September 12, 7:00 p.m., 2015
Mercer Island Presbyterian Church, Mercer Island
Pianists Natalya Ageyeva, Allan Park, and Nino Merabisvili, cellist Haeyoon Shin, and violinist Marjorie Kransberg-Talvi will perform duo works by Franck, Shostakovich, Saint-Saëns, Mendelssohn, Ravel and Rachmaninoff.
This year’s Mercer Island concert features local artist teachers whose work has enriched the Seattle area for many years. In addition, each will have a student performing in the concert.
Tickets for: Adults $25, Seniors $15, College students $10, Kids up to 18 free
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Program
Shostakovich – Four Pieces for violin and piano
Saint-Saëns – The Swan for cello and piano
Mendelssohn – Song without Words, Op. 109 for cello and piano
Ravel – Habanera for cello and piano
Rachmaninoff – Suites for Piano, Four Hands No. 4 and No. 6
Performers
Allan Park
Allan Park has been a piano teacher in Seattle, WA, since 1990. Originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, he moved to Seattle to pursue his graduate piano performance degree with Bela Siki after receiving his undergraduate degree from Indiana University/Jacobs School of Music. He won First Place prizes at Morning Music Piano Competitions and National Guild Piano competitions. He has been a featured soloist with Honolulu Symphony, Flint Symphony Orchestra and Federal Way Symphony. He was the prize winner of the 1989 New York Jaycees International Piano Competition.
With a scholarship to Indiana University, he has studied with Luba Edlina Dubinsky and Menahem Pressler. He continued his graduate studies with Bela Siki at the University of Washington. While attending UW, Allan was also a staff pianist with Pacific Northwest Ballet and the pianist of The Emerald City Trio. He has performed solo concerts throughout the midwest, including complete work sets of Chopin: 24 Preludes and the 19 Nocturnes and the Op.10 Etudes.
His students have won numerous competitions including Russian Chamber, Chopin NW, GMCC, PAFE and SIPF’s Virtuoso Festival. His students have also performed concertos with Starry Night Orchestra, Everett Philharmonic Orchestra and Federal Way Symphony after winning top prizes in concerto competitions. He currently teaches 38 students from ages 5 to 18 in Mill Creek, WA.
He currently serves as President for Chopin Foundation Northwest, Artistic Board member for Seattle Young Artist Music Festival and board member for Gourmet Music Club and District I Vice President for Washington State Music Teachers Association. He is a member of MTNA, Federation of Music Teachers, SCMTA and Edmonds Music Chapter.
Nino Merabishvili
A native of Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, Nino Merabishvili has captivated audiences around the world with her musical versatility, and powerful yet sensitive performances. Nino Merabishvili has performed with the major orchestras in her native country, and has toured extensively as both soloist and chamber musician in the former Soviet Union and Europe.
Debut venues include Great Hall of Tbilisi State Conservatory, Tbilisi Opera
House, Small Hall of Moscow State Conservatory, Great Hall of Sverdlovsk
Concervatory , Symphony Hall in Tbilisi, Great Hall of Liszt’s Music Academy in Budapest, Concert Hall Estonia in Tallin, Merabishvili has been a featured performer on chamber music concerts at Seattle’s Nordstrom Recital Hall,Seattle Chamber Music Festival, Second City Chamber Music Festival, and continues to maintain busy performance schedule.
Making her home in the Pacific Northwest where she is known not only as a great performer, but also as one of the region’s pre-eminent music educator,Nino Merabishvili is in frequent demand as a presenter and adjudicator and maintains a large piano studio of private students in Bellevue WA.
Natalya Ageyeva
Natalya Ageyeva has dazzled audiences throughout the United States and internationally, including Italy, Austria, and Israel, as well as on tour in her native Russia. Her performances have also been broadcast several times locally on KING-FM in Seattle and televised in Moscow and Chicago. She has appeared at a broad range of venues, including the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia, Carnegie Hall in New York, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, and the Rachmaninoff Hall in Moscow. Her pianism prompted one reviewer to write “Immediately apparent was a tremendous technique at the command of a sharp musical intelligence and fingers of steel.”
Her artistry has earned her awards and recognition around the world, including the Young Artist Competition in Moscow, Rotary Club Scholarship in Chicago, Brechemin Scholarship at the University of Washington, Solo Competition Award from the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle, the Green Lake Music Festival Competition in Wisconsin, Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in New-York, and the Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition in Italy. An artist of great versatility, Ageyeva has performed as a recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestras internationally. She has also been an active participant in many music festivals, including the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Summer Festival, Methow Valley Music Festival in Winthrop (WA), Mostly Nordic Chamber Music Series in Seattle, Second City Chamber Series in Tacoma (WA), First Sunday at the Commons Series in Bainbridge Island (WA), Seattle Symphony Chamber Music Series in Seattle (WA), Olympic Music Festival (WA), and Green Lake Music Festival (WI).
Ageyeva began formal piano lessons at the age of thirteen when she was accepted by the prestigious Special Music School for Talented Children in Moscow, and graduated with honors in the Masters Program from the world-renowned Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, where she studied with Valeriy Kastelsky. While at the Moscow Conservatory, Ageyeva was offered extensive solo and orchestra appearances throughout the former Soviet Union. She completed her doctoral degree at the University of Washington with distinguished pianists Bela Siki and Robin McCabe. She has also worked with well-known pianists John O’Conner, Victor Merjanov, and Helene Grimaud, and collaborated with conductors Vladimir Vais, Alexander Rudin, and Peter Erös. Ageyeva previously taught at Moscow Conservatory and University of Washington, and has adjudicated piano competitions in Chicago, Seattle, and Vancouver BC. Ageyeva is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle. It is starting its sixth successful year of bringing high-level chamber music to the Seattle area.
In addition to growing the Foundation, she is currently focusing on her solo career and chamber music performances. Ageyeva is a member of recently formed “Thirty Fingers” group with pianists Deborah Dewey and Lisa Bergman. For more information, please visit www.natalyapiano.com.
Marjorie Kransberg-Talvi
Violinist Marjorie Kransberg-Talvi began studies at the age of five at New England Conservatory of Music. She made her first appearance as soloist with New Hampshire Philharmonic when nine years old. Ms. Kransberg-Talvi furthered her education at the Juilliard School studying privately with Sally Thomas and Dorothy DeLay. In 1976, she became a pupil of Jascha Heifetz at the University of Southern California.
Ms. Kransberg-Talvi has devoted herself to a varied life in music, including studio work for the Hollywood Motion Picture and Film Industry. She has appeared as soloist with Boston Symphony, Boston Esplanade Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Kennedy Center Orchestra, to name a few. As a recitalist, Ms. Kransberg-Talvi performed at M.I.T, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, J. Paul Getty Museum, Carnegie Recital Hall, and on the well-known Bargemusic Series in New York. Ms. Kransberg-Talvi served as Concertmaster and Resident Artistic Director for the Northwest Chamber Orchestra. In that capacity, she collaborated with such recognized artists as Sidney Harth, Franco Gulli, Lorin Hollander, Joseph Silverstein, Ralf Gothoni, Leon Fleisher and Adam Stern. Ms. Kransberg-Talvi also served as Concertmaster and Soloist for Pacific Northwest Ballet for two decades. She appeared on tour with the company in New York City, Washington D.C, Anchorage, Alaska and Istanbul, Turkey. With her husband, concert violinist Ilkka Talvi, she maintains an active and thriving teaching schedule. Many of her students have received national and international acclaim in performance and music education. This is her first season as Concertmaster for the Symphony.
Haeyoon Shin
Haeyoon Shin is an active performer and teacher in Seattle, having returned home after receiving her Artist Diploma at Yale University as a part of the prestigious studio of Aldo Parisot. She was an avid chamber musician at Yale as an active member of several chamber groups. Her piano trio won the Yale chamber music competition and was selected to perform at the Vista Chamber Concert. She has been invited to the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, the Great Mountains Chamber Music Festival, and was an inaugural member of the Birdfoot Chamber Music Festival. She’s had masterclasses with members of the most prominent chamber groups such as the Tokyo String Quartet, the Emerson String Quartet, and the St. Lawrence String Quartet. She earned her Performers Diploma at Indiana University, Bloomington receiving the Eva Heinitz Scholarship under the tutelage of Janos Starker, and attained her Bachelors Degree from the University of Washington under Toby Saks. She received her Masters Degree from the Hartt School of Music with a full scholarship. Her awards include 1st prizes in the Marjorie Easley National Strings Competition, University of Washington Concerto Competition, and Individualis International Competition.
Yeehyun Jade Jwa
Yeehyun Jade Jwa (18) is a senior at Newport High School. She has been playing the piano since 4th grade. She participated in competitions such as the Seattle Virtuostic Competition (2nd place) and the Seattle International Competition. She also played in charity events such as Family for Every Orphan and the Piano in Parks. She wants to become a piano-playing engineer and plans to major in Industrial Engineering and minor in piano. She is currently studying with Dr. Ageyeva.
Casey Sim
16 year old Pianist Casey Sim is the winner of numerous piano competitions, including Silver Medals in the GMCC 2012 and 2014 Piano Competitions, Silver Medal for the 2015 Chopin NW Piano Competition, Concerto Alternate Winner for the E Minor Piano Concerto in the Chopin NW Piano Competition/Festival in 2013, Seattle Young Artist Music Foundation Gold Seals of Outstanding Achievement in 2013 and 2014. She won 3rd place in the 2013 Russian Chamber Music Festival in the “Seasons” category.
In 2015, she was the Gold Medalist for the Seattle International Piano Festival’s Virtuoso Fest, where she performed two required works, one by Chopin and one by Liszt. She will be featured in the upcoming Seattle International Piano Competition’s masterclass with international renown jurors at Benaroya Hall. She also was the regional winner for the 2015 WMEA’s Solo and Ensemble competition. Casey has also performed with several orchestras, including the Federal Way Symphony and Starry Night Orchestra after winning several piano Concerto Competitions. She has been studying piano with her teacher, Mr. Allan Park since she was 7 years old.
Bryan Zhao
Bryan Zhao, 15, has been a student of Professor Emeritus Willard Schultz for seven years and began his study of piano with Helen Wang in Portland at age 6. He is a junior in Mercer Island High School and has attended the Academy of Music Northwest for five years where he has taken precollege courses in theory, ear training and where he has excelled in chamber music, and performed in Nordstrom Hall with the Pine Street Trio. He has twice been chosen through the Simon Fiset competition to represent the SMTA at junior level in the annual WSMTA conferences, and has participated successfully in the SIPF Bach Festival, Seattle Northwest Chopin Festival, the Russian Chamber Music competition , being often chosen lst or 2nd Place. Bryan has participated successfully in the MTNA Performance Competitions at State level. He was for 4 summers in the Jacob School of Music of Indiana University and for the past 2 summers in the three week sessions of the Adamant School of Music in Vermont where he was in the class of Golda Tatz (2014), and Gwen Beamish (2015). In March of this year he performed a group of solos in an Adamant School recital in Weill Carnegie Recital Hall in NYC. He has been featured on King FM 98.1.
Apart from music, Bryan enjoys playing tennis and painting in oils.
Andrew Wang
Andrew Wang has played piano since he was six years old under the guidance of Ms. Nino Merabishvili. He has participated various competitions around Washington State, USA. He won first place at the 2012 and 2013 CWU Sonatina and Sonata festivals, and honorable mentions in the 2010 and 2011 CWU Sonatina and Sonata Festivals and the WSMTA Eastside Chapter 2013 Scholarship Competition. He also participated in PAFE, Seattle Young Artists, and Northwest Chopin competitions. In addition to these competitions, Andrew also played at the 2013 EMTA Adjudications Honors Recital, the Grand Opening of the Steinway Gallery of Redmond, and the 2015 Music Fest Perugia in Italy. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys reading, street dancing and playing basketball.
Paul Stovall
Paul Stovall is an enthusiastic musician. In the spring of 2015, he was awarded several scholarships to study music at Western Washington University. During the summer of 2015, Paul attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts and was offered the opportunity to write an original work for symphony orchestra, which was later premiered by the Interlochen Philharmonic. He is a prize-winner in several piano competitions such as the Gourmet Music and Culture Club Piano Competition and the Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle Piano Competition.