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SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2025 AT 4PM LATE NIGHT WITH LEONARD BERNSTEIN A MULTIMEDIA CABARET JAMIE BERNSTEIN , HOST JOHN MUSTO , PIANO AMY BURTON , SOPRANO MICHAEL BORISKIN , PIANO “A look at the after-hours maestro [that] revealed his mischievous personality and musical predilections … the audience filled the room with lusty laughs and applause.” — The New York Times “For lovers of contemporary American music, nothing could exceed Late Night with Leonard Bernstein, which delighted and, even thrilled, a packed house ... Those in attendance will not forget this delicious evening.” — San Diego Times ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS 2024-2025 SEASON September 29, 2024 Cellobration! October 20, 2024 Modigliani Quartet November 17, 2024 Paul Lewis Plays Schubert December 15, 2024 The Virtuoso Flutist Denis Bouriakov January 19, 2025 The Virtuoso Organist Paul Jacobs February 9, 2025 The Virtuoso Cellist Steven Isserlis March 9, 2025 Ravel’s 150th Birthday Concert April 13, 2025 Quartetto Di Cremona May 18, 2025 Late Night With Leonard Bernstein Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS A well-known insomniac for whom night was a time for creativity and friendship, deep introspection and revelry, the iconic Leonard Bernstein worked incessantly, often entertaining friends and guests late into the night and dazzling them with charismatic performances across a wide range of musical styles. Late Night with Leonard Bernstein is hosted by his daughter Jamie and and features three internationally-acclaimed artists – soprano Amy Burton and pianists John Musto and Michael Boriskin. A scintillating and affectionate multimedia portrait of the personal side of this charismatic, singularly public figure, this vibrant production has captivated sold-out audiences across the U.S. and Mexico since it premiered at Lincoln Center. The program weaves together a warm-hearted, revealing script, a video slideshow of rare photographs of the legendary artist and his family, friends, and colleagues, and Bernstein’s most intimate (and favorite) music, along with personal stories and even audio and film clips of the Maestro himself. PROGRAM LEONARD BERNSTEIN: “For Aaron Stern” (from Thirteen Anniversaries, No. 12) “For Stephen Sondheim” (from Thirteen Anniversaries, No. 3) “For Elizabeth B. Ehrman” (from Five Anniversaries, No. 3) “Ilana, the Dreamer” (from Four Sabras, No. 1) Program Notes ZEZ CONFREY: Dizzy Fingers Program Notes AARON COPLAND: Excerpt from Piano Variations Excerpt from El Salon Mexico (arr. Bernstein) Program Notes BERNSTEIN: Canon for Aaron “Ain’t Got No Tears Left” (from On the Town) Program Notes RAYMOND SCOTT: Powerhouse (arr. Lenny Amber) Program Notes BERNSTEIN: Excerpt from Conchtown Program Notes ERNESTO LECUONA: Malagueña Program Notes FRANZ SCHUBERT: Marche Characteristique in C Major Program Notes NOEL COWARD: “If Love were All” (from Bitter Sweet ) Program Notes EDVARD GRIEG: Nocturne, Opus 54, No.4 (from Lyric Pieces , Book 5) Program Notes BERNSTEIN: “Little Smary” (lyrics by Jennie Bernstein, from Arias and Barcarolles) Program Notes BERNSTEIN: Lullaby for JZ “Some Other Time” (from On The Town ) Program Notes Watch the Trailer for “Late Night With Leonard Bernstein”:

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2026 AT 4 PM THE VIRTUOSO ACCORDION INTRODUCING RADU RATOI RADU RATOI, ACCORDION ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS Parlance Chamber Concerts is proud to present its first-ever accordion recital, featuring the charismatic young Moldovan virtuoso Radu Ratoi. A rising star on the international stage, Ratoi has been lauded for his “breathtaking precision and profound musicality” (Neue Musikzeitung) and is widely recognized as one of the most innovative accordionists of his generation. With equal command of classical masterworks and bold contemporary repertoire, he is transforming perceptions of what the accordion can be. In this captivating program, Ratoi will perform his own dazzling transcriptions of works by Bach, Rameau, Liszt , and Saint-Saëns , alongside striking modern works that reveal the instrument’s full expressive and technical range. A trailblazer and a poet of the accordion, Ratoi promises an unforgettable musical experience. 2025-2026 SEASON September 14, 2025 “Singers” from the Met Orchestra October 12, 2025 Lawrence Brownlee, tenor November 2, 2025 Benjamin Appl, baritone; James Baillieu, piano December 7, 2025 The Tallis Scholars January 18, 2026 Benjamin Beilman, violin; Jonathan Swenson, cello; Orion Weiss, piano February 22, 2026 Radu Ratoi, accordion March 8, 2026 Jonathan Biss, piano April 26, 2026 Jerusalem String Quartet May 17, 2026 Chee-Yun, violin; Sterling Elliott, cello; Henry Kramer, piano Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS PROGRAM Jean-Phillipe Rameau: Overture from Pygmalion , RTC 52 Program Notes Johann Sebastian Bach: English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808 Program Notes Anatoly Kusyakov: Sonata No. 6, Part 2: Finale Program Notes Franz Schubert: Finale from String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810 (“Death and the Maiden), arr. by Radu Ratoi Program Notes INTERMISSION François Couperin: Les Roseaux from Pièces de Clavecin, Book 3 Program Notes Johann Sebastian Bach: Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582 Program Notes Franz Liszt: Transcendental Étude No. 10, “Appassionata,” S. 139, arr. by Radu Ratoi Program Notes Camille Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre, Op. 40 Program Notes Watch accordionist Radu Ratoi play Camille Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre: Watch accordionist Radu Ratoi play Suite of Moldavian Folk Songs:

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2026 AT 4 PM JONATHAN BISS, PIANO MOZART, JANÁČEK, AND SCHUMANN JONATHAN BISS , PIANO “Biss is known for his deeply insightful approach to the pillars of the repertoire and a desire to forge connections between that canon and the present…” — The Boston Globe, January 2024 ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS Pianist Jonathan Biss is internationally acclaimed for his impeccable taste, formidable technique, and profound musical insight. He has performed as a soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras and, since 2018, has served as Co-Artistic Director of the Marlboro Music School and Festival alongside Mitsuko Uchida. In his thoughtfully curated program, Jonathan Biss charts an expressive journey through three centuries of piano masterpieces — from Mozart’s stormy Sonata in C minor, K. 457, to Janáček’s early 20th-century nostalgia in On an Overgrown Path , and the sweeping Romantic passion of Schumann’s Fantasy in C , envisioned as a coded love letter to his beloved wife-to-be, Clara Wieck. 2025-2026 SEASON September 14, 2025 “Singers” from the Met Orchestra October 12, 2025 Lawrence Brownlee, tenor November 2, 2025 Benjamin Appl, baritone; James Baillieu, piano December 7, 2025 The Tallis Scholars January 18, 2026 Benjamin Beilman, violin; Jonathan Swenson, cello; Orion Weiss, piano February 22, 2026 Radu Ratoi, accordion March 8, 2026 Jonathan Biss, piano April 26, 2026 Jerusalem String Quartet May 17, 2026 Chee-Yun, violin; Sterling Elliott, cello; Henry Kramer, piano Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS PROGRAM Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in C minor, K. 457 Program Notes Leoš Janáček: On an Overgrown Path Program Notes INTERMISSION Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in F, K. 533/494 Program Notes Robert Schumann: Fantasy in C, Op. 17 Program Notes Watch pianist Jonathan Biss play Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op. 12: Watch pianist Jonathan Biss play Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31, Op. 110:

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2024 AT 4 PM CARTER BREY, RAFAEL FIGUEROA, EDWARD ARRON, & ZVI PLESSER, CELLOS WITH JEEWON PARK, PIANO CARTER BREY , Principal Cello, New York Philharmonic RAFAEL FIGUEROA , Principal Cello, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra ZVI PLESSER , Cello Professor, The Juilliard School EDWARD ARRON , Cello Professor, Amherst Collage JEEWON PARK , PIANO “Carter Brey opened the Beethoven Sonata with a jaw-droppingly resonant account of the rich low ascending notes…Brey’s natural eloquence was spotlighted time and again…ocher-toned mastery.” — The Washington Post “Edward Arron displayed a satiny tone and a light, elegant touch…He sang out beautifully.” — The Cincinnati Post “The solo part showcased the polished and confident playing of Israeli cellist, Zvi Plesser … The most difficult passages were enjoyable both for the ears and the eyes.” — Zoltán Szabó, Bachtrack ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS 2024-2025 SEASON September 29, 2024 Cellobration! October 20, 2024 Modigliani Quartet November 17, 2024 Paul Lewis Plays Schubert December 15, 2024 The Virtuoso Flutist Denis Bouriakov January 19, 2025 The Virtuoso Organist Paul Jacobs February 9, 2025 The Virtuoso Cellist Steven Isserlis March 9, 2025 Ravel’s 150th Birthday Concert April 13, 2025 Quartetto Di Cremona May 18, 2025 Late Night With Leonard Bernstein Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS Parlance Chamber Concerts’s 17th season will begin with a joyful “Cellobration ” featuring four of the leading cellists of our time. Carter Brey , principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic; Rafael Figueroa , principal cellist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Zvi Plesser , cello professor at The Juilliard School of Music; and renowned solo cellist and chamber musician Edward Arron will be joined by the elegant pianist Jeewon Park . Their program will highlight the cello’s uniquely rich and flexible musical voice in an afternoon of solos, duos, trios, and quartets by Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Rachmaninoff and others. PROGRAM Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, arr. for four cellos by Douglas Moore Program Notes Sergei Rachmaninoff Andante from Sonata in G minor, Op. 19 for cello and piano Zvi Plesser, cello and Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes Jean Barrière Allegro prestissimo from Sonata in G for two cellos Carter Brey and Edward Arron, cellos Program Notes Johann Sebastian Bach Air from Orchestra Suite No. 3 in D arr. for four cellos Program Notes Felix Mendelssohn Song Without Words in D for cello and piano Rafael Figueroa, cello and Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes David Popper Requiem for three cellos and piano Rafael Figueroa, Edward Arron, and Zvi Plesser, cellos; Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes Frederic Chopin Polonaise Brillante in C, Op. 3 for cello and piano Carter Brey, cello and Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes Intermission Johann Sebastian Bach Vor deinen Thron tret’ ich hiermit arr. for four cellos by Finckel Cello Quartet Program Notes Ludwig van Beethoven Seven Variations on Bei Männern from Mozart's Magic Flute for cello and piano Edward Arron, cello, and Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes Georg Friedrich Händel Sonata in G minor, Op. 2, No. 8 for two cellos and piano Zvi Plesser and Rafael Figueroa, cellos; Jeewon Park, piano Program Notes Georg Goltermann Serenade Op. 119, No. 2 for four cellos Program Notes Joseph Haydn Allegro molto from Cello Concerto in C major: Hob. VIIb/1 Program Notes Watch Carter Brey perform the Scherzo from Chopin’s Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Opus 65: Watch Edward Arron perform the 1st movement of Bach’s Prelude to Suite No. 1 in G: Watch Zvi Plesser perform the 1st movement of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto:

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2025 AT 4 PM THE BEL CANTO TENOR LAWRENCE BROWNLEE, TENOR KEVIN J. MILLER, PIANO LAWRENCE BROWNLEE , TENOR KEVIN J. MILLER , PIANO “With his sweet tone, fastidious pitch, and poetic phrasing, Brownlee made familiar fare sound intriguingly fresh, banishing, for a moment, the ghosts of Caruso and Pavarotti.” — Alex Ross, The New Yorker “Brownlee sang with agility, elegance, and Rossinian style, tossing off high notes and roulades..this was a winning performance for an increasingly important artist.” — The New YorkTimes ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS 2025-2026 SEASON September 14, 2025 “Singers” from the Met Orchestra October 12, 2025 Lawrence Brownlee, tenor November 2, 2025 Benjamin Appl, baritone; James Baillieu, piano December 7, 2025 The Tallis Scholars January 18, 2026 Benjamin Beilman, violin; Jonathan Swenson, cello; Orion Weiss, piano February 22, 2026 Radu Ratoi, accordion March 8, 2026 Jonathan Biss, piano April 26, 2026 Jerusalem String Quartet May 17, 2026 Chee-Yun, violin; Sterling Elliott, cello; Henry Kramer, piano Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS THE BEL CANTO TENOR Tenor Lawrence Brownlee has been hailed by The New York Times as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertory,” and described by The Boston Classical Review as “perhaps the most agile bel canto tenor on the scene today.” Brownlee is celebrated worldwide for the dazzling technique, expressive warmth, and vocal agility that he brings to the high-flying arias of this virtuosic repertoire. In this special recital appearance, he will perform a signature selection of beloved bel canto arias — the very works that have made him one of the most sought-after opera singers of our time. Lawrence Brownlee will be joined by pianist Kevin J. Miller. PROGRAM W.A. Mozart: Un’aura amorosa from Così fan tutte Program Notes Gioacchino Rossini: Two Songs La promessa La danza Program Notes Vincenzo Bellini: Six Songs Dolente imagine di Fille mia Malinconia, ninfa gentile Vanne e rosa fortunata Bella Nice, che d’amore Ma rendi pur contento Vaga luna Program Notes Gaetano Donizetti: Spirto gentil from La Favorita Program Notes INTERMISSION Jules Massenet: Pourquoi me reveiller from Werther Program Notes Paolo Tosti: Marechiare Program Notes Ottorino Respighi: Three Songs Nevicata Pioggia Nebbie Program Notes Friedrich von Flotow: M’appari tutt’amor from Martha Program Notes Pietro Mascagni: Serenata Program Notes Gabriele Sibella: La Girometta Program Notes Luigi Denza: Occhi di fata Program Notes Gaetano Donizetti: Fra poco a me rovero from Lucia di Lammermoor Program Notes Vincenzo Bellini: Nel furor nelle tempeste from Il Pirata Program Notes Watch tenor Lawrence Brownlee sing “Ecco ridente in cielo” from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville: Watch tenor Lawrence Brownlee sing "Oh fiamma soave” from Rossini’s La Donna de Lago:

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025 AT 4 PM “SINGERS” FROM THE MET ORCHESTRA BRAD GEMEINHARDT, HORN WILLIAM SHORT, BASSOON ANTON RIST, CLARINET MUSICIANS FROM THE MET ORCHESTRA MICHAEL PARLOFF, CONDUCTOR BRAD GEMEINHARDT , HORN ANTON RIST , CLARINET WILLIAM SHORT , BASSOON MICHAEL PARLOFF , CONDUCTOR 2025-2026 SEASON September 14, 2025 “Singers” from the Met Orchestra October 12, 2025 Lawrence Brownlee, tenor November 2, 2025 Benjamin Appl, baritone; James Baillieu, piano December 7, 2025 The Tallis Scholars January 18, 2026 Benjamin Beilman, violin; Jonathan Swenson, cello; Orion Weiss, piano February 22, 2026 Radu Ratoi, accordion March 8, 2026 Jonathan Biss, piano April 26, 2026 Jerusalem String Quartet May 17, 2026 Chee-Yun, violin; Sterling Elliott, cello; Henry Kramer, piano Artist Roster Parlance Program Notes LOCATION At West Side Presbyterian Church 6 South Monroe Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 For map and directions, click here . CONCERT AMENITIES Whee lchair Accessible Fr e e Parking for all concerts FEATURING BUY TICKETS Musicians from the Met Orchestra Michael Parloff, conductor Benjamin Bowman, concertmaster Bruno Eicher violin Wen Qian, violin Sarah Vonsattel, violin Katherine Fong. violin Ming-Feng Hsin, violin Milan Milisavljević, viola Dov Scheindlin, viola Joel Noyes, cello Kari Docter, cello Leigh Mesh, bass Seth Morris, flute Lauren Scanio, flute Elaine Douvas, oboe Joseph Jordan, oboe Anton Rist, clarinet William Short, bassoon , Jensen Bocco, bassoon, Brad Gemeinhardt, horn Javier Gandara, horn Anne Scharer, horn ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE BUY TICKETS “SINGERS” FROM THE MET ORCHESTRA The members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra spend their careers listening to and collaborating with the world’s greatest singers. As a result, a vocal sensibility — lyrical, expressive, and flexible — deeply informs their approach to phrasing and musical line. Parlance Chamber Concerts’ Opening Concert will feature three of the Met’s principal instrumental "singers,” hornist Brad Gemeinhardt, bassoonist William Short, and clarinetist Anton Rist , performing some of Mozart’s greatest wind concertos with colleagues from the Met Orchestra, conducted by Artistic Director Michael Parloff. The program will also include Haydn’s Symphony No. 6, “Le Matin,” designed to showcase the artistry of the virtuoso musicians in his handpicked orchestra at the court of Prince Paul Anton Esterházy. PROGRAM W.A. Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat, K. 495 Program Notes Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 6 in D, Hob. 1/6 (“The Morning”) Program Notes INTERMISSION W.A. Mozart: Bassoon Concerto in B-flat, K. 191 Program Notes W.A. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A, K. 622 Program Notes Watch Members of the MET Orchestra perform Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, K. 364: Watch Hornist Brad Gemeinhardt perform Brahms’s Horn Trio, Op. 66:

May 19, 2019: Calidore String Quartet; Matthew Lipman, viola WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791) String Quintet in E-flat, K. 614 May 19, 2019: Calidore String Quartet; Matthew Lipman, viola Mozart’s five string quintets (six with the addition of the quintet version of the Serenade for wind octet, K. 516b), show a certain connection with the Haydn brothers, Michael and Joseph. The first, K. 174, an early work from his Salzburg days, no doubt grew out of Mozart’s interest in the quintets of his colleague Michael. Already at this date Mozart was eager to try his hand at the fuller sonorities made possible by the additional of a second viola to the standard string quartet configuration. The later quintets—the glorious C major and G minor, written in Vienna within a month of one another in the spring of 1787, and the last two, in D major and E-flat major, written four months apart in the winter and spring of 1790–91—show a distinct connection with Joseph Haydn. The older composer was reported to have played Mozart’s quintets with him frequently—including the first private reading of the D major, K. 593—and no doubt would have done the same with the E-flat major, K. 614, had Haydn’s career not taken him to London. The music of this last Quintet shows the definite stamp of Haydn’s influence. Dated “April 12, 1791” in Mozart’s own catalog of his works, this E-flat Quintet turned out to be his last major chamber work. The first edition, published posthumously in 1793 with K. 593, bore the inscription “Composto per un Amatore Ongarese” (Composed for a Hungarian Enthusiast), and the publisher, Artaria, was reported by the Wiener Zeitung to have said that both quintets were written in response to “the very active encouragement of a music lover.” Scholar Ernst Franz Schmid suggested in the mid-twentieth century that the commissioner of the two quintets may have been Johann Tost—who had been a second violin player in Haydn’s orchestra at Esterháza and later became a wealthy businessman—though Tost was actually born in Moravia rather than Hungary. Mozart’s widow had mentioned in a letter to publisher André in 1800 that Mozart had done work for Tost, who said he possessed some of her husband’s manuscripts and had promised to identify them for her by their themes, but whether he did so and whether the two quintets were among them remains unknown. Eminent scholars Otto Eric Deutsch and H. C. Robbins Landon took up Schmid’s supposition, but Tost’s involvement remains speculation. Suffice it to say that Mozart seldom composed works without some financial gain in mind, and Tost as commissioner is a likely candidate. Mozart often played viola in the readings of his chamber music with Haydn and others, but he rarely led off boldly with a viola theme which is how the E-flat major Quintet begins. The two violas play a “hunting horn” call in lively 6/8 meter—typical for “hunt” themes but atypical for a Mozart first movement. Robbins Landon suggests that he may have borrowed the idea for a 6/8 first movement from Haydn’s Symphony No. 67 in F major, but an even closer model might be his own “Hunt” Quartet, K. 458. Mozart ingeniously explores this theme with counterpoint, trills, and cello interjections, even transforming it into a lyrical second theme. Another “viola moment” occurs in the recapitulation when the first viola gets to lead off the second theme. The slow movement unfolds as a stately theme with four free variations. Scholar Charles Rosen points to the slow movement in Haydn’s Symphony No. 85, “La Reine,” as a possible influence. Mozart interjects a remarkable chromatically inflected interlude before the first variation begins. The minuet skips along merrily, its playful simplicity masking some sophisticated touches, such as making his main motive rise in the violas instead of making its usual descent. The charming trio section draws on the pastoral device of a rustic drone. Mozart’s finale perhaps pays the greatest tribute to Haydn. As Rosen points out, its jolly main theme bears a remarkable similarity to the finale of one of the quartets that Haydn dedicated to Tost in 1790, op. 64, no. 6, but even more, Mozart’s style throughout reminds us of Haydn’s mischievous wit. The exuberant movement unfolds in masterful sonata-rondo form, with one of its most delicious surprises coming in the form of a fugato section in the development. We can only hope that Haydn got to experience this captivating piece of chamber music even though Mozart’s tragically early death prevented them from ever playing it together. © Jane Vial Jaffe Return to Parlance Program Notes

DANIELLE DE NIESE, SOPRANO Danielle de Niese’s “sweet, gleaming soprano,” “phenomenal musicality” and “sharply comic, yet utterly moving acting,” combined with youth and physical presence, have brought her to the edge of a spectacular career. At only 30 years of age, the Australian-born American singer regularly graces many of the world’s most prestigious opera and concert stages, and has an exclusive contract with Decca Records. Her debut solo album, Handel Arias was released to international acclaim in 2007 and her much anticipated second recording, The Mozart Album, is due out internationally this fall. Ms. de Niese’s career got off to a prestigious start when, at age 18, she became the youngest singer ever to enter the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. A year later she made her house debut as Barbarina in a new Jonathan Miller production of Le nozze di Figaro in a cast featuring Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel, and Cecilia Bartoli, and led by James Levine. Soon after came important operatic debuts with the Netherlands Opera, the Saito Kinen Festival, and the Paris Opera. But it was her portrayal of Cleopatra in a David McVicar production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare for her 2005 Glyndebourne Festival debut that brought her to true international acclaim. The New York Times hailed de Niese’s performance, writing, “Her singing is utterly delectable and completely assured…Sheer ‘joie de vivre’ and mastery come spilling across, to the eyes as well as the ears.” Since then Ms. de Niese has enjoyed operatic successes on the stages of the Paris Opera, Zurich Opera, Netherlands Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago among many others. Orchestral engagements have included appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. In the 2009-10 season Ms. de Niese returns to the Metropolitan Opera in the same production of Le nozze di Figaro where she made her house debut but this time as Susanna. Other important opera engagements this season include L’incoronazione di Poppea with the Teatro Real, Semele with Théâtre des Champs Elysées, as well as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with Lyric Opera of Chicago under the direction of Edward Gardner. Additionally, Ms. de Niese will tour Europe with the period instrument group Il giardino armonico with an all Handel program with performances in Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin and Madrid among others. She will make her debut in Prague with the Philharmonia under the direction of Jakub Hrusa. Australian-born to parents of Sri Lankan and Dutch heritage, Danielle de Niese grew up in Los Angeles. The soprano has been captivating audiences since childhood, when she was a fixture of Los Angeles local television hosting a weekly arts showcase for teenagers, for which she won an Emmy Award. Trained in dance and piano as well as music at the famed Colburn School in Los Angeles, she participated in the Tanglewood, Aspen and Marlboro summer programs before coming to New York in 1997 to attend the Mannes School of Music. Recently the Netherlands Opera awarded Ms. de Niese their “Prix d’Amis” which is an honor bestowed upon the artist who their audience votes as the past season’s favorite performer. Ms. de Niese is the recipient of the 2008 Echo Award’s New Artist of the Year, the 2008 Orphee D’Or given by the Academie Du Disque Lyrique, and was nominated for the 2009 Classical Brit Award for female artist of the year, all for her debut album, Handel Arias.

BORIS BERMAN, PIANO Boris Berman is regularly performing in more than fifty countries on six continents. His highly acclaimed performances have included appearances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Gewandhaus Orchestra, The Philharmonia (London), the Toronto Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Royal Scottish Orchestra. A frequent performer on major recital series, he has also appeared in many important festivals. Born in Moscow, he studied at Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory with the distinguished pianist Lev Oborin. In 1973, he left a flourishing career in the Soviet Union to immigrate to Israel where he quickly established himself as one of the most sought-after keyboard performers. Presently, he resides in New Haven, USA. A teacher of international stature, Boris Berman heads the Piano Department of Yale School of Music and conducts master classes throughout the world. He has been named a Honorary Professor of Shanghai Conservatory, of the Danish Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen, and of China Conservatory in Beijing. He is frequently invited to join juries of various international competitions. A Grammy nominee, Mr. Berman’s recorded all solo piano works by Prokofiev and Schnittke, complete sonatas by Scriabin, works by Mozart, Weber, Schumann, Brahms, Franck, Shostakovich, Debussy, Stravinsky, Berio, Cage, and Joplin. Most recently French label Le Palais des Degustateurs released Boris Berman’s recording of Brahms’s Klavierstücke and Brahms’s chamber music CD with Ettore Causa and Clive Greensmith. In 2000, the prestigious Yale University Press published Professor Berman’s Notes from the Pianist’s Bench . In this book, he explores issues of piano technique and music interpretation. The book has been translated to several languages. In November, 2017 Yale University Press has published the newly revised version of the book electronically enhanced with audio and video components. In 2008, Yale University Press has published Boris Berman’s Prokofiev’s Piano Sonatas: A Guide for the Listener and the Performer . Boris Berman has also been an editor of the new critical edition of Piano Sonatas by Prokofiev (Shanghai Music Publishing House). In 2022-23, Boris Berman is performing and teaching in Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, and the USA.

SITKOVETSKY TRIO Alexander Sitkovetsky – violin Wu Qian – piano
Isang Enders – cello The Sitkovetsky Trio has established itself as an exceptional piano trio, with sensational performances in the foremost concert halls around the world. Their thoughtful and committed approach has brought the ensemble critical acclaim and invitations to renowned concert halls around the world, such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Palais des Beaux Arts, Musée du Louvre, l’Auditori Barcelona, Wigmore Hall or Lincoln Center New York. In 2021 the Trio toured Spain, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark and Germany, including appearances at the Mikkeli Festival, the chamber music series in Berne and Basel and a return to the Rheingau Festival. The Trio finished the year off with a tour of the UK and Italy, including performances in Manchester and Rimini. 2022 will see the Trio return to Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw as part of an extensive tour of Holland. Further appearances include the Alte Oper Frankfurt, Helsinki, Milan, the Marvāo and Westport Chamber Music Festivals, and a debut tour of South America. Highlights of the past seasons have been a residency at Hong Kong City Hall, including performances of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, as well as a recital debut in the prestigious Premiere Performances Series. They also toured Asia performing concerts throughout South Korea, Singapore and Japan. In May 2019 they gave the world premiere of a new triple concerto by Charlotte Bray with the Philharmonia Orchestra, with further concerts planned. The Trio has performed the Beethoven Triple Concerto e.g. with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Netherlands Philharmonic, the Munich Symphoniker and the Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau. First prize-winners of the International Commerzbank Chamber Music Award, the Sitkovetsky Trio is also a recipient of the NORDMETALL Chamber Music Award at the Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival and the Philharmonia-Martin Chamber Music Award. They have been supported by the Hattori Foundation, the Musicians Benevolent Fund, the Fidelio Trust and the Swiss Global Artistic Foundation. In 2014, the Sitkovetsky Trio released their first recording for BIS Records with works by Smetana, Suk and Dvořák to much critical acclaim. This led to further releases of works by Brahms and Schubert on the Wigmore Live Label and another recording for BIS of Mendelssohn Trios in 2015. In spring 2020, just in time for Beethoven’s birthday celebrations, they recorded their third disc for BIS: Beethoven’s Trios, Op. 1 and Op. 70, and Allegretto in B-flat major for Piano Trio, WoO 39. The album received a Diapason d’Or ARTE and was released as Vol. 1 of a complete Beethoven cycle. In July 2021, the Trio’s fifth album — Ravel Trio and Saint Saëns Trio No. 2 — was released to great critical acclaim and received a Supersonic Award from Pizzicato Magazine and a 2022 BBC Music Magazine Award for Best Chamber Music. Alexander Sitkovetsky plays a Stradivari violin (Cremona, 1697) and Isang Enders plays a cello by Carlo Tononi (Venice, 1720); both instruments have been kindly loaned by the J. & A. Beare Violin Society.

LAUREN SCANIO, FLUTE Flutist Lauren Scanio's performances exhibit an adventurously eclectic range of repertoire, spanning from the baroque to the contemporary. As an active freelancer in the New York metropolitan area, she frequently appears as a substitute with the New York Philharmonic and the New York City Ballet. Her engagements also include performances with Syracuse Symphoria, Festival Napa Valley, APEX Ensemble, the New World Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado. Her orchestral artistry is featured on John Williams and Yo-Yo Ma’s 2022 album, A Gathering of Friends , as well as the PBS broadcast Live from Lincoln Center: Celebrating Sondheim in 2020. As a chamber musician, Ms. Kelly has collaborated with the New York Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet for their Very Young People’s concert series, the Sylvan Winds, and Seven Hills Chamber Music in Lynchburg, Virginia. She has also recorded under the Dreyer-Gaido label as part of a flute/viola/harp trio for the project Opus 961, which highlights works by contemporary Lebanese composers. A founding member of the “Third Rail Duo,” she presented monthly recitals on the Sunday Afternoon Classical series at the Morgan Library and Museum for three seasons. Ms. Scanio holds a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

arr. for organ by Smith Newell Penfield JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750) Air on the G String from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068 arr. for organ by Smith Newell Penfield When music scholars began sifting through Bach’s long-forgotten works in the nineteenth century, they came across four orchestral masterpieces that they catalogued as “orchestral suites” because of their similarity to suites for keyboard or individual string instruments—and simply to avoid confusion. Bach, however, had called them “ouvertures” in the tradition of his German contemporaries, who used the term for an orchestral work consisting of an overture and several dance movements in the French style. Bach most likely wrote his Third Orchestral Suite around 1731 in Leipzig. (For a description of his myriad activities there, see the note for the Sinfonia from Cantata 29 above.) Though he may have composed some of the orchestral suites earlier, the earliest existing copies date from Bach’s Leipzig days, so we can assume he performed all of them there with the Collegium Musicum. The Third Suite may be the most famous of the four on account of its meltingly beautiful Air. One of the most popular and arranged pieces of all time, it achieved special notoriety through August Wilhelmj’s version for the violin G string (1871). The Air’s binary form—two halves, each repeated—and its “stepping” bass overlaid with a long, sustained melodic line are standard Baroque procedures, but its poignant effect transcends all formulas. Paul Jacobs plays an arrangement by American composer and organist Smith Newell Penfield (1837–1920), who studied at Oberlin College, with James Flint in New York, and at the Leipzig Conservatory. Penfield taught in Rochester, New York, and in Savannah, Georgia, where he founded a conservatory, and he later served as organist for the Broadway Tabernacle in New York City. He published his arrangement of Bach’s famous Air in 1880 as the fifth installment in his series of arrangements of pieces by Schumann, Chopin, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Donizetti, and Rossini. © Jane Vial Jaffe Return to Parlance Program Notes