Violin Virtuoso Next on Ford Hall Stage

The Stradivari Society of Chicago believes Corey Cerovsek is worthy of playing one of its prized possessions: a violin made by Joseph Guarneri del Gesu in 1742 and formerly owned by the 19th-century composer Henryk Wieniawski. The violin is on extended loan to Cerovsek from the society, whose purpose is to unite the world’s greatest instruments with the world’s most talented and deserving artists. Cerovsek will bring his talents — and his violin — to Ithaca College on Saturday, February 20, as part of the 1998–99 Ithaca College Concerts season.

Cerovsek’s program will feature works by Wieniawski as well as by Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, and Ravel. He will be accompanied on piano by his sister, Katja Cerovsek. The concert is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. in Ford Hall Auditorium. Tickets are $8 for children, senior citizens, and Ithaca College students; $14 for Ithaca College alumni, faculty, and staff, members of the Friends of Ithaca College, and other students; and $16 for the general public. They may be purchased at the Ticket Center at Clinton House and Rebop Records, Tapes, and Compact Discs in Collegetown. For more information call 274-3171.

With more than a dozen years of performing on the world’s classical music stage, the 26-year-old Cerovsek has matured into a musician known for his dramatic and graceful performances as well as stylistic flexibility. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he began his violin studies at the age of 5. At age 9 he won the grand prize over 3,000 other musicians in the Canadian Music Competition. He graduated at age 12 from the University of Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music with a gold medal for highest marks in strings. That same year he was accepted by Josef Gingold as a student and enrolled at Indiana University, where he received bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and music at age 15 and master’s in both at 16; he completed his doctoral course work in mathematics and music at age 18.

Noting that he waited until he was 21 to give his debut New York recital, the New York Times stated, "Both his playing and his résumé suggest that if he had done so earlier, he could probably have stolen a share of the prodigy spotlight from Midori, Sarah Chang, and Leila Josefowicz." In reviewing the performance itself, the Times said it went "well beyond the dazzling but clinically fastidious playing one so often hears from young wizards."

Glowing headlines from other newspapers highlight reviews of Cerovsek’s performances with major orchestras:

"Heaven Meets Earth at Davies Hall" — San Francisco Chronicle

"Cerovsek Electrifies at the Gardner" — Boston Globe

"Cerovsek’s Brilliance Dazzles Meany Hall Crowd" — Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Cerovsek has twice appeared on NBC’s Tonight show, and in 1997 he was featured on CBS Sunday Morning. He maintains a busy orchestral and recital schedule, with performances throughout North America as well as in Australia, Japan, China, the Netherlands, and Guatemala.

If he had not taken advantage of his obvious musical talents, Cerovsek might well have earned notice — if not fame — as a mathematician. "But math remains a big part of my personality and my mental life, and it provides a kind of restful oasis from the general zaniness of being a musician," Cerovsek told Strings magazine. "I love to read in the sciences, especially theoretical physics, and if you see me out taking a walk and just sort of staring off, I’m probably thinking about the nature of space and time. I like doing that."

His accompanist, sister Katja, is an accomplished musician in her own right. She has given recitals alone and with her brother in London, Tokyo, Istanbul, and Hong Kong, among other cities, and has performed frequently for CBC and National Public Radio broadcasts.