Music Matters: Shostakovich, Op. 147 ~ Vinokur & Azikiwe

Amadi Azikiwe, violin & viola
Olga Vinokur, 1886 Chickering concert grand

Shostakovich  Viola Sonata, Op. 147
Medtner  Canzona Matinata
       with duo masterpieces by Rimsky-Korsakov,
Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Glazunov

Acclaimed American violist, violinist, and conductor Amadi Azikiwe transforms any stage into a launchpad of ideas and lyrical sparks. Familiar Music Matters pianist Olga Vinokur has her own brand of fire, melded with a fine subtlety of touch that elicits a vast array of timbres from the colorful 1886 Chickering concert grand. Hearing Shostakovich’s haunting viola sonata for the first time is a moving, sometimes shattering experience. This masterpiece among the composer’s late compositions is stark and challenging, and deeply stirring. Medtner’s compact, lyrical Canzona Matinata, one of his celebrated Forgotten Melodies, is a post-Rachmaninoff jewel that evokes the darkly rich soundscape of 20th-c. Russian pianism. The chamber duos for violin or viola and piano sizzle with bravura passagework, lyrical sorcery, and sheer luminescence.

AmadiAzikiwe.com
OlgaVinokur.com

Amadi’s and Olga’s duo recital runs ca. 70′ and is without an intermission.

$20 online tickets here; $25 at the door

All seating is unreserved: first come, first served! Doors open 1/2 hour before the start of the concert. No paper ticket necessary – simply give your name at the door.