Saturday, January 20, 2024
5:30pm Doors | 6:00PM Performance
Steinway Hall
1133 Avenue of the Americas (6th Ave between 43rd & 44th Street) NYC
SUBWAY Take the B/D/F/M to 42nd Street/Bryant Park
Seating is limited. Reservations are required. R.S.V.P. by contacting Hanan Rahman at hrahman@opus3artists.com or 212.584.7517.
Light food and drinks will be provided.
Program
Nicholas Phan, Tenor
Bryan Wagorn, Piano
FRANZ SCHUBERT Pilgerweise, D. 789
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Whither Must I Wander from Songs of Travel
ERROLLYN WALLEN My Feet May Take A Little While
Amaryn Olmeda, Violin
Hsin-I Huang, Piano
CÉSAR FRANCK Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano
Allegretto; Moderato
Allegro
Janice Carissa, Piano
ENRIQUE GRANADOS The Maiden and the Nightingale
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Piano Sonata No. 8 in Bb major, Op. 84
Mvt 1. Andante dolce – Allegro moderato
Blake Pouliot, Violin
Simone Porter, Violin
Hsin-I Huang, Piano
ERICH KORNGOLD Much Ado About Nothing Suite, Opus 11
Mvt 3. Intermezzo
Mvt 4.. Masquerade
Blake Pouliot & Hsin-I Huang
ANDREW NORMAN Sabina
Simone Porter
MIKLÓS RÓZSA Sonata for Two Violins, Op. 15
Mvt 3. Vivo e Giocoso
About the Artists
Nicholas Phan
Described by the Boston Globe as “one of the world’s most remarkable singers,” American tenor Nicholas Phan is increasingly recognized as an artist of distinction. An artist with an incredibly diverse repertoire that spans nearly 500 years of music, he performs regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies. Also an avid recitalist, in 2010 he co-founded the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (CAIC) to promote art song and vocal chamber music, where he serves as artistic director. In both recital and chamber concerts, he has been presented by Carnegie Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, San Francisco Performances, Cal Performances, the Aspen Music Festival, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Atlanta’s Spivey Hall, Boston’s Celebrity Series, and the Library of Congress. Often working to build the vocal chamber repertoire, numerous new song cycles have been composed for him by many of today’s pre-eminent composers, including Lembit Beecher, Jake Heggie, Gabriel Kahane, Aaron Jay Kernis, Missy Mazzoli, Joel Puckett, Errollyn Wallen, and Nico Muhly.
Bryan Wagorn
Canadian pianist Bryan Wagorn serves as Assistant Conductor at The Metropolitan Opera and regularly performs throughout North America, Europe, and Asia as soloist, chamber musician, and recital accompanist to the world’s leading singers and instrumentalists. He has appeared on Good Morning America, WQXR and CBC Radio, has performed in recital for the George London Foundation, the Marilyn Horne Foundation and Richard Tucker Foundation, and worked with artists such as Angel Blue, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Lise Davidsen, Eric Owens, Nadine Sierra, Karita Mattila, Joyce DiDonato, the New York Woodwind Quintet, and members of The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony. He also performed as pianist in the Met’s Grammy winning production of Porgy and Bess.
Amaryn Olmeda
Winner of first prize and the audience choice award at the 24th Annual Sphinx Competition, violinist Amaryn Olmeda is a rising star sought after for her bold and expressive performances as a soloist and collaborator. Highlights of the 2023-2024 season include recitals at Classical KDFC SKY Concerts with pianist Lara Downes, Music at Gretna, and at the Willamette University Distinguished Artist Series. Olmeda made her Carnegie Hall solo debut on the Sphinx Virtuosi tour at the age of 14, garnering rave reviews. At 13, Olmeda was named the initial member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Opus 3 Artist’s Artist Apprentice Program. In 2023, Olmeda made her recording debut as the featured soloist of Carlos Simon’s “Between Worlds” on the Sphinx Virtuosi’s inaugural recording with Deutsche Grammophon. Born in Melbourne, Australia in 2008, Olmeda currently studies at the New England Conservatory of Music with Miriam Fried. She previously studied with Ian Swensen at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Janice Carissa
A Gilmore Young Artist and winner of Salon de Virtuosi, Janice Carissa has “the multicolored highlights of a mature pianist“ (Philadelphia Inquirer) and “strong, sure hands” (Voice of America) that “convey a vivid story rather than a mere showpiece.” (Chicago Classical Review) Her artistry has been showcased at an array of renowned stages, including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, United Nations, Kennedy Center, Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Louis Vuitton Foundation, Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Janice’s burning passion for chamber music has led her to performances with Brooklyn Chamber Music Society and Jupiter Chamber Concert Series; collaborations with Vadim Gluzman, Miriam Fried, Paul Neuebauer, Lucy Shelton, Marcy Rosen, David Shifrin, Jennifer Cano, Peter Wiley, among other distinguished musicians; and appearances at Marlboro, North Shore, Ravinia, Caramoor, and Kneisel Hall festivals.
Blake Pouliot
Described as “immaculate, at once refined and impassioned,” (ArtsAtlanta) violinist Blake Pouliot has anchored himself among the ranks of classical phenoms. A tenacious young artist with a passion that enraptures his audience in every performance, Pouliot has established himself as “one of those special talents that comes along once in a lifetime” (Toronto Star). As a chamber musician, Pouliot returns this season to NAC Chamber Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and La Jolla Summerfest where he performed the festival-opening concert last year with conductor Alan Gilbert, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada for his third consecutive year as Artist-in-Residence. He will also make his chamber debut with Festival Napa Valley at the San Francisco Conservatory. Previous recitals include Koerner Hall in Toronto, Seattle Chamber Music Society, and the world premiere of Derrick Skye’s God of the Gaps for violin and electronics at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
Simone Porter
Violinist Simone Porter has been recognized as an emerging artist of impassioned energy, interpretive integrity, and vibrant communication. In the past few years she has debuted with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Born in 1996, Simone made her professional solo debut at age 10 with the Seattle Symphony and her international debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London at age 13. In March 2015, Simone was named a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Recent recital highlights include a tour in Spain with pianist Pallavi Mahidhara and debuts at Celebrity Series in Boston and NY92, both of which featured the newly commissioned piece by composer Reena Esmail. At the invitation of Esa-Pekka Salonen, Simone performed his work ‘Lachen verlernt’ at the New York Philharmonic’s “Foreign Bodies,” a multi-sensory celebration of the work of the composer and conductor. Simone made her Carnegie Zankel Hall debut on the Emmy Award-winning TV show From the Top: Live from Carnegie Hall followed in November 2016 by her debut in Stern Auditorium.
Hsin-I Huang
Quickly becoming recognized as today’s most sought after collaborative pianist, Hsin-I has played in esteemed venues such as Disney Hall and Zipper Hall. She has collaborated with many artists such as Margaret Batjer, Andrew Shulman, Sheryl Staples, Chee-Yun, Simone Porter, William Hagen, Blake Pouliot, Jacob Braun, LA Philharmonic principal horn Andrew Bain, associate principal violist Dale Hikawa Silverman and cellist Tao Ni. Passionate about constantly growing as an artist and helping others grow, she regularly collaborates with students in master classes of Robert Lipsett at the Colburn School of Music. Hsin-I has made guest appearances at such venues as LA Philharmonic Chamber Music, Aspen Music Festival, Ravinia BGH Classics series, NPR’s Performance Today, Sundays Live at LACMA, South Bay Chamber Music Society, and Innsbrook Institute.