Friday, February 26, 2021, 8:00 p.m.
Venue: Online
Admission: Free
Season: 2020-2021

Robert Xavier Rodríguez, Director
Mikhail Berestnev, Piano

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during the fall semester of 2020, UTD’s Advanced Orchestra/Chamber Music Ensemble (Musica Nova) did not rehearse as an ensemble or perform in concert. Instead, students recorded these videos of solo literature with guest artist Mikhail Berestnev’s recorded piano accompaniments.

There was more music than would fit in one concert, so we are presenting two separate programs.  The student performers on each program will be different, although some repertoire appears in both.

Program I will premiere at 8 p.m. on YouTube & Facebook on Feb 26th.
Program II will premiere at 8 p.m. on YouTube & Facebook on Feb 27th.
(The Facebook links will be added during the week of the premieres.)

Program I

Bach: Sonata in B-Minor for Flute & Piano, BWV 1030
John Nguyen, Flute

Bach: Sonata in D for Viola da Gamba & Piano, BWV 1028
Gregory Young, Cello

Mozart: Sonata in C for Violin & Piano, K. 296
Wyatt Clemons, Violin

Beethoven: Sonata in F (Spring) for Violin & Piano, Op. 24
Alexandria Cui, Violin

Brahms: Sonata in E-Flat for Viola & Piano, Op. 120, No. 2
Julia Olores, Viola

Chopin: Ballade in G-Minor, Op. 23
Bryant Nguyen, Piano

Bios:

Music by Robert Xavier Rodríguez has been performed by conductors such as Sir Neville Marriner, Antal Dorati, Eduardo Mata, James DePriest, Sir Raymond Leppard, Keith Lockhart, Andrew Litton and Leonard Slatkin and by such organizations as the New York City Opera, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Vienna Schauspielhaus, Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Vienna Schauspielhaus, Israel Philharmonic, Mexico City Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra and the Seattle, Houston, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Baltimore, St. Louis, National, Boston and Chicago Symphonies.  He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Goddard Lieberson Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Prix Lili Boulanger and the Prix de Composition Prince Pierre de Monaco.  Rodríguez has served as Composer-in-Residence with the San Antonio Symphony and the Dallas Symphony.  Twenty CDs featuring his music have been recorded (1999 Grammy nomination), and his music is published exclusively by G. Schirmer.  He is Professor of Music at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he holds an Endowed Chair of Art and Aesthetic Studies and is Director of the Musica Nova Ensemble.

Pianist Mikhail Berestnev studied at the Russian Academy of Music, TCU (Artist Diploma) and SMU (Performance Diploma).  He has won prizes at the Delphic Games and the Stanislav Neuhaus Competitions in Russia, the Sydney International Competition, the BNDES International Piano Competition in Rio de Janeiro, and the Maria Canals International Piano Competition in Barcelona.  He was also a semifinalist in the Queen Elisabeth International Piano Competition in Brussels.  He has performed with many Russian orchestras as well as the TCU, Sydney, San Angelo and Brazilian Symphonies, the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.  He is also active in chamber music, including performances with musicians from leading Russian Orchestras such as the Symphony Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre and the ensembles Moscow Virtuosi and Musica Viva.

For more information contact:
Arts and Performance Office
utdarts@utdallas.edu
972-UTD-ARTS