News
successes, appearances: the maxima artist update
March 2010
Incredibly, one of the world's foremost Schubert interpreters has moved to New Zealand. Fanfare Magazine writes: "...Curzon, Richter, Pollini, Brendel, Perahia, and Kissin, among others...--and Endres' belongs to that elite group." The New York Times called his performances "relevatory", and the Boston Globe said "One of the most interesting pianists recording today…" Monde de la Musique (France) called him "the equal of Serkin, Arrau, and Brendel". In addition to Schubert, his concerto repertoire includes everything from Bach, Beethoven and Brahms to Grieg, Liszt, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky, not to mention all the important Mozart concerti. Look for details soon about his 2011 tour of New Zealand. More info: Michael Endres
New Zealand salutes Pedro Carneiro next month with the World Premiere of John Psathas' "djinn": Marimba Concerto (2009), specially written for him and specially commissioned by the Vector Wellington Orchestra. It is also quite likely the first New Zealand composition to be premiered by three orchestras in this country back to back. Marc Taddei will conduct Pedro and the three orchestras, first with the Vector Wellington Orchestra in April, then with the Auckland Philharmonia and Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in May.
Pedro is also Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Portuguese Chamber Orchestra, which Maxima tours to China in September and October 2010. The extraordinary programme features the renowned Yellow River Piano Concerto on the 40th anniversary of its transcription by piano virtuoso Yin Chengzong (pictured), with Yin himself at the keyboard -- celebrating his own 60th anniversary as a concertizing pianist. Carneiro will conduct Joly Braga Santos for an introduction to Portuguese music, and the concerts will also feature Karajan Conducting Fellowship winner Christopher Chen. Performance venues to be announced in due course. In the meantime, Pedro's orchestra opens this year’s London Festival on 21 June with a special programme featuring Cristina Ortiz in the Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2.
Feng Ning continues building his extraordinary reputation with another monumental year of multiple tour appearances in Australasia. It already began in January in residence at the QVSS Festival of Chamber Music, and continued with his debut with the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Hong Kong Sinfonietta this month. In August he plays Melbourne, Tasmania, Adelaide, Christchurch and Wellington in quick succession, returning in November to Perth and Auckland. Plans are well advanced for a tour of Russia in October, and this doesn't even mention his European and Asian tours. He keeps getting invited back, according to published remarks by Antony Ernst because: “Feng Ning is someone who combines technical facility that is second to none with what you could only call soul.”
John Chen's Saguaro Trio won first prize at the Hamburg International Chamber Music Competition late last year, and we signed up the Trio right away. (See below)
John rocked Macau with the T’ang Quartet and their performance of the Gao Ping Piano Quintet last October. Then John returned to the West Australian Symphony Orchestra for Gershwin last November and this month saw him in Christchurch for the rarely performed Rautavaara Piano Concerto No. 3. Several more exceptional highlights for the rest of the year are not released for publication yet, but they include multiple European engagements with the Saguaro, as well as a return to Auckland in September for Mozart's 24th Piano Concerto.
This dazzling ensemble of 23-year-old virtuosi – in two short years – won third, then second, then first prize at three major international competitions. Sometimes winning can be about luck, but placing high in the only three major competitions they’ve ever entered speaks of remarkable ability. Menahem Pressler was the Jury Chairman at the Hamburg competition, and now, mere months after winning, the ensemble has numerous engagements already starting throughout Europe. Read their first ecstatic review. Last month, too, they gave the world premiere of renowned American composer Philip Maneval's Piano Trio No. 2 in Los Angeles. Watch for their appearance soon in Australasia… READ MORE
After a long absence, Australia opens its arms to Edvard Tchivzhel, whose return will feature a debut with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in a powerhouse concert on 25 June. He conducts his own personal score to the mighty Manfred Symphony of Tchaikovsky, and accompanies the legendary Cyprien Katsaris in his first return to Chopin Concerto No. 2 in many years. A programme not to be missed!
Everyone is engaging this brilliant, exceptional soloist! After her BBC Philharmonic in February, upcoming debuts in 2010 include: Warsaw Philharmonic (April), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (May), Eastern Music Festival, North Carolina (July), Sinfonia Finlandia (August), Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (October), and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Nov). Phew! And everyone wants her in 2011, with appearances throughout New Zealand, Beijing, Shanghai, and other parts of Asia in addition to engagements too numerous to list in Europe and the United States. More details to come! READ MORE
Vladimir most recently conducted 2 subscription concerts with the Saratov Philharmonic Orchestra, where he is Artistic Director and Chief Conductor, and also conducted the opening concert of the G Neuhaus Piano Festival (Neuhaus has a number of prominent former students in England, Japan, Italy and Denmark). In addition, Vladimir's had another Melodya CD issued in Russia MEL CD 1001678 (music of Golovin composed for Yuri Bashmet and Mikhail Muntian). Vladimir made a 3-concert debut with the Boise Philharmonic in the US, and this month conducts the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra at the Great Hall. In June he returns for his 23rd consecutive year to Australasia – now as an Australian Citizen – for a series of concerts. As Conductor Laureate, he’ll lead the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in June, and he'll spend time working with young people this trip, both as part of Symphony Australia's Young Performers Awards, and with the Western Australian Youth Orchestra.
Marc started the year in fashion with concerts in the US, followed by two weekends of concerts last month with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. This month he heads back across the Tasman for two weeks of concerts with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, then returns to begin the Vector Wellington Orchestra Season. That gets started with John Psathas' Djinn Concerto debut (see Pedro Carneiro above). Other highlights of the year include a re-invitation to the Sydney Symphony, overseas recordings and much more. Watch this space!
Werner returns in triumph to conduct the Great Classics Concert with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in April with a gem of a programme including Beethoven Symphony No 1, Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis and Mozart's Requiem -- the concert that introduces Tania Brand to Australia. Werner gave a brilliant reading of the Bruckner 5th Symphony in the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall with the Tokyo City Philharmonic at the end of last year, and went straight to Germany afterwards where he has had multiple concerts and recording dates. He returns to Dunedin in May for Chopin, Schumann and Mahler all in one concert, and in August presents an all-French programme.
Tania Brand: new rich lyric soprano in oz
Maxima is proud to introduce New Zealand lyric soprano Tania Brand. She's been living and working in London, and has just returned to our shores. Already, she has engagements lined up, including a debut with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (the same programme conducted by Werner Andreas Albert above) singing the Mozart Requiem. Read more about Tania here, and make your plans now to hear her in Brisbane on 30 April.
Cyprien teams up with Edvard Tchivzhel in a red-letter return to Australia in June, playing the Chopin Piano Concert No. 2 and Chopin's Krakowiak on the same programme. Beforehand, he'll be back in Adelaide for MDB Promotions' recital series, and afterwards returns to the Medici Concerts for highly creative recitals. But already in May Cyprien returns to Korea for two appearances and to China for multiple recitals in August. A Japan tour is planned in the latter half of the year covering Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Hyogo, Nagano, Kanagawa, Hyogo … and there is heaps more in Europe. And don’t miss his unique 2011 Liszt Bicentennial concerto offering: The "Three Aspects of Lizst", is online now for instant streaming.
Maxima is also expanding in all directions. We have a new web section for special projects, including the Portuguese Chamber Orchestra Tour, John Chen and the T’ang Quartet playing Gao Ping, and...
the Australian debut of the New Purple Forbidden City Orchestra – a 10-person ensemble of China's finest traditional instrument virtuosos. These outstanding musicians are giving the art form new life through the efforts of conductor Liu Shun and internationally revered Pipa virtuoso Yang Jing (杨靖). They perform as part of Queensland Conservatorium’s Encounter symposium in May, and open the Canberra International Music Festival on 14 May.
Artistic Administrators will also want to make full note of British conductor Andrew Mogrelia. And don't miss our full roster.
Every good wish!
John Ballard
Considerable care has been taken to ensure accuracy in this report. If you find any errors, we would be grateful for your advice.
