USC Students Play Key Role in Piatigorsky International Cello Festival

For a video of Ralph Kirshbaum, Gregor Piatigorsky Endowed Chair in Violoncello at USC, and USC Thornton School of Music graduate student Han Bin Yoon, click here.

LOS ANGELES — March 7, 2012 — Southern California music students take the stage with some of the greatest living cellists as part of the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival from March 9 to March 18, presented by the USC Thornton School of Music and the LA Phil in partnership with The Colburn School and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

The festival melds education and performance in the spirit of Gregor Piatigorsky, who, as one of the great classical artists of the 20th century, helped bring Los Angeles to a new cultural high point when he moved here during a glittering international performance career, and taught at USC until his death in 1976.

“There will be 14 master classes featuring students from every continent but Antarctica,” said Ralph Kirshbaum, director of the festival and also Gregor Piatigorsky Endowed Chair in Violoncello at the USC Thornton School of Music. “The festival is an opportunity for them to interact with, to listen to and play for some of the greatest artists in the world.”

Together with USC Thornton artists and faculty Kirshbaum, Andrew Shulman and Peter Stumpf, students and alumni from USC Thornton will participate in chamber music performances, orchestral concerts and master classes at the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival. Participating USC Thornton students include Nick Bollinger, Andrea Casarrubios, Stella Cho, Michael Kaufman, Ana Kim, Carl-Oscar Osterlind, Sunny Yang and Han Bin Yoon. USC Thornton alumni include Dennis Kamozyn, Daniel Rothmuller, Jeffrey Solow, and John Walz.

Kirshbaum says, “For my own students, I couldn’t be happier that they have the opportunity to meet some of these artists, whom they have known by name and by recordings, but have been personal friends of mine for years — that they have the chance to meet them in this kind of setting.”

The festival launches March 9 with an opening concert led by conductor Hugh Wolff and featuring world-renowned cellists Thomas Demenga, Narek Hakhnazaryan, Antonio Lysy, Jean-Guilhen Queyras, Peter Stumpf and Jian Wang. Following this are master classes, recitals, workshops, lectures, additional orchestral concerts and much more.

Single tickets and festival passes are available, as well as half-price tickets for students. For more information — including events and the complete artist roster — visit piatigorskyfestival.com.

About the USC Thornton School of Music
The USC Thornton School of Music brings together a stellar faculty chosen from a broad spectrum of the music profession and gifted students from around the globe. Founded in 1884 and today the oldest continually operating cultural institution in Los Angeles, the USC Thornton School consistently ranks among the nation’s top music schools and conservatories.

By blending the rigors of a traditional conservatory-style education with the benefits of a leading research university, USC Thornton offers an impressive range of performance opportunities and a curriculum designed to prepare students for successful careers in the 21st century. USC Thornton presents more than 500 concerts each year and is the only music school with a weekly radio broadcast in a major media market featuring student performances.

Located in the heart of Los Angeles, USC Thornton offers students every advantage of studying, performing, and networking in the world’s most vibrant music industry hub. Every week, our students engage with leading professionals in all aspects of the music, recording, and entertainment industries, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Grammy Foundation and The Recording Academy. Our students also are a constant presence in local classrooms, reaching out to the next generation of musicians.  More at www.usc.edu/music or call (213) 740-3233.

About the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival
In honor of the legendary cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, the inaugural Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, to be held in Los Angeles March 9-18, 2012, presented by the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and the LA Phil in partnership with The Colburn School and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), brings together masters of the cello and young cellists from around the world for a unique celebration of the cello, its music and its musicians. Twenty-two outstanding artists, representing twelve countries, converge on Los Angeles for ten days to share their artistry and teaching experience through orchestral concerts, chamber music performances, master classes and interactive events. The festival’s roster includes some of the world’s most celebrated cellists: Frans Helmerson, Gary Hoffman, Steven Isserlis, Ralph Kirshbaum, Ronald Leonard, Mischa Maisky, MiklÛs PerÈnyi, Jian Wang and Alisa Weilerstein, among others.

Artistic director and acclaimed cellist Ralph Kirshbaum leads the festival, which honors the memory of Gregor Piatigorsky, one of the legends of the cello, who heralded a period of incredible vibrancy in the cultural life of Los Angeles when he settled in the city for the final years of his glittering international career. Six of his outstanding former students, Terry King, Laurence Lesser, Mischa Maisky, Jeffrey Solow, Nathaniel Rosen and Raphael Wallfisch, are participating in this festival together with his grandson, the cellist Evan Drachman. The evening of March 16 will bring them all to the stage of Zipper Hall to celebrate the life and career of their great teacher through film and discussion. The final concert will bring 100 cellists to the stage for a climactic conclusion. Additionally, the festival will include four orchestral concerts and nine chamber music events, as well as 14 master classes and a young cellists’ workshop, giving enthusiasts and students the opportunity to share in this one-of-a-kind convergence of talent and experience. For more information, visit piatigorskyfestival.com.

Contact: Suzanne Wu at (213) 503-3410 or suzanne.wu@usc.edu; Michael Dowlan at (213) 740-3233 or dowlan@thornton.usc.edu; Kirshbaum Demler & Associates at (212) 222-4843 or pgullo@kirshdem.com