianophiles: two major works, in performances of utter power… ideal melding of strength and emotional pliancy…” by Fanfare Magazine. A CD featuring Piano Quintets by Miguel del Aguila (with Cuarteto Latinoamericano) is forthcoming on Urtext Digital Classics.
Pinkas tours regularly as member of Ensemble Schumann and the Hirsch-Pinkas Duo (with her husband pianist Evan Hirsch), and collaborates frequently with the Adaskin String Trio, the Apple Hill String Quartet and Cuarteto Latinoamericano. Recent travel took her to Madrid and Barcelona, where she presented solo recitals, and to Rio de Janeiro, where the Hirsch-Pinkas Duo made its Brazil debut in the famed Cecília Meireles Hall. She will be returning to China with Ensemble Schumann in 2023.
Pinkas holds performance degrees from Indiana University and the New England Conservatory of Music, and a Ph.D. in Composition from Brandeis University. Her principal teachers were Russell Sherman, George Sebok, Luise Vosgerchian and Genia Bar-Niv (piano), Sergiu Natra (composition), and Robert Koff (chamber music). Pianist-in-residence at the Hopkins Center at Dartmouth College, she is Professor of Music at Dartmouth’s Music Department.
One piano. Two composers. Three rounds. Young audiences listen, debate and vote on a showdown between two iconic musicians.
In his family-focused Classical Smackdown program, pianist Frederic Chiu pits two masters of classical composition against each other, leading us in an educational, inspiring and interactive game, focusing on Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach and 20th-century composer Philip Glass.
Each program includes illuminating commentary drawing out the contrasts and the similarities of the composers’ works as well as jaw-dropping playing. Following each round, kids get to discuss the differences between each composer. They vote on their favorite, select a winner and leave with a deeper understanding of two musical heroes.
With a vibrant concert schedule, a legacy of 30 CDs and a stream of accolades from around the globe, pianist Frederic Chiu occupies a special place in the world of classical music. His non-traditional approach including interdisciplinary collaborations, integration of new technologies and emphasis on audience engagement distinguish Chiu as an innovator and boundary-breaking 21st-century artist.
