On today's show, we wrap up our coverage of the 2009 Van Cliburn Piano Competition. We'll feature silver medalist Yeol Eum Son (pictured) performing Chopin's second piano concerto in the final round of the competition. Plus, our weekly 21st century music segment features two Van Cliburn performances, by gold medalist Haochen Zhang, and by finalist and audience favorite Mariangela Vacatello.
Franz Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" began its life as a song. Schubert later turned that song into a string quartet, and Gustav Mahler subsequently arranged it for string orchestra. On today's show, violinist Joshua Bell joins the violin section of the UBS Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, and leads them in a performance of Schubert's "Death and the Maiden," from California's Festival del Sole.
This past Sunday, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition concluded with a rare tie for first place. On Monday's show, we featured one of the gold medalists, Nobuyuki Tsujii of Japan. On today's show, we'll hear the other, Chinese pianist Haochen Zhang. The youngest competitor in the field, Zhang gave a mature, electrifying performance of Prokofiev's second piano concerto.
A Chinese folk tale became music in the hands of composers Chen Gang and He Zhanhao. And violinist Gil Shaham decided that he wanted to share this beautiful piece with the world. He's joined by Lan Shui and the Singapore Symphony for the "Butterfly Lovers" Violin Concerto.
Last night in Fort Worth, Texas, the Van Cliburn Piano Competition came to an end. The result? An unexpected tie for first place. Our own Fred Child was there, hosting the awards ceremony. On today's show, we'll hear from Fred in Texas, feature conversations with the winners, and catch one of the winning concerto performances, featuring co-winner Nobuyuki Tsujii of Japan.
Composer Osvaldo Golijov's search for beauty in life and in his music is on-going. He likens it to "the laughter of the universe." On today's show, we'll hear the beauty of the color blue in Golijov's new work, "Azul." Cellist Yo-Yo Ma is among the soloists in this performance with Jeffrey Kahane and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Plus, we'll hear from one of the finalists at the Van Cliburn Competition, Bulgarian Evgeni Bozhanov.
The Van Cliburn Piano Competition has been going on in Texas for the last two weeks. In the shadow of that big event, the Parkening International Guitar Competition was held last week in Malibu, California. On today's show, we'll hear the gold medal performance by Italian guitarist Emanuele Buono. Plus, we'll hear more from the final round of Van Cliburn, with the winner to be featured on Monday's show.
Violinist Hilary Hahn has been on the concert stage since she was 12 years old. Now a seasoned pro, she's still only 29. She continues to grow as a soloist, offering ever richer performances. On today's show, she appears with the Cleveland Orchestra in Dvorak's violin concerto. Plus, we'll feature another performance from one of the Van Cliburn Competition finalists, South Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son.
The six remaining Van Cliburn Competition contestants are giving their final performances this week. Today, we'll hear Italian pianist Mariangela Vacatello in her semi-final round performance, playing music by Schumann and Scriabin. Our guest blogger, Gregory Allen, says of Vacatello, "She has insight, sensitivity, imagination, good taste, and - rarely found in competitions - a sense of integrity and humility about her role as an artist."
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