Rising Stars Return to Portsmouth Aug. 21

PORTSMOUTH, NH — Emily Daggett Smith, violinist and Tanya Gabrielian, pianist will perform on August 21, 2016, at 3 p.m. at New Castle Congregational Church as part of Historic Portsmouth Chamber Music presentations for 2016, according to a press release. This concert is the second of four performances that will be held in historic churches in the greater Portsmouth area. The series is produced by the Portsmouth Athenaeum. A $20 at-the-door donation is suggested.

Up-and-coming violinist Smith and pianist Gabrielian are returning to Portsmouth to perform Shostakovich's 24 Preludes, Opus 34, transcribed for violin and piano, in which the composer's biting cynicism is lightened by the lyrical writing for the violin; Beethoven's “Spring” Sonata no. 5 in F major, among the first to put the piano and violin on equal footing, with both instruments in full partnership throughout; Fritz Kreisler's arrangement of Mozart's Rondo, the famous arrangement and expansion of the playful work by a violin virtuoso; and Debussy's Violin Sonata in G minor, his last major composition, imaginative in sound, texture and form, requiring virtuosic performances from both instruments.

Smith is emerging as one of the most compelling artists of her generation. Her recital and chamber music performances have taken her across the United States, Europe, South America and Asia. An avid chamber musician, Smith performs regularly at numerous festivals and series around the country. Smith is a winner of the Juilliard Concerto Competition; the SYLFF Fellowship; the Brockton, Newton and Waltham Symphony Concerto Competitions; and the Gold Medal at the Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition in the junior division. She holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, and is in the final stages of earning her Doctor of Music and Arts degree at Stony Brook University.

Gabrielian has captivated audiences worldwide with her gripping performances in acclaimed venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Sydney Opera House, the Salle Cortot in Paris and Queen Elizabeth Hall and Wigmore Hall in London. Gabrielian shot onto the international stage at the age of twenty with back-to-back victories in the Scottish International Piano Competition and Aram Khachaturian International Piano Competition. At the age of 16, Gabrielian was admitted to Harvard University as a National Merit Scholar to study biomedical engineering. She instead chose to pursue a career in music and completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the Royal Academy of Music in London, originally studying both piano and viola. Gabrielian finished her studies at The Juilliard School as the only candidate accepted for the prestigious Artist Diploma, an extraordinarily selective post-graduate residency program.

“Emily and Tanya delighted Portsmouth in 2014 during their Historic Portsmouth Chamber Music performance,” noted Bill Wieting, Chairman of the Portsmouth Athenaeum Performance Committee. “We are very pleased to have these two New York-based rising stars return this year with another varied and outstanding program.”

The New Castle Congregational Church, located in the heart of the village at 65 Main St., offers excellent acoustics in a traditional New England setting.

For more information on Historic Portsmouth Chamber Music or the Portsmouth Athenaeum, visit portsmouthathenaeum.org.

Submitted by Caroline Amport Piper.