SUMMER 2023: July 6th - July 9th, 2023
Summer of Paris Chamber Music Festival
The New Hollywood String Quartet and the Da Camera Society are proud to present the chamber music of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. These concerts will take place July 6th -July 9th , 2023 at the stunning Pompeian Room of the Doheny Mansion.
You are cordially invited to come join us for the upcoming Summer of Paris Chamber Music Festival at the beautiful Pompeian Room of the Doheny Mansion. These four concerts will feature 16 works that showcase the extraordinary music of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.
Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel were French composers at the forefront of impressionist music. Their stunning legacy transformed musical expression at the early part of the 20th century and continues to shape our musical landscape to this very day. We will explore the different ways that they influenced each other and those who followed in their footsteps.
Joining the New Hollywood String Quartet- violinists Tereza Stanislav and Rafael Rishik, violist Robert Brophy and cellist Andrew Shulman are some of the most accomplished chamber musicians from around the world. The guest artists are- violinist Corey Cerovsek, violinist Roger Wilkie, pianist Rohan De Silva, pianist Fabio Bidini, pianist Julio Elizalde, pianist Rodolfo Leone, cellist Robert deMaine, cellist Eric Byers, clarinetist Boris Allakhverdyan, pianist Ani Allakhverdyan, flutist Denis Bouriakov, harpist Marcia Dickstein and Mezzo-Soprano Jessie Shulman.
The Summer of Paris Festival brings together the Quartet’s esteemed friends and colleagues from around the world to perform the music that inspired them all as young musicians.
The Summer of Paris is the fourth chamber music festival since the New Hollywood String Quartet’s 2019 Summer of Brahms Festival, which featured performances of all 25 instrumental chamber works of Brahms in a series of eight consecutive sold out concerts. The LA Times praised the “enthusiastic robustness” and “sheer liquidity,” of the performances. In December of 2021, the NHSQ presented the Vienna Holiday Concerts which celebrated the chamber music of Schubert and Mozart. Classical Voice noted, “At the Huntington, the NHSQ exuded a refined and luminous presence in keeping with its growing reputation, 20 years into its history.” In July of 2022 the NHSQ and the Da Camera Society presented the Summer of Beethoven. These four concerts presented some of the best of Beethoven’s vast chamber music output, showcasing repertoire from each of his compositional periods, to convey the arc of his evolution as a composer.
We invite you to join us on this exciting journey as we explore the beautiful and transformative music of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.
SUMMER OF PARIS CONCERT #1- July 6th, 2023 - 8 PM
Claude Debussy - Piano Trio in G Major
Maurice Ravel - Tzigane for Violin and Piano
Intermission
Maurice Ravel - String Quartet in F Major
Featuring:
Corey Cerovsek - Violin
Julio Elizalde - Piano
Rohan De Silva - Piano
Eric Byers - Cello
New Hollywood String Quartet
Violinist Corey Cerovsek, pianist Julio Elizalde and cellist Eric Byers open the festival with an early Debussy work, the Piano Trio in G Major, composed in 1880 when he was just 18 years old. The manuscript of this Piano Trio was thought to be lost but was fortunately discovered in 1982.
Corey Cerovsek and Rohan De Silva conclude the first half of the program with Tzigane, a thrilling work that Ravel composed in 1924 for the illustrious violinist Jelly d’Aranyi, who incidentally happened to be the grand niece of the celebrated violin virtuoso of the nineteenth century, Joseph Joachim.
SUMMER OF PARIS CONCERT #2 - July 7th, 2023 - 8 PM
Claude Debussy - Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor
Claude Debussy - Nocturne et Scherzo for Cello and Piano
Maurice Ravel - Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major
Intermission
Claude Debussy - String Quartet in G minor
Featuring:
Fabio Bidini - Piano
Andrew Shulman - Cello
Rohan De Silva - Piano
Roger Wilkie - Violin
The New Hollywood String Quartet
Day two of the festival opens with the Debussy Sonata in D minor for Cello and Piano performed by Andrew Shulman and Fabio Bidini. Debussy composed this sonata in 1915 as the first in a planned series of six sonatas for different instruments. He had been diagnosed with cancer and hadn’t composed in years, however his publisher Durand encouraged him to move forward with this multi work project.
The Ravel Sonata No.2 in G Major for violin and piano performed by Roger Wilkie and Rohan De Silva concludes the first half of the program. Ravel finished this sonata from in 1927, inspired by a trip to America which intensified his love for jazz and the blues. George Enescu performed the premiere that same year with Ravel at the piano.
The New Hollywood String Quartet concludes the concert with the Debussy String Quartet in G minor, composed it in 1893 at the age of 31. It was his only string quartet, and also one of the few works that he wrote in conventional form, yet he was able to create a visionary, modern piece that was both sensuous and spontaneous.
SUMMER OF PARIS CONCERT #3 - July 8th, 2023 - 4 PM
Claude Debussy - Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor
Claude Debussy - Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp
Claude Debussy - Images Book No.1
Intermission
Maurice Ravel - Piano Trio in A minor
Featuring:
Rafael Rishik - Violin
Rohan De Silva - Piano
Denis Bouriakov - Flute
Marcia Dickstein - Harp
Robert Brophy - Viola
Tereza Stanislav - Violin
Fabio Bidini - Piano
Julio Elizalde - Piano
Robert deMaine - Cello
The third concert opens with the Debussy Sonata in G minor for Violin and Piano performed by Rafael Rishik and Rohan De Silva. This1917 sonata was Debussy’s last completed composition, and sadly just the third work of his sonata cycle. Although he had terminal cancer and the First World War was devastating Europe, the Violin Sonata manages to radiate more of an inner light and joy than despair.
The second work is the Debussy Sonata for flute, viola and harp performed by Denis Bouriakov, Robert Brophy and Marcia Dickstein. This is the second of the planned six sonata cycle and was composed in 1915.
Fabio Bidini performs Debussy Images Book 1 to conclude the first half of the concert. Images is a suite of six compositions for solo piano. Book 1 was composed between 1901 and 1905 and consists of the first three pieces.
The Ravel Piano Trio in A minor performed by Tereza Stanislav, Robert deMaine and Julio Elizalde concludes the concert. Ravel composed his Piano Trio in the Spring and Summer of 1914 as Europe descended into the First World War. Ravel rushed to complete the work in order to enlist. The 40-year-old composer served as an ambulance driver in the 13th Artillery Regiment. His age and small stature precluded him from joining the French Air Force, which had been his intention.
SUMMER OF PARIS CONCERT #4 - July 9th, 2023 - 4 PM
Claude Debussy - Premiere Rhapsodie for Clarinet and Piano
Maurice Ravel - Sonata No.1 for Violin and Piano (Sonata posthume)
Maurice Ravel Chansons Madecasses for Voice, Piano, Flute and Cello
Intermission
Maurice Ravel - Duo Sonata for Violin and Cello
Maurice Ravel - Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet and String Quartet
Featuring
Boris Allakhverdyan - Clarinet
Alin Melik-Adamyan Allakhverdyan - Piano
Rafael Rishik - Violin
Rohan De Silva - Piano
Rodolfo Leone - Piano
Jessie Shulman - Mezzo Soprano
Denis Bouriakov - Flute
Andrew Shulman - Cello
Corey Cerovsek - Violin
Robert deMaine - Cello
Marcia Dickstein - Harp
New Hollywood String Quartet
The fourth concert opens with the Debussy Premiere Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano performed by Boris Allakhverdyan and Alin Melik- Adamyan Allakhverdyan. Composed between December 1909 and January 1910, it was dedicated to the French clarinet professor Prosper Mimart.
The Ravel Sonata No.1 (Sonata posthume) for Violin and Piano performed by Rafael Rishik and Rodolfo Leone was composed in 1897. It was published in 1975, 38 years after his death.
The Ravel Chansons Madecasses for Voice, Piano, Flute and Cello performed by Jessie Shulman, Rohan De Silva, Denis Bouriakov and Andrew Shulman was composed between December 1909 and January 1910.
The Ravel Duo Sonata for violin and cello performed by Corey Cerovsek and Robert deMaine was composed from 1920 to1922. Ravel dedicated this work to Claude Debussy who had died in 1918. It premiered on April 6th 1922 with Helene Jourdan- Morhange playing the violin and Maurice Marechal the cello.
The final work of the festival is Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro for harp, flute, clarinet and string quartet performed by: Boris Allakhverdyan, Denis Bouriakov, Marcia Dickstein and the New Hollywood String Quartet. This work was commissioned in 1905 by Erard Harp Manufacturers to showcase their instruments. The premiere was in Paris on February 22 1907.