Violinist

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EMF CELEBRATES: Dvořák’s America

Guilford College

Signature Performance: Welcome Bach

Eastern Chamber Players 1

**Event Title:** Close Encounters With Music: Virtue and Virtuosity

**Date and Time:** Sunday, November 5, 2023, at 4:00 pm

**Location:** Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230

**Ticket Prices:** $28 for Upper Balcony, $52 for Orchestra and Mezzanine

**Description:** Dive into an evening where virtue meets virtuosity at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. This unique musical event explores the intricate relationship between the inherent goodness of music and the exceptional skill of its performers. Featuring works that glorify the capabilities of their respective instruments and the prowess of the musicians, the program promises to stun and titillate audiences in the Romantic tradition of Paganini. Expect to witness the violinist's tight-rope walk on strings, performing feats that seem to stretch the instrument's capabilities to their limits.

The evening will showcase the dazzling compositions of Sarasate and Saint Saëns, including a performance of the gorgeous Rondo Capriccioso on the cello, a task exponentially more challenging than on its original instrument. The event will also introduce the audience to the works of Russian/Ukrainian composer Nikolai Kapustin, whose Preludes blend jazz and classical forms into a red-hot fusion that promises to captivate.

With a focus on pyrotechnics and acrobatics, mastery of content and form, and the magic that comes when craft meets ideal, the program explores fundamental questions about the nature of art. The event culminates with the emotionally compelling and ineffably beautiful Brahms Piano Trio Op. 8, promising an evening of unforgettable musical experiences.

**Performers:** Adam Golka on piano, Giora Schmidt on violin, Yehuda Hanani and Philip Thompson on cello, will lead the audience through this exploration of music's power to evoke both virtue and virtuosity.

**Additional Information:** For more details or to purchase tickets, please visit the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center website or contact them at 413-528-0100. Join us for an evening that celebrates the extraordinary capabilities of music and musicians alike.

EPSG:4326

Close Encounters With Music: Virtue and Virtuosity

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

The season closes with the irresistible fire and passion of music shaped by Romani traditions, which left an indelible mark on European composers. The romance, longing, and sense of freedom in these melodies found their way into some of the most beloved works of the repertoire. Haydn’s Piano Trio No. 39, with its famous “Gypsy” Rondo, dazzles in Hungarian style, while Brahms unleashes unbridled intensity in the torrential finale of his Piano Quartet No. 1. Ravel (Tzigane), Bartók (Romanian Dances), and Liszt (Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2) add their voices to this vibrant tradition. After the performance, join us for a festive reception—complete with a fortune teller to offer a lighthearted glimpse into your future. Our prediction: a brilliant season finale filled with inspired music and extraordinary performers.

Violinist

Giora Schmidt

Events

Upcoming events

Jun 14, 2026

Close Encounters With Music: Romance of the Romani!—Ravel, Bartók, Liszt, Haydn, and Brahms Piano Quartet · Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

Past events

Jun 28, 2024

EMF CELEBRATES: Dvořák’s America · Eastern Music Festival

Jun 27, 2024

Signature Performance: Welcome Bach · Eastern Music Festival

Future and recently performed repertoire

Violin in Tzigane by Ravel

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

Violin in Piano Quartet No. 1 by Brahms

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

Violin in Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Liszt

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

Violin in String Quartet No. 12 by Dvořák

Eastern Music Festival

About

Giora Schmidt hasn't added a bio