UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos, renowned for his unique timbre and flawless technique, returns to Santa Barbara with a program featuring Beethoven, Prokofiev, Bartók and Enescu, 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at UCSB Campbell Hall.
Leonidas Kavakos, a “formidable violinist” (The New York Times) known for his “prodigious talent, with an astonishing technique” (The Guardian, U.K.) enthralled the Santa Barbara audience during his local performance with pianist Yuja Wang in 2017.
Together with pianist Enrico Pace, who will join him in Santa Barbara, Kavakos released the complete Beethoven Violin Sonatas on Decca, Kavakos’ first on the label. The release was nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award, and brought Kavakos the honor of Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2013 ECHO Klassik Awards.
Kavakos and Pace played the Beethoven cycle at Carnegie Hall in the 2015-16 season. BBC Music Magazine said: “The performances sing and dance with youthful vigor, paying due homage to the music’s classical roots, and finely harnessing the exciting romantic frisson that Beethoven injects into the mix.”
The UCSB program (subject to change) will include:
Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 4, op. 23
Prokofiev: Violin Sonata No. 1, op. 80
Bartók: Rhapsody No. 1, Sz. 87
Enescu: Vioin Sonata No. 3, op. 25
Tickets are: general public, $25-$40; UCSB students, $10 with current student ID. For tickets and information, call 805-893-3535 or visit www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu.
Known for his virtuosity, musicianship and the integrity of his playing, Kavakos, in the 2018-19 season, is the artist-in-residence at both the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Kavakos plays the Willemotte Stradivarius violin of 1734.
In North America, he performs with the San Francisco Symphony, including on tour to New York, and embarks on a recital tour with Pace, with concerts in Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Seattle, Fort Worth and Philadelphia, as well as in concert with Yuja Wang at Carnegie Hall.
This season, he will conduct the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Kavakos recently signed an exclusive contract with Sony Classical, for whom he has previously recorded the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto and Mozart’s Violin Concertos play-conducting with the Camerata Salzburg.
In fall 2017, he joined Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax for a recording of Brahms Trios for the label. Upcoming recording projects include the Beethoven Violin Concerto which he will play-conduct with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, followed by the complete Bach Solo Sonatas and Partitas.
Pace was born in Rimini, Italy. Winning the Utrecht International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in 1989 marked the start of his international career. Since then, he has toured extensively, performing in Amsterdam, Milan, Rome, Berlin, London, Dublin, Munich, Salzburg, and South American cities.
He has worked such conductors as Roberto Benzi, David Robertson, Andrey Boreyko, Mark Elder, Janos Fürst, Eliahu Inbal, Lawrence Foster, Kazimierz Kord, Jiří Kout, Gianandrea Noseda, Walter Weller, Carlo Rizzi, Jan Latham-Koenig, and Vassily Sinaisky.
A popular soloist, he has performed with such major orchestras as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Bamberger Symphoniker, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of Santa Cecilia Rome, Rotterdam Philharmonic, and Dutch Radio Philharmonic.
Pace enjoys partnerships with violinists Kavakos, Frank Peter Zimmermann and Liza Ferschtman. With Kavakos and cellist Patrick Demenga, he recorded the piano trios by Mendelssohn.
The Jan. 25 concert is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures in association with the UCSB Department of Music and Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church. Media sponsor: KCBX 89.5 FM Santa Barbara.
UCSB Arts & Lectures acknowledges its Community Partners, the Natalie Orfalea Foundation a d Lou Buglioli and Corporate Season Sponsor SAGE Publishing for their support of the 2018-19 season.
— Caitlin O’Hara for UCSB Arts & Lectures.