Martin James Bartlett, Piano

Sunday, April 6, 2025 | 5 PM

Memorial Hall, OTR

Plays with a maturity and elegance far beyond his years

British pianist Martin James Bartlett, known for his fearless technique, was the inaugural recipient of the Prix Serdang in 2022. In 2021, he was awarded the Queen Mother Rosebowl by HRH Prince (now King) Charles and, in 2020, won the Virtu(al)oso Global Piano Competition by Piano Cleveland. From 2020 to 2022, Bartlett was the RCM Benjamin Britten Piano Fellow, and made his play-direct and conducting debut with the London Mozart Players at the Cheltenham and Ryedale festivals in 2022. In 2019, Bartlett earned first place at the 2019 Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York and, in 2018, won second prize and the Audience Award at the Kissingen Piano Olympiad.

Bartlett’s early public success was as winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2014, leading to engagements with several orchestras. In 2015, he was one of the youngest-ever soloists to debut at the BBC Proms, with reviews in The Daily Telegraph and The Times praising his musical insight and maturity.

Bartlett has performed with many European orchestras and in recital internationally, including a debut US tour in 2022 in the Young Concert Artists Series in New York and at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. He has released two widely acclaimed albums: Rhapsody (2022), featuring concerti by Rachmaninoff and Gershwin; and his debut recital album Love and Death (2019), an exploration of elemental themes from Bach to Prokofiev.

VIDEOS

PROGRAM

Les Barricades Mystérieuses……………François de Couperin (1668 – 1733)

Gavotte et six doubles from Suite in A minor, RCT 5………..Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683 – 1764)

Kinderszenen, Op. 15…………..Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856)

Widmung……………………..Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856), arr. Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886)

INTERMISSION

Four Impromptus, D. 899, Op. 90…….Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)

Ständchen, S. 560…………….Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856), arr. Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886)

Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, WWV.90……..Richard Wagner (1813 – 1883), arr. Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886)

La Valse…………………………………Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937)

Photography by Gayna Bassin

Ellen Stephens, Martin, Judy Martin, Hazel Bartlett, Marina Abanto

Ellen Stephens, Martin James Bartlett, Judy Martin, Hazel Bartlett and Marina Abanto

After the concert dinner at Seasons 52 with Martin James Bartlett, his mother Hazel, and members of Matinée Musicale.

Martin James Bartlett Read More »

Hanick Hawley Duo

Conor Hanick, Piano

Richie Hawley, Clarinet

Sunday, October 13, 2024 | 3 pm

Memorial Hall, OTR

BUY TICKETS

SEE PROGRAM

PHOTOS

Explore boundary-pushing music, both new and old!

Through collaboration with some of music’s leading composers and

integration of this work with the classic music of the genre, the Hanick

Hawley Duo seeks to reinvigorate the repertoire for clarinet and piano.

Having met as faculty members at Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the

West, they perform regularly at its renowned summer festival and school.

The Times’ Anthony Tommasini says pianist Conor Hanick’s playing is

reminiscent of a “young Peter Serkin.” Regarded as one of his generation’s

most inquisitive interpreters of music, Hanick has been presented by The

Gilmore Festival, the New York Philharmonic, Caramoor, Cal Performances, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and the Park Avenue Armory, and performed with American orchestras. He has premiered over 200 works and collaborated with composers both emerging and iconic. He served as co-artistic director of the Ojai Festival in 2022. Since 2014, he has been a faculty artist at the Music Academy of the West. He has given lectures and master classes internationally and is on the piano and chamber music faculty of The Juilliard School and the Peabody Institute of Music.

Appointed principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1994, Richie Hawley left that position in 2011 to become Professor of Clarinet at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He regularly appears on international stages as a soloist and chamber musician. He toured with the legendary Musicians from Marlboro for the 50th anniversary performance at Carnegie Hall. His numerous awards include first prize at the Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition and the Presidential Scholar in the Arts Gold Medal awarded by President Ronald Reagan. Mr. Hawley made his orchestral solo debut at age 13 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and at 14 performed with the New York Philharmonic.

Richie Hawley and Conor Hanick performing in Memorial Hall on Sunday, October 13, 2024.

VIDEOS

PROGRAM

Three Romances, op. 22…………………….……..….Clara Schumann (1819-1896)

Etudes for Solo Piano…………………………………….Samuel Adams (b. 1985)

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano…………………….Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

INTERMISSION

Three Smiles for Tracey for Solo Clarinet……Adolphus Hailstork (b. 1941)

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano……………………..Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

Photography by Gayna Bassin

Judy Martin, Administrative Director of Matinée Musicale

Pavel Vinnitsky, Professor of Clarinet at UC-CCM, with his wife and sonAnne-Daniel-Vinnitsky-balcony

Richie Hawley, clarinet, and Conor Hanick, piano

Conor Hanick talked to people at the Reception

Students with Richie Hawley & Professor of Clarinet Pavel VInnitsky and family

Two students with Pavel Vinnitsky, Professor of Clarinet at UC-CCM

James Farber, Linda Chatterjee, Joyce Alpiner

Conor Hanick, Judy Martin, Richie Hawley

Ellen Stephens, Marina Abanto, Melissa Cox

Hanick Hawley Duo Read More »

Julian Schwarz, Cello

Marika Bournaki, Piano

Sunday, October 29, 2023

3 pm

Memorial Hall, OTR

PHOTOS

Julian Schwarz was born into a multigenerational musical family. His powerful tone, effortless virtuosity and extraordinarily large color palette are hallmarks of his style. After making his concerto debut at the age of 11 with the Seattle Symphony and his father Gerard Schwarz on the podium, he made his U.S. touring debut with the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2010. Since being awarded 1st Prize at the inaugural Schoenfield International String Competition in 2013, he has led an active career as soloist, performing internationally.

VIDEOS

Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor

Haydn Cello Concerto in C Major

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah

As a chamber musician, Mr. Schwarz performs extensively in recital with his wife, pianist Marika Bournaki. In 2016 the duo was awarded 1st Prize at the inaugural Boulder International String Competition’s “The Art of Duo” before embarking on an extensive 10-recital tour of China in 2017. Mr. Schwarz is a founding member of the New York based Frisson Ensemble (a mixed nonet of winds and strings) and the Mile –End Trio with violinist Jeff Multer and Ms. Bournaki. He collaborates often throughout the country with a number of musicians.

An ardent supporter of new music, he has premiered concertos by Richard Danielpour and Samuel Jones, among others. His recordings include an album of concertos with the Seattle Symphony. A devoted teacher, Mr. Schwarz serves as Assistant Professor of Cello at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University in Virginia and on the artist faculty of New York University – Steinhardt.

Marika Bournaki, Piano

Described as “the Celine Dion of classical” by The Huffington Post, Marika Bournaki is at once a world-class performer, dazzling pianist, vivacious young woman and one of the freshest faces on the classical music scene. Ms. Bournaki not only brings distinctive interpretations to favorite standards, but extends her passion for music by commissioning works from younger composers and collaborating with artists from various fields.

Marika Bournaki’s current season includes her debuts with the Bozeman, Duluth Superior, Springfield (MO) and Topeka symphony orchestras, a chamber music program with the Palm Beach Symphony, returns to Boca Raton’s The SYMPHONIA and Canada’s Sinfonia Toronto and programs with her duo partner, cellist Julian Schwarz. Of special note is her continuing survey of Beethoven’s complete 32-work piano sonata cycle, presented by the distinguished Bargemusic in Brooklyn.

Marika Bournaki has appeared as guest soloist with the symphony orchestras of Montréal, Quebec and St. Petersburg along with Romania’s Timisoara Filharmonica, Switzerland’s Verbier Chamber Orchestra and Canada’s Orchestre Métropolitain. In addition to a benefit recital for the Glenn Gould Foundation at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, she has been presented in solo recitals and chamber music collaborations throughout the United States, Canada and the world, including Belgium, England, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Switzerland and South Korea.

A devoted chamber musician, Marika Bournaki performs regularly at Brooklyn’s Bargemusic, the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival and the Frankly Music series in Milwaukee, while serving on the faculties of the Eastern Music Festival and Canada’s Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance. She tours internationally with duo partner cellist Julian Schwarz, and together won 1st prize in the 2016 Boulder International Chamber Music Competition’s “The Art of Duo.” Ms. Bournaki is also a member of the Mile-End Trio with Mr. Schwarz and violinist Jeffrey Multer.

The award-winning documentary “I am Not a Rock Star,” featuring Marika Bounaki and directed by Bobbi Jo Hart, has captivated international audiences of all ages. The feature-length film chronicles Ms. Bournaki’s evolution as an artist from the age of 12 to 20. A runaway success at multiple film festivals throughout the world, screenings of “I am Not a Rock Star” and solo performances were recently presented in Chicago, Dallas, Memphis, Miami, Napa Valley, Palm Springs, Toronto and Vancouver, as well as in Greece, México and Spain. The film has also been seen in Greece (ERT), The Netherlands (NTS), Norway (NRK), Sweden (SVT) theUnited Kingdom (BBC4), Australia (SBS) and New Zealand (Sky). The documentary is the recipient of awards for Best Arts Documentary and Best Editing from the 2014 Canadian Screen Awards.

Marika Bournaki’s innovative approach to her art and performance is reflected in a number of multimedia projects intended to reach out to new audiences. Additionally, her role as Ambassador to the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal’s summer event, “A Cool Classical Journey,” afforded new and stimulating ways to share her music with the public.

Marika Bournaki holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from The Juilliard School, where her principal teachers were Yoheved Kaplinsky and Matti Raekallio. She makes her home in New York City.

PROGRAM

Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70……………………………………..Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 38………………………………Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

INTERMISSION

silent for the rain……………………………………………………………..Alex Weiser (b. 1989)

Much Ado About Nothing Suite……………………………….Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957)

(trans. Julian Schwarz)

Meditation Hebraique…………………………………………………….Ernest Bloch (1880-1959)

Introduction and Polonaise Brillante in C Major, Op. 3………..Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Photography by Gayna Bassin

Judy Martin, Executive Director of Matinée Musicale Cincinnati

Judy Martin, Administrative Director of Matinée Musicale

Julian Schwarz, cello, and Marika Bournaki, piano

Two CCM cello students in the audience

People in the balcony enjoying the performance

Julian Schwarz talked to the audience about the compositions he played

Julian Schwarz spoke about the compositions he performed.

A standing ovation for our guest artists!

There was a reception with cookies, apple cider and water after the concert.

Members of Matinée Musicale served the refreshments.

Nancy Martin gave M&M packets to the attendees.

Nancy Martin passed out packages of M&Ms with stickers of upcoming recitals on them.

Marika Bournaki and Julian Schwarz

at the reception.

Emily Hodges and Charles Spencer

Judy Martin with the Shertzers

Deborah Grove and Ellen Stephens

Carolmae Katz, Janelle Gelfand, Gayna Bassin & Ellen Shertzer

Artists talking to guests at the Reception

Julian and Marika enjoyed meeting audience members at the reception.

Dinner with members and the artists at Seasons 52 restaurant

Dinner at Seasons 52 restaurant after the recital with

Marika, Julian and Matinée Musicale members.

Julian Schwarz, Cello Read More »

Sara Daneshpour, Piano

Sunday, September 17, 2023

3 pm

Memorial Hall

See Review of Recital by Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati Business Courier.

SEE PHOTOS

Still in her early 20s, Sara Daneshpour has performed not only in her native city of Washington, DC, but also in New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Russia, Germany, Finland, Estonia, Denmark and Sweden on stages of prestigious venues. She also has been featured nationwide on 160 public radio stations, including the venerable WGBH in Boston.

Ms. Daneshpour has received many awards in international competitions including, among others, 3rd prize at the 2017 Arthur Rubenstein International Piano Competition; 1st prize at the XII Concours International de Musique du Maroc; 2013 Laureate of the ProLiance Engery Classical Fellowship Awards of the American Pianists Association; 1st Prize, Gold Medal and the Audience Award at the 2007 International Piano Competition in San Jose, California; Gold Medal at the 2007 International Russian Music Piano Competition; and a medal at the Maria Canals International Piano Competition in Barcelona.

Videos

Rachmaninov – Concerto No. 3 in D Minor

Tchaikovsky, Romance in F minor

Chopin and Ligeti Études

In concerts with orchestra and solo recitals, she stuns audiences with an unusually wide repertoire ranging from Bach to Boulez, with her dazzling technique and an exceptional level of artistic depth and sincerity. Her performances have earned high accolades from audiences and critics alike.

Ms. Daneshpour has studied under the direction of Leon Fleisher at the Curtis Institute of Music, with Yoheved Kaplinsky and Oleg Volkov at The Juilliard School and with Sergei Babayan at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She will join the faculty at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music this fall.

Program

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685 – 1750)

Das Wolhtemperierte Clavier (The Well-Tempered Clavier), Book One
Prelude and Fugue No. 1, in C Major, BWV 846
Prelude and Fugue No. 2, in C Minor, BWV 847
Prelude and Fugue No. 3, in C-Sharp Major, BWV 848
Prelude and Fugue No. 4, in C-Sharp Minor, BWV 849
Prelude and Fugue No. 5, in D Major, BWV 850
Prelude and Fugue No. 6, in D Minor, BWV 851
Prelude and Fugue No. 7, in E-Flat Major, BWV 852
Prelude and Fugue No. 8, in E-Flat Minor, BWV 853
Prelude and Fugue No. 9, in E Major, BWV 854

Intermission

Frédéric Chopin (1810 – 1849)

12 Etudes, Op.25

Photography by Constance Sanders

Sara Daneshpour Read More »

Alexandre Kantorow, Piano

Sunday, February 19, 2023

3 pm

Memorial Hall, OTR

Alexandre Kantorow became the first French pianist to win the Gold Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, where he also won the Grand Prix, only awarded three times before in the competition’s history. The “young tsar of the piano” (Classica) has received numerous other awards and has performed worldwide at the highest level.

Kantorow began his career at an early stage; at 16 he made his debut at La Folle Journée festival in Nantes and since then has played with many of the world’s major orchestras. Highlights in recent and future seasons include concerts with the Orchestre de Paris, Staatskapelle Berlin, Philharmonia, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Boston Symphony, Montreal Symphony and Minnesota Orchestras and tours with the Orchestre National de Toulouse, Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Munich Philharmonic; conductors with whom he is performing include Rouvali, Barenboim, Kochanovsky, Yamada, Petrenko, Ivan Fischer, Sokhiev and Pappano amongst others.

In recital Kantorow appears at major concert halls such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam in their Master Pianists series, Konzerthaus Berlin, Queen Elizabeth Hall London, Philharmonie de Paris, BOZAR in Brussels, Stockholm Konserthus and at the most prestigious festivals including La Roque d’Anthéron, Piano aux Jacobins, Verbier Festival and Klavierfest Ruhr. In the 21/22 season he was Artist-in-Residence at Radio France, the Gstaad festival and with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo. Chamber music is also one his great pleasures and he regularly performs with artists such as Victor Julien-Laferrière, Renaud Capuçon, Daniel Lozakovick and Matthias Goerne.

Kantorow records exclusively with BIS, to great critical acclaim. His latest recording of Brahms Solo Works received the 2022 Diapason d’Or and 2021 Trophée Radio Classique. His recordings of Saint-Saëns Concerti 3-5 and his solo disc of Brahms, Bartók and Liszt also won the Diapason d’Or and the Choc de l’Année (Classica) in 2019 and 2020 respectively, and his à la Russe recital recording won numerous awards and distinctions in 2017, including Choc de l’Année (Classica), Diapason découverte (Diapason), Supersonic (Pizzicato) and CD des Doppelmonats (PianoNews).

Kantorow is a laureate of the Safran Foundation and Banque Populaire, and in 2019 was named ‘Musical Revelation of the Year’ by the Professional Critics Association. In 2020, he won the Victoires de la Musique Classique in two categories: Recording of the Year and Instrumental Soloist of the Year. In 2021 he received the Trophée d’Année from Radio Classique.

Born in France and of French-British heritage, Kantorow studied with Pierre-Alain Volondat, Igor Lazko, Franck Braley and Rena Shereshevskaya.

Program

Piano Sonata No.1 in C Major, Op.1 …………………………………………. Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)

-INTERMISSION-

Der Wanderer ………………………………………………………………………………….. Franz Schubert (arr. Liszt) (1797 – 1828)

Der Müller und der Bach …………………………………………………………… Franz Schubert (arr. Liszt): (1797 – 1828)

Frühlingsglaube ………………………………………………………………………………. Franz Schubert (arr. Liszt): (1797 – 1828)

Die Stadt, from Schwanengesang …………………………………………. Franz Schubert (arr. Liszt):(1797 – 1828)

Am Meer, from Schwanengesang …………………………………………. Franz Schubert (arr. Liszt):(1797 – 1828)

Fantasie in C major, Op.15, D. 760, “Wanderer Fantasy” …. Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)

-ENCORE-

Valse Triste………………………………………………………………………………………….Franz von Vecsey (1893-1935), (arr. Gyorgy Cziffra) (1921-1994)

Click here to hear Kantorow play Valse Triste in a 2019 concert

Photography by Gayna Bassin

Judy Martin, administrative director of Matinée Musicale, welcomed everyone.

Standing ovation for Alexandre Kantorow, piano

Alexandre Kantorow, piano, with Judy Martin and Janelle Gelfand

Kantorow signing CDs and programs at the reception.

Alexandre Kantorow Read More »

Martin James Bartlett, Piano

“Martin James Bartlett is not only a prodigy of the piano but an accomplished artist who counts among the greats of his generation.”

— Nice Matin

“With Martin James Bartlett on the piano, this was like hearing Gershwin for the first time, he gave it new life, new confidence.”

— Behind the Arras, 5 stars, November 2022

“Now in his late 20s, he has become a probing, thoughtful player, directing his exciting virtuosity at the service of a wide range of composers.”

— The Guardian

PROGRAM

Hanick Hawley Duo

Conor Hanick, Piano

Richie Hawley, Clarinet

[Conor Hanick’s] “technical refinement, color, crispness and wondrous variety ofarticulation benefit works by any master.”

— New York Times

“[Richie Hawley] … An intellectually astute, and technically untouchable clarinetist.”

— Casa Magazine

[Richie Hawley’s] “ability to turn ebony into gold–to impose his will on the instrument and make it sing–was evident throughout, from rapid passages to the hushed return of the opening theme…”

— Mary Ellyn Hutton, Cincinnati Post

PROGRAM

Julian Schwarz, Cello

Marika Bournaki, Piano

“A mass of soaring lines, intricate technique, and heroic aplomb, Schwarz executed all with a fluency of ease that was simply astounding. … Schwarz’s ability to spin the musical line with a fire and musicianship left the audience on its feet.”

— Toledo Blade

“It was cellist Julian Schwarz who had the most challenging, high-

flying passages…and he played them all with impeccable intonation

and artistry.”

— Classical Voice of Los Angeles

“Cellist Julian Schwarz’s deep tone shoots straight to the heart of a listener.”

— Shepherd Express, November 2017

Marika Bournaki, Piano

PROGRAM

Sara Daneshpour, Piano

— The Washington Post

— The New York Concert Review

Program

Alexandre Kantorow, Piano

“He is the real deal, a fire-breathing virtuoso with a poetic charm and innate stylistic mastery.”

— Gramophone

“This was a tremendous recital, which pulled you into four very different expressive worlds while giving a strong sense of the single personality that shaped them.”

— Telegraph

Program