DATE: January 02, 2008
CONTACT:
Lillian Harder, (864) 656-3043
harderl@clemson.edu
WRITER:
Glenn Hare, (864) 656-1478
ghare@clemson.edu
Acclaimed trio to perform as part of Clemson chamber music series
CLEMSON — Clemson University’s award-winning chamber music series presents Trio Virtuosi, a world-renowned ensemble comprised of flutist Eugenia Zukerman, violinist Gary Levinson and pianist Adam Neiman.
The trio, which has garnered critical and popular praise around the world, performs free at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts as part of the Utsey Chamber Music Series beginning at 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28.
Brooks Center Director Lillian Harder said, “They are superior musicians on every level. Their musicianship is second to none. Their technique is unquestionable and their passion is electrifying.”
The concert will feature chamber music selections as well as compositions for solo performance. Compositions by Gabriel Fauré, Frederic Chopin, Bela Bartok and C.P.E. Bach are among the works planned for the evening. Gary Levinson will play a 300-year-old Stradivarius violin, an instrument that was lost for more than 20 years. (See related story.)
Zukerman’s musical career spans more than 25 years. She also is a successful writer and television commentator. Ms. Zukerman’s newest book is an updated edition of “In My Mother’s Closet,” an anthology of essays by accomplished women and their thoughts on mother-daughter relationships.
A child prodigy, Levinson began studying the violin at age 5. He made his United States debut at the age of 13 with the Minnesota Orchestra and his solo debut with the New York Philharmonic at 19. Levinson earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School. The winner of the top prize at the Romano Romanini International Violin Competition in Italy, Levinson often performs with the Israel Philharmonic.
Recognized for his depth, sensitivity and virtuosity, Neiman’s repertoire spans more than 40 piano concertos. He is the youngest-ever winner of the Gilmore Young Artist Award and the winner of the YCA International Auditions. He has shared the stage with such noted conductors as Leonard Slatkin, Peter Oundjain and Yoel Levi. He has performed with symphony orchestras in Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and St. Louis, among others.
For more information about Trio Virtuosi’s performance, go to www.clemson.edu/Brooks. Information is also available by calling the Brooks Center box office at (864) 656-7787 from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Clemson University’s Lillian and Robert Utsey Chamber Music Series
The Lillian and Robert Utsey Chamber Music Series has presented free classical music concerts to the Clemson community for 21 years. Since its start in 1986 it has presented more than 100 concerts and welcomed approximately 50,000 audience members to Clemson University.
The series actively works to cultivate the next generation of classical music listeners as part of the Eskridge Tri-ART Series, the Brooks Center’s education outreach program, special morning programs designed to introduce classical music to K-12 students. Since the opening of the Brooks Center in 1994, the series has presented more than 25 educational performances to more than 12,000 children.
Donations from more than 700 individuals, families and businesses have led to a substantial growth of the series’ endowment. Interest from the endowment enables the university to present four performances annually, featuring internationally known artists. The Utsey Chamber Music Series has been nationally recognized and has performances regularly aired on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today,” which is broadcast on more than 200 public radio stations.
Last year, Clemson University received a 2007 Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts, South Carolina’s highest arts award, for contributions by the Utsey Chamber Music Series.