Embedded Files
August 18th, Sunday 2019. 15:00. Doors will open at 14:30.
duo526 was founded in 2011 by violinist Kerry DuWors and pianist Futaba Niekawa at the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY) where they worked extensively with professors Jean Barr and Charles Castleman. Invited to the Banff Centre for the Arts in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2018 as artists-in-residence, they worked with Henk Guittart, Roger Tapping, Lafayette String Quartet, Hardy Rittner, and Mark Steinberg. They have been featured on radio broadcasts including “Backstage Pass” WXXI (Rochester, NY) and Classic 107 “Morning Light” (Winnipeg, MB). Since 2014 duo526 has toured Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Japan, New York, Virginia, and was in residence at Avaloch Farms, Brandon University and Indiana University. Recent travels to Berlin, Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Budapest, and New York City have given duo526 insight and inspiration. duo526’s 2014 debut album, Ballade, exemplifies this spirit through sonatas by Janáček, Enescu and Grieg – pillars in the repertoire that are rarely performed together.
duo526 is dedicated to creative thought and the art of listening through the study and performance of a vast repertoire across an array of styles. Their joy of collaboration results from risk-taking, inspiration and spontaneous reactions. Their name was inspired by Mozart’s last Sonata for Violin and Piano K. 526, the first work presented to them by Charles Castleman for their equal virtuosic flair and refined musicianship. In 2016, duo526 launched their “Mozart in Public Spaces” project: video recordings for social media of the complete Mozart sonatas in conjunction with the “Play Me I’m Yours” street pianos installations all over the world. www.duo526.com
Program "DUO FANTASY"
Sonata Fantasia No. 2 (1914) Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
I. Allegro non troppo II. Largo III. Rondo - Allegro Finale
Elegy & Fantasie (1989, rev. 1991) John Mackey (b. 1973)
~ Intermission ~
Violin Sonata No. 2 (1915, rev. 1920) Arnold Bax (1883-1953)
Fantasy: Slow and gloomy, The Grey Dancer in the Twilight: Fast Valse, Very broad and concentrated, Allegro feroce
Duo Fantasy (1973) William Bolcom (b. 1938)
KERRY DuWORS
A self-described musical adventurer and musician-athlete, performances and tours have taken Canadian violinist KERRY DuWORS across four continents. In demand as a versatile chamber musician, Kerry champions collaboration across an array of ensembles from her duo work to leading chamber orchestras. Highlights include performances with duo526, James Ehnes, Yo-Yo Ma, Dame Evelyn Glennie, and The Knights. Praised for “always finding the music behind the notes” and her “fearless competence” (Winnipeg Free Press), she has been soloist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony, Saskatoon Symphony, and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. Kerry has won prestigious awards including Grand Prize at the 26th Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, Felix Galimir Award for Chamber Music Excellence, and two Canada Council Career Development Grants. She is a four-time laureate of the Canada Council for the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank.
Curiosity drives Kerry’s dedicated academic and musical study through creative projects, artist residencies (Banff Centre, Avaloch Farms, Indiana University), commissions, premières, masterclasses, and community outreach. Her mentors include Lorand Fenyves, Charles Castleman, Scott St. John, Jean Barr, and the Lafayette String Quartet. Committed to pedagogy and mentorship, Kerry has been Associate Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at Canada’s Brandon University since 2003. www.kerryduwors.com
Futaba Niekawa
Known for her verve and sensitivity, Japanese pianist FUTABA NIEKAWA pushes the boundaries of her artistry as a soloist and collaborative pianist across genres and disciplines. She has performed throughout the United States, Canada, England, Taiwan, and Japan at notable venues including Jordan Hall, Merkin Hall, Taiwan’s National Concert Hall, and Sumida-Triphony Concert Hall. Niekawa’s passion for multi-disciplinary collaboration and performing music of her generation have led to artistic partnerships with composers, dancers, poets, and visual artists.
Her long time duo partnership with violinist Kerry DuWors, duo526, has led to numerous performances, recordings, and artist residencies at the Banff Centre and Avaloch Farm Music Institute. Since 2012, Niekawa has released three recordings (PARMA Recordings, Petrichor Records) and her live performances have been recorded for radio broadcast. Niekawa has been engaged as a collaborative pianist at the Banff Centre, New England Conservatory, Boston Ballet School, Meadowmount School of Music, and the IU Summer String Academy.
Niekawa earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music in 2013. She is dedicated to pedagogy, mentoring, and performance practice. Niekawa shares her passion through masterclasses and workshops at duo526’s annual Sonata Seminar and has been invited as a guest teacher at colleges and universities in North America including the University of Calgary, University of Northern Colorado, Brandon University, and Middle Tennessee State University. Since 2015, Niekawa has been on the faculty for Chamber and Collaborative Music at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. www.futabaniekawa.com
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