Accademia delle Arti del Disegno Salone delle Adunanze via Orsanmichele 4 Florence
free entrance subject to seating capacity
In collaboration with the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno
Program
Trio in A minor for Piano, Cello and Viola, Op. 114, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Andante grazioso
IV. Allegro
Trio in A minor for Piano, Cello, and Clarinet, Op. 114 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Andante grazioso
IV. Allegro
Program Notes :
In the rich tapestry of music, three distinct types of composers emerge, each leaving an indelible mark on the symphony of creativity.
Firstly, there are those whose fingers are trained on the keyboard (Liszt, Schumann, etc.), and their compositions showcase the instrument's prominence. Their music unfolds like a captivating story, with the piano taking center stage, weaving a narrative that resonates with the soul.
Then, we encounter virtuosos who, unbound by piano training, become maestros of their chosen instruments. These performers seamlessly transition into composers, creating harmonies that spring forth from their very beings. Among these luminaries stands Nicolo Paganini, a virtuoso on the violin whose compositions echo through the annals of musical history.
Lastly, there exists a rare breed – the performer-friend-composer. These visionary artists forge deep bonds with performers, crafting compositions tailored to the nuances of their chosen instruments. A beautiful example of this unique connection is found in the trio of Joseph Joachim, Richard Muhlfeld, and Johannes Brahms.
In the summer of 1853, Brahms met Joseph Joachim, a virtuoso violinist and violist, at the Lower Rhine Music Festival. Their friendship blossomed, inspiring Brahms to compose masterpieces like the revered Violin Concerto in D, Op. 77 (1878), dedicated to his cherished friend.
Fast forward to January 1891, where Brahms, captivated by the melodies of clarinetist Richard Muhlfeld, forged yet another profound connection. This friendship blossomed into collaborative artistry, yielding chamber music that showcased the enchanting blend of clarinet and viola. The Clarinet Trio, born in the summer of that year, saw its grand premieres in November, a testament to the harmonious blend of Brahms' genius and Muhlfeld's virtuosity.
In the tapestry of time, these alliances between composer and performer resonate as symphonies of friendship and artistic synergy.
Guest Artists:
Inès (Tzu-yi) Ho, clarinetist
Inès studied in Paris, France, with Jerôme Voisin, principal clarinet of the Orchestre Symphonique de Radio France. She performed at the Lugano Music Festival in Switzerland with Ulrich Koella, piano (Hochschule für Musik in Zurich). She was invited as opening and closing soloist at the Angoulême Festival, the Festival de Provence, the Paris Contemporary Music Festival, and the City of Carcassonne, France. The Billancourt library invited her to record Les ruines Circulaires by modern composer Tristan Murail. In 2017, the cellist Yo-Yo Ma selected her to be the principal clarinet of the YMCG Symphony Orchestra among 3,000 musicians worldwide to tour Asia in the same year. The following year, she cofounded in Taipei the Debussy Music and Arts Center, dedicated to popularising and promoting classical music; since then, she has been performing 30 lecture concerts in France, the US, and Taiwan. She also held a podcast on Classical Music (古典不古典 'Classical not so classical') whose audience toped n°1 on Spotify and iTunes in Taiwan for almost two years.
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma: "When Tzu-yi plays, something always penetrates my heart; I think this is art, this is love.”
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Mathieu Beaudouin, violist
Mathieu began his musical studies at 11 in Chartres in 2000, France, with Sophie Cerf, a violist performing in historical instrument ensembles. At 15, he performed Bach Ciaccona in front of Pierre-Henri Xuereb (Paris Conservatory), his next teacher, who stated never having seen such a musical performance of this piece at such a young age. In 2006 he got a scholarship to study in Russia with teachers from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. In 2009, he won a third prize performing the Bartok viola concerto at the National Violist Competition in 2009 in Reims. He then continued studying viola with Jean-Philippe Vasseur, Laurent Bruni, and Agathe Blondel, and chamber music with Elizabeth Balmas and the Debussy quartet. At the age of 22, shoulder problems made him temporarily moved away from a violist career to study Chinese and Trans-Himalayan history, philology and linguistics. He continues to produce himself in chamber music.
Filippo Torriti, born in Florence in 2002, began studying the cello at the Convento dell'Osservanza in Radicondoli under the guidance of Marilena Cutruzzulà. Since 2019, he has continued his studies at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole with Maestro Filippo Burchietti. During her academic career, she had the opportunity to attend the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold, Germany, for a semester. He also participated in masterclasses with Tanja Tetzlaff, Nicolas Altstaedt and Vittorio Ceccanti. Filippo is the cellist of the Enigma Quartet, with which in 2021 he won the scholarship of the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole as best quartet. The Enigma Quartet participates in international masterclasses regularly organised by the Scuola itself. Filippo Torriti has played in several festivals including Verdi Off Teatro Regio di Parma, Livorno Music Festival, Fortissimissimo Festival - Amici della Musica di Firenze, Sesto Rocchi Open Chamber Music Festival.
Nicola Mazzei was born in Naples in 2000. He began his musical journey at the age of ten with the study of the trumpet and the piano at the age of thirteen. In 2014, he won a scholarship offered by the ‘Rotary Club’, which allowed him to study at the ‘Note sul mare’ academy with the masters Fabio Bianco and Federica Monti. He took part in several piano competitions and prizes, winning: the ‘Euterpe’ prize, ‘Città di Airola’ international competition, ‘Concorso Nazionale giovani musicisti’, ‘concorso internazionale città di Piove di Sacco’ the A.Gi.Mus. prize and others. He specialised with Daniel Rivera, Massimiliano Ferratti, Bruno Canino and Alexander Lonquich, from whom he was selected to conduct and play as soloist with the Orchestra V. Galilei the Concerto No. 23 K488 in A major for piano and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In 2019, he began the three-year piano course at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole under the guidance of maestro Stellini Enrico, earning his first-level academic diploma with top marks. He is currently a student of Andrea Lucchesini with whom he has been attending the two-year piano specialisation course since 2022.
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