March 25, 2009
A Festive Evening of Music and Song
Reception and Silent Auction
To benefit the FSH Society
Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center
129 West 67th Street, New York USA
Ticket Pickup: 6:45 p.m.
Concert: 7:30 p.m.
Please save the date, Wednesday, March 25, 2009, for the 2nd Evening of Chamber Music and Song to Fund Continuing Research by the FSH Society. This is a remarkable opportunity to hear and meet world class musicians and performers in a small and intimate setting. More details to follow!
The previous Festive Evening of Music and Song was held on Wednesday, March 24, 2004, the Gala Benefit Evening of Chamber Music and Song to Fund Continuing Research by the FSH Society was held at Symphony Space in New York City organized by a team headed by Hanna Lachert and William Monical. Hanna asked her fellow musicians from the New York Philharmonic Orchestra to donate their time to perform at this benefit. Steven Blier donated his time and talent by accompanying singer Hugh Russell on the piano. The result was a flawless evening of music and song. The sold out Gala Benefit Evening of Chamber Music and Song became the FSH Society’s first annual benefit concert. The evening was extraordinary for both the performers and the audience. The program was exquisite. An introductory remark and touching and moving speech was given by Mr. William Monical, of William Monical & Sons, on the special nature of the concert and the serendipity and hard work that made this concept a reality. Following the beautiful concert, there was a catered reception which included event prizes and gifts.
The first piece was Wolfgang A. Mozart, Quartet in D KV 285 for flute, violin, viola and violoncello. Allegro, Adagio, and Rondeau. Performers were Mindy Kaufmann, Fiona Simon, Irene Breslaw, and Evangeline Benedetti. Mindy Kaufmann, flutist, joined the New York Philharmonic in 1979 at the age of 22. She has played as a soloist with the Orchestra with Zubin Mehta and Kurt Masur. Ms. Kaufman received a bachelor of music from the Eastman School of Music, and, at the age of 19, won her first audition for a position with the Rochester Philharmonic as Second Flute. Two years later, she became Piccolo and Assistant Principal Flute. She has played with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and with the Milwaukee Symphony - with whom she recorded a number of works by Dvorak and Kodaly. Fiona Simon, violinist, a member of the Orchestra since 1985, made her Philharmonic solo debut in November 1989, performing Vivaldi's Concerto for Three Violins. Ms. Simon began her career in her native England, where she studied with Szymon Goldberg and won major prizes in the Carl Flesch and Jacques Thibaud competitions. For three consecutive years, she was London's Young Artist of the Year. She has performed with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden and with the English Chamber Orchestra, among others. Irene Breslaw, a former Naumburg Scholarship winner and graduate of The Julliard School, joined the viola section of the New York Philharmonic in August, 1976. She was named Assistant Principal Viola in 1989. Prior to joining the Orchestra, Ms. Breslaw was a member of both the St. Louis Symphony and Baltimore Symphony. In May 2001, Ms. Breslaw celebrated 25 years as a member of the New York Philharmonic. Evangeline Benedetti is one of the first women cellists to have become a member of the New York Philharmonic. She has appeared regularly with the Philharmonic Ensembles series at Merkin Concert Hall in New York, including performances with guest artists Yefim Bronfman, Vladimir Feltsman and Jerome Lowenthal.
The second set of pieces were for voice and piano and included Prendiditos de la mano (Miquel Camino) and Cancion del carretero (Gustavo Caraballo) by Carlos Lopez-Buchardo; Pampamapa (Hamlet Luis Quintana) by Carlos Guastavino; and Por una cabeza (Alfredo Le Pera) by Carlos Gardel. Performers were Hugh Russell (voice) and Steven Blier (piano). Before performing, Steven Blier gave a beautiful heartwarming and soultouching introduction as to his choice of musical pieces and how they reflected on his journey and struggle with his own FSHD. Hugh Russell, the young Canadian baritone, has won praise for his handsome voice, incisive musicianship and strong stage presence. While an Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera, Mr. Russell appeared in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Ariadne auf Naxos and in St. François d'Assise. As a member of the Pittsburgh Opera Center he sang many roles, including Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Guglielmo in Cosi fan’tutte, Pelleas in Pelleas et Melisande, Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, and Taddeo in L'italiana in Algeri. Steven Blier enjoys an eminent career as an accompanist and vocal coach. Among the many artists he has partnered with in recital are Samuel Ramey, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Susan Graham, Frederica von Stade, Jessye Norman, Wolfgang Holzman, Susanne Mentzer, Sylvia McNair and Arlene Auger. In concert with Renee Fleming, he has performed throughout North America and Europe, including a recital at La Scala, Milan and a Live From Lincoln Center telecast. His collaboration with Cecilia Bartoli began in 1994, and has included an appearance at Carnegie Hall where Mr. Blier played both piano and harpsichord. Mr. Blier is the artistic director of the New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) which he co-founded in 1988 with Michael Barrett. Since the Festival's inception he has programmed, performed, translated and annotated over ninety vocal recitals. Mr. Blier is on the faculty of the Julliard School. A native New Yorker, he received an Honors degree in English Literature from Yale University.
The third piece was Franz Schubert’s Trio in B flat Major op. 99 for piano, violin and cello. Allegro moderato, Andante un poco mosso, Scherzo. Allegro, Rondo. Allegro vivace. Performers were Helene Jeanney, Hanna Lachert and Qiang Tu. Helene D. Jeanney, a native of Paris, France is a graduate of the Paris Music Conservatory. She has studied at the Mozarteum Academy in Salzburg, the Banff Center of Fine Arts, and Indiana University. Ms. Jeanney has been awarded prizes in several competitions: Alfred Cortot Competition (Milano, 1979); Epinal Competition (Epinal, 1983); Robert Casadesus Competition (Cleveland, 1985); Thomas Richner Competition (New York, 1988); Chopin National Competition (Miami, 1990); The New York Chopin Association (New York, 1990); and the East and West Artists Audition for a New York Debut recital in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (New York, 1991). Hanna Lachert, a Polish-born and New York-based violinist, leads a busy and versatile professional life. She plays more than 130 concerts annually with the New York Philharmonic as well as performing with various chamber music groups and as a soloist. Ms. Lachert played her New York debut in 1972 (under the auspices of Carnegie Hall and Jeunesses Musicales), and has given concerts throughout the United States ranging from a recital in Carnegie Hall, which was broadcast nationwide over public radio, to solo appearances with the New York Philharmonic (under Zubin Mehta), New Jersey Symphony, and the Manchester Festival Orchestra among others. Ms. Lachert has performed worldwide in five continents. She was soloist with Polish, Belgian, German, Israeli, and Mexican orchestras and has made many television and radio appearances. Ms. Lachert plays on a violin made in 1982 by her luthier husband, David Segal. Since arriving in the United States in 1987, Chinese-born Qiang Tu has established himself as a multifaceted artist much in demand. He won the San Angelo, Texas, Symphony Young Artist Competition in 1987, and the Grand Prize in the Downey Symphony Young Artist Competition of Los Angeles the following year. In 1994, he served as Principal Cellist of the Princeton Chamber Symphony. Mr. Tu joined the New York Philharmonic in November 1995. After making his solo debut at age 13 in Beijing, Mr. Tu began a two-year engagement as soloist with one of China's major symphony orchestras. At age 17, he was awarded England's Menuhin Prize as a member of the China Youth String Quartet, and was later selected by the Chinese government to study in the Sydney Conservatory. The Gala Benefit Evening was a huge success for many reasons. People united over music to support FSHD research and the work of the FSH Society. At the reception, the concert goers mingled with the performers and the FSH Society researchers who were in attendance. Many remarked at how amazing it was to see a smaller set of New York Philharmonic performers in such a small and intimate space and described the concert simply as a remarkable gem. There were many lively discussions, both on music and on research, and it felt like one large and caring family.
