Pianist Benjamin Hochman Set for Sherman Chamber Ensemble's Season Openers, 7/12-13

The Sherman Chamber Ensemble has announced that the international piano virtuoso Benjamin Hochman will be the guest artist for the opening concerts of its 2013 Summer Concert Series on July 12th at St. Andrew's Church in Kent and July 13th at the Lake Mauweehoo Club in Sherman. Hochman will join Ensemble regulars Jill levy (violin), Susan Rotholz (flute) and Eliot Bailen (cello) for a program including Haydn's Piano Trio in E Major, Sonata in A Major for flute and piano by Cesar Franck and the Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor.

"Having Ben Hochman with us truly illustrates SCE's mission of providing world class music, close to home," says SCE Artistic Director Eliot Bailen. "Sherman audiences were lucky to have heard Ben back in 2006, when he previewed here the program he later played for his New York City solo debut. Since then he has risen to the very top of his field - we are pleased to say 'we knew him when' and Ben enjoys coming back to Sherman whenever he can. Lovers of the piano repertoire won't want to miss this opportunity to hear Ben in such an intimate setting."

Winner of 2011's prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, pianist Benjamin Hochman has been described by the New York Times as a "gifted, fast-rising artist". His eloquent and virtuosic performances have earned him critical acclaim and his rare combination of bravura and poetry has excited audiences and critics alike. His engagements have brought him to major cities as orchestral soloist, recitalist and chamber music collaborator with celebrated conductors and colleagues. A strong musical presence in New York City, Mr. Hochman has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, The Israel Philharmonic in Carnegie Hall, the American Symphony, and the New York String Orchestra as well as numerous guest engagements at 92nd Street Y. He has appeared with the orchestras of San Francisco, Cincinnati, Houston, Seattle, Vancouver and National Arts Centre and engaged in multiple projects with the Chicago and Pittsburgh symphonies. An avid chamber musician, he has been a regular guest at international music festivals such as Marlboro, Ravinia, Gilmore, Lucerne, Prussia Cover, and Klavierfestival Ruhr. He has participated in three prestigious residencies: Chamber Music Society Two at Lincoln Center, Isaac Stern's International chamber Music Encounters in Israel, and Carnegie Hall's Professional Training Workshops. Born in Jerusalem, Hochman is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Mannes College of Music.

In addition to his appearance with the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, highlights of Mr. Hochman's 2012-2013 season include solo recitals in Boston and Tel Aviv and a tour of Mexico. He returns for his third subscription series engagement with the Pittsburgh Symphony, performs Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals in his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and appears with the Vancouver and Phoenix Symphonies. He takes part in two chamber performances of Stravinsky, Beethoven and Fauréat New York's 92nd Street Y with Jaime Laredo, Steven Tenenbom and Sharon Robinson and collaborates with the Escher String Quartet in Buffalo and Bethlehem, Efe Baltacigil at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Orchestra of St. Luke's in Brooklyn and Manhattan and at the Schubert Club's "Accordo" series with members of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. His third disc, Homage to Schubert, will be released by Avie records in 2013.

Sherman Chamber Ensemble concerts are performed Friday evenings in the intimate and acoustically excellent St. Andrew's Church on Main Street in Kent, CT. Saturday evening performances take place in the rustic charm of the lakeside Mauweehoo Clubhouse on Leach Hollow Road in Sherman, CT. All performances start at 8:00 PM and are followed by a reception offering light refreshments and an opportunity to meet the performers.

Admission is $30 at the door ($25 for students and seniors). Reservations are strongly recommended and may be made by calling 860-355-5930. Advance tickets may also be purchased online at www.shermanchamberensemble.org. For Sherman concerts only, lawn tickets may be purchased the night of the concert for $10 (bring your own seating or beach blanket).

Discounted subscription tickets are now available for the full summer concert series, which includes performances on August 9th and 10th and August 30th and 31st. For a season brochure or more information, contact the Sherman Chamber Ensemble at 860-355-5930 or info@shermanchamberensemble.org.

The Sherman Chamber Ensemble will also be found on Friday, July 12th at 3:00 PM at the Kent Memorial Library in Kent, CT, where it will present a special concert for children and families called "Dueling Duos," featuring Eliot Bailen on cello and Jill Levy on violin. The program will engage young people in a musical experience that is entertaining and interactive as well as educational. Admission is free and open to all.

The Sherman Chamber Ensemble was founded in 1983 to bring world-class live classical music performance to Western Connecticut and nearby New York State. Its summer chamber music series has been described in The New York Times as "about as close as it gets to the Platonic ideal of a chamber music concert." Additional events coming later this year include a program celebrating the musical heritage of the Mizzen Top Hotel in Pawling and the Akin Family of Quaker Hill; Labor Day weekend bluegrass jamborees; the annual "Live at the Lake" coffeehouse; Thanksgiving weekend free jazz matinee performances; and a Messiah Sing-in at St. Andrew's Church in Kent. Support for this season comes from many generous individual donors, the Kaplen Foundation, Elmwood Fund and other private foundations and local businesses.

Photo Credit: J. Henry Fair