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BEETHOVEN

THE VIRTUOSO

Program 6  

BEETHOVEN THE VIRTUOSO

 

When Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792, he was one of the first virtuosos of the new pianoforte. In fact they had grown up together as it evolved from harpsichord to piano- with instruments almost doubling in their key span over his lifetime. His audiences were dazzled by his virtuosic technical facility, but also by his virtuosic music making. Czerny said of his playing “In rapidity, no one equaled him” but it was also Beethoven’s sense of singing legato, and his vast range of colors and ideas that impressed and shocked his early audiences. This radical transformation of instrumental playing didn’t only apply to the piano. Beethoven performed the premiere of this early cello sonata with the French virtuoso Duport. It was published as a sonata for pianoforte with cello obligato but the cello part is anything from a secondary voice and is stylistically more like a concerto. In Beethoven’s first published trio, he weaves together 3 independent voices, all requiring tremendous command. This brilliant violin sonata bears the title of Kreutzer, one of the founders of the French conservatory, but he found it too difficult to perform. Beethoven performed the premiere with the West Indian virtuoso Bridgetower who claimed that Beethoven pulled the dedication due to competition over a love interest.

 

 

Cello Sonata No.2, Op.5 No.2   (1796)

Adagio sostenuto ed espressivo

Allegro molto più tosto presto

Rondo. Allegro

 

Piano Trio in E-flat major, Op.1 No.1   (1795)

Allegro

Adagio cantabile

Scherzo- Trio

Finale; Presto

 

INTERMISSION

 

Violin Sonata No.9, Op.47 “Kreutzer”    (1804)

Adagio sostenuto- Presto

Andante con variazioni

Finale. Presto

 

Özgür Baskın, keman

Indira Rahmatullah, cello

Çağdaş Özkan, piyano

Ozgur Baskın.jpeg
Cagdas-Ozkan.jpg
Indira_Rahmatulla©federal-studio.com.jpe

Özgür Baskın, violin

 

Born in Izmir (Turkey), Özgür Baskın began his violin education in 1993 with Prof. Ferhang  Hüseynov in Çukurova University State Conservatory, making his debut as a soloist with Çukurova State Symphony Orchestra in the same year. In 1995 he was awarded first prize in the Rotary Club National Music Competition. He continued his training from 1996 to 2001 with Viktor Pikayzen in the Hacettepe University State Conservatory (Ankara), winning first prizes both at the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism National Violin Competition in 1998 and the Sedat-Güzin Gürel Foundation International Violin Competition in 2000. After graduating in 2001, he was granted a  scholarship by İş Bank and entered the Rostock Music Academy (Germany) with renowned teacher Prof. Petru Munteanu. From 2004 to 2006 he completed his PhD in violin studies with Prof. Iwona Wojciechowska at the Lodz Music Academy (Poland). He has participated in masterclasses by Walentina Jacubowska, Maxim Vengerov, Joshua Epstein, Silvie Gazou, Enrico Onofri and Miroslaw Lawrynowicz. He has played as a soloist with orchestras such as Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Çukurova State Symphony Orchestra and Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra. Özgür currently holds a position at the Borusan Quartet as well as being a member of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra and a mentor at the Ankara Youth Orchestra. He is also an active chamber music player with his Trio Ba and representing the "O" letter of BEGOA ensemble since 2016. When time allows him, Özgür loves to develop his passion about computer programming for open source projects.

Indira Rahmatulla, cello

Born in a family of musicians, Indira began her cello studies with her parents. A graduate of the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, Indira studied with Vagram Saradjian in Houston, Ronald Leonard in Los Angeles and after with Jean-Guihen Queyras completing her Masters Studies and Soloist Diploma in Freiburg, Germany. In addition, Indira has completed her chamber music studies as a part of piano “Trio Areti” at the Instituto de Musica de Camara de Reina Sofia de Madrid under Ralf Gothoni. Indira has won numerous prizes in prestigious international competitions, including Aram Khachaturian International Cello Competition in Armenia, Luis Sigall International Cello Competition in Chile and Pasadena Showcase Instrumental Competition in Los Angeles, California. Indira has appeared as soloist with Orchestras around the world among which are Armenian State Orchestra in Yerevan, National Symphony Orchestra of Santiago de Chile, American Youth Symphony and Torrance Symphony Orchestra in LA and Bilkent Symphony and Bursa State Symphony Orchestra in Turkey. As a chamber musician, Indira has performed in collaboration with many leading artists such as Menahem Pressler, Paul Coletti, Sergio Azzolini, Alexander Melnikov and has been mentored by outstanding musicians among which are Arnold Steinhardt, Eldar Nebolsin, Ferenc Rados and Tabea Zimmermann. Indira was a fellow at the VillaMusica foundation in Rheinland-Pfalz. Since 2015, Indira is a member of Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne in Switzerland and frequently performs with the Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble under Thomas Hengelbrock and Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.

Çağdaş Özkan , piano

 

Described as “...the most sensitive duo pianist” by Turkey’s leading classical music magazine “Andante”, Özkan has appeared in numerous concerts in USA and in his native Turkey. As a chamber musician and collaborative pianist Mr. Özkan has a significant repertoire and knowledge in instrumental and vocal music.

 

Some of Mr. Özkan’s performance venues include New York City’s Alice Tully Hall and The Juilliard School’s Paul and Morse Halls. As an orchestral pianist, Çağdaş Özkan has appeared as a member of the Juilliard Orchestra in John Adams’ “City Noir” in its New York premiere in Carnegie Hall. 
As a demanded studio pianist, Mr. Özkan worked closely with the faculty of the Juilliard School such as Naoko Tanaka, Stephen Clapp, Ronald Copes and Robert C. White. Mr. Özkan has also participated in summer festivals such as Aspen Music Festival and Music Academy of the West as a Collaborative Piano Fellow.


A graduate of The Juilliard School, Mr. Özkan is a recipient of American Turkish Society’s “Ahmet Ertegün Scholarship”, “Borusan Music Scholarship” and “Mitzi Scholarship”. He holds a masters degree from The Juilliard School in Collaborative Piano and bachelor of music from Bilkent University, Turkey. His principal teachers include Jonathan Feldman, Margo Garrett, Zarema Safarova and Prof. Ersin Onay.
 

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