Bell-Isserlis-Denk Trio Comes to The Soraya
By: Stephi Wild Apr. 24, 2019
Hailed as a dream team of performers, longtime musical collaborators and friends, violinist Joshua Bell, cellist Steven Isserlis and pianist Jeremy Denk, will unite this spring 2019 for their first-ever trio tour stoping at The Soraya on May 8. The three artists will perform hallmarks of the trio repertoire in acclaimed venues across the East and West coasts. Though Bell, Isserlis and Denk have previously released the landmark 2016 recording For the Love of Brahms together on Sony Classical, these performances mark the first occasions in which they will tour live as an ensemble. The Brahms album has been praised as Absolutely essential listening for the classical fan well-crafted, flawless killer stuff.
The artists have enjoyed years of camaraderie and musical rapport-Bell remembers how he met Isserlis about 30 years ago at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston [SC], where we played chamber music together. He has been my close friend and frequent chamber music partner ever since. Bell also met Jeremy Denk, a fellow Indiana University alum, at Spoleto. They have since appeared together in recital numerous times, and recorded French Impressions, featuring violin-piano duo works by Saint-Sa ns, Ravel and Franck. Together, we all share a long-lasting friendship, and to finally be able to tour with Jeremy and Steven is a goal fulfilled, adds Bell.As a concerto soloist he appears regularly with the world's leading orchestras and conductors, including the Berlin Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, London Philharmonic and Zurich Tonhalle orchestras. He gives recitals every season in major musical centres, and plays with many of the world's foremost chamber orchestras, including the Australian, Mahler, Norwegian, Scottish, Zurich and St Paul Chamber Orchestras, as well as period-instrument ensembles such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. Unusually, he also directs chamber orchestras from the cello in classical programmes. Recent and upcoming highlights include performances with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the Salzburg Mozartwoche; the US premiere of Thomas Ad s's Lieux retrouv s with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, following world and UK premieres in Lucerne and at the BBC Proms, and a further performance of the work in Amsterdam with the Britten Sinfonia, conducted by the composer; Prokofiev's Concerto Op. 58 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski, in London and at the Dresden Music Festival; and Haydn's C major Concerto with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Adam Fischer. As a chamber musician, he has curated series for many of the world's most famous festivals and venues, including the Wigmore Hall, the 92nd St Y in New York, and the Salzburg Festival. These specially devised programmes have included 'In the Shadow of War', a major four-part series for the Wigmore Hall to mark the centenary of the First World War and the 75th anniversary of the Second World War; explorations of Czech music; the teacher-pupil line of Saint-Sa ns, Faur and Ravel; the affinity of the cello and the human voice; varied aspects of Robert Schumann's life and music; and the music of Sergei Taneyev (teacher of Steven's grandfather, Julius Isserlis) and his students. For these concerts Steven is joined by a regular group of friends which includes the violinists Joshua Bell, Isabelle Faust, Pamela Frank, and Janine Jansen, violist Tabea Zimmermann, and pianists Jeremy Denk, Stephen Hough, Alexander Melnikov, Olli Mustonen, Connie Shih, and D nes V rjon. He also takes a strong interest in authentic performance. This season's projects include a recording of the Chopin Cello Sonata and other works with D nes V rjon for Hyperion, using ones of Chopin's own piano; and a recital of Russian sonatas with Olli Mustonen. In recital, he gives frequent concerts with harpsichord and fortepiano. Recent seasons have featured a special performance with Sir Andras Schiff at the Beethovenhaus in Bonn, using Beethoven's own cello; and performances and recordings (selected for the Deutsche SchallplattenPreis) of Beethoven's complete music for cello and piano with Robert Levin, using original or replica fortepianos from the early nineteenth century. With harpsichordist Richard Egarr, he has performed and recorded the viola da gamba sonatas of J.S. Bach as well as sonatas by Handel and Scarlatti. This season, they tour together in the US. He is also a keen exponent of contemporary music and has premiered many new works including John Tavener's The Protecting Veil (as well as several other pieces by Tavener), Thomas Ad s's Lieux retrouv s, Stephen Hough's Sonata for Cello and Piano, Left Hand (Les Adieux), Wolfgang Rihm's Concerto in One Movement, David Matthews' Concerto in Azzurro, and For Steven and Hilary's Jig by Gy rgy Kurt g. In 2016, he gave the UK premiere of Olli Mustonen's of Frei, aber einsam for solo cello at the Wigmore Hall. Writing and playing for children is another major enthusiasm. He has written the text for three musical stories for children Little Red Violin, Goldiepegs and the Three Cellos, and Cindercella with music by Oscar-winning composer Anne Dudley; these are published by Universal Edition in Vienna. He has also given many concerts for children, for several years presenting a regular series at the 92nd Street Y in New York. Steven Isserlis' books for children about the lives of the great composers Why Beethoven Threw the Stew and its sequel, Why Handel Waggled his Wig are published by Faber and Faber, and have been translated into multiple languages. His latest book, a commentary on Schumann's famous Advice for Young Musicians, was published by Faber and Faber in September 2016, and will be published in the US by Chicago University Press this season.
As an educator Steven Isserlis gives frequent masterclasses all around the world, and since 1997 he has been Artistic Director of the International Musicians' Seminar at Prussia Cove in Cornwall, where his fellow-professors include Sir Andras Schiff, Thomas Ad s and Ferenc Rados. As a writer and broadcaster, he contributes regularly to publications including Gramophone, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian, has guest edited The Strad magazine, and makes regular appearances on BBC Radio including on the Today programme, Soul Music, as guest presenter of two editions of Saturday Classics, and as writer and presenter of a documentary about the life of Robert Schumann. Most recently, he presented a documentary on BBC Radio 4 'Finding Harpo's Voice', about his hero Harpo Marx. His diverse interests are reflected in an extensive and award-winning discography. His recording of the complete Solo Cello Suites by J.S. Bach for Hyperion met with the highest critical acclaim, and was Gramophone's Instrumental Album of the Year and Critics' Choice at the Classic BRITS. Other recent releases include the Elgar and Walton concertos, alongside works by Gustav and Imogen Holst, with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Paavo J rvi; Prokofiev and Shostakovich concertos with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, also under Paavo J rvi; Dvo k's Cello Concertos with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Harding; and recital discs with Stephen Hough, Thomas Ad s and (for BIS) a Grammy-nominated album of sonatas by Martin , as well as works by Mustonen and Sibelius, with Olli Mustonen. His latest recordings include the Brahms Double Concerto with Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and as director and soloist concertos by Haydn and CPE Bach, with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Forthcoming recordings include a special First World War-inspired disc with Connie Shih, including works performed on a travel cello now known as the Trench Cello played in the trenches by WWI soldier Harold Triggs. The recipient of many awards, Steven Isserlis's honours include a CBE in recognition of his services to music, the Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau, and the Piatigorsky Prize in the USA. He is also one of only two living cellists featured in Gramophone's Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was awarded the Glash tte Original Music Festival Award in Dresden, the Wigmore Hall Gold Medal, and the Walter Willson Cobbett Medal for Services to Chamber Music. He gives most of his concerts on the Marquis de Corberon (Nelsova) Stradivarius of 1726, kindly loaned to him by the Royal Academy of Music. About Jeremy Denk
Mr. Denk, clearly, is a pianist you want to hear no matter what he performs, in whatever combination both for his penetrating intellectual engagement with the music and for the generosity of his playing. The New York TimesJeremy Denk is one of America's foremost pianists. Winner of a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, and the Avery Fisher Prize, Denk was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Denk returns frequently to Carnegie Hall and in recent seasons has appeared with the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestra, as well as on tour with Academy St. Martin in the Fields, and at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms. In 18-19, Denk embarks on a three-week recital tour of the US, including appearances in Washington, D.C., Seattle, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, and culminating in his return to Carnegie Hall. His orchestral highlights include play-directing Mozart with the Toronto Symphony, and on tour throughout the US with Academy St Martin in the Fields. He also returns to the Atlanta and Colorado Symphonies, and continues his work as Artistic Partner with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, opening the season directing Beethoven 5 from the keyboard. In the same season, Denk re-unites with his long time collaborators, Johua Bell and Steven Isserlis, on an eleven-city tour of the US, including appearances in New York, Boston, Washington, and San Francisco. He also performs and curates a series of Mozart Violin Sonatas ('Denk & Friends') at Carnegie Hall. Further collaborations include performing the Ives violin sonatas at Tanglewood with Stefan Jackiw. Abroad, he returns to the Barbican in London to reunite with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, makes his debut with the City of Birmingham Symphony, and returns to the Helsinki Philharmonic. He also appears in recital in Europe, including his return to the Wigmore Hall as part of a three-year residency. His recording c.1300-c.2000 will be released by Nonesuch Records with music ranging from Guillaume de Machaut, Gilles Binchois and Carlo Gesualdo, to Stockhausen, Ligeti and Glass. In 17-18, Denk reunited with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony to perform Bartok 2, following a performance of the same concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the BBC Proms. He also returned to Carnegie Hall, both to perform Beethoven 5 with Orchestra St. Luke's, and alongside Joshua Bell. With his return in subscription to the Seattle Symphony, Denk toured with the orchestra performing Beethoven 5, and was featured as Artistic Partner of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra with multiple performances throughout the season, including the premiere of a new piano concerto written for him by Hannah Lash. He also appeared in recital throughout the US, with his performances in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, Seattle, Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Princeton. His collaborations in 17-18 included a US tour of the complete Ives Violin Sonatas with Stefan Jackiw in a special project in which Denk presented the sonatas with a vocal ensemble performing hymns embedded in the compositions. A recording of the Sonatas with Jackiw is forthcoming from Nonesuch Records. Abroad, Denk was presented by the Barbican in multiple performances as artist-in-residence at Milton Hall. He also returned to play-direct the Britten Sinfonia in London, and on tour in the UK. In Asia, Denk made his debut in recital in Hong Kong, Seoul, and Singapore. In 2014, Denk served as Music Director of the Ojai Music Festival, for which, besides performing and curating, he wrote the libretto for a comic opera. The opera was later presented by Carnegie Hall, Cal Performances, and the Aspen Festival. Denk is known for his original and insightful writing on music, which Alex Ross praises for its arresting sensitivity and wit. The pianist's writing has appeared in the New Yorker, the New Republic, The Guardian, and on the front page of the New York Times Book Review. One of his New Yorker contributions, Every Good Boy Does Fine, forms the basis of a book for future publication by Random House in the US, and Macmillan in the UK. Recounting his experiences of touring, performing, and practicing, his blog, Think Denk, was recently selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress web archives. In 2012, Denk made his Nonesuch debut with a pairing of masterpieces old and new: Beethoven's final Piano Sonata, Op. 111, and Ligeti's Etudes. The album was named one of the best of 2012 by the New Yorker, NPR, and the Washington Post, and Denk's account of the Beethoven sonata was selected by BBC Radio 3's Building a Library as the best available version recorded on modern piano. Denk has a long-standing attachment to the music of American visionary Charles Ives, and his recording of Ives's two piano sonatas featured in many best of the year lists.Jeremy Denk graduated from Oberlin College, Indiana University, and the Juilliard School. He lives in New York City, and his web site and blog are at jeremydenk.net.
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