Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts presents:

Stella Chen, violin • Matthew Lipman, viola • Brannon Cho, cello

Live at NEC's Jordan Hall, Boston, MA

January 13, 2024

http://www.chineseperformingarts.net/...

Divertimento in E-flat major, K. 563 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Menuetto
IV. Andante
V. Menuetto
VI. Allegro

Patrick Keating audio & video
Photo by Chung Cheng

American violinist Stella Chen, lauded for her "phenomenal maturity" and "fresh and spontaneous, yet emotionally profound and intellectually well-structured performance" (Jerusalem Post), achieved global acclaim by winning the first prize at the 2019 Queen Elizabeth International Violin Competition. Her remarkable journey continued with the 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant and 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award.

In the 2021-22 season, Stella debuted at Carnegie Hall and performed across Europe, Asia, and North America, including appearances with Kremerata Baltica, German State Philharmonic, and New Japan Philharmonic. Notable engagements include performances with the Belgian National Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, and the Luxembourg Philharmonic, as well as participation in prestigious festivals like the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, Salzburg Mozarteum, Ravinia, and Kronberg Academy.

A recipient of the Robert Levin Award from Harvard University, Stella is the top prize winner of the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition and the youngest-ever prize winner of the Menuhin Competition. She plays the 1700 ex-Petri Stradivarius, generously loaned by Dr. Ryuji Ueno and Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative.

Renowned violist Matthew Lipman, hailed by the New York Times for his "rich tone and elegant phrasing," and the Chicago Tribune for his "splendid technique and musical sensitivity," is a leading figure of his generation. An acclaimed soloist and chamber musician, Lipman's recent highlights include debuts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia Festival and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe at the Rheingau Music Festival in 2021.

His impressive career encompasses collaborations with the Minnesota Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, and Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Notable performances include appearances at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Lipman's 2019 release, "Ascent," on Cedille Records, received acclaim for its authoritative phrasing and attractive sound. The album features the first-ever recording of Shostakovich's recently discovered work and Clarice Assad's "Metamorfose," commissioned by Lipman.

Named the 2019 Artist-in-Residence for the American Viola Society, Lipman is recognized on WFMT Chicago's "30 Under 30" list of top classical musicians. A dedicated chamber musician, he collaborates with renowned artists like Mitsuko Uchida, Itzhak Perlman, and Pinchas Zukerman. Lipman actively expands the viola repertoire, premiering works by composers such as Helen Grime, Clarice Assad, and David Ludwig.

Recipient of the 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Lipman holds a Kovner Fellowship and the Jack Kent Cooke Award. A prize winner in multiple international viola competitions, he studied at The Juilliard School with Heidi Castleman and was mentored by Tabea Zimmermann at the Kronberg Academy. Lipman occupies the Wallach Chair at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and performs on a 1700 Matteo Goffriller viola loaned through the Pine Foundation.

Renowned cellist Brannon Cho, hailed by Arto Noras as "a finished artist, ready to play in any hall in the world," stands out as a remarkable musician of his generation. As the First Prize winner of the 6th International Paulo Cello Competition and a prize winner in prestigious competitions including Queen Elisabeth, Naumburg, and Cassadó, Cho has become a sought-after soloist with top orchestras worldwide.

Cho has graced the stage with leading conductors like Susanna Mälkki and shared musical moments with luminaries such as Anne-Sophie Mutter, Christian Tetzlaff, and Joshua Bell. A recipient of the 2019 Ivan Galamian Award and a scholarship holder in the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, Cho's love for chamber music is evident in collaborations at renowned festivals like Marlboro, Kronberg Academy, and Music@Menlo.

Recent and upcoming solo performances showcase Cho's artistry in venues such as Wigmore Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and Cello Biënnale Amsterdam. Born in New Jersey, Cho holds a Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and an Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Laurence Lesser. Currently enrolled in the Professional Studies program at the Kronberg Academy under Frans Helmerson, Cho is sponsored by Thomastik-Infeld and plays on a rare cello crafted by Antonio Casini in 1668 in Modena, Italy.