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 2018 - 2019 Season
20 Mondays at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM

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To purchase Tickets ~ $25, $17, $10 
please call (212) 799-1259 or buy at the door
or e-mail admin@jupitersymphony.com
or order tickets with our printable ticket order form (pdf)

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

Office Address:
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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Monday, March 4, 2pm & 7:30pm 
2 Geniuses
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway)

Max Levinson piano
First Prize winner of the Guardian Dublin Competition, an Avery Fisher Career Grant and 2005 Andrew Wolf award ~ “Extravagantly gifted and extraodinarily accomplished, Levinson...has fingers, power, brains and intuition.” Los Angeles Times ~ “The pianist’s quietly eloquent conceptions, formidable technique and lovely touch left little else to be desired.” The New York Times ~ “Levinson...is a true virtuoso – he makes every phrase, every note, say something.” New York Observer

Vadim Gluzman violin
Winner of the Henryk Szeryng, Tibor Varga, CIEM Geneva, Corpus Christi and Irving Klein competitions ~ “...a commanding technique, spontaneity, and visionary breadth... capable of both delicate nuances and incendiary passion.” The Washington Post  ~ “Gluzman displayed his immaculate prowess like a proud jeweler cutting a diamond of outstanding quality.” Edward Clarke ~ Classical Source

Kobi Malkin violin
Winnings include the Kornhauser prize of the Aviv Competition, the New England Conservatory’s Concerto and Violin competitions, and the Canetti Violin Competition ~ Praised by the New York Times for his “palette of emotions...with gorgeous tone and an edge-of-seat intensity.”

Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD  Piano Trio in D Major Op. 1
   ~ astonishing achievement by the 12-year old, who was called a genius by Mahler when he was nine

Written in the highly expressive language of the Viennese fin de siècle after two years of study with Alexander Zemlinsky, the lyrical tunes in a thoroughly modern harmonic language also show evidence of the traditions of Brahms and Strauss. The premiere in Vienna was performed by the already famous Bruno Walter, Arnold Rosé (concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic for more than 50 years), and cellist Friedrich Buxbaum (of the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera). Korngold was born in Moravia, educated in Vienna, and achieved success as a composer of opera and concert music throughout Europe. Upon leaving Nazi Germany, he made a name for himself in Hollywood, and was a pioneer in the development of the classical Hollywood film score, providing music for at least 16 movie scores, two of which won Oscars.

SCHUBERT  Octet in F Major D. 803
   ~ of heavenly length at just under an hour, it’s a marvelous, cheerful journey of rich invention, sublime melodies, and complex textures ~ for clarinet, horn, bassoon, string quartet, and double bass

Jupiter Players on this program:

Ayane Kozasa viola
Winner of the 2011 Primrose, 2012 Astral & Irving Klein competitions ~ hailed for her “magnetic, wide-ranging tone” and “rock solid technique” Philadelphia Inquirer

Coleman Itzkoff cello
Gold Medalist in the 2017 Berliner competition and a multiple prizewinner at the 2016 Irving Klein and 2016 Boulder Chamber Music competitions ~ “flawless technique and keen musicality” Alex Ross ~New Yorker

Xavier Foley double bass
Won First Prize at the 2016 Young Concert Artists Auditions and 2014 Sphinx Competition, the 2009 (Junior Division) and 2011 (Senior Division) Bassists Society competition, and 2014 Astral Artists National Auditions

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

Eric Reed horn
Member of the American Brass Quintet and Ensemble Échappé, a sinfonietta dedicated to 21st century music; he plays regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Orpheus, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He is on the faculty at Juilliard, Aspen, and Round Top.

Gina Cuffari bassoon
Praised for her “sound that is by turns sensuous, lyric, and fast moving” Palm Beach Daily News

Jupiter in the News

“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, March 18, 2pm & 7:30pm 
Germans at Home & Abroad
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway)

Janice Carissa piano
Named a Young Scholar of Lang Lang’s Music Foundation, winner of the 2014 piano competition at the Aspen Festival and Star Performance Award of the 2012 American Protégé Competition ~ top prize winner of the IBLA Foundation’s 2006 Piano Competition (at age 8)

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

BEETHOVEN  Piano Quartet in D Major WoO 36 No. 2
   ~ his most ambitious early composition, written at age 14, it’s also one of the earliest works for the instrumental combination of piano, violin, viola and cello

Joseph Martin KRAUS  Flute Quintet in D Major Op. 7
   ~ by the German-born “Swedish Mozart” whom Haydn, Gluck, Salieri, and Albrechtsberger considered a genius

Haydn is quoted as saying, “I own one of his symphonies, which I keep to remind me of one of the greatest geniuses I have ever met.” While Kraus was studying law at the University of Göttingen, he met a Swedish student who persuaded him to petition for a job at the brilliant court of King Gustavus III in Stockholm. It took two years before he was elected a member of the Swedish Academy of Music, and in 1781 he became deputy conductor of the court orchestra. From 1782 to 1787 he was sent on a study tour at the king’s expense through Germany, Austria, Italy, France, and England. Kraus wrote the Flute Quintet during this sojourn, possibly as a gift for a friend, the Viennese amateur, Johann Samuel Liedemann. The Quintet, according to David Wright, “broke with all the erstwhile conventions that governed such pieces. The outer and inner forms of that work were groundbreaking comparing with everything previously composed at the time, with the astoundingly long first movement of 306 bars.” In 1792 Kraus died of tuberculosis at age 36. A torchlight procession accompanied his coffin to Tivoli, where he was buried.

Adolf BUSCH  Duo No. 1 Op. 26
   ~ amiable duet for the clarinet and violin, intended as hausmusik for friends and family

Busch was one of the finest German violinists of his day, the leader of the Busch Quartet and Busch Chamber Players, teacher of Yehudi Menuhin, and one of the founders (together with Rudolf Serkin, his duo partner and son-in-law) of the Marlboro Music School and Festival in Vermont. Although he was not Jewish, Busch renounced his homeland in 1933 in the face of pleas from the Nazis to return to Germany, and emigrated to the United States from Basel, where he had been living since the rise of Adolf Hitler in 1927.

MENDELSSOHN  Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor Op. 49
   ~ Schumann, after hearing the Trio, declared it the “master trio of our time,” stating that “Mendelssohn is the Mozart of the nineteenth century, the most illuminating of musicians”

Jupiter Players on this program:

Sung Jin Lee viola
Won a special prize at the 2013 Lionel Tertis Viola Competition, and First Prizes at the 2009 Just Viola Festival and 2006 Seoul Youth Chamber Music competitions

Ani Aznavoorian cello
Winner of the Julius Stulberg and Paolo competitions ~ “shows great sensitivity and great virtuosity at all moments” Los Angeles Times ~ “stunning in her assured technical mastery” Kansas City Star

Anthony Trionfo flute
First prize winner of the 2013 Alexander & Buono competition, a winner of the National YoungArts Foundation competition, and Young Concert Artists 2016 Auditions ~ “spellbinding” Santa Barbara Voice

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

Warmest Holiday Wishes ​
& A Very Happy New Year

Dear Friend and Music Lover ~

As our musical journey cruises ahead, please consider making Jupiter a part of your life.

Our precious cache of gifted musicians continues to give joy with a trove of musical treasures, big and small, in wondrous variety—at modest ticket prices, no less.

For this stellar effort, we need your support. At least 80 artists will benefit from your gift, and you will gain from their brilliant music making when you come to hear them often.

Our deepest gratitude, always,

All contributions are tax deductible

Monday, March 25, 2pm & 7:30pm 
Czech Medley
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
152 West 66 Street (west of Broadway)

Evren Ozel piano
First prize at the 2016 Boston Symphony Concerto Competition, second prize at the 2016 Thomas and Evon Cooper Competition, and second prize as well as the Mozart and Chopin special prizes at the 2018 Dublin Piano Competition ~ scholarships from the Chopin Foundation and YoungArts Foundation

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

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 

Joseph FIALA (1748-1816)  Bassoon Quartet No. 3 in F Major
   ~ delightful Classical piece by Mozart’s close friend

After hearing a small wind group playing at Herr Albert’s tavern in Munich, Mozart was quite impressed. On 3 October 1777, he wrote a letter of praise to father: “They did not play at all badly together.... You can tell at once that Fiala has trained them. They played some of his compositions and I must say that they were very pretty and that he has some very good ideas.” Fiala became a close friend of the Mozarts and his name frequently appears in the family’s correspondence. The eminent oboist, virtuoso viola da gambist, cellist, and teacher began his professional career as an oboist in the service of Countess Netolická in Lochovice (his hometown) and Prague. He next served in the court orchestra of Elector Maximilian Joseph in 1777 in Munich, where he met Mozart. After the Elector’s death in 1778 Mozart helped Fiala find another job. In 1785 Fiala went to Vienna, and in 1786 to Saint Petersburg where he worked in the court of Catherine the Great. In 1790 he moved to Prussia where he served as a viola da gamba player in the court of Friedrich Wilhelm II. Finally in 1792 he became Kapellmeister to Prince Fürstenberg at Donaueschingen, where he spent the rest of his life.

Bedrich SMETANA  Z domoviny “From the Homeland” JB 1:118
   ~ the mood of the two intensely personal duos is one of melancholy as well as joy, laced with infectious folk themes ~ “They are genuinely national in character, but with my own melodies,” wrote the Czech composer of the showpieces for violin and piano, while in pain and poverty—he was already deaf for two years and in failing health from neurosyphilis, and subsisting on a meager and often delayed pension

Josef Bohuslav “J B” FOERSTER  Nonet Op. 147
   ~ deeply personal post-Romanticism, with appealing melodies, rich chromatic harmonies, and touches of folk music, it resembles, in form, a Baroque suite of dances in eight short movements, some flowing together without a pause, with each instrument given a virtuosic turn ~ for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, and double bass

The New Grove Dictionary confirms the Czech composer’s importance, noting that “Together with his contemporaries Janácek, Novák, Suk, and Ostrcil, he led the development of Czech music from the nationalist trinity of Smetana, Dvorák and Fibich to the interwar avant garde.” Born in Prague in 1859, Foerster was renowned in his day not only as a composer, but as a writer, critic, teacher, and watercolorist as well. His literary and musical output was enormous. Born into an established musical family, he succeeded Dvorák as organist of St. Vojtech in 1882. Subsequently he held teaching positions at the Hamburg Conservatory, the New Conservatory in Vienna, the Prague Conservatory, and Prague University; and was a music critic for the influential daily, Die Zeit. He personally knew Smetana and Dvorák; and was on friendly terms with the poet Jan Neruda, Tchaikovsky, and many other artistic figures. He later became friends with Mahler. His musical language was at first influenced by the Romanticism of Grieg and Fibich. It then became expressively subjective and meditative, then more like Smetana, Dvorák, and Fibich, and drew on folksong and the traditions of Czech music. A Society in his name was founded in 1919 to promote contemporary music in his time. In 1946 he was declared a National Composer, and when he died in 1951, he was granted a state funeral.

Antonín DVORÁK  Piano Trio No. 2 in G minor Op. 26
   ~ be captured by its magic Slavic spell, at times laden with tragic emotion, his expression of grief for the death of Josefa, his two-day-old daughter

Jupiter Players on this program:

Cong Wu viola
Won Third Prize and Best Performance in the 2014 Primrose Viola Competition

Ani Aznavoorian cello
Winner of the Julius Stulberg and Paolo competitions ~ “shows great sensitivity and great virtuosity at all moments” Los Angeles Times ~ “stunning in her assured technical mastery” Kansas City Star

Xavier Foley double bass
Won First Prize at the 2016 Young Concert Artists Auditions and 2014 Sphinx Competition, the 2009 (Junior Division) and 2011 (Senior Division) Bassists Society competition, and 2014 Astral Artists National Auditions

Barry Crawford flute
“Crawford’s playing was superb. I admired his tone, his phrasing and breath control, and the joy-giving communicative quality of his playing.” Southampton Press

Hassan Anderson oboe
Oboist with the Shuffle Concert Ensemble

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

Karl Kramer horn
Winner of the 1997 and 1999 American Horn competitions ~ “a prominent, perilously chromatic horn line, which Karl Kramer played beautifully.” The New York Times

Dear Friends and Music Lovers,    These days there’s much ado about mining bitcoins. Well, let’s consider mining Jupiter instead.    Why? Jupiter is a valuable asset that offers growth in enjoyment, with interesting and varied programs, and it’s the best in class. It also offers many performance opportunities to numerous remarkable musicians, while continuing to keep ticket prices low. No speculation needed, no volatility expected. The yield includes rock solid support of super talents and guaranteed high returns in bliss from top quality music making. There’s nothing to lose in mining Jupiter. No risk.    So sign up now for a full series of 20 concerts, or miss out on half the fun and sign up for 10 concerts. We’ll even more than welcome you on a per concert basis!    How is this investment possible at such bargain rates? Here’s where you come in—your gift is the seed capital for a thriving Jupiter! Please give as much as you can. You’ll have our gratitude in spades. All gifts are tax deductible. Thank you so much,

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.