This episode features memorable performances by Heifetz players in unusual venues both around town and on the road,  …including a New England meeting house, a Civil War ballroom, a Virginia vineyard, and even a former insane asylum! This Episode’s Playlist Aaron Copland: Celebration, from Billy the Kid Mstislav Rostropovich: Humoreske, Op. 5 Mo Mo, cello | Hsin-Ciao Liao, piano Jamestown Arts Center, Jamestown, RI Heifetz Institute Recording | 10.24.2015 J.S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009 VI. Gigue Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello Robinhood Free Meetinghouse, Georgetown, ME Heifetz Institute Recording | 10.12.2017 Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30, No. 2 I. Allegro con brio Yebin Yoo, violin | Jingxuan Zhang, piano Robinhood Free Meetinghouse, Georgetown, ME Heifetz Institute Recording | 10.24.2019 Ottorino Respighi: Ancient Air and Dances (arr. for string quartet) I. Italiana [excerpt] SoHyun Ko, violin | Minchae Kim, violin | Jerome McCoy, viola | Dilshod Narzillaev, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.16.2022 Turlough O’Carolan: Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór Nigel Armstrong, violin | Peter Blanchette, guitar The American Hotel Grand Ballroom, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 03.17.2018 Mark O’Connor: Appalachia Waltz Kenneth Naito, violin | Adam Savage, viola | Jared Blajian, cello Barren Ridge Vineyards, Fishersville, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 04.25.2021 Arr. Danish Quartet: The Peat Dance Theo Bockhorst, violin | Masato Chang, violin | John Harry Clark, viola | Benjamin Doane, cello Blackburn Inn & Conference Center, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.19.2021 Jay Ungar: Ashokan Farewell Maura Shawn Scanlin, violin | Robin Williams, guitar | Linda Williams, banjo Colonnade Ballroom, Hotel 24 South, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.04.2015 J.S. Bach: Two Part Invention No. 11 in G minor, BWV 782 Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello | Marlène Ngalissamy, bassoon House performance, Montreal, Quebec Heifetz Institute Recording | 01.03.2021 Tomaso Vitali: Chaconne in G minor Ji-Won Song, violin | Stefan Petrov, piano Kreeger Museum of Art, Washington, DC Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.14.2017

An hour of memorable string quartet performances featuring the Borromeo Quartet, the Heifetz Institute’s Ensemble in Residence. The group, led by first violinist and Artistic Director Nicholas Kitchen, takes center stage to play works by Haydn, Schubert, and Claude Debussy, as well the two composers they are most known for: Bartok and Beethoven.

A tribute in words and music to the revered Heifetz Institute cellist and teacher Antonio Lysy, whose untimely death at the age of 60 shocked the music world.  Featuring performances of works by Lysy in solo and chamber music performances with Heifetz students, alumni, and faculty colleagues, all captured live in concert. This Episode’s Playlist Georg Friedrich Handel: Trio Sonata for Two Cellos in G, HWV 393 I. Andante Antonio Lysy, cello | Mo Mo, cello | Coleman Itzkoff, cello continuo | Andrew Rosenblum, harpsichord Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.10.2016 Astor Piazzolla: Le Grand Tango Antonio Lysy, cello | Anton Smirnoff, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.06.2017 Robert Schumann: Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73: I. Zart und mit Ausdruck [excerpt] Antonio Lysy, cello | Steven Van Hauwaert, piano Dorothy Chandler Pavilion | Los Angeles, CA 01.13.2013 Niccolo Paganini, arr. Sergio Drabkin: Paganissimo! Steve Doane, cello | Antonio Lysy, cello | Rosemary Elliott, cello | David Geber, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 06.30.2017 Heitor Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 Aria – Cantilena Angela Azzarra, soprano | Antonio Lysy, cello | Yan Ho Cheng, cello | Caroline Paulsen, cello | Nicco Maziotto, cello | Joan Herget, cello | Boubacar Diallo, cello | Roric Cunningham, cello | Davis You, cello First Presbyterian Church, Staunton VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.04.2019 Robert Schumann: Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73 II. Zart und mit Ausdruck [excerpt] Antonio Lysy, cello | Steven Van Hauwaert, piano Dorothy Chandler Pavilion | Los Angeles, CA 01.13.2013 Robert Schumann: Piano Quintet in E-flat, Op. 44 III. Scherzo: Molto vivace IV. Finale: Allegro ma non troppo Ilya Kaler, violin | Youjin Lee, violin | Paul Neubauer, viola | Antonio Lysy, cello | Stefan Petrov, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.172017 Robert Schumann: Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73 III. Rasch, und mit Feuer [excerpt] Antonio Lysy, cello | Steven Van Hauwaert, piano Dorothy Chandler Pavilion | Los Angeles, CA 01.13.2013 Go Deeper Read the tributes to Antonio Lysy and his impact at the Heifetz Institute by colleagues Nicholas Kitchen (Heifetz Institute Artistic Director), Daniel Heifetz (Heifetz Institute Founder), and Ralph Kirshbaum (co-director, Heifetz Chamber Music Seminar) here. Antonio Lysy describes his experience teaching at the Heifetz Institute and the particular characteristics of its students…While the Heifetz Institute was Antonio Lysy’s main summertime activity in the USA, he had an entirely different profile in his native Italy as the founder of the renowned festival Incontri in Terra di Siena, based in Villa La Foce in Val d’Orcia, Tuscany.

Romance is in the air with some heart-strung melodies from Johannes Brahms, Edward Elgar, Josef Suk, and more. And we’ll also mark Valentine’s Day *and* the Lunar New Year with the touching Chinese tale of the “Butterfly Lovers,” brought to life on the Heifetz stage. This Episode’s Playlist J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1068II. Air Liana Branscome, Isabella Gorman, Strauss Shi, violins  |  Steven Baloue, viola  |  Benjamin Fried, cello | Mishe Bjerken, bass Christ Lutheran Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 03.22.2022 Josek Suk: Song of Love, Op. 7 Fiona Khoung-Huu, violin  |  Rohan de Silva, piano Francis Auditorium | Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.02.2022 Schumann: Romance, Op. 28, No. 2 [excerpt] Lynne Mackey, piano House concert, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording 11.19.2020 Johannes Brahms: Viola Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 120, No. 1 II. Andante un poco adagio IV. Vivace Andrew Gonzalez, viola  |  Anton Smirnoff, piano Francis Auditorium | Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.09.2015 Edward Elgar: Salut D’Amour, Op. 12 Julia Angelov, violin  |  Zhenni Li-Cohen, piano Kreeger Museum of Art, Washington, DC Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.19.2019 Vivaldi: Guitar Concerto in D Major, RV 93 II. Largo [excerpt] Robby Brown, Guitar  |  Danny Yehun Jin, violin  |  Kiarra Saito-Beckman, violin  |  Matt Cohen, viola  | Zhihao Wu, cello Linehan Concert Hall, UMBC, Baltimore Country, MD Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.18.2018 Chen Gang / He Zhanhao: The Butterfly Lovers Concerto Ji-Won Song, violin  |  Beilin Han, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.16.2016 Go Deeper Check out violinist Ji-Won Song‘s “audio roadmap” to the Chinese folkloric epic The Butterfly Lovers, featured on this episode.Then there was the time when the traveling LOVEworks sculpture from the Virginia Tourism Office alighted on the Heifetz campus…Check out this playlist  of classical pieces to celebrate the Lunar New Year!

An excerpt for the final episode of the inaugural year of Heifetz on Air – “December Treasures,” a program of great musical moments from the Heifetz Holiday Tour, chock-a-block with original arrangements of beloved classics, along with other musical keepsakes from the Heifetz Year of 2023.   This Episode’s Playlist Saint-Saëns, arr. Nicholas Kitchen: The Swan, fr. Carnival of the Animals Zeyu Zhu, cello solo | Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Ji Hyun Baik, violin | Stephen “Adam” Savage, viola | Elliott Kim, cello | Benjamin Doane, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 06,29.2023 Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2 II. Scherzo Phoenix Quartet: Ilkhom Mukhiddinov, violin Hyun Ji Lee, violin | Arielle Fentress, viola | Elliott Kim, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.06.2023 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, arr. Lucas Buterbaugh: Valse-Scherzo, Op. 34 Julia Angelov, violin solo | Jihyun Baik, violin | Jane Taerim Kim, viola | Paul Neubauer, viola | Rachel Taylor, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.15.2023 Respighi: Italiana fr. Ancient Airs & Dances [excerpt] SoHyun Ko, violin | Minchae Kim, violin | Jerome McCoy, viola | Dilshod Narzillaev, cello Heifetz Institute Recording Kreeger Museum of Art, Washington, DC | Dec. 13,.2022 Mozart: String Quintet in C Major, K. 515 IV. Allegro Jihyun Baik, violin | Julia Angelov, violin | Joe Skerik, viola | Jane Taerim Kim, viola | Rachel Taylor, cello WVTF Radio Studios, Roanoke, VA WVTF Recording | 12.12.2023 Bach: Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005 III. Largo IV. Allegro assai Jihyyun Baik, violin Garth Newel Music Center, Hot Springs, VA GNMC Recording | 12.17.2023 Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97, “Archduke” III. Andante Cantabile [excerpt] Madison Vest, violin | Kevin Mills, cello | Carlos Avila, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 10.15.2015 George Gershwin, arr. L. Buterbaugh: Lullaby for Strings Joe Skerik, viola solo | Julia Angelov, violin | Jihyun Baik, violin | Jane Taerim Kim, viola | Rachel Taylor, cello Horowitz Theatre, Howard Community College, Columbia, MD Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.10.2023 Maurice Ravel, arr. E. Fine & L. Buterbaugh: Kaddish Paul Neubauer, viola solo | Jihyun Baik, violin | Julia Angelov, violin | Jane Taerim Kim, viola | Rachel Taylor, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.15.2023 Vaughan Williams, arr. N. Sabat: Suite for Viola & Small Orchestra II. Carol III. Christmas Dance Paul Neubauer, viola solo | Jihyun Baik, violin | Julia Angelov, violin | Jane Taerim Kim, viola | Rachel Taylor, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.15.2023 Go Deeper View the 2023 Heifetz Holiday Homecoming, recorded in the friendly confines of Francis Auditorium, on the Mary Baldwin University campus in Staunton, VA.Listen to the special holiday broadcast on A LIttle Day Music with WVTF Music host Luke Currie, featuring our 2023 Heifetz Holiday Tour troupe in the WVTF Performance Studio!Freshly updated for 2023, check out the Heifetz Holiday Music Channel on Soundcloud!

Happy Holidays! This episode features Heifetz faculty, alums, and special guests perform beloved carols, Baroque gems, and custom arrangements of holiday classics, played in Heifetz Holiday Tour stops in Baltimore, Washington, and beyond, and capped off with the annual Heifetz Holiday Homecoming concert in Staunton, Virginia. This Episode’s Playlist  Trad, arr. Alasdair Fraser: Shetland Set: Christmas Day Ida Moarnin/Lady Spence’s Reel/Sleep Soond Kiarra Saito-Beckman, violin | Zhihao Wu, cello Blackfriars Playhouse, American Shakespeare Center, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.10.2018 Tchaikovsky, arr. Lynne Latham: Nutcracker Suite I. Overture II. March III. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy IV. Arabian Dance V. Trepak Danny Yehun Jin, violin | Kiarra Saito-Beckman, violin | Matt Cohen, viola | Zhihao Wu, cello Linehan Concert Hall, UMBC, Baltimore, MD Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.16.2018 Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, Op. 37a XII. December [EXCERPT] Stefan Petrov, piano Linehan Concert Hall, UMBC, Baltimore, MD Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.17.2017 Antonio Vivaldi: Christmas Concerto in B-flat, RV 270 I. Allegro II. Adagio III. Allegro Angela Chan, violin solo | Julia Angelov, violin | Kayleigh Kim, violin | Matt Cohen, viola | Dilshod Narzillaev, cello Kreeger Museum of Art, Washington, DC Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.19.2019 Anon: Greensleeves, to a Ground Rachell Ellen Wong, violin | Coleman Itzkoff, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.19.2019 Trad., arr Matthew Naughtin: Christmas Feast: Five Ancient Carols for Strings Gloria in Excelsis Deo Gaudete Carol of the Bagpipers Coventry Carol Verbum Caro Factum Est Jihyun Baik, violin | Julia Angelov, violin | Jane Taerim Kim, viola | Rachel Taylor, cello Horowitz Theatre, Howard Community College, Columbia, MD Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.10.2023 Arcangelo Corelli: “Christmas” Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 8 I: Vivace – Grave: Arcate, sostenuto e come sta II: Allegro III: Adagio-Allegro-Adagio IV: Vivace V: Allegro VI: Largo. Pastorale ad libitum Chloé Kiffer, violin | Rachell Ellen Wong, violin | Ji-Won Song, violin | Nikita Borisevich, violin | Andrew Gonzalez, viola | Coleman Itzkoff, cello | Nicholas Mariscal, cello | Stefan Petrov, harpsichord Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.18.2015 Mikola Leontovych: Ukrainian Bell Carol Minchae Kim, violin | SoHyun Ko, violin | Jerome McCoy, viola | Dilshod Narzillaev, cello WTJU Studios, Charlottesville, VA WTJU Recording | 12.08.2022 Irving Berlin, arr. Nate Sabat after Jascha Heifetz: White Christmas Chloé Kiffer, violin | Stefan Petrov, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.18.2015 Go Deeper View the 2023 Heifetz Holiday Homecoming, recorded in the friendly confines of Francis Auditorium, on the Mary Baldwin University campus in Staunton, VA.Listen to the special holiday broadcast on A LIttle Day Music with WVTF Music host Luke Currie, featuring our 2023 Heifetz Holiday Tour troupe in the WVTF Performance Studio!Freshly updated for 2023, check out the Heifetz Holiday Music Channel on Soundcloud!

On this episode we feature the works of Jean Sibelius & Ludwig van Beethoven… musical titans from different centuries, but both known by their groundbreakingly original and powerful music. AND both sharing December birthdays. Featuring performances from the Heifetz stage of some of the landmark compositions from the two composers.  THIS EPISODE'S PLAYLIST Jean Sibelius: Romance, Op. 78 No. 2 Berceuse, Op. 79 No. 6 Shmuel Ashkenasi, violin | Dina Vainshtain, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.13.2018 Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Trio in D major, Op. 70 No. 1 “Ghost” I. Allegro vivace e con brio Yezu Woo, violin | Coleman Itzkoff, cello | Anton Smirnoff, piano Kreeger Museum, Washington, DC Heifetz Institute Recording | 03.17.2016 Sibelius: WaItzes, Op. 81 No. 3 [excerpt] Shmuel Ashkenasi, violin | Dina Vainshtain, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.13.2018 Sibelius: String Quartet "Voces Intimae," Op. 56: III. Adagio di molto Clara Kim, violin | Elinor Detmer, violin | John Czekanski, viola | Miles Levine, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.06,2022 Beethoven: String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat, Op. 130 V. Cavatina: Allegro Molto Espressivo Ji-Won Song, violin | Heewon Koo, violin | Tabea Haarmann-Thiemann, viola | Christine J. Lee, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.03.2016 Sibelius: String Quartet "Voces Intimae," Op. 56: V. Allegro ma pesante Clara Kim, violin | Elinor Detmer, violin | John Czekanski, viola | Miles Levine, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.06.2022 Beethoven: Cello Sonata No. 5 in D Major, Op. 102, No. 2 I. Allegro con brio [excerpt] Kevin Mills, cello | Rita Rovanskaya, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.02.2015 Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 I. Allegro moderato Zachary Brandon, violin | Beilin Han, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 06.28.2022

December is here, and with it the nip in the air and the frost in the fields. On this episode we’ll explore some of the best music for the coldest time of year…a wintry mix of works by Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Vaughan Williams, and more, with the help of radio icons Bob Edwards and Tom Hall. This Episode’s Playlist Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, Op. 37: XII. December Stefan Petrov, piano Linehan Concert Hall, UMBC, Baltimore, MD Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.17.2017 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Russian Dance, fr. Swan Lake, Op. 20 Max Yiming Mao, violin | Stefan Petrov, piano Blackfriars Playhouse, American Shakespeare Center, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.15.2017 arr. Pablo Casals: Song of The Birds Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello | Stefan Petrov, piano Linehan Concert Hall, UMBC, Baltimore, MD Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.17.2017 Ralph Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Greensleeves Ji-Won Song, Kenneth Naito; violin I | Max Yiming Mao; Noelle Naito, violin II | Molly Wise, viola | Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello Linehan Concert Hall, UMBC, Baltimore, MD Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.17.2017 Ottorino Respighi: Italiana fr. Ancient Airs & Dances [excerpt] SoHyun Ko, violin | Minchae Kim, violin | Jerome McCoy, viola | Dilshod Narzaillaev, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.16.2022 Antonio Vivaldi: “Winter” Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297 fr. The Four Seasons Bob Edwards, narrator | Danny Yehun Jin, solo violin | Kiarra Saito-Beckman, violin | Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Matt Cohen, viola | Zhihao Wu, cello Kreeger Museum of Art, Washington, DC Heifetz Institute Recording | 12. 17.2018 Robert Frost: Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening Tom Hall, narrator Linehan Concert Hall, UMBC, Baltimore, MD Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.16.2017 Antonin Dvořák, arr. Julia Egan: Silent Woods Andrew Gonzalez, viola | Robby Brown, guitar Blackfriars Playhouse, American Shakespeare Center Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.02.2019 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Divertimento in D Major, K. 136 III. Presto Ji-Won Song, Kenneth Naito; violin I | Max Yiming Mao; Noelle Naito, violin II | Molly Wise, viola | Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello Linehan Concert Hall, UMBC, Baltimore, MD Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.16.2017 Robert Schumann: Romance, Op. 28, No. 2 [excerpt] Lynne Mackey, piano House concert, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 11.19.2020 Jean Sibelius: Souvenir, Op. 79, No. 1 Kitty Amaral, violin (Elk Creek, VA) | Eshter Lim, piano (New York, NY) Heifetz Institute Virtual Recording | 07.22.2020 Hanukkah Medley: “Oh Hanukkah,” “Al Hanisim” (Thank You for the Miracles) Rachell Ellen Wong, violin | Coleman Itzkoff, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.16.2016 Go Deeper December also ushers in our annual Heifetz Holiday Tour – two full weeks of public concerts, private musicales, outreach concerts, and radio appearances.  The 2023 Holiday Tour includes performances with the Candlelight Concerts Society in Columbia, MD, The Kreeger Museum in Washington, DC, at the Garth Newel Music Center in Hot Springs, VA, and our Heifetz Holiday Homecoming in our Staunton hometown!Tom Hall, (pictured here with Heifetz Holiday Tour artists Matt Cohen, viola, Danny Jin, violin, Robby Brown, guitar, and Kiarra Saito-Beckman, violin) is host of the award-winning Midday program on Baltimore NPR News station WYPR.  But lending his voice to this episode is no stretch – for years he was the Music Director of the Baltimore Choral Arts Society!“In a career that has lasted more than 30 years, Bob Edwards has interviewed nearly 20,000 newsmakers. Born May 15, 1947 in Louisville, Kentucky, Edwards spent the early part of his career as a newscaster for Indiana station WHEL/New Albany, followed by a stint in Korea with Armed Forces Radio and Television….Read the Radio Hall of Fame entry of our featured speaker in this episode.who for 24 years served as host of NPR’s Morning Edition.

As we head into Thanksgiving and the holiday season, we bring you a program of thanks and contemplation, with works by J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Ernest Bloch, and American composers Samuel Barber and Aaron Copland, all performed in concert by Heifetz Institute musicians.  This Episode’s Playlist Ernest Bloch: From Jewish Life: I. Prayer Zlatomir Fung, cello | Jessica Osborne, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 11.05.2023 J.S. Bach, arr. N. Kitchen: Sinfonia [Preludio] in E major from Cantata BWV 29, Wir Danken Dir, Alle Gott Nicholas Kitchen, violin solo Pegasus Quartet:Minji Lee, violin | Maya Buchanan, violins | Gene Hotta, viola | Joan Herget, cello First Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.04.2021 Antonio Vivaldi: Guitar Concerto in D Major, RV 93 II. Largo Robby Brown, Guitar | Danny Yehun Jin, violin | Kiarra Saito-Beckman, violin | Matt Cohen, viola | Zhihao Wu, cello Linehan Concert Hall, UMBC, Baltimore, MD Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.16.2018 Jules Massenet: Méditation from Thaïs Tommy Mesa, cello (Miami, FL) | Yoon Lee, piano (New York, NY) Virtual Performance Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.22.2020 J. S. Bach: Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005 III. Largo [excerpt] Yezu Woo, violin Christ Lutheran Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 03.20.2021 Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132 III. Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der Lydischen Tonart – “Holy Song of Thanksgiving to the Deity, in the Lydian Mode” Borromeo Quartet: Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Kristopher Tong, violin | Mai Motobuchi, viola | Yeesun Kim, cello Mt. Desert Festival of Chamber Music, Northeast Harbor, ME Borromeo Quartet Recording | 07.15.2015 Florence Price: Piano Sonata in E minor II. Andante [excerpt] Andrew Rosenblum, piano First Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.19.2021 Samuel Barber: Cello Sonata in C minor, Op. 6 II. Adagio Timothy Eddy, cello | Beilin Han, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.03.2015 Trad. /Aaron Copland, arr. Nate Sabat: At The River/Shenandoah Angel Azzarra, soprano | The Heifetz Band 2017 Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.04.2017   Go Deeper The Beethoven “Hymn of Thanksgiving” you hear on today’s program is drawn from the landmark 12-part video series called The Beethoven Experience, fearturing concert performances by the Borromeo Quartet with fascinating commentary by violinist (and Heifetz Institute Artistic Director) NIcholas Kitchen.  See the complete rundown of the series at http://www.thebeethovenexperience.com

Now who doesn’t like a good fairy tale…filled with maidens, monsters, magicians, and let’s not forget evil stepmothers and murderous fathers in law?  Composers certainly do, as we’ll hear on today’s episode, “Fantasies & Fairy Tales.”   On this episode, cellist Zlatomir Fung brings the King of the UnDead to vivid life in a Czech fairy tale, some magical Mozart, fantastical Schumann, and more. This Episode’s Playlist Traditional, arr. Nigel Armstrong: Fantasy on “Oh Shenandoah” Nigel Armstrong, violin South Market Stage, Grace Christian School, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 04.22.2022 Pablo de Sarasate: Fantasy on Mozart’s Magic Flute, Op. 54 Ji-Won Song, violin | Jun Cho, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Stuanton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.05.2017 Beethoven: “Archduke” Trio in B-flat, Op. 97 III. Andante Cantabile [excerpt] Madison Vest, violin | Kevin Mills, cello | Carlos Avila, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 10.15.2015 Robert Schumann: Märchenbilder (Fairy Tale Pictures), Op.113 I. Nicht schnell. Moderato II. Lebhaft, vivo Steven Baloue, viola | Lynne Mackey, piano South Market Stage, Grace Christian School, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 04.22.2022 Max Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, op. 46 III. Andante Sostenuto (“I’m a’doun for lack o’ Johnnie.”) Julia Schilz, violin | Beilin Han, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.07.2018 Schumann: Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73 I. Zart und mit Ausdruck (Tender and with expression) Mo Mo, cello | Carlos Avila, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.05.2015 Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 11 III. Lied [excerpt] Yezu Woo, violin | Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello | Michel-Alexandre Broekaert, piano South Market Stage, Grace Christian School Heifetz Institute Recording | 03.25.2022 Leoš Janáček: Pohádka (Fairy Tale) Zlatomir Fung, cello | Jessica X. Osborne, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Stuanton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 11.05.2023 Go Deeper Set against the backdrop of the Soviet invasion and subsequent suppression of the “Prague Spring” uprising in 1968 Czechoslovakia, the 1998 film The Unbearable Lightness of Being is “an ambitious, even reverential adaptation of Milan Kundera’s brilliant novel of love and ideas,” according to Vogue. It was also a bit of a “star turn” for the Czech composer Leos Janáček, (the author Kundera’s favorite composer), whose Pohádka (Fairy Tale) is featured throughout.  See the complete list of Janáček’s music in the film here.“There have been speculations, based in his journal entries, that movements of Märchenbilder were inspired by the stories of Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, and Sleeping Beauty, but we cannot claim to know for sure. However, it’s very likely that Schumann was familiar with Grimm’s Fairy Tales, first published in Germany in 1812 and 1814, and the more Gothic works of E.T.AHoffmann, both of which could have influenced his composing. Take a deep dive into the discussion of Schumann’s Fairy Tale Pictures, featured in this episode.Schumann was fond of both Fairy Tales and Fantasies: Mozart wrote no fewer than 41 “free fantasies.” Pianist  Piotr Anderszewski noticed: “Anderszewski is drawn to both composers because they seemed to have a short, direct line from brainstorm to finished masterpiece.”  Check out this NPR review of the Polish virtuoso’s 2017 album Fantasies.

This episode features some of the great works by the “Renaissance Man of the Romantic Generation,” Felix Mendelssohn, including the shimmering Octet, a brooding String Quartet, and a pair of piano trios by both Felix and his sister Fanny Mendelssohn. This Episode’s Playlist Felix Mendelssohn: Song Without Words, Op. 109 Juan-Salvador Carrasco, cello | Lynne Mackey, piano South Market Stage, Grace Christian School, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 04.22.2022 Mendelssohn: Octet for Strings in E-flat, Op. 20 I. Allegro Moderato ma con fuoco Strauss Shi, violin | Becca Kasdan, violin | Daniel Kim, violin | Carmen Johnson-Pajaro, violin | Ian Niederhoffer, viola | Peter Cho, viola | Allegra Whiting, cello | Ayoun (Alex) Kim, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.26.2015 Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 44 No.1 I. Molto Allegro Vivace [excerpt] Rachell Wong, violin | Shuxiang Yang, violin | Stephanie Block, viola | Ben Fried, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.20.2016 Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80 I. Allegro Molto Kenneth Naito, violin | Ria Honda, violin | Matt Cohen, viola | Dominic Lee, cello Abramson Family Recital Hall, Katzen Arts Center, American University, Washington, DC Heifetz Institute Recording | 05.05.2019 Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 11 III. Lied. Allegretto Yezu Woo, violin | Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello | Michel-Alexandre Broekaert, piano South Market Stage, Grace Christian School, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 03.25.2022 Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 49 IV. Finale. Allegro assai appassionato Ria Honda, violin | Dominic Lee, cello | Zhenni Li-Cohen, piano Abramson Family Recital Hall, Katzen Arts Center, American University, Washington, DC Heifetz Institute Recording | 05.05.2019 Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2 II. Scherzo [excerpt] Phoenix Quartet: Ilkhom Mukhiddinov, violin | Hyun Ji Lee, violin | Arielle Fentress, viola | Elliott Kim, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.06.2023 Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 II. Andante III. Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace Ji-Won Song, violin | Hui-Chaun Chen, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.19.2015 Go Deeper Leave it to the folks at Classic FM to share with us 15 Facts about Felix Mendelssohn,  including his  praise from Queen Victoria: “The most amiable man. He was quite worshipped by those who knew him intimately, & we have so much appreciated & admired his wonderfully beautiful compositions.” Heifetz alum Ian Niederhoffer, who you hear introducing and performing the Mendelssohn Octet in this episode, now directs his own chamber orchestra in New York called Parlando. Their next concert features fellow Heifetz alum, violinist Geneva Lewis.This episode is devoted to music both by Felix and his sister Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, whose talents as a composer in her own right are receiving long-overdue recognition.

This time around, it’s Spooky Sounds, featuring a parade of musical ghosts, goblins, and even a Devil’s Trill. Not to mention scary stuff from Shostakovich, Leos Janacek, and more, all played live on stage at the Heifetz Institute. This Episode’s Playlist Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 10 in A-flat, Op. 118 II. Allegro furioso Emerson Quartet: Philip Setzer, violin Eugene Drucker, violin Larry Dutton, viola Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.08.2016 Antonio Bazzini: Dance of the Goblins, Op. 25 Samuel Garcia, violin Beilin Han, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 06.25.2023 Steven R. Gerber: Elegy on the name Dmitri Shostakovich Loxea Hipsky, viola First Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 07.17.2021 Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 [excerpt] Beilin Han, Yoon Lee, piano four-hands Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 07.17.2022 Svante Henryson: Black Run (2021) Alex Fowler, cello First Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 07.04.2021 Leoš Janáček: String Quartet No. 1, “Kreutzer Sonata” I. Adagio – Con moto II. Con moto Pegasus Quartet: Maya Buchanan, violin Minji Lee, violin Gene Hotta, viola Joan Herget, cello First Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 08.04.2021 Eugène Ysaÿe: Sonata for Solo Violin in D minor ‘Ballade’, Op. 27, No. 3 [excerpt] Julia Angelov, violin Staunton Augusta Art Center, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 03.26.2021 Giuseppe Tartini: Violin Sonata in G minor, “Devil’s Trill” Chunyi Grace Zhou, violin Miki Sawada, piano First Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 07.17.2023 Camille Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre, Op. 40 Miki Sawada, Jingxuan Zhang, piano 1 Allison Freeman, Seonmi Lee, piano 2 Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 07.17.2022 Go Deeper In this episode, cellist Alex Fowler describes Svante Henryson‘s Black Run as “the Devil went down to Georgia to meet at the Crossroads.”  Check out the fascinating bio of the contemporary Swedish cellist/bassist/composer.Check out this playlist of the 17 Strange & Creepy Classical Music Pieces for Hallowe’en! Yes, there’s plenty of Shostakovich!Zombie Mozart, Werewolf Beethoven, Shostakovich the Terminator, and more….check out Classic FM’s fanciful list of composers in their Hallowe’en costumes!

To mark the Heifetz Institute’s first New England tour in four years, Heifetz On Air goes “North By Northeast.” This episode features some classical favorites in performance from fascinating venues, including a 19th-century meetinghouse on the coast of Maine, a Massachusetts middle School, and a Rhode Island arts center.  This Episode’s Playlist François Francœur: Cello Sonata in E Major Clare Bradford, cello Carlos Avila, piano Galvin School Auditorium, Wakefield, MA Heifetz Institute – WCAT (Wakefield Community Access Television) Recording | 04.10.2016 Franz Schubert: Quartettsatz in C Minor, D. 703 Daniel Aizensthadt, violin | Rachell Ellen Wong, violin | Matt Cohen, viola | Clare Bradford, cello Galvin Auditorium, Wakefield, MA Heifetz Institute – WCAT (Wakefield Community Access Television) Recording | 04.10.2016 Antonín Dvořák: Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 81 II. Dumka: Andante con moto Yebin Yoo, violin | Julian Rhee, violin | Nicholas Kitchen, viola | Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello | Jingxuan Zhang, piano St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Newcastle, ME Heifetz Institute Recording | 10.22.2019 Samuel Barber: String Quartet, Op. 11 II. Adagio Rachell Ellen Wong, violin | Daniel Aizensthadt, violin | Matthew Cohen, viola | Clare Bradford, cello Galvin School Auditorium, Wakefield, MA Galvin Auditorium, Wakefield, MA Heifetz Institute – WCAT (Wakefield Community Access Television) Recording | 04.10.2016 Henri Vieuxtemps: Élégie, Op. 30 Matt Cohen, viola | Carlos Avila, piano Galvin Auditorium, Wakefield, MA Heifetz Institute – WCAT (Wakefield Community Access Television) Recording | 04.10.2016 Robert Schumann: Romance, Op. 28, No. 2 [excerpt] Lynne Mackey, piano House concert, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 11.20.2020 Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2 I. Allegro con brio Yebin Yoo, violin | Jingxuan Zhang, piano Robinhood Free Meetinghouse, Georgetown, ME Heifetz Institute Recording | 10.24.2019 Enrique Granados, arr. Gaspar Cassadó: Intermezzo, from Goyescas Mo Mo, cello | Hsin-Ciao Liao, piano Jamestown Arts Center, Jamestown, RI Heifetz Institute Recording | 10.24.2015 Go Deeper One of the featured venues in tooday’s program is St. Andrew’s Church in Newcastle, ME, a historic Episcopal church listed on the National Register of Historic Places. St. Andrew’s is considered the first example of a cottage Gothic Revival church in the country, and the first US design of the celebrated English architect Henry Vaughan. Read the church’s Wikipedia entry and check out the fascinating backstory of how it was built in the Boston Globe.Fire up the tour bus! This month Heifetz on Tour returns to New England for the first time in four years, with concert stops with the Portland Chamber Music Festival in Maine, Mountain Top Music in Conway, NH, and the Wolfeboro Friends of Music in Wolfeboro, NH, home to the Heifetz Institute from 2002 – 2011.Another favorite Heifetz On Tour stop on the Maine Coast is the Robinhood Free Meetinghouse, a concert venue, community center, restaurant and pub in the Five Islands community of Georgetown, ME.  The 1855 Meetinghouse is also listed on the National Register, and has a fascinating history.

We’ll take you inside the Staunton Augusta Art Center for highlights from our free Friday afternoon concert series presenting solo and chamber works in an intimate and inspiring setting. Featuring works ranging from J.S. Bach to Philip Glass. This Episode’s Playlist J.S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major, BWV 1010 I. Prelude Maeve Whalen, viola Staunton Augusta Art Center Gallery Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.02.2021 Claude Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 I. Animé et très décidé So Hyun Ko, violin | Will Josseloff, violin | William Beardslee, viola | Lauren Mathews, cello Staunton Augusta Art Center Gallery Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.23.2021 Georg Friderich Handel: Sonata in G Minor for Two Cellos in G minor, HWV 393 I. Andante [excerpt] Antonio Lysy, cello | Mo Mo, cello | Coleman Itzkoff, cello continuo | Andrew Rosenblum, harpsichord Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording 07.10.2016 Bach: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003 IV. Allegro Jonathan Okseniuk, violin Staunton Augusta Art Center Gallery Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.02.2021 Krystof Penderecki: Suite VI. Aria Hun Choi, cello Staunton Augusta Art Center Gallery Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.28.2023 Renee Esmail: Darshan, Partita for Solo Violin IIII. Charukeshi Maya Buchanan, violin Staunton Augusta Art Center Gallery Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.02.2021 Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009 V. Bourrées I & II Boubacar Diallo, cello Staunton Augusta Art Center Gallery Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.02.2021 Georg Philipp Telemann: Fantasia No. 7 in E-flat major: I. Dolce [excerpt] Geneva Lewis, violin Virtual Performance, Los Angeles CA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.29.2020 Philip Glass: String Quartet No. 5 V. (Untitled) Blue Ridge Quartet: Clara Kim, violin | Kearston Gonzales, violin | Alicia Yang, viola | George Wolfe-McGuire, cello Staunton Augusta Art Center Gallery Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.21.2021 Prokofiev: String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92 I. Allegro sostenuto Hudson Quartet: Jane Lim, violin | Audrey Kim, violin | Vivian Van de Sype-Cucu, viola | Mira Kardan, cello Staunton Augusta Art Center Gallery Heifetz Institute Recording | 06.30.2023 Go Deeper Check out the full-length video of our first Fridays in the Gallery concert from Heifetz 2023, and keep your eyes out for more to come on our Heifetz YouTube Channel!  View and SubscribeCheck out the exhibit schedule at the Staunton Augusta Art Center to see what’s currently hanging in their galleries.  The SAAC is located in the heart of historic downtown Staunton, Virginia, across the street from our new Heifetz Institute headquarters!This episode features the String Quartet No. 5 by American composer Philip Glass, pictured here receiving a National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2016 on the occasion of the composer’s 80th birthday..

This episode features works both rare and familiar by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, and Norwegians Edvard Grieg and Johan Halverson, all presented live in concert on the stages of the Heifetz International Music Institute. Performances by the legendary Shmuel Ashkenasi, rising star Angela Chan, and promising Heifetz students past and present. This Episode’s Playlist Edvard Grieg: Holberg Suite, Op. 40 V. Rigaudon Kobi Malkin, violin | Rachell Ellen Wong, violin | Stephanie Block, viola | Coleman Itzkoff, cello Kreeger Museum Of Art, Washington DC Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.15.2016 Jean Sibelius: Romance, Op. 78 No. 2 WaItzes, Op. 81 No. 3 Berceuse, Op. 79 No. 6 Rondino, Op. 81 No. 2 Shmuel Ashkenasi, violin | Dina Vainshtein, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.13.2018 Edvard Grieg: Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45 I. Allegro molto ed appassionato [excerpt] Liana Branscome, violin Hui-Chuan Chen, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.07.2015 Jean Sibelius: String Quartet in D minor, Op. 56, “Voces intimae” III. Adagio di molto V. Allegro ma pesante Kettle Run Quartet: Clara Kim violin |  Elinor Detmer, violin | John Czekanski, viola | Miles Levine, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording  | 08.06.2022 Edvard Grieg: Holberg Suite, Op. 40 III. Gavotte Kobi Malkin, violin | Rachell Ellen Wong, violin | Stephanie Block, viola | Coleman Itzkoff, cello Kreeger Museum Of Art, Washington DC Heifetz Institute Recording | 12.15.2016 Grieg: Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45 II. Allegretto espressivo all Romanza III. Allegro animato Angela Sin Ying Chan, violin | Miki Aoki, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording  | 07.25.2019 Georg Frideric Handel / Johan Halverson: Passacaglia  [excerpt] Nigel Armstrong, violin | Steven Baloue, viola South Market Stage, Grace Christian Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 04.22.2022 Go Deeper Heifetz faculty member Shmuel Ashkenasi and outstanding alumna violinist Angela Sin Ying Chan, both of whom are featured in this episode, will be part of the inaugural Heifetz Hear & Now concert of the 2023-24 season.  Joining them will outstanding Heifetz alums Matt Cohen, viola; Andres Sanchez, cello, and faculty pianist Allison Freeman.  Tickets and InfoThis episode features a portion of the Passacaglia, first written as part of a keyboard sonata by Georg Friderich Handel, and then transformed into a virtuoso showpiece for two instruments by the Norwegian composer Johan Halverson.  Check out this video made by Heifetz alums Rachell Ellen Wong (also coming to the Heifetz Hear & Now series) and Andrew Gonzalez. Marvel at the music-making, and enjoy the visual tour of our home base of Staunton, Virginia!  "I can see it all before me…snow, hail, storm and every kind of foul weather, huge male choir with open mouths, the rain streaming into them, myself conducting with waterproof cape, winter coat, galoshes, and umbrella! And a cold afterwards, of course, or goodness knows what kind of illness! Oh well, it’s one way of dying for one’s country!”  Read the story about the dismal climate conditions surrounding the premiere of two commissioned works by Edvard Grieg – one beloved, one forgotten!

This episode is a  showcase of some great musical moments from the Heifetz summer of 2023. Including a riveting performance by the Borromeo Quartet of an overlooked Haydn quartet, a savory Souvenir de Florence by Tchaikovsky, a 10-year old violinist’s Spanish flair, and even a Swan for string sextet! This Episode’s Playlist Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2 II. Scherzo Phoenix Quartet: Ilkhom Mukhiddinov, violin | Hyun Ji Lee, violin | Arielle Fentress, viola | Elliott Kim, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.06.2023 Pablo de Sarasate: Introduction & Tarantella, Op. 43 Le-Yu Ho, violin | Jingxuan Zhang, piano South Market Stage, Grace Christian School, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.15.23 Franz Anton Hoffmeister: Viola Concerto No. 1 in D major III. Rondo Rebekah Sung, viola | Tae Kim, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.23.2023 Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97, “Archduke” III. Andante Cantabile [excerpt] Madison Vest, violin | Kevin Mills, cello | Carlos Avila, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 10.15.2015 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70 I. Allegro con spirito Kyoko Takezawa, violin | Judith Ingolfsson, violin | Nicholas Cords, viola | Michael Casimir, viola | Steven Doane, cello | Rosemary Elliott, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 07.21.2023 Camille Saint-Saëns, arr. Nicholas Kitchen: The Swan, fr. Carnival of the Animals Zeyu Zhu, cello solo | Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Ji Hyun Baik, violin | Stephen “Adam” Savage, viola | Elliott Kim, cello | Benjamin Doane, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 06.29.2023 Franz Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in F major, Op 74, No. 2 Borromeo Quartet: Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Kristopher Tong, violin | Melissa Reardon, viola | Yeesun Kim, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 07.06.23 Go Deeper Our “September to Remember” is also a season-ending campaign to gin up support for the non-profit Heifetz Institute.  We are thrilled to share with you the best and brightest moments from our summer season—a bountiful harvest of inspiring performances that we hope will inspire you to support the Heifetz Institute before we close our financial books for the season at the end of this month. Read more about our dollar-for-dollar matching campaign.2023 was a summer for the ages here in Staunton, as we welcomed 164 students to our campus, from 22 states and 15 countries. We presented a whopping532pieces across 57 total concerts, in addition to the 23 outreach events at health care and assisted living facilities, farmers markets, places of worship, and more. See the complete 2023 student roster here.After witnessing what we consider to be the highest quality series of performances ever delivered by our youngest students, we have, for the first time ever, compiled a catalog of every performance from the Junior Division stage this past summer—all 149 performances by 99 students across 13 concerts! It is now easier than ever to find and share every performance – simply click the button below, and then use the search function (Cmd+F on Mac; Ctrl+F on PC) to search for a specific performer, composer, or composition (see here if you need a quick tutorial on using the search function.)

On this episode, a complete performance of Franz Schubert’s so-called “two-cello” string quintet – the String Quintet in C Major, D. 956. It’s a piece so sublime that pianist Artur Rubinstein called the second movement “the arrival at the gates of heaven.” We’ll hear three different ensembles bring Schubert’s final work to life, all before capacity houses on Heifetz stages. This Episode’s Playlist   Franz Schubert: Impromptu in E-flat, D. 899 Lynne Mackey, piano Heifetz Institute Recording | 11.06.2020 Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956: I. Allegro ma non troppo Borromeo Quartet: Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Kristopher Tong, violin | Mai Motobuchi, viola | Yeesun Kim, cello w/ Ralph Kirshbaum, cello First Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.09.2019 Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956: II. Adagio Yezu Woo, violin | Yeri Roh, violin | Sung Jin Lee, viola | Mo Mo, cello | Zi Wang, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.22.2015 Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956: III. Scherzo. Presto – Trio. Andante sostenuto Mark Kaplan, violin | Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Matt Cohen, viola | Ralph Kirshbaum, cello | Timothy Eddy, cello Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.28.2017 Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, D. 956: IV. Allegretto Borromeo Quartet: Nicholas Kitchen, violin | Kristopher Tong, violin | Mai Motobuchi, viola | Yeesun Kim, cello w/ Ralph Kirshbaum, cello First Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.09.2019 Go Deeper Watch the complete livestream of this performance from our Heifetz Rubato Virtual Concert series here. The legendary Artur Rubinstein discusses Schubert’s quintet, among other things.  View hereViolinist Arnold Steinhardt of the Guarneri Quartet has some fascinating insight’s on Schubert’s quintet in this essay called “A Heavenly Length.” Read it here.

In this episode, Ilya Kaler is the soloist and David Stern the conductor in an epic performance of Bernstein’s Serenade after Plato’s Symposium, a five-movement Violin Concerto with the Heifetz Chamber Orchestra, part of an-all Bernstein program marking the composer’s August 25th birthday and the upcoming Netflix biopic Maestro. This Episode’s Playlist Leonard Bernstein: There’s A Place For Us / I Feel Pretty fr. West Side Story  Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello | Michel-Alexandre Broekaert, piano Monroe’s Highland, Charlottesville, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.04.2022 Bernstein: Three Meditations from Mass III. Presto Michael Arumainayagam, cello | Stefan Petrov, piano | Carlos Avila, percussion Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA  Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.26.2018 Bernstein: Music for Two Pianos  Beilin Han, piano | Dina Vainshtain, piano  Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA  Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.10.2018 Bernstein: Piano Trio (1937)  II. Alla Marcia [excerpt] Ilya Kaler, violin | Amit Peled, cello | Alon Goldstein, piano  Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA  Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.05.2016 Bernstein: Serenade after Plato’s Symposium I: Phaedrus: Pausanias (Lento: Allegro)  II: Aristophanes (Allegretto)  III: Erixymachus (Presto) IV: Agathon (Adagio)  V: Socrates; Alciabiades (Molto tenuto; Allegro molto vivace) Ilya Kaler, violin | Heifetz Chamber Orchestra | David Stern, conductor  Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA  Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.14.2018 Go Deeper There’s a fascinating backstory behind the creation of Bernstein’s Serenade, including its ties to a James M. Cain potboiler by the same title, an abandoned musical that morphed into West Side Story, and Bernstein’s friendship with the dedicatee, violinist Isaac Stern (pictured here at the 1955 recording session with the New York Philharmonic).   Read – and hear – all about it on our real-time-program-notes video here. Coming to a Bijou near you…”Maestro is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between cultural icon Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, Maestro, at its core, is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.”  See the trailerCheck out more from the excellent and in-depth LeonardBernstein.com website, including the newsletter Prelude, Fugue, & Riffs!

No singers, no sets, no chorus? No problem! The grandest music from the greatest operas still rings out on the Heifetz stage, thanks to the legions of composers who have arranged, fantasized, transcribed, and otherwise transformed the opera world’s most moving and memorable melodies into instrumental showpieces. This episode features operatic performances both poignant and dazzling, played in concert by young Heifetz virtuosos. This Episode’s Playlist Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 5 Aram Khachaturian: Sabre Dance from Gayane 24 Cellos of Heifetz 2014 Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.13.2014 Georg Friderich Handel: Overture to Giulio Cesare Heifetz Baroque Chamber Orchestra | David Stern, conductor Blackfriars Playhouse, American Shakespeare Center, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.10.2019 Gluck: Mélodie from Orfeo ed Euridice Madison Vest, violin | Carlos Avila, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 10.15.2015 Georg Friderich Handel: Sonata in G Minor for Two Cellos in G minor, HWV 393 I. Andante Antonio Lysy, cello | Mo Mo, cello | Coleman Itzkoff, cello continuo | Andrew Rosenblum, harpsichord Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording 07.10.2016 Pablo de Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy SoHyun Ko, violin | Miki Aoki, piano First Presbyterian Church, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 07.08.2021 Bohuslav Martinů: Variations on a Theme By Rossini Mo Mo, cello | Carlos Avila, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 07.16.2016 Jules Massenet: Méditation from Thaïs Tommy Mesa, cello | Yoon Lee, piano Virtual Performance, Miami FLA / New York NY Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.29.2020 Henryk Wieniawski: Fantasy on Themes from Gounod’s Faust, Op. 20 Marina Alba Lopez, violin | Andrew Rosenblum, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 06.25.2023

Welcome to Heifetz 2023! Fresh performances from the first concerts of the the Heifetz Institute's summer 2023 season. You’ll hear works by Schubert, Saint-Saens, William Walton, and more, all in gripping performances by young Heifetz stars in concert. THIS EPISODE'S PLAYLIST Louis Francouer: Cello Sonata in E Major: I. Adagio Cantabile II. Allegro vivo Nicholas Wong, cello | Seonmi Lee, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.19.2022 Edward Elgar: La Capricieuse Daniel Rafimayeri, violin | Jessica X. Osborne, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 06.21.2023 Edward Elgar, arr. Julius Klengel: Sospiri, Op. 70 Daniel Rafimayeri, violin | Jessica X. Osborne, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 06.21.2023 Beethoven: Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97, “Archduke” III. Andante Cantabile [excerpt] Madison Vest, violin | Kevin Mills, cello | Carlos Avila, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 10.15.2015 Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata in A minor, D. 821 I. Allegro moderato Nicholas Wong, cello | Yoon Lee, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 06.21.2023 William Walton: Viola Concerto III. Allegro moderato Robert Fornos, viola | Tae Kim, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute recording | 06.25.2023 Georg Philipp Telemann: Fantasia No. 7 in E-flat major: I. Dolce [excerpt] Geneva Lewis, violin Virtual Performance, Los Angeles CA Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.29.2020 Saint-Saëns: Havanaise, Op. 83 Ching Shan Helen Yu, violin | Andrew Rosenblum, piano Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA Heifetz Institute Recording | 06.21.2023