2018 - 19 SEASON

Our 30th Anniversary Season opened with a Gala Concert in Tribute to Charlotte White at the elegant Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. It was a sold out evening and a thrilling experience for us to hear and see some of the most successful Salon alumni on the stage. The audience was treated to performances by the Claremont Trio, Moran Katz, Helen Huang, Paul Huang, Carlos Avila, James Kim, Mika Sasaki, and Vassily Primakov. The evening was led by longtime Salon friend and renowned musicologist Robert Sherman. Many music luminaries were in attendance as well as many young musicians and other alumni. From November to June we held eight more exciting concerts in spectacular venues around the city, featuring a number of rising stars from around the world. Most of our performances were sold out and received enthusiastic praise from our members, sponsors and special guests from the musical and diplomatic communities.  


Our 2018 Gala Awards Concert at the Kosciuszko Foundation on November 1, featured four of our grant winners: Ririko Takagi, violin, Reed Tetzloff, piano, Janice Carissa, piano and William Wei, violin. The evening was once again led by Robert Sherman. Excerpts from the concert were broadcast on  WQXR's Young Artists Showcase on January, 3, 2019.


Our Holiday Concert was held at the home of Lewis and Elizabeth Bryden at their elegant Hotel Des Artistes apartment. We featured the young violin prodigy Yesong Sophie Lee, winner of the 2016 International Menuhin Competition, as well as the virtuoso Italian flutist Giorgio Consolati.


At our New Year’s Concert in January we presented the Salon's Prior Family Foundation Career Grant to the sensational pianist Claire Huangci, who performed a selection of Rachmaninoff works from her brand new CD at Yamaha Piano Salon. Also featured on the program were two outstanding young artists: American cellist of Chinese-Bulgarian heritage Zlatomir Fung and the young Mexican pianist Daniela Liebman.


Our February 7 concert, A Valentine’s Piano Extravaganza, was once again graciously hosted by Elizabeth and Lewis Bryden. We featured three extraordinary pianists: Salon de Virtuosi alumnus and world renowned pianist Alessio Bax, who performed with his lovely and equally brilliant wife Lucille Chung. They introduced Alessio's former student, the talented young pianist Yi-Nuo Wang. The audience was thrilled to hear works for solo piano, four-hands, and six hands piano. As a special encore, the Salon's Artistic Director Lora Tchekoratova joined in for a spirited performance of Lavignac's "Gallop" for eight-hands piano.


Our much beloved Spring Song from Japan concert took place on March 1 at the elegant residence of the Consul General of Japan, Ambassador Kanji Yamanouchi, with the gracious support of the Consulate General of Japan. This year we presented two gifted young musicians from Japan: violinist Minami Yoshida and pianist Ray Ushikubo who thrilled us with a breathtaking program. As a surprise encore, Mr. Ushikubo performed a solo Bach work on violin after finishing a challenging program as piano soloist. March was a busy month. In addition to our Spring Song of Japan concert, we also presented our Czech Serenade concert in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Czech Republic, with the gracious support of Ambassador Miroslav Rames. The concert, which took place in the ballroom of the Bohemian National Hall, a marvelous architectural jewel, featured the renowned Lobkowicz Trio from the Czech Republic and the rising young American pianist Anna Han performing a program of Czech composers. Our audience was also treated to a tour of the Dvorak Room during intermission and following the concert.


In May and June we presented two concerts in collaboration with the Consulates of Hungary and India. In May we featured a special return appearance of Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant Winner Balasz Fulei, piano together with special guest artist the Georgian-Hungarian pianist , recent winner of the prestigious Honens Competition. We also presented the Hungarian mezzo-soprano Lina Ferencz. The event was titled The Musical Soul of Hungary and took place at the elegant Consulate General of Hungary with the gracious support of Ambassador Istvan Pasztor.


The Season ended with a grand finale at the Consulate General of India for our acclaimed East Meets West concert, with the gracious support of Mr. Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India in New York. We featured American harpist Madeline Olson in combination with the traditional Indian artists Snehasish Mozumder, mandolin, who has performed as soloist with Ravi Shankar’s orchestra, and Pradeep Chatterjee, tabla. The evening ended with a thrilling improvisation by Madeline, Snehasish and Pradeep.