The Fleisher Duo, Katherine Jacobson and Leon Fleisher.
String Theory at the Hunter will open its sixth season with a concert featuring the Fleisher Duo, composed of husband and wife Leon Fleisher and Katherine Jacobson. The performance will take place on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m.
String Theory, founded in 2009 by pianist and Artistic Director Gloria Chien, brings acclaimed chamber musicians from around the world to perform in the intimate setting of the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga.
Review for Fleisher Duo:
Legendary pianist Leon Fleisher thrives, at 86 years of age, in a sustained career as conductor, soloist, chamber musician, and revered teacher. Mr. Fleisher made his public debut at age eight, playing with the New York Philharmonic at 16 and becoming one of the few child prodigies to be accepted for study with Artur Schnabel.
In 1964, Mr. Fleisher lost the use of his right hand due to focal dystonia. He continued his performances, recording left-hand repertoire and later undertaking conducting. By 2007, Mr. Fleisher had regained use of both hands. A short documentary about Mr. Fleisher, entitled “Two Hands,” was nominated for an Academy Award in 2007.
A recipient of the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors, Mr. Fleisher has been described as a “consummate musician whose career is a moving testament to the life-affirming power of art." In 2012, he performed for the Supreme Court at the invitation of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Mr. Fleisher co-founded and co-directed the Theater Chamber Players from 1968-2003, which was the first resident chamber ensemble of the Smithsonian Institution and The Kennedy Center. In 1994, Mr. Fleisher was named “Instrumentalist of the Year” by the Royal Philharmonic Society. He currently conducts and teaches at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
Ms. Jacobson’s performing career as soloist, duo pianist and chamber musician has received international acclaim and her work has been praised for its “abundant musicality and refined technique.”
Leading orchestras with which Ms. Jacobson has performed include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Gulbenkian Orchestra of Portugal, and the Orchestre National d'Ile de France. This season she will give concerts in Japan, Germany, France, and the United States. Ms. Jacobson gave the North American premiere of the Concertino for Piano and Chamber Orchestra by the late Greek Cypriot composer Phanos Dymiotis. She has also commissioned works by contemporary women composers such as Dina Koston and Luna Pearl Woolf, most recently performing chamber music of Dina Koston in Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall.
The Fleisher Duo will perform works by Bach, Kirchner, Scriabin, Chopin, Debussy, and Ravel.
Mr. Fleisher’s master class, which will be held at Squires Recital Hall on Lee’s campus on Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 4-6 p.m., will feature young pianists from Lee University and University of Tennessee at Knoxville from studios of Ning An and David Northington. This event is hosted by Lee, and is free and open to the public.
Individual concert tickets are $25 for Hunter members, $35 for non-members, $10 for students with a valid student ID and $25 for groups of 20 or more people. Season subscriptions are available for $130 for Hunter members and $180 for non-members.
For more information on String Theory at the Hunter or to purchase tickets, call 267-0968 or visit www.stringtheorymusic.org.