Francesco Lecce-Chong and Pavlina Dokovska to Perform Two Pianos | Four Hands
Milwaukee, WI, October 17, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Francesco Lecce-Chong, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Associate Conductor and his former teacher Pavlina Dokovska, internationally renowned pianist, will perform together on the PianoArts Signature Event Series on Friday, November 15, 2013 at 8:00 p.m. in Vogel Hall at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Also joining the performance will be MSO violinist Margot Schwartz. Tickets may be purchased through the Marcus Center Box Office at 414/273-7206 or online at http://www.marcuscenter.org/buying-tickets/.
Pavlina Dokovska is chair of the piano department of the Mannes College of Music in New York City and is founder and artistic director of the annual Mannes Festival. It is at Mannes that Mr. Lecce-Chong began his study with Ms. Dokovska, and from which he received his Bachelor of Music degree with honors in piano and orchestral conducting. He continued studying with her after he moved on to the Curtis Institute of Music. Ms. Dokovska was in Milwaukee in June of 2012 serving as one of the esteemed judges for the 2012 North American Piano Competition. She also performed a well-received recital of works by Debussy during Competition Week.
As Associate Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Lecce-Chong works closely with renowned MSO Music Director Edo de Waart and is directly responsible for leading over forty subscription, tour, education and community concert performances annually. He is a frequent guest speaker at organizations around Milwaukee and hosts Meet the Music, the MSO's pre-concert lecture series. Often, audiences don’t really know the instrument of a conductor unless they solo with the orchestra. This concert will give audiences a chance to see Mr. Lecce-Chong performing on the instrument that ignited his musical career.
Violinist Margot Schwartz is a member of the First Violin section of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Originally from Oakland, California, she has performed around the world on both violin and viola, and since moving to Milwaukee has begun teaching privately and coaching chamber music in numerous area schools. In addition to her performances with her MSO colleagues in the Arcas String Quartet, she performs with Present Music, and Bowing Rogue, a duo with her friend and colleague Ilana Setapen. In the summer, Margot performs at Music on the Hill (RI), the Bellingham (WA), and Peninsula (WI) Music Festivals. She holds a Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music from the Northwestern University School of Music.
The program will begin with the Sonata in D major for Two Pianos/Four Hands by Mozart. Then, Ms. Dokovska, first prize winner of the Claude Debussy International Competition (France), will perform solo works by Debussy and Schubert’s Violin Sonata in A major with Ms. Schwartz. To close, the duo pianists will bring the concert to a rousing finale with Percy Grainger's Fantasy for Two Pianos on Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.
About PianoArts:
Based in Milwaukee, PianoArts' mission is to foster appreciation and performance of classical music by identifying and mentoring a new generation of pianists with exceptional musical and verbal communication skills and by presenting them to diverse audiences. The highest profile event that fulfills this mission is the presentation of the biennial North American Piano Competition and Music Festival. It is a challenging international piano competition for pianists, ages 16 through 20, that has an equal emphasis on offering support to young musicians as they build their musical careers; performing side-by-side with professional musicians, and acquiring skills in audience development. Prizes and scholarships are substantial, judges are internationally renowned, and three finalists have the opportunity to perform full concertos with the acclaimed Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Additional opportunities to the finalists are fellowships to return to Milwaukee to perform in the PianoArts music education programs in the schools as well as for adults. Plans are currently underway for the 2014 North American Competition to be held in June, 2014.
PianoArts presents school programs in the Milwaukee Public Schools, through a grant from the Milwaukee Arts Board, and, new this year, in the Waukesha School District through a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board. PianoArts also collaborates with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra to present the Wisconsin Youth Piano Competition, for pianists ages 11-15. The next Wisconsin Competition will be held in 2015.
For more information about PianoArts, please contact (414) 255-0801 or visit www.PianoArts.org.
Pavlina Dokovska is chair of the piano department of the Mannes College of Music in New York City and is founder and artistic director of the annual Mannes Festival. It is at Mannes that Mr. Lecce-Chong began his study with Ms. Dokovska, and from which he received his Bachelor of Music degree with honors in piano and orchestral conducting. He continued studying with her after he moved on to the Curtis Institute of Music. Ms. Dokovska was in Milwaukee in June of 2012 serving as one of the esteemed judges for the 2012 North American Piano Competition. She also performed a well-received recital of works by Debussy during Competition Week.
As Associate Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Lecce-Chong works closely with renowned MSO Music Director Edo de Waart and is directly responsible for leading over forty subscription, tour, education and community concert performances annually. He is a frequent guest speaker at organizations around Milwaukee and hosts Meet the Music, the MSO's pre-concert lecture series. Often, audiences don’t really know the instrument of a conductor unless they solo with the orchestra. This concert will give audiences a chance to see Mr. Lecce-Chong performing on the instrument that ignited his musical career.
Violinist Margot Schwartz is a member of the First Violin section of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Originally from Oakland, California, she has performed around the world on both violin and viola, and since moving to Milwaukee has begun teaching privately and coaching chamber music in numerous area schools. In addition to her performances with her MSO colleagues in the Arcas String Quartet, she performs with Present Music, and Bowing Rogue, a duo with her friend and colleague Ilana Setapen. In the summer, Margot performs at Music on the Hill (RI), the Bellingham (WA), and Peninsula (WI) Music Festivals. She holds a Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music from the Northwestern University School of Music.
The program will begin with the Sonata in D major for Two Pianos/Four Hands by Mozart. Then, Ms. Dokovska, first prize winner of the Claude Debussy International Competition (France), will perform solo works by Debussy and Schubert’s Violin Sonata in A major with Ms. Schwartz. To close, the duo pianists will bring the concert to a rousing finale with Percy Grainger's Fantasy for Two Pianos on Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.
About PianoArts:
Based in Milwaukee, PianoArts' mission is to foster appreciation and performance of classical music by identifying and mentoring a new generation of pianists with exceptional musical and verbal communication skills and by presenting them to diverse audiences. The highest profile event that fulfills this mission is the presentation of the biennial North American Piano Competition and Music Festival. It is a challenging international piano competition for pianists, ages 16 through 20, that has an equal emphasis on offering support to young musicians as they build their musical careers; performing side-by-side with professional musicians, and acquiring skills in audience development. Prizes and scholarships are substantial, judges are internationally renowned, and three finalists have the opportunity to perform full concertos with the acclaimed Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Additional opportunities to the finalists are fellowships to return to Milwaukee to perform in the PianoArts music education programs in the schools as well as for adults. Plans are currently underway for the 2014 North American Competition to be held in June, 2014.
PianoArts presents school programs in the Milwaukee Public Schools, through a grant from the Milwaukee Arts Board, and, new this year, in the Waukesha School District through a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board. PianoArts also collaborates with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra to present the Wisconsin Youth Piano Competition, for pianists ages 11-15. The next Wisconsin Competition will be held in 2015.
For more information about PianoArts, please contact (414) 255-0801 or visit www.PianoArts.org.
Contact
PianoArts of Wisconsin
Nancy Herro
414/255-0801
www.pianoarts.org
Nancy Herro
414/255-0801
www.pianoarts.org
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