Erik Kibelsbeck, 6/4/2009 · 0 comments
A free concert by two duos, Duo Appassionato and DnA, will take place Friday, June 12 at 7pm in the Hockett Family Recital Hall at Ithaca College. DnA consists of David Weiss, who plays oboe and musical saw, and pianist Alpha Hockett Walker; Duo Appassionato is made up of violinist Izabela Spiewak and violinist/violist Yang Xi.
The duos will perform in various combinations, including music of Grieg, Vivaldi, Kreisler, Charles Hockett, Dvorak, Dana Wilson, and Piazzolla.
For 30 years David Weiss was principal oboe of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1973-2003). His first of dozens of solo performances with them was in 1962 when he was 15 years old. Other solo appearances took place at Carnegie Recital Hall, at Avery Fisher Hall and at the Kennedy Center. David and his wife, pianist Alpha Hockett Walker perform recitals regularly in the U.S. and abroad. Mr. Weiss's multi-faceted career includes his being an internationally recognized master of the musical saw, and for nearly thirty years he was the official photographer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Alpha Hockett Walker graduated with honors and a Performer’s Certificate in Oboe from the Eastman School of Music, where she majored in both oboe and piano. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with members of the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Vermeer String Quartet, California Chamber Virtuosi, and the Sequoia String Quartet. DnA’s many performances have included cruises on the Royal Caribbean "Song of America" and “Vision of the Seas,” appearances at the 1997 and 1998 International Double Reed Society Conferences, and a six-concert tour of Costa Rica in 1997 as part of the "Seventh International Music Festival.”
Xi Yang began preparing for his distinguished music career when he was a student at the Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China. He studied violin and viola, making his solo debut when he was 9 years old. By the age of 12 he was averaging 200 solo appearances a year throughout the country. Mr. Yang won the National Violin Competition in Shanghai, giving him a coveted solo appearance with the Beijing Philharmonic. After spending a year in the New World Symphony, Xi Yang went on to become the principal violist for the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, Florida Grand Opera and the principal viola with the Symphony of the Americas. He currently is the assistant concertmaster and assistant conductor of the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra.
Izabela Spiewak is an active recitalist and recent recipient of the North Carolina Regional Artist Grant as well as being on the roster of Touring Artists for the State of North Carolina. At 17, she won the International Young Violinists Competition in Lublin, Poland, with opportunities to perform numerous recitals and concerts throughout the country. . Ms Izabela is currently a member the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra and maintains a busy teaching studio.
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