Brahms Double Concerto for Violin and Cello highlight of Symphony concert

Jan 12, 2006

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 326-3136

SPOKANE: Three friends bring diverse musical gifts, each making a contribution to an exciting Spokane Symphony concert on Friday, Jan. 20 at 8 p.m.

The concert is an ode to musical friendships in 19th-century Germany. Robert Schumann is the vital link, for he was a close friend of both Mendelssohn and Brahms — through his warm support, he even set the latter composer on the path of his splendid career. Brahms' Double Concerto for Violin and Cello reflects one of his dearest friendships, with the violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim. It is, in fact, a musical peace offering, intended to restore their ties after a serious quarrel had driven them apart. For this concert, the fabulous Brahms Concerto for Violin and Cello is played by a very talented husband-wife duo, Mira Wang and Jan Vogler.

Mendelssohn's Overture to Ruy Las and Schuman's Symphony No. 3 Rhenish complete this fabulous evening under the direction of Maestro Eckart Preu.

Mira Wang has won top prizes all over the world, such as the first prize at the Geneva International Competition and the first prize in the New Zealand International Festival of Arts Lexus Violin Competition. Wang has appeared as a soloist with many prestigious orchestras all over the world, including the Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Saarbrücken Radio Symphony, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Dresden Philharmonie, Dutch Radio Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Würzburger Philharmoniker, Baltic Philharmonic, Guildford Philharmonic in England and Orquesta Sinfonica de Euskadi in Spain.

Wang 's solo appearances in the United States have included her debut with John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra, several reengagements with the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Boston Philharmonic, the Symphony Orchestra of Kalamazoo and others.

Wang's duo album with cellist Jan Vogler has received great reviews all over the world. As an active chamber musician, Wang has appeared at the Marlboro Music Festival and toured with "Musicians from Marlboro" throughout the United States, the Kuhmo Music Festival in Finland, the Rheingau Musik Festival, the Schloß Moritzburg Chamber Music Festival and MDR Musiksommer in Germany. In Berlin, Wang performed for the President of Germany in the opening concert at the Berliner Festwochen.
Wang plays on a violin by A. Stradivarius which used to belong to Joseph Joachim.

Vogler Cello: Recognized for his rapturously heartfelt playing (Washington Post) Vogler has rapidly established himself as one of the best cellists on the world stage. Winner of the 2002 Echo Award (Germany's equivalent of the Grammy) for Best Instrumentalist', he is the modern representative of the German cello tradition which goes back to Emanuel Feuermann and Julius Klengel. Vogler's distinguished career has included concerts with orchestras such as Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Radio Orchestra Berlin, Dresden Staatskapelle, Radio Orchestra Hannover, Kammerphilhamonie Bremen, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Saarbrücken Radio Orchestra and BBC Ulster Orchestra Belfast.

An avid recitalist and chamber musician, Vogler has performed extensively in many of the world's great concert halls including his successful inaugural series of concerts at Carnegie Hall with the Moritzburg Festival artists, programmed by Vogler himself. Other appearances included the Schumann Concerto in Milan with Aldo Ceccato, his recital debut in Milan and tours in Italy and Ireland.

A very active recording artist, Vogler has recently embarked on a three disc recording project with Sony Classical which will feature him in a wide spectrum of solo and chamber performances. The first CD was released in 2004 featuring Richard Strauss's Don Quichote' and Romance' with the Dresden Staatskapelle under Fabio Luisi. He has many recent recordings, including the German cello repertoire including the complete works by Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms. Sony Classical recently released a new CD with Vogler and the New York Philharmonic -- The Secrets of Dvorak's Cello Concerto.

Vogler is artistic director of the Moritzburg Festival and the Fürstenberg Classics Festival. New York and Dresden are both home to Vogler, Wang and their two children. Vogler plays a 1712 Joseph filius Andrea Guarneri cello.

Underwriters for this concert are Paine Hamblen Coffin Brooke and Miller LLP Attorneys at Law and Avista.

Wang and Vogler will appear on Classical Chat at 12:15 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, on City Channel 5. The program is open to the public in the Council Chambers of City Hall and a question and answer period will follow.

Music Director Eckart Preu will present the Pre-concert Lecture at 7 p.m. before the 8 p.m. concert on Friday, Jan. 20.

Tickets range from $15 to $35 and are available at the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office, 818 W. Riverside, Suite 100 or 509-624-1200; all Ticketswest Outlets; 509-325-SEAT; 1-800-325-SEAT and at www.spokanesymphony.org