Esther Yoo ㅣ Violin
"Can the world take yet another brilliant young female violinist? Yes, if that violinist is Esther Yoo" wrote The Telegraph after the violinist's performance with the Philharmonia Orchestra in March 2016. Esther Yoo first came to international attention as one of the youngest ever prizewinners both at the International Sibelius Violin Competition and the Queen Elisabeth Competition – and subsequently developed that reputation as a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist during 2014 -2016, culminating in an acclaimed first performance at the BBC Proms. She now tours and performs with many of the world's leading orchestras and conductors, as well as in recital, throughout Europe, South America, North America and Asia – including notable debuts in London (Wigmore Hall and Royal Festival Hall), New York (Lincoln Center), Seoul (Seoul Arts Center) and festival appearances such as a 10-day LSO St Luke's series marking Simon Rattle's inaugural season as Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra. She is also active as a chamber musician, including with the Z.E.N. Trio alongside fellow BBC NGAs Zhang Zuo and Narek Hakhnazaryan.
Her journey as a recording artist began in 2015 with the release by Deutsche Grammophon of her debut album of violin concertos and shorter works commemorating the 150th anniversary of the births of Glazunov and Sibelius. Her album of works by Tchaikovsky represents her second recording collaboration with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy, with whom she has also undertaken several international tours.
Born and raised in the U.S. and then Europe, Esther began playing the violin at the age of 4 and made her concerto debut aged 8. In 2006, she was given First Prize in the Junior Section of the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition and also the European Union Award for Music Art for Youth.
Esther plays the 1704 “Prince Obolensky” Stradivarius, generously lent to her by a private collector.
Robert Koenig ㅣ Piano
Pianist Robert Koenig has established a reputation as a much sought-after collaborative pianist and chamber musician. He performs regularly in major centers throughout the world with many of this generation's most renowned musicians. Recent engagements have included performances at Carnegie Hall in New York, The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, The Concertgebuow in Amsterdam, The Louvre Museum in Paris, and Royal Festival Hall in London. He has performed with many of today's leading artists including Sarah Chang, Hilary Hahn, Pamela Frank, Augustin Hadelich, Zuill Bailey, Sara Sant'Ambrogio, Roberto Diaz, Elmar Oliveira, Aaron Rosand, The Miro String Quartet, and The St. Lawrence String Quartet.
Mr. Koenig has appeared at many festivals including Aspen, Ravinia, Banff, Saratoga, Caramoor, the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, the El Paso Pro Musica, Chamber Music Northwest, West Branch International Festival and Academy, the Campos do Jordao Festival in Brazil, and the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York. He is frequently heard on radio and television including ABC's “Good Morning America” and CBS “This Morning”. Mr. Koenig was staff pianist at both The Juilliard School and The Curtis Institute of Music, and from 2000-2007 he served as Professor of Piano and Piano Chamber Music at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. With the assistance of the University of Kansas Center for Research, Mr. Koenig commissioned renowned American Composer Lowell Liebermann to write a new trio for flute, cello and piano. In the fall of 2007, he assumed the position as Professor and Head of The Collaborative Piano Program at The University of California Santa Barbara.
Mr. Koenig has recorded for Artek, Ambassador, Biddulph, Cedille, CRI, Decca, Eroica, and Naxos. His CD of transcrptions for viola and piano by William Primrose on Naxos with violist Roberto Diaz was nominated for “Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra)" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. Born in Saskatchewan, Robert Koenig began his formal training at the Vancouver Academy of Music with Lee KumSing and Gwen Thompson and later studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts and the Academie Musicale di Chigiana in Siena, Italy. During this time he received several awards from the Canadian Government including a Canada Council Project Grnt. He completed both his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Accompanying at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he studied with Dr.Vladimir Sokoloff and chamber music with Felix Galimir and Karen Tuttle.
Johann Sebastian Bach Chaconne from Partita for Solo Violin No.2 in d minor, BWV 1004
Felix Mendelssohn Sonata for Violin and Piano in F Major
Allegro vivace
Adagio
Assai vivace
INTERMISSION
Claude Debussy Sonata for Violin and Piano, L.140
Allegro vivo
Intermède. Fantastique et léger
Finale. Très animé
Edvard Grieg Sonata for Violin and Piano No.3 in c minor, Op.45
Allegro molto ed appassionato
Allegretto espressivo alla Romanza
Allegro animato
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky Valse-Scherzo for Violin and Piano in C Major, Op.34