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Dutch – American violinist Stephen Waarts performs in Merkin Concert Hall, NYC
December 15th, the 18-year-old Stephen Waarts performs in NYC
Mon, Dec 15 - Mon, Dec 15 2014
Merkin Concert Hall
December 15th, the 18-year-old Stephen Waarts performs in NYC.
About Stephen Waarts
Violinist Stephen Waarts has been praised for playing “with technical command and a totally natural sense of musical drama” (Strings Magazine). He has already garnered worldwide recognition, having captured First Prize at the 2014 Menuhin Competition; Second Prize and the Audience Prize in the 2013 Montreal International Competition; and First Prize in the 2011 International Louis Spohr Competition for Young Violinists.
His 2014-2015 season begins with a performance of Chausson’s Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet at the French Classical Music Festival of Silicon Valley, and performances at the Orford and Lake George Music Festivals. Mr. Waarts has been re-engaged to appear with the Silicon Valley Symphony and San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. As Winner of the 2013 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, he makes recital debuts this season at the Kennedy Center and Merkin Concert Hall.
His other performances include recitals at the Louvre, the Buffalo Chamber Music Society, and the Jewish Community Alliance. Acclaimed from a young age, he has already performed over thirty standard, as well as rarely performed, violin concertos, appearing as soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, as well as with numerous orchestras throughout California, including the Redwood Symphony, the Winchester Orchestra of San Jose, the Prometheus Symphony Orchestra, and the American Philharmonic Sonoma County.
He is a frequent participant at Music@Menlo and the Summit Music Festival. At the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, Mr. Waarts was also honored with YCA’s Rhoda Walker Teagle Prize, which sponsors his New York debut, and five other special awards: the Sander Buchman Prize, the Paul A. Fish Prize, the Ronald A. Asherson Prize, a concerto appearance with the Albany Symphony and a recital for the Buffalo Chamber Music Society.
A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Stephen Waarts started his music education with Suzuki violin lessons and piano studies, and studied with Li Lin at the San Francisco Conservatory. He studied with Itzhak Perlman at the Perlman Music Program, and currently works with Aaron Rosand at the Curtis Institute, where he holds the Frank S. Bayley Annual Fellowship.In addition to his music studies, he is also an accomplished mathematician and has won several national math awards.
Recent review:
December 10, 2014, Robert Battey, The Washington Post
“Teen violinist Stephen Waarts offers imaginative take on classics in local debut”
“Stephen Waarts, an 18-year-old violinist studying at Curtis, gave an outstanding local debut Tuesday at the Terrace Theater. In a fine program of Beethoven, Bartok, Ravel, and Waxman — difficult music, in a range of styles and impeccably rendered”
“Waarts showed an uncommon, preternatural sense of tonal color and lyrical beauty on the instrument.”
“made (Bartok sonata)… emerge as real music.“
”the (Ravel) “Blues” movement soared, each phrase a slightly different hue.”
” his tonal sensitivity paid dividends time and again.”
The Concert Program
Starts at 7:30pm.
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Op. 30, No. 3
BARTOK Sonata for solo violin, Sz. 117, BB 124
RAVEL Sonata in G Major
RAVEL Pièce en forme de Habanera
BIZET/WAXMAN Fantasy on Themes from “Carmen”
Chelsea Wang, pianist