Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players

“This was music-making of a very high order”
“at the Jupiter concerts, there is always so much about which to be enthusiastic.”
“the rarities glittered like jewels”

Fred Kirshnit, The New York Sun
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Jupiter 2019 - 2020 Season
20 Mondays at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM

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please call (212) 799-1259 or buy at the door
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Concert Venue:
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway), New York

“one of the most refined and intelligent church spaces in New York” ~ The New York Times Built in 1893 by Josiah Cleveland Cady, architect of the old Metropolitan Opera House and the American Museum of Natural History

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JUPITER SYMPHONY
155 West 68th Street, Suite 319
New York, NY 10023
admin@jupitersymphony.com
(212) 799-1259

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Listen to a live recording of the Jupiter Symphony
Chamber Players from September 23, 2013
Recorded by Joseph Patrych

Roman Rabinovich piano
Xiao-Dong Wang violin
Mihai Marica cello

Antonín DVORÁK  Piano Trio No. 1 in B^b Major Op. 21
i. Allegro molto
ii. Adagio molto e mesto
iii. Allegretto scherzando
iv. Finale

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Merry Holidays ​
& A Very Happy New Year

Dear Friend and Music Lover ~

We’ll tell you once, tell you twice,
Tell you once again,
Where else can you hear such rare standouts
as the Wolf-Ferrari Sinfonia
and Taneyev Piano Quartet in E.
As a fan so aptly posted on Facebook,
“Performing 95% of the classical literature
that’s usually performed 5% of the time.”

Thus, don’t miss out on many more rarities
to come, as well as the known and familiar,
performed by The Best musicians in varied
and unusual programs, at bargain prices.

For this exceptional effort, please
Give us once, give us twice,
Give us once again.

Thank you so so much!

All contributions are tax deductible

Monday, February 3, 2pm & 7:30pm 
A Dark Side
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway)

Drew Petersen piano
Recipient of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant and 2017 American Pianists Awards, 2015 Leeds (4th prize), Kosciuszko-Chopin competitions, Jan Gorbaty Award, and Artist-in-Residence at the University of Indianapolis ~ “Thrilling piano playing wedded to astute quite astonishing musicianship.” East Hampton Star

SooBeen Lee violin
Won First Prize at the 2013 Oistrakh Violin Competition, 2014 Young Concert Artists Auditions, and 2018 NEC Concerto Competition ~ “poised presence, a luxurious sound, spot-on intonation and a bow arm that surely will be the envy of her peers.” Washington Post

Frank Morelli bassoon
Member of the renowned quintet, Windscape ~ “Morelli’s playing is a joy to hear” Gramophone ~ “as good as it gets” American Record Guide ~ “Morelli has set a new standard of playing that will undoubtedly influence generations to come” IDRS Journal 

Erkki MELARTIN  Trio Op. 154
  ~ anticipating interesting harmonies and timbres for the flute, clarinet, and bassoon

Overshadowed by Sibelius his whole life and to this day, in spite of recognition that his compositions are of equal worth, must have been somewhat disheartening. Yet Melartin (1875–1937) cast off the pall of unfairness and wrote about 1000 works, including 6 symphonies that garnered praise at their premieres, although only the 6th was printed by 2 Danish friends for his 60th birthday. While his most important works are these 6 symphonies, he is thought of as a miniaturist and most remembered for his songs and piano pieces, including salon music, which brought him the greatest popularity. His chronic ill health was also a significant factor affecting his life. Melartin’s style ranged from late Romanticism to restrained Expressionism, in an individual voice. In the early decades of the 20th century he introduced Finnish audiences to the music of Mahler, Strauss, and other contemporary composers. He was also a conductor, philosopher, mystic, naturalist, painter, linguist, and an influential teacher.

Jean SIBELIUS  String Trio in G minor
  ~ the Finn’s Lento movement of tormented anguish

RACHMANINOFF  Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor
  ~ intense and dark, brilliant and mysterious ~ written in memory of Tchaikovsky

Georgs PELĒCIS  Music from Behind the Wall
  ~ haunting, euphonious quartet by the Latvian composer and enlightened musicologist ~ for bassoon and string trio

Born in Riga in 1947 (then Soviet-dominated—behind the Iron Curtain), Pelēcis grew up at a time when music was bound by strict social and political constraints. He later studied with Aram Khachaturian at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, graduating in 1970, and completed the music theory post-graduate course in 1977. He is currently a Professor at the Latvian Academy of Music, and has also worked in a creative capacity at Oxford and Cambridge. Musica Baltica described his style as follows: “The musical tonality of Georgs Pelēcis seems to reverberate some amazingly clear positive spirit. This very quality, whose genetic ancestry can be found partly in Renaissance and Baroque music and partly in the minimalist aesthetic, brings a spiritual strength to the composer’s creative output and brings to Latvian music a previously unknown, freshly breathing and pulsating activity. From all the style classifications which the composer himself and musical critics have given to his works, the most precise would be new consonant music, where euphony is the harmonic ideal.... His music...reveals a deeply understood knowledge of the music of past cultures.”

Alexandr GRECHANINOV  Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor Op. 38
  ~ teeming with Russian lyricism, revealing the influence of Tchaikovsky as well as Rachmaninoff ~ dedicated to his teacher Sergei Taneyev

Grechaninov (1864–1956) was a late starter as he was held back by his father; his piano lessons did not begin till age 14. Three years later he went to the Moscow Conservatory and studied counterpoint and theory with Anton Arensky and form with Sergei Taneyev. When a disagreement with Arensky occurred in 1890 over composition teaching he left and studied with Rimsky-Korsakov at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. In 1906, he himself began teaching at the Moscow Conservatory and Gnessin School of Music. After the Revolution, he lost his annual stipend of 2000 rubles and became anxious in Soviet Russia, which resulted in his departure for Paris in 1925. He then immigrated to the United States in 1939 at age 75, making his home in New York City in 1940. Grechaninov was a piano and choral teacher for most of his career, and he composed in all genres, but has a special place in two fields: children’s music and liturgical music, the latter testifying to his liberal religious outlook. His music was influenced by Tchaikovsky, Borodin, and Rimsky-Korsakov. Mainly decadent in style, he never abandoned Russian lyricism.

Jupiter Players on this program:

Ayane Kozasa viola
Winner of the 2011 Primrose, 2012 Astral & Irving Klein competitions ~ “...rock-solid technique and magnetic, wide-ranging tone, which has violinistic lyricism in the upper range, cello-like gravity in the lower range, and classic viola tone in the middle. Most significant...was her sense of style...” David Patrick Stearns ~ Philadelphia Inquirer

Timotheos Petrin cello
Winner of the 2015 Astral Artists Auditionm, top prize winner at the Paulo Cello Competition in Finland ~ “a great and passionate soloist style: expressive, vibrant singing lines, sparkling rhythm... an interesting, original personality” Helsingin Sanomat

Barry Crawford flute
He plays “with steely accuracy and a superb singing tone.” Fred Kirshnit ~ New York Sun

Vadim Lando clarinet
Winner of the CMC Canada, Yale and Stonybrook competitions ~ “consistently distinguished...vibrant, precise, virtuosic playing” The New York Times

Jupiter in the News

ConcertoNet
“knocked the socks off this listener...It was wondrous chamber music. And the three artists gave it the deserving excitement, volition and imagination.” 
Harry Rolnick, ConcertoNet   more...

“the performers were top notch”
“The homey church where these concerts take place, nestled on West 66th Street in the shadow of Lincoln Center, is an intimate and acoustically vibrant place for chamber music.”
Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times   more...

Strad Magazine
“A finely forthright, fluent and expressive account of Haydn's Divertimento in E-flat major opened this programme of miscellaneous chamber music in a series known for adventurous programming.”
Dennis Rooney, Strad Magazine   more...

ConcertoNet
“Mr. Nygaard’s cadenza flowed down Mozart lanes and paths, each with beautiful backgrounds. And at the very end, Mr. Nygaard brought forth that martial major theme, like an unexpected gift.” 
Harry Rolnick, ConcertoNet   more...

“...the group’s efforts proved illuminating ...Brown played a lovely, subtly virtuosic cadenza for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 by Jens Nygaard, the ensemble’s founder, who died in 2001, but whose fascination with rarities continues to drive its programming”
Allan Kozinn, The New York Times   more...

Monday, February 17, 2pm & 7:30pm 
Choice Mozart
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway)

Josef Spacek violin
Concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic ~ winner of the Michael Hill Violin Competition ~ “His high-charisma playing was fueled by priceless musical comprehension.” Philadelphia Inquirer ~ “Never mind the superb technical accomplishment of his playing, it’s the musical and interpretative achievement that is so impressive here.” International Record Review

Paul Neubauer viola
First violist to win an Avery Fisher Career Grant, first prize winner of the Whitaker, D’Angelo and Lionel Tertis competitions ~ “Neubauer’s seamless control of the bow, his intonation, his rich and varied tonal palette, mark him as a member of the elite.” The New York Times

MOZART  Sonata-Sextet in F Major K. 497a
  ~ among his finest works, the Sonata is originally for piano 4-hands ~ arranged by Peter Serkin for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, viola, cello, and double bass

The musicologist Alfred Einstein called this substantial and often dramatic Sonata “the crowning work of its kind” and Mozart himself marked the title page “Grande Sonate,” implying a more ambitious treatment of the form. Received enthusiastically in Vienna, it was very likely written for members of the Jacquin family or at least for performance at the Jacquin home.

MOZART  Divertimento for string trio K. 563
  ~ in the noble key of E^b Major

Alfred Einstein noted, “It is a true chamber-music work, and grew to such large proportions only because it was intended to offer . . . something special in the way of art, invention, and good spirits. . . . Each instrument is primus inter pares, every note is significant, every note is a contribution to spiritual and sensuous fulfillment in sound.”

Jupiter Players on this program:

Zlatomir Fung cello
Winner of the 2017 Young Concert Artists Auditions and 2017 Astral National Auditions; First Prizewinner of the 2018 Schoenfeld, 2016 Enescu, 2015 Johansen, 2014 Stulberg, and 29th Irving Klein Competitions; Second Prizewinner at the 2018 Paolo (Finland) competition; selected a 2016 Presidential Scholar of the Arts

Gabriel Polinsky double bass
Winner of the 2019 Philadelphia Orchestra Allen Greenfield Competition, and fourth prize at the Irving Klein Competition

Roni Gal-Ed oboe
First Prize winner of the Lauschmann Oboe Competition in Mannheim ~ “Outstanding” The New York Times ~ “Expressive, wonderful player” German SZ Magaziner

Vadim Lando clarinet
Winner of the CMC Canada, Yale and Stonybrook competitions ~ “consistently distinguished...vibrant, precise, virtuosic playing” The New York Times

Marlène Ngalissamy bassoon
Won first prize at the 2012 Canadian Music Competition ~ “Ngalissamy gave a fully evolved shape and sinewy sound to the long phrase. Nuanced, authoritative, rendered in a variety of colors, it was a solo to win auditions.” Philadelphia Inquirer

Monday, March 2, 2pm & 7:30pm 
French Finesse
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway)

Ilya Itin piano
Winner of the Leeds, Gina Bachauer, Robert Casadesus, William Kappel, Rachmaninoff, Rubinstein, and Bunkamura competitions ~“He plays marvelously with all his body and his soul: a very great pianist and musician.” Le Figaro ~ “Undoubtedly, Itin is a major pianist, with an ease about him that makes you want to listen to him for hours.” The Philadelphia Inquirer ~ “Ilya Itin — a brilliantly insightful pianist” The New York Times

Xiao-Dong Wang violin
Twice winner of the Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition, and First Prize and special Szymanovski Prize winner of the Wieniawski-Lipinski International Competition

Jacqueline Kerrod harp
“exceptionally virtuosic and sensitive” Classical Source

Maurice RAVEL  Introduction and Allegro
  ~ his vividly colorful septet for virtuoso solo harp, flute, clarinet, and string quartet exploits the harp’s full range of technical possibilities

Commissioned by the Érard Company to demonstrate the expressive range of the firm’s double-action pedal harp, “the sweet and nostalgic Introduction begins with parallel winds, then strings, soon enhanced by upward arpeggios from the harp. During the ensuing Allegro the harp expands on melodic material from the Introduction. The entire piece revels in rhapsodic and evocative song-like passagework suggestive of dream states and unfettered romance [Steven Lowe].”

Camille SAINT-SAËNS  Clarinet Sonata in E^b Major Op. 167
  ~ an absorbing work that harks back to the galant style of the 18th century, yet is reminiscent of the neoclassical movement of his day, composed in the last year of his life and dedicated to August Perier, a fine clarinetist with an astonishing technique

DEBUSSY  Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp
  ~ of timeless grace, the impressionistic trio flows with ambiguous harmonies, austere textures and timbre, and instrumental sonorities

Written at a time when he was feeling low from the military conflict of the Great War and his own illness (he had colon cancer), Debussy expressed ambivalence about its emotional effect in a letter to his friend, the Swiss journalist Robert Godet, “[The music is] so terribly melancholy that I can’t say whether one should laugh or cry. Perhaps both at the same time?”

Gabriel FAURÉ  Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor Op. 15
  ~ hauntingly beautiful, it’s an eloquent, cherished gift from one of the most elegant and refined of all composers, and Saint-Saëns’s devoted and most famous student

Jupiter Players on this program:

Cong Wu viola
Assistant Principal Violist of the New York Philharmonc, won 3rd Prize in the 14th Primrose Viola Competition and a Special Prize in the 12th Lionel Tertis Competition

Timotheos Petrin cello
Winner of the 2015 Astral Artists Auditionm, top prize winner at the Paulo Cello Competition in Finland ~ “a great and passionate soloist style: expressive, vibrant singing lines, sparkling rhythm... an interesting, original personality” Helsingin Sanomat

Barry Crawford flute
He plays “with steely accuracy and a superb singing tone.” Fred Kirshnit ~ New York Sun

Vadim Lando clarinet
Winner of the CMC Canada, Yale and Stonybrook competitions ~ “consistently distinguished...vibrant, precise, virtuosic playing” The New York Times

Dear Friends and Music Lovers,    As many of you already know, Jupiter is a paradise for melomaniacs. It’s a haven to wallow in beautiful melodies, superb musicians and music making, and interesting programs. There’s nary a dull moment, thanks to our brilliant artistic director, Michael Volpert.    Indeed, “The playing is top notch; the programs are full of exotica.” Richard Morrison ~ The London Times “excellent musicians in unusual programs” Anthony Tommasini ~ The New York Times “this was truly impressive music making” “One of the Best Deals in Town” “Those in the know keep coming back.” Fred Kirshnit ~ The New York Sun “bringing classical music to people in a powerful way” Cole Grissom ~ Broadway World    So do come as often as you can. And please give as much as you can to help keep Jupiter spinning its musical magic. Your financial support is truly needed.    All gifts are tax deductible.    Thank you so much,

Pencil drawing of Jens Nygaard by Michael McNamara

Why the name Jupiter: When Jens Nygaard named his orchestra Jupiter, he had the beautiful, gaseous planet in mind—unattainable but worth the effort, like reaching musical perfection. Many, indeed, were privileged and fortunate to hear his music making that was truly Out of This World. Our Players today seek to attain that stellar quality.

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Find out more about the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players.