In honor of the legendary cellist, Gregor Piatigorsky, the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, presented by the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and the LA Phil in partnership with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, brings together masters of the cello and young cellists from around the world for an unparalleled celebration of the cello, its music and its musicians. The Festival takes place in Los Angeles, California from May 13-22, 2016 showcasing 26 international artists representing 15 countries and 4 continents, and unveiling several premieres during the course of this outstanding 10-day event.

The Festival opens with five exciting concerts - an LA Phil subscription series conducted by Leonard Slatkin, featuring renowned soloists Ralph Kirshbaum, Truls Mørk and Sol Gabetta performing Bloch, Elgar and Martinů. The Gala Opening Concert at USC will present its own unique program including an improvisation by cellist/composer/improvisor Giovanni Sollima, cello duos performed by Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt and Jens Peter Maintz, as well as a multidisciplinary work of Antonio Lysy, Te Amo, Argentina, featuring music and dance that draws on the fascinating and diverse culture of Argentina. That evening Festival attendees have the opportunity to hear Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott in recital at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The Piatigorsky Festival also partners with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for the final concert of LACO’s 2015-16 “Baroque Conversations” series, a program of Baroque and Early Classical cello concertos led by Festival soloists Colin Carr, Thomas Demenga, Jean-Guihen Queryas and Giovanni Sollima. The grand finale of the 2016 Piatigorsky International Cello Festival comprises the complete works for cello and piano by Beethoven - five sonatas and three sets of variations, each performed by a different renowned cellist.

This year the Festival presents a new chamber music series, Quintet+. Each program features the Calder String Quartet performing a string quintet with a Festival artist, paired with a complementary program given by another Festival artist. The Festival's Lunch Series recitals provide an exciting diversity of works ranging from contemporary compositions to rarely performed masterpieces. USC Thornton School of Music’s Chamber Singers and members of the Wind Ensemble collaborate with Li-Wei Qin, David Geringas and Raphael Wallfisch in a concert of 20th-century works by Gulda, Gubaidulina and Ibert, conducted by Uriel Segal.

One of the Festival's main attractions is the Colburn Celebrity Concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall featuring the Emerson String Quartet, with Ralph Kirshbaum, performing the Schubert Quintet, a performance of Brett Dean's Twelve Angry Men, and over 100 cellists on the stage of Walt Disney Concert Hall performing the world premiere of a new work by Anna Clyne. 

Artistic Director, acclaimed cellist Ralph Kirshbaum, leads the Festival which honors the memory of Gregor Piatigorsky, one of the legends of the cello who heralded a period of incredible vibrancy in the cultural life of Los Angeles when he settled there in the final years of his glittering international career. Piatigorsky taught at the University of Southern California for many years. USC supports the Festival through Visions and Voices, a university-wide arts and humanities initiative begun in 2006. Emphasizing the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, the initiative features a wide range of events throughout the year.

"A Festival such as this ideally serves as a great adventure. In that spirit, I encourage everyone to explore it to the full, finding excitement and inspiration in the discovery of lesser known artists and works as well as experiencing the deep satisfaction of hearing artists and composers we know well and love." -Ralph Kirshbaum

The Festival's roster includes some of the world’s most celebrated cellists – Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Truls Mørk, Jean-Guihen Queyras, David Geringas, Frans Helmerson, Colin Carr, Sol Gabetta, Giovanni Sollima and Raphael Wallfisch among others - some of whom directly studied under Gregor Piatigorsky.

Many of the world's most recognized and accomplished cellists will converge on Los Angeles to collaborate, perform and educate through a series of master classes, concerts and talks. Over 40 young cellists from around the world will be selected to participate in these master classes in which the artists/teachers work with individual cello students in a public forum. The Festival includes a Young Cellists Workshop, coordinated by Antonio Lysy, and an Improvisation Workshop led by Giovanni Sollima. In honor of the Festival's namesake, a panel made up of Gregor Piatigorsky's former students will discuss his teaching and his legacy.

Bringing together three prestigious Los Angeles musical organizations—USC Thornton School of Music, the LA Phil and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra—the 2016 Piatigorsky International Cello Festival aims to highlight the cello against the backdrop of one of the most culturally innovative metropolitan areas in the United States.

For more information about the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, go to piatigorskyfestival.usc.edu

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Cellists
Zuill Bailey · Colin Carr · Robert deMaine · Thomas Demenga · Sol Gabetta · 
David Geringas · Matt Haimovitz · Narek Hakhnazaryan · Frans Helmerson · 
Ralph Kirshbaum · Ronald Leonard · Laurence Lesser · Antonio Lysy · Yo-Yo Ma · 
Jens Peter Maintz · Mischa Maisky · Truls Mørk · Amit Peled · Li-Wei Qin · 
Jean-Guihen Queyras · Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt · Andrew Shulman · 
Giovanni Sollima · Jeffrey Solow · Raphael Wallfisch · Wendy Warner

Conductors
Uriel Segal · Leonard Slatkin · Matthew Aucoin

Ensembles
Attacca Quartet · Calder Quartet · Emerson Quartet · Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra · LA Phil · SAKURA Cello Ensemble · USC Chamber Singers · 
USC Wind Ensemble

Collaborative Pianists
Ayke Agus · Bernadine Blaha · Rina Dokshitsky · Kevin Fitz-Gerald · 
Jeffrey Kahane · Lily Maisky · Christopher O’Riley · Noreen Polera · Kathryn Stott · 
Robert Thies

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Saturday, May 14, 2016
LA Phil Concert
8:00 PM | Walt Disney Concert Hall
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Truls Mørk

Rossini: William Tell Overture
Elgar: Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique

Sunday, May 15, 2016
LA Phil Concert
2:00 PM | Walt Disney Concert Hall
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Sol Gabetta 

Rossini: William Tell Overture
Martinů: Cello Concerto No. 1 (1955 version)
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique

Gala Opening Concert - University of Southern California
4:30 PM | Bovard Auditorium (USC)
Jens Peter Maintz
Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt
Giovanni Sollima
Antonio Lysy

Haydn: Duo (Maintz and Schmidt)
Paganini: Moses Variations (Maintz and Schmidt)
Servais: Caprice sur des motifs de l'opéra Le Comte Ory, Op. 3 (Maintz and Schmidt)
Sollima: Improvisation (Sollima)
and: Te Amo, Argentina (Lysy)

Colburn Celebrity Recital
7:30 PM | Walt Disney Concert Hall
Yo-Yo Ma

Programming to be announced

Monday, May 16, 2016
Lunch Series Concert
1:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Robert deMaine

Hindemith: Solo Sonata, Op. 25, No. 3
Cassadó: Suite
deMaine: Etudes-Caprices

Master Class with Raphael Wallfisch
3:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Internationally lauded English cellist Raphael Wallfisch presents a master class.

Quintet+ Concert
6:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Calder Quartet
Giovanni Sollima
Ronald Leonard

Boccherini: String Quintet in G Major (Calder Quartet and Sollima)
Barber: Sonata for Violoncello and Piano, Op. 6 (Leonard)
Bloch: Nigun (Leonard)
Boccherini: Adagio and Allegro (Leonard)

Evening Recital
7:30 PM | Bovard Auditorium (USC)
Frans Helmerson
Truls Mørk

Debussy: Sonate (Helmerson)
Rachmaninoff: Sonata (Helmerson)
Grieg: Intermezzo in A Minor (Mørk)
Sibelius: 4 Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op.78 - 2. Romance, 3.  Religioso (Mørk)
Grieg: Sonata for Cello and Piano

Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Master Class with Jens Peter Maintz
10:00 AM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Jens Peter Maintz, renowned German cellist, leads a master class.

Master Class with Truls Mørk
1:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Distinguished Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk, awarded the 2010 Sibelius Prize, leads a master class.

Colburn Celebrity Recital
8:00 PM | Walt Disney Concert Hall
Emerson Quartet
Ralph Kirshbaum
Mass Cello Ensemble

Schubert: String Quintet in C Major (Emerson Quartet and Kirshbaum)
Brett Dean: Twelve Angry Men (USC Thornton cellists)
Anna Clyne: new work TBA (Mass Cello Ensemble) (World Premiere)
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1 (Mass Cello Ensemble)

Lunch Series Concert 
1:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt

Debussy: Beau Soir
Debussy-Becker: Minstrels
Schumann: Fantasiestücke
Shostakovich: Sonata

Master Class with Mischa Maisky
3:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
The celebrated Latvian-born Israeli cellist Mischa Maisky, who studied under Piatigorsky, leads a master class.

Quintet+ Concert
6:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Calder Quartet
Antonio Lysy
Laurence Lesser

Onslow: String Quintet in C Minor, Op. 38, The Bullet (Calder Quartet and Lysy)
Bach: Suite No. 5 for Solo Cello, lute version (Lesser)

Evening Recital
7:30 PM | Bovard Auditorium (USC)
Sol Gabetta
David Geringas

Chopin: Sonata, Op. 65 (Gabetta)
Chopin: Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 16a (Gabetta)
Schnittke: Sonata No. 1 (Geringas)
Vasks: The Book (Geringas)
Šenderovas: David's Song (Geringas and Calder Quartet) (West Coast Premiere)
Tchaikovsky: Andante Cantabile (Geringas)

Thursday, May 19, 2016
Master Class with Laurence Lesser
10:00AM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
The distinguished American cellist, former student and teaching assistant to Piatigorsky, leads a master class.

Lunch Series Concert
1:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Zuill Bailey

Boccherini: Sonata in C Major
Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp Minor
Foss: Capriccio
Piatigorsky: Paganini Variations
Stravinsky: Suite Italienne

 

Master Class with Thomas Demenga
3:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Swiss cellist Thomas Demenga, an internationally renowned soloist, composer and teacher, leads a master class.

Improvisation Workshop with Giovanni Sollima
5:30 PM |Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld Symphonic Hall (USC)
Italian composer and cellist Giovanni Sollima communicates music full of Mediterranean rhythms, with a melodic vein typically Italian in nature. He writes mainly for the cello and contributes significantly to the creation of new repertoire for the instrument. Sollima leads a workshop in improvisation geared towards helping cellists express themselves more fluently through their instruments.

Evening Concerto Concert
7:30 PM |Bovard Auditorium (USC)
Uriel Segal, conductor
David Geringas
Li-Wei Qin
Raphael Wallfisch
USC Chamber Choir
USC Wind Ensemble

Ibert: Concerto for Cello and Wind Instruments (Wallfisch)
Gulda: Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra (Qin)
Gubaidulina: Canticle of the Sun for Cello, Chamber Choir and Percussion (Geringas)

Friday, May 20, 2016
Master Class with Colin Carr
10:00 AM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Celebrated British cellist Colin Carr, who appears throughout the world as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist and teacher, shares his insights in a master class.

Lunch Series Concert
1:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Wendy Warner

Brahms: Scherzo from F-A-E Sonata
Brahms: Sonata in E Minor, Op. 38
Popper: Im Walde Suite, Op. 50

Master Class with Jean-Guihen Queyras
3:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Internationally acclaimed French-Canadian cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras leads a master class.

Quintet+ Concert
6:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Calder Quartet
Frans Helmerson
Jeffrey Solow

Tanayev: String Quintet in G Major, Op. 14 (Calder Quartet and Helmerson)
Haydn-Piatigorsky: Divertimento in D (Solow)
Schubert-Piatigorsky: Introduction, Theme and Variations, Op. 82, No. 2 (Solow)
Weber-Piatigorsky: Sonata in A (Solow)
Weber-Piatigorsky: Adagio and Rondo (Solow)

Evening Recital
7:30 PM | Bovard Auditorium (USC)
Matt Haimovitz
Mischa Maisky

Prokofiev: Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 119 (Haimovitz)
Britten: Sonata in C, Op. 65 (Maisky)
Messiaen: Louange à l'Eternité de Jésus (Maisky)
Messiaen: Louange à l'Immortalité de Jésus (Maisky)
Webern: Two Pieces for Cello and Piano (Maisky)
Webern: Three Little Pieces, Op. 11 (Maisky)

Saturday, May 21, 2016
Master Class with Ralph Kirshbaum
10:00 AM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Piatigorsky International Cello Festival artistic director Ralph Kirshbaum leads students in a master class.

Lunch Series Concert
1:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Amit Peled

Auerbach: new work (West Coast Premiere)
Handel: Sonata for Cello and Piano in G Minor
Kopytmann: Kaddish for Cello and Piano
Tsintzadze: Five Folk Pieces for Cello and Piano

Master Class with David Geringas 
3:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
One of the most versatile performers and respected teachers in the world today, Lithuanian cellist David Geringas leads a master class.

Remembering Piatigorsky
6:30 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Four of Piatigorsky's outstanding former students - Laurence Lesser, Mischa Maisky, Jeffrey Solow, and Raphael Wallfisch - celebrate the career of their great teacher through film and panel discussion.

Evening Concert - Baroque Conversations
8:00 PM |Bovard Auditorium (USC)
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Colin Carr
Thomas Demenga
Jean-Guihen Queyras
Giovanni Sollima

CPE Bach: Cello Concerto in A Major, H. 439 (Queyras)
Boccherini: Cello Concerto in G Major, G. 480 (Demenga)
Leo: Cello Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, L. 60 (Sollima)
Platti: Cello Concerto in D Minor, D-WD 657 (Queyras)
Vivaldi: Cello Concerto in C Minor, RV 401(Carr)

Sunday, May 22, 2016
Workshop for Young Cellists 
9:30 AM | Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld Symphonic Hall (USC)
Internationally recognized artist Antonio Lysy leads a workshop for young, emerging cellists.

Lunch Series Concert
1:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
Narek Hakhnazaryan

Brahms: Sonata in F Major, Op. 99
Khachaturian: Lullaby
Ligeti: Sonata for Solo Cello
Paganini: Variations on 1 String on a Theme by Rossini, "Moses"
Schumann: Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70

Master Class with Frans Helmerson
3:00 PM | Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
The highly esteemed Swedish cellist and pedagogue, Frans Helmerson, leads a master class.

Lecture: Don't be an Urtext Victim 
5:30 PM | Bovard Auditorium (USC)
Jeffrey Solow
In this featured lecture, Jeffrey Solow challenges some of the assumptions that musicians make when relying on urtext editions to dig deeper into the composer’s work. Instead, he argues, musicians can reach a more informed place of performance through research, logic, and intuition.

Piatigorsky International Cello Festival: Closing Gala
Beethoven Sonatas and Variations for Cello
6:30 PM | Bovard Auditorium (USC)
Colin Carr, Thomas Demenga, Matt Haimovitz, Ronald Leonard
Laurence Lesser, Mischa Maisky, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Andrew Shulman
The closing concert of the Festival presents the complete works for cello and piano by Beethoven, each performed by a different renowned cellist.

Beethoven: Sonata in F Major, Op. 5, No. 1 (Leonard)
Beethoven: Variations in E flat Major (Lesser)
Beethoven: Sonata in C Major, Op. 102, No. 1 (Demenga)
Beethoven: Sonata in A Major, Op. 69 (Carr)
Beethoven: Variations in F Major (Haimovitz)
Beethoven: Sonata in G Minor, Op. 5, No. 2 (Maisky)
Beethoven: Variations in G Major (Shulman)
Beethoven: Sonata in D Major, Op. 102, No. 2 (Queyras)

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FOR PRESS INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:

Kirshbaum Associates Inc., Press Representative
info@kirshbaumassociates.com | 212-222-4843

Kathleen Tesar, Festival Coordinator
piatigorskyfestival@thornton.usc.edu|  213-821-2944