Event Details
Piers Lane, piano | Michael Stephen Brown, piano | Danbi Um, violin | Aaron Boyd, violin | Barry Shiffman, viola | Nick Canellakis, cello | Adrianne Pieczonka, soprano
Internationally acclaimed pianist Piers Lane—renowned for his versatility as soloist and chamber musician—joins a star-studded ensemble in a program of works by Schubert, Holst, Elgar, and a selection of folk songs brought by celebrated soprano Adrianne Pieczonka.
PROGRAM
SCHUBERT: Fantasie in F minor, D. 940
HOLST: Four Songs for Violin and Voice
Selection of Songs
BRITTEN: The Trees they grow so high (trad. English folksong)
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Silent Noon from The House of Life
REBECCA CLARKE: The Seal Man
H. HUGHES: I have a bonnet trimmed with blue (trad. folksong)
Intermission
ELGAR: Piano Quintet, Op. 84
PIERS LANE, piano
London-based Australian pianist Piers Lane enjoys an international reputation as an engaging, searching, and highly versatile performer, equally at home in solo, chamber, and concerto repertoire. A five-time soloist at the BBC Proms, his concerto repertoire exceeds one hundred works and has led to performances with many of the world’s leading orchestras, appearing in over forty countries and in major venues including Wigmore Hall, London’s principal concert halls, and Carnegie Hall.
Lane is a familiar presence at major festivals worldwide, including Aldeburgh, Bath, Bergen, Prague Spring, La Roque d’Anthéron, Ruhr Klavierfestival, Seattle, Rockport, and the Chopin festivals in Warsaw and Paris. In 2015, he was appointed Artistic Director of the Sydney International Piano Competition, where he has championed innovative initiatives supporting pianists and composers.
An esteemed collaborator and adjudicator, Lane has worked closely with violinist Tasmin Little, actress Dame Patricia Routledge, and the Goldner String Quartet. His extensive discography for Hyperion and other labels includes acclaimed recordings of rare Romantic concertos and chamber music. A former professor and now Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) and received the Sir Bernard Heinze Award in 2022.
MICHAEL STEPHEN BROWN, piano
Michael Stephen Brown is a pianist, composer, and artistic leader praised for his “ravishing tone and panache” (The New York Times). He appears regularly as a soloist and chamber musician at major venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, and on international tours.
A frequent collaborator with leading artists such as cellist Nicholas Canellakis, Brown is known for performances that seamlessly integrate classical repertoire with his own compositions and arrangements. His works have been commissioned and performed by the New York Philharmonic, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. A longtime CMS artist and former member of Ensemble Connect, Brown is also a dedicated educator and curator, bringing imaginative programming and contemporary perspectives to the concert stage.
DANBI UM, violin
Praised by The Strad as an “utterly dazzling” artist and by New York Classical Review for her “mesmerizing grace,” violinist Danbi Um captivates audiences with her virtuosity, distinctive sound, and interpretive sensitivity. A Silver Medalist at the Menuhin International Violin Competition and winner of the 2018 Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant, she appears widely as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician.
Recent and upcoming engagements include appearances with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., and festivals such as Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe, and La Musica. An avid chamber musician, Um regularly performs with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and other leading presenters.
A recording artist for Avie Records, her debut album Much Ado: Romantic Violin Masterworks was released in 2023, with a second album forthcoming. Born in Seoul, Um studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and Indiana University and performs on a 1683 Nicolo Amati violin.