On January 31st at 7 pm the Salon de Virtuosi is delighted to present a special live New Year's celebration at the elegant Kosciuszko Foundation, 15 East 65th Street, featuring performances by two exceptional young artists - Michael St. Peter, tenor, known for his "warm, beautiful and true" singing (Chicago Classical Review), and Andrew Li, piano a fast-rising star, who is currently enrolled in the Harvard University/New England Conservatory joint program.
As a special treat, the concert will feature a set of Art Songs by composer Seth Grosshandler, including the world premiere of Trois Mélodies (Poèmes de Clément Marot), in addition to traditional repertoire including works by Chopin, Schubert, and Brahms.
Michael St. Peter is a Chicago native based in New York City who has been hailed as a performer whose “…attention to detail both emotionally and musically [is] profound” (Opera Wire). His career as a classical tenor has led to his debut on notable stages in New York, Chicago, and London, such as Harris Theatre, Pritzker Pavilion, Alice Tulley Hall at Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, and Carnegie Hall. Michael has appeared in roles with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Tulsa Opera, and Haymarket Opera Company of Chicago. He most recently appeared with Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra singing Mozart’s Requiem, followed by performances of Haydn’s Creation Mass conducted by Dame Jane Glover with Music of the Baroque. Michael is a graduate of The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music.
Andrew Li is a winner of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition and the Harvard Music Association Achievement Awards, as well as a prizewinner at numerous international competitions, such as the Cooper International Piano Competition, Hilton Head International Piano Competition, and Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition. Most recently, he was awarded Harvard College’s Robert Levin Prize in Musical Performance and was a Quarterfinalist and recipient of the Raymond E. Buck Jury Discretionary Award at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
You can learn more about Michael HERE, Andrew HERE, and Seth HERE.
We are immensely grateful to these artists for sharing with us their music and inspiration and to all of our sponsors and benefactors for making it possible.
Join us for a glass of wine and a light reception immediately following the performance, where you will have a chance to meet and mingle with the artists.
This concert is free for Salon de Virtuosi season members and $60 per person for non-members.
HOLIDAY CONCERT
Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 7 p.m. and Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 7 p.m.
Des Artistes Apartments
1 West 67th Street
Join us as we celebrate the season at the beautiful home of Lewis and Elizabeth Bryden. We will feature the remarkable 20-year old violinist Yvette Kraft and the up-and-coming young pianist Yun Janice Lu.
CZECH SERENADE
Monday, November 7, 2022 at 7 p.m.
Bohemian National Hall
321 East 73rd Street
Savor an evening of Czech culture, featuring the talented Czech clarinetist Anna Paulova and the exciting Merz Trio from the United States.
FALL
GALA AWARDS CONCERT
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
Merkin Concert Hall
129 West 67th Street
Our acclaimed Gala Awards Concert will feature the Salon’s 2022 Career Grant Winners
Daniel Rafimayeri, violin
Nikka Gershman-Pepper, flute
Derek Louie, cello
Miray Ito, violin
Evren Ozel, piano
Ismael Guerrero, cello
Mariam and Amira Abouzahra, viola
We have continued our partnership with Mount Sinai Hospital and have begun to bring our artists back to the lovely Guggenheim Atrium to provide musical uplift to the doctors, staff and patients and celebrate the reduction in COVID-19 cases. Artistic Director Lora Tchekoratova and alumna Rieko Tsuchida have already performed there in early May, and we are putting together a roster of alumni and other musicians eager to perform.
We have also been working with Northwell Health to provide videos of performances by our alumni and other artists that can be streamed to patients in their hospital room.
PRIOR NEWSLETTERS
Support the Salon
Now more than ever we need your support in order to continue to provide opportunities for talented young musicians to perform virtually or participate in live outreach events for the community, including concerts in tribute to our medical heroes and those most affected by the pandemic.
Please consider making a donation of any amount via the link below.
PREVIOUS STREAMED CONCERTS
PHOTOS FROM RECENT EVENTS
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
Calling all teachers, children, and parents! The Salon de Virtuosi is excited to announce its new partnership with the Aizuri Quartet! Together, we are creating a series of educational videos for young audiences which will be accessible to music teachers and public schools across the country. The Salon is co-sponsoring three episodes, set to stream between January and May of 2021. The Aizuri Quartet has already released three episodes, available on their website, which you can access HERE. Be sure to share these jewels with young audiences, teachers, and music lovers everywhere!
NEW MUSIC COMMISSIONING OPPORTUNITIES
We are thrilled to announce the establishment of a fund for commissioning new works by emerging composers of any nationality. This fund will provide talented young composers with an opportunity to collaborate with the Salon's exceptionally gifted alumni and make a meaningful impact in their careers.
Through this initiative, The Salon de Virtuosi will commission several new works per season. Composers will be nominated by our distinguished alumni artists and selected by the Salon Board of Directors. Each commissioned work will be specially composed for the Salon de Virtuosi to be performed by Salon alumni in performances that will be scheduled in the following season.
Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting new initiative!
We invite you to join us on this exciting musical journey by subscribing for a Salon season membership! As members, you will be invited to attend an entire season of concerts presented in 19th Century "salon" settings, where you will have the chance to hear and get to know exceptional young artists who are destined to become our future “greats.”
We rely on your generous support to fulfill the Salon’s vital mission of providing encouragement, performance opportunities, and financial assistance to our deserving young artists, which makes such a meaningful impact on the lives and careers of young artists.
Join us for our
View our 2020-2021 Season Streamed Concerts HERE
2021 -2022 SEASON STREAMED CONCERTS
2021 Czech Serenade featuring Derek Louie, cello and Martina Barta, voice.
Click on the photo to view the concert
2021 Holiday Concert featuring KayCee Galano, violin and Nikka Gershman-Pepper, flute.
Click on the photo to view the concert.
2022 New Year's Concert featuring Ismael Guerrero, cello, Zhu Wang, piano and a special guest appearance by 2020 Career Grant Winner Albert Cano Smit.
Click on the photo to view the concert.
2022 Valentine Piano Extravaganza featuring Crystal Jiang, Evren Ozel and a special guest appearance by 2004 Career Grant Winner Alon Goldstein.
Click on the photo to view the concert.
A Salute to France featuring Daniel Rafimayeri, violin and a special guest appearance by 2020 Career Grant Winners Hina and Fiona Khuong-Huu, violin.
Click on the photo to view the concert.
The Musical Soul of Hungary featuring pianist Ying Li and violinists Mariam and Amira Abouzahra.
Click on the photo to view the concert.
East Meets West, featuring violinist Maya Anjali Buchanan and Seema Gulati, sitar and Samir Chatterjee, tabla.
Click on the photo to view the concert.
New Year’s Concert on January 31!
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the Salon de Virtuosi 2022 Career Grants:
Ismael Guerrero, cello
Nikka Gershman-Pepper, flute
Derek Louie, cello
Daniel Rafimayeri, violin
Miray Ito, violin
Mariam and Amira Abouzahra, violin
Evren Ozel, piano
Congratulations to all our amazing winning artists!
Spring Song From Japan, featuring violinist Miray Ito and 2020 Career Grant Winner Zac Zinger, shakuhachi, with Martha Kato, piano.
Click on the photo to view the concert.
Announcing Our 2022 Career Grant Winners!
With deepest thanks to the support of our members, benefactors and friends and a generous grant
from the Alphadyne Foundation for enabling us to continue our mission
NEW YEAR’S CONCERT
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 7 p.m.
Kosciuszko Foundation
15 East 65th Street
We ring in the New Year with a delightful concert at the elegant Kosciuszko Foundation, featuring the talented pianist Andrew Li and the gifted young tenor Michael St. Peter.
SPRING
Three additional concerts are currently in the works for the Spring of 2023. In March we plan to present our Spring Song from Japan. In May, we look forward to returning once again to the Consulate General of Hungary for our Musical Soul of Hungary concert, where we will present an exciting program of Hungarian works, and the world premiere of a new composition commissioned especially by the Salon. We will end the season with our traditional Grand Finale East Meets West at the Consulate General of India in early June. The dates of our spring concerts will be announced as soon as the schedules of our diplomatic hosts are finalized.
For concerts listed on two consecutive dates, the same program will be performed on each date. All concert dates are subject to change. We plan to offer a post-concert reception following our concerts, but the precise format of our events will depend on applicable health and safety guidelines.
A video of this concert will be available to view online on a date to be announced following the concert. Please stay tuned for more information!
2021 Gala Awards Concert featuring our 2021 Career Grant Winners.
Click on the photo to view the concert.
