Read more about the Ringling International Arts Festival and Mikhail Baryshnikov’s vision in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Archive for August, 2009
Spotlight on… Jennifer Frautschi
Thursday, August 20th, 2009
Jennifer Frautschi (violin) is a winner of the Avery Fisher Career Grant. She has appeared as soloist in recent seasons with Pierre Boulez and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Christoph Eschenbach and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival, and Peter Oundjian and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at the Caramoor International Festival. Selected by Carnegie Hall for its Distinctive Debuts series, she gave her first New York recital at Weill Hall in April 2004. She also gave debut recitals in ten of Europe’s foremost concert venues, including London’s Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, La Cite de la Musique in Paris, and the Salzburg Mozarteum. As chamber musician, she regularly performs at The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Caramoor, where she has performed annually since André Previn first invited her there in 1992. She has also performed at such festivals as La Musica (FL), Music@Menlo (CA), Santa Fe, Seattle, Spoleto (Italy), Summerfest La Jolla, and St. Barth’s.
Her discography includes three discs for the Artek label of the Prokofiev concerti with Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony, music of Ravel and Stravinsky, and 20th century works for solo violin. She has also recorded several discs for Naxos: a Grammy-nominated recording of Schoenberg’s Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra, and the Stravinsky Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, both conducted by the legendary Robert Craft; and a forthcoming disc of the Schoenberg Third String Quartet.
Spotlight on… María Pagés
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
María Pagés is renowned for her charismatic stage presence and innovative approach to flamenco. Pagés began her career as a member of the Antonio Gades Company, and in 1990, she established Compañia María Pagés. Since then, she has created a repertory that illustrates her mastery of traditional flamenco, and also her keen interest in other art forms, from theater to modern dance: Sol y sombra (1990), De la luna al viento (1994), El perro andaluz. Burlerías (1996), La tirana (1998), Flamenco Republic (2001), Ilusiones FM for the Spanish National Ballet (2002), Canciones, antes de una guerra / Songs, Before a War (2004), and Sevilla (2006). María Pagés and her company have performed at some of the most prestigious stages in the United States, England, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Israel, Egypt, Russia, Mexico, Honduras, and Spain. Pagés is the recipient of many international awards, including: Spain’s National Dance Award for Creation (2002) and National Choreography Award (1996), Italy’s Leonid Massine Award (2004) and Flamenco Award for Best Artist and Best Creator (2005), and four awards at the Biennale of Arte Flamenco.
Spotlight on: Eric Ruske
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Eric Ruske (horn) has established himself as an artist of international acclaim. Named Associate Principal Horn of The Cleveland Orchestra at the age of 20, he also toured and recorded extensively as hornist of the Empire Brass Quintet. His solo career began when he won the 1986 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, First Prize in the 1987 American Horn Competition, and in 1988, the highest prize at Concours International d’Interprétation Musicale.
Performances as soloist include appearances with the Baltimore Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Shanghai Radio Broadcast Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, European Camerata, San Diego Symphony, Boston Pops Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, and a tour with the Israel Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician, he has appeared with the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Moab Music Festival, Newport Music Festival, Spoleto Festival, Festival de Musique in St. Barthlélemy, OK Mozart International Festival, Evian Festival, La Musica in Sarasota, Bargemusic in Brooklyn, Music from Angel Fire, Boston Chamber Music Society, and the Festival Pablo Casals.
His discography includes a recording of the Strauss and Glière Horn Concerti, two discs of virtuoso transcriptions for horn and piano, a disc of solo horn repertoire—all on the Albany Records label—and the complete Mozart Horn Concerti for Telarc.
A graduate of Northwestern University, Ruske is the Professor of Horn and member of the faculty of Boston University.
