Photo: Mark Battrell
Grammy-nominated harpist, Yolanda Kondonassis (www.yolandaharp.com) will perform with guitarist Jason Vieux on March 14 at 8:00pm at Soka University’s Soka Performing Arts Center (1 University Drive).
The program will feature Diego Pujol’s Suite Mágica, Alan Hovhaness’ Spirit of Trees, Gary Shocker’s Hypnosis for Guitar and Harp, Keith Fitch’s Knock on Wood for Guitar and Harp, and Xavier Montsalvatge’s Fantasia for Guitar and Harp.
In addition, Kondonassis will perform Carlos Salzedo’s Song in the Night and Vieaux will play Isaac Albéniz’s Sevilla,
Yolanda has appeared all over the world as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician and is the most recorded harpist in the world.
Recently she was featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, which can be viewed at http://www.npr.org/2010/12/14/131848020/yolanda-kondonassis-tiny-desk-concert.
Since making her debut at age 18 with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta, Ms. Kondonassis has appeared as soloist with many of the world’s top orchestras, including The Cleveland Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and in recital at Lincoln Center, the 92nd Street Y and Taiwan’s National Concert Hall, to name a few.
Her 2013-2014 season includes concerto engagements with such orchestras as The Phoenix Symphony and The Oklahoma City Philharmonic, a record launch tour for her recent release entitled Ravel: Intimate Masterpieces with concerts on Oberlin’s Artist Recital Series and in New York City, and a tour of the Western U.S. with duo partner, guitarist Jason Vieaux which includes this current visit to Soka University.
American Harp (Azica CD-71281), released in 2013 and featuring original harp solos by John Williams, Lowell Liebermann, John Cage, Elliott Carter, Stephen Paulus, and Norman Dello Joio, marks her seventeenth album in a recording career that has broken boundaries and sold hundreds of thousands of discs and downloads worldwide.
Her extensive discography includes Solo Harp: The Best of Yolanda Kondonassis (Azica CD-71273), celebrating twenty years of critically acclaimed recordings, her Grammy-nominated Telarc release of music by Takemitsu and Debussy entitled Air, and the world-premiere Telarc recording of Bright Sheng’s Harp Concerto, written for Ms. Kondonassis.
Her first children’s book, entitled Our House is Round: A Kid’s Book About Why Protecting Our Earth Matters was published by Skyhorse Publishing. Royalties from several of her projects are donated to earth causes such as the Rainforest Alliance and the Environmental Defense Fund. Her published works for Carl Fischer Music include On Playing the Harp, The Yolanda Kondonassis Collection, and The Yolanda Kondonassis Christmas Collection.
Article Submitted By:
Genevieve Spielberg
Jason Vieaux and Yolanda Kondonassis
Date: 03.14.2014
Time: 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Location: Soka Performing Arts Center
Soka Performing Arts Center Chamber Series
Friday, March 14, 2014 at 8:00 PM
JASON VIEAUX, described as one of “the youngest stars of the guitar world” by The New York Times, is expanding the definition of the classical guitarist and changing the face of guitar programming, building a devoted audience and fan base along the way.
He has earned a reputation for putting his expressive gifts and virtuosity at the service of a remarkably wide range of music, and his schedule of recital, concerto, chamber music, teaching and recording commitments is distinguished with return engagements throughout the U.S. and abroad.
YOLANDA KONDONASSIS is celebrated as one of the world’s premier solo harpists and is widely regarded as today’s most-recorded classical harpist. Hailed as “an extraordinary virtuosa” and “sheer luminescence at the harp,” she has performed around the globe as a concerto soloist and in recital, bringing her unique brand of musicianship and warm artistry to an ever-increasing audience. As a widely renowned and recorded artist, Ms. Kondonassis has been praised by Gramophone magazine for the “clarity, colour, and rhythmic vitality of [her] playing.”
Both artists began studying their respective instruments at a young age, Mr. Vieux at age 8 and Ms. Kondonassis at age 9, and are now renowned musicians as well as educators.
Tickets: $38.00/$28.00 Students and Seniors (62+)
GROUPS: To purchase tickets for groups of 10 or more, please contact the box office at (949) 480-4278.
Come Early for Dinner! Soka Bistro is open for dinner M-F 5:30-7:00 pm, Sat/Sun 5:00-7:00 pm. Only $10.75 for an all you can eat buffet.
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