Ravinia Steans Music Institute 2019

RAVINIA’S STEANS MUSIC INSTITUTE 19 RSMI PIANO AND STRINGS FACULTY Atar Arad , viola Irvin E. Houck Chair for Strings Israeli-born violist and composer Atar Arad is a faculty member at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, Bloomington. His summer activities include teaching at Keshet Eilon, Israel, Domaine Forget, Canada, Heifetz Institute and the Steans Music Institute (where he is serving as faculty since 1991). A Cum Laude First Prize winner at the Geneva International Music Competition (1972), he has performed worldwide in recitals and as a soloist with major orchestras and, for seven years, as a member of the celebrated Cleveland Quartet. His recordings with the quartet and as a soloist for labels such as Teldec, Telarc, RCA and RIAX are widely acclaimed. His performance of Paganini’s Sonata Per La Grand’ Viola e Orchestra in particular is considered by many as a landmark in the history of the viola. A “late bloomer” composer, Arad’s compositions include a Solo Sonata for Viola, two String Quartets, a Viola Concerto (which he premiered in Bloomington, Brussels and in Stockholm) and more. His Tikvah for Viola Solo was commissioned for the 2008 Munich International Viola Competition by the ARD. His Listen (three poems by W.S. Merwin) for tenor, clarinet, viola, cello and bass was written for the International Musicians Seminar’s concert tour in England with singer Mark Padmore. Epitaph for cello and string orchestra was written for cellist Gary Hoffman who premiered it in Kronberg, Germany, with the Kremerata Baltica Orchestra (Arad performed the viola version of this piece at the International Viola Congress in Rochester, NY). Arad performed and presented his Twelve Caprices for Viola on several USA, Canada, Israel and European concert tours. The Caprices are published by Hofmeister Musikverlag, Leipzig. Recent performances include the Primrose Memorial Concert at BYU and, as a part of his services as the Lorand Fenyves Distinguished Visitor, in Toronto. In November 2018, Arad was a featured artist at the International Viola Congress in Rotterdam, premiering his new concerto for viola and strings, titled “Ceci n’est pas un Bach”. Atar Arad is a recipient of the American Viola Society’s Career Achievement Award (June 2018) and the International Viola Society’s Silver Alto Clef 2018 “in recognition for his outstanding contributions to the to the viola” (November 2018). Arad plays on a viola by Niccolo Amati. He uses a set of PI strings by Thomastik. Paul Biss , violin and viola The Edward Gordon chair, endowed by the Ravinia Women’s Board Paul Biss is a faculty member at the New England Conservatory, previously serving for many years as a professor of music at Indiana University, teaching violin and chamber music and conducting a full season of orchestral concerts and opera. His own studies were with Josef Gingold and Ivan Galamian. A former member of the Berkshire Quartet, he has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, conductor, and leader of master classes internationally. He has participated in such summer festivals as Marlboro, Lockenhaus, La Jolla, Finland’s Naantali Festival, and the Festival Pablo Casals in Prades. Sara Bitlloch , Chamber Music Coach Residency made possible by the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Born of French and Catalan parents Sara Bitlloch studied with Rafael Druian at the Curtis Institute, Philadelphia, with Alberto Lysy at the Menuhin Academy, Switzerland, with Peter Norris, WhenZhou Li, Margaret Norris and Mauricio Fuks at the Yehudi Menuhin School, London, with Christian Rouquié at the Perpignan Conservatory, and with Clothilde Munch at the Vivaldi Association, Grenoble. Sara is the leader of the Elias string quartet. They are based in London and tour around Europe, the US and Australia. They teach regularly at the Purcell school in London and the Royal Northern College of music in Manchester. They have recently recorded a Complete Beethoven Cycle live at the Wigmore Hall, for the label Wigmore Live. She was also a founding member of the Mediterraneo piano trio and played in the Castagneri quartet for 2 years. She has been a participant at the chamber music festivals of Prussia Cove (Cornwall), Kuhmo (Finland), Ravinia (Chicago), Caramoor (New York), Ernen (Switzerland), Wye Valley (Wales), Moulin d’Andé (Paris), Music from Salem (New York), Horten (Norway). Sara teaches violin at the Liceu conservatory in Barcelona, and gives classes at the European Chamber Music Association (ECMA). She plays regularly as a guest with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Cadaques orchestra. Winner of the Szigeti competition, Budapest, and the Renata Molinari Competition, Switzerland, Sara has performed throughout France, England, Spain, Switzerland and the US, as a soloist with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Budapest Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Camerata Lysy, and has played alongside Yehudi Menuhin, Leon Fleisher, Miriam Fried, Steven Isserlis, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Martin Lovett, Alberto Lysy, Andrew Marriner, Michael Collins, Jonathan Biss, Ivry Gitlis, François Frédéric Guy, Christoph Richter, Peter Cropper, David Waterman, Alice Neary, Matthew Hunt, Jean Jacques Kantorow, Kungsbaka Trio, and Vertavo Quartet. Timothy Eddy , cello The MacLean Family Chair Cellist Timothy Eddy was born in Exeter, N.H., and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras and in duos (with Gilbert Kalish). He is a founding member of the Orion String Quartet which is in residence at Mannes College the New School for Music. He has also been a member of the Bach Aria Group since 1978 and was a former member of the Galimir String Quartet and New York Philomusica. Eddy was a prizewinner in the Cassado International Violoncello Competition, Dealy Competition (Dallas), Denver Symphony Guild, and North Carolina Symphony Contest. He has spent summers at the Sarasota Festival, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Steans Music Institute, and Aspen Festival. He has performed at the Marlboro Festival, Lockenhaus Festival, Mondsee Festival, Turku Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, and Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, and has toured with Music From Marlboro. His many recordings can be heard on the Columbia, Angel, Vanguard, Nonesuch, C.R.I., New World, Vox, Musical Heritage, Delos, Arabesque, and Sony Classical labels. He has been on the faculty at Juilliard since 2001 and was formerly on the faculty at the State University of New York-Stony Brook (emeritus) and the New England Conservatory. He holds BM and MM degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and studied with Bernard Greenhouse and Luigi Silva. Leon Fleisher , piano The Corinne Frada Pick Chair for Advanced Piano Studies Equally renowned as a pianist and conductor, Leon Fleisher has also influenced countless young musicians as a teacher. Himself a pupil of Artur Schnabel, in 1952 he was the first American to win the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition, subsequently appearing internationally as a recitalist and soloist with the world’s leading orchestras. He has held the Andrew W. Mellon Chair at the Peabody Conservatory since 1959 and has served on the faculties of numerous distinguished institutions, including the Tanglewood Music Center. His many awards include the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors. Pam Frank , violin William H. and Marjorie L. Green Endowment American violinist Pamela Frank has established an international reputation as a recitalist, orchestral soloist, and chamber musician, appearing with the world’s most esteemed conductors and at music festivals throughout Europe and the United States. Her numerous recordings range from the complete Beethoven violin sonatas and a Schubert album with her father, Claude Frank, to the soundtrack for the film Immortal Beloved . Her accomplishments were recognized in 1999 with the Avery Fisher Prize. Since 2008 she has been the Artistic Director of the Evnin Rising Stars, a mentoring program for young artists at Caramoor Center for the Arts. Her newest venture is the formation of Fit As A Fiddle, Inc., a collaboration with physical therapist Howard Nelson in which they use both their expertise for injury prevention and treatment of musicians. She is currently a visiting professor at USC Thornton School of Music, and has served on the violin and chamber music faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music since 1996. Alon Goldstein , piano The Corinne Frada Pick Chair for Advanced Piano Studies In 2010 Alon Goldstein became the first alumnus to return to teach at the Steans Music Institute. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Philadelphia Orchestra; the Chicago, San Francisco, St. Louis, Baltimore, Toronto and Houston Symphonies as well as the London Philharmonic. Radio France Orchestra and Israel philharmonic. Among many recent highlights was performing Beethoven’s “Emperor” concerto at the New Year’s concert with the Beijing symphony at the Forbidden City concert