Sinfonia Toronto Concert - Serenades May 9, 2008

The final concert of Sinfonia Toronto’s Masterpiece Series for 2007-2008 will be held on Friday, May 9, at the Grace Church on-the-Hill (300 Lonsdale Road) under the baton of Nurhan Arman.

Great Canadian violin virtuoso Judy Kang will be the guest artist. She will be heard in Tartini’s Devil’s Trill and Kreisler’s beloved violin miniatures of Liebesleid and Liebesfreud.

Music Director Nurhan Arman will conduct Dvorak’s romantic Serenade, one of the Czech composer’s most beautiful and folkloric works.
Critically acclaimed violinist Judy Kang appeared on the music scene at the age of ten, in a performance with the National Arts Center Orchestra. The Ottawa Citizen enthusiastically stated, "If there was a star tonight, it was Judy Kang. Blessed with a gift for the violin that is exceptional, she moves about the instrument at her disposal with an ease that is awe-inspiring."
Since her first solo performance at the age of four, Ms. Kang has performed with major orchestras and ensembles around the world including the Toronto Symphony, National Arts Center Orchestra, Montreal Chamber Orchestra, Ottawa Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, CBC Vancouver Orchestra, McGill Chamber Orchestra, Puchon Philharmonic, L'Orchestre Symphonique de Laval, Thirteen Strings, Vancouver Symphony, Quebec Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Euro-Asian Philharmonic, Sinfonia Toronto, and L'Orchestre Symphonique Metropolitain, and the Korean Chamber Ensemble, among others.
She has given solo recitals in major cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and across Canada. Ms. Kang has performed with world-renowned musicians including esteemed artists such as Claude Frank, Kyung-Wha Chung, David Geber, Lynn Harell, Cho-Liang Lin, Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, Isidore Cohen, and the late Felix Galimir. She has also worked intensely with notable composers; Leon Kirchner, Richard Danielpour, Alexander Goehr, Louis Karchin, and Pierre Boulez. Mr. Boulez personally selected Ms. Kang to work with him and to perform in what resulted in successful culminating concert. The New York Times raved, "The violinist, Judy Kang, who played with assurance and imagination, became the wizardly master of an entire sound environment." Canadian composer Michael Matthews has written a violin concerto expressly for Ms. Kang.
As a member of the prestigious Musicians from Marlboro, she has toured extensively with members of the Guarneri and Mendelssohn String Quartets. Other festival appearances include at the Ravinia Festival, the Pablo Casals Festival, Bargemusic, Aspen Music Festival, Evian Music Festival, Banff Music Festival Orford Festival, Ste. Petronille Festival, the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, the Dame Myra Hess Series, Lanaudiere International Festival, Manchester International Music Festival, and the Focus Festival in New York. She has given master classes at the Sean Jackson and Friends Festival for the development of classical music in Barbados.
Ms. Kang made her New York debut in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in 2003. Other great hall performances include Tokyo Suntory Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Isaac Stern and Zankel Halls (Carnegie Hall), Hoam Arts Hall, Glenn Gould Studio, Town Hall, Seoul National Arts Center, the Sejong Cultural Arts Center, Wigmore Hall, Salle Cortot in Paris, as well as at the Metropolitan and Guggenheim Museums.
Ms. Kang was accepted to study on full scholarship at the Curtis Institute of Music at the age of 11. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree at the age of 17 as one of the youngest graduates in the institute's history. She was granted the Lily Foldes Scholarship from the Juilliard School, where she received a Master of Music degree. She became the first recipient, with full scholarship, of the Artist Diploma at the Manhattan School of Music. Her mentors include Sylvia Rosenberg, David Geber, Robert Mann, Aaron Rosand, and Lorand Fenyves.
Since winning her first competition at the age of 5, Ms. Kang went on to capture the Grand-Prize as well as the "Best Interpretation" prize at the CBC Competition for Young Performers. Other awards include; Grand-Prize of the Canadian Music Competition (several years in a row) and top prizes at the Nielsen, Dong-A, Kreisler, and Naumburg International Violin Competitions.
She performs on the 1689 Baumgartner Stradivarius, generously awarded by the Canada Council.
There will be a free post-concert reception, giving audience members a chance to meet the Ms. Kang, the orchestra members and Maestro Arman.

Tickets are $40 adult, $32 senior, $12 student (16-29) and can be purchased from 416-499-0403 or online with a $5 online only discount at www.sinfoniatoronto.com

Official Website: http://www.sinfoniatoronto.com