Now celebrating its Fifth Anniversary Season, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County proudly presents two incomparable classical music virtuosos — Yuri Bashmet, hailed as the greatest violist of our time, and Evgeny Kissin – one of the most formidable and important pianists of this and past generations — in an unprecedented musical collaboration that will only be performed at the Adrienne Arsht Center, Carnegie Hall, and Chicago’s Symphony Hall.
This extraordinary musical event, on April 21, 2011 at 8 p.m. in the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall, features Schubert’s Sonata in A Minor (Arpeggione), one of the most famous works in the repertory written specifically for the viola; Brahms’ Sonata No. 2 in E-flat Major; and Shostakovich’s Sonata in C Minor for Viola and Piano, the composer’s final work, whose valedictory last movement he described as adagio in memory of Beethoven. Yuri Bashmet and Evgeny Kissin appear at the Adrienne Arsht Center as part of the, 2010-2011 JOHN S. AND JAMES L. KNIGHT MASTERWORKS SEASON, Sanford and Dolores Ziff Classical Music Series.
Tickets range from $50 to $125 and may be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office by calling (305) 949-6722, or online at www.arshtcenter.org.
“Two of the world’s greatest musicians – Yuri Bashmet and Evgeny Kissin – bring to Miami audiences an unforgettable evening showcasing the magnificent music of three master composers in the nation’s most acoustically superb Knight Concert Hall,” said M. John Richard, President and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center. “With this concert, the Arsht Center offers an unprecedented, once-in-a-lifetime classical music experience and a stunning the finale to an outstanding 2010-2011 Knight Masterworks Season.”
Yuri Bashmet is widely considered to be the world’s greatest living violist, having given the viola a new prominence in musical life. He was the first violist to perform a solo recital at Carnegie Hall and Milan’s La Scala. His international career was launched in 1976, when he won the International Viola Competition in Munich. Since then he has appeared as conductor and/or soloist with the world’s top orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and the London Symphony Orchestra, which presented its own Yuri Bashmet Festival. He is the Artistic Director of the December Evenings festival in Moscow, Principal Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of New Russia, and is the founder of the renowned Moscow Soloists, a chamber ensemble he has performed with and directed throughout the world. In 2008, Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists received a Grammy Award for “Best Small Ensemble Performance-Best Conductor.” Yuri Bashmet has inspired many composers to write for him. In particular, he has enjoyed artistic relationships with Alfred Schnittke and Sofia Gubaidulina. Schnittke’s Viola Concerto, written for him, is now firmly established in the repertoire.
Evgeny Kissin’s musicality, the poetic quality of his interpretations, and his extraordinary virtuosity have placed him at the forefront of the world’s new generation of pianists. A child prodigy, Kissin came to international attention in 1984 when, at the age of 12, he performed in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory with the Moscow State Philharmonic under Dmitri Kitaenko. In demand as both recitalist and soloist, he has appeared with the world’s most legendary conductors and prominent orchestras. He made his West European debut in 1987 at the Berlin Festival and his London debut the next year with Valery Gergiev leading the London Symphony Orchestra. In 1990, Kissin made his highly-anticipated North American debut, performing both Chopin piano concertos with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta. The following week, he opened Carnegie Hall’s Centennial season with a spectacular debut recital, which was recorded live by BMG Classics. Kissin won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra) for his recording of piano works by Scriabin, Medtner and Stravinsky. This season, he embarks on an extensive North American tour, which includes recitals, orchestral appearances, and chamber music concerts with Yuri Bashmet.
This extraordinary engagement marks the fifth and final concert of the 2010-2011 Sanford and Dolores Ziff Classical Music Series. The 2011-2012 season, which promises to deliver a stunning selection of the world’s classical virtuosos, will be announced this spring.