The Opening concert of the 2010/2011 Enescu Society Season presents a recital by the internationally-acclaimed violinist and violist Clara Cernat and pianist and composer Thierry Huillet.
Programme: Robert Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor Op. 105 Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Sonata in C minor for viola and piano George Enescu: Concertpiece for viola and piano George Enescu: Sonata No. 3 Op.25 Dans le caractère populaire Roumain
They are competition winners who make music together without any sense of competition. They share each moment, listen to one another carefully and interact with superb rapport. [...] Cernat's emotional zeal and pinpoint command of the violin [...] suited Enesco's extraordinary Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Op. 25, in which the melodic and harmonic writing vividly reflect the subtitle, "In the popular Romanian Style" [...] The work demands a deft balance of fire and patience, which Cernat and Huillet supplied to brilliant degree. ("Musical couple merge their artistry on a most lofty level", The Plain Dealer newspaper, Cleveland, USA)
Clara Cernat had her début at the age of 15 as a soloist with the Arad Symphonic Orchestra, in Romania and a quick and brilliant musical evolution that lead to the obtaining of five international prizes in France, Germany and Italy and to an intense activity of concerts and CD recordings. One of the representatives of the great Romanian violin school, Clara Cernat was a disciple of Stefan Gheorghiu in the Bucharest Music Academy, obtaining the highest awards in numerous disciplines: violin, chamber music, analysis, harmony, history of music, study of folklore, etc. After winning, among others, the 1st Prize in the Città di Andria and J.S. Bach International Competitions, the 2nd Prize and Mozart Special Prize in the Kloster Schöntal International Competition, Clara Cernat began a career as a soloist, playing the main violin concertos (Tchaïkovsky, Bruch, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns, Mozart etc.) with the Romanian Philharmonic Orchestras. She is also a much sought-after chamber music player, as a violinist and as a violist and particularly recognized as a favorite performer of George Enescu's music.
Thierry Huillet entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris at the age of 15, obtaining three years later a piano, chamber music and vocal accompaniment degree. He has won several international prizes, including the 1st Prize Robert Casadesus at the Cleveland International Piano Competition USA and prizes in Busoni and Tokyo International Piano Competitions, had hundreds of recitals and concerts with orchestra in numerous countries and recordings for Radio-France, R.A.I., Radio Suisse Romande, the Romanian Radio. After his success in international competitions, he was invited to play the main piano concertos with numerous famous orchestras and played recitals in France, USA, Japan, Italy, Spain, Austria, Malaysia, Romania, Ivory Coast. As a composer, Thierry Huillet's works have been performed in numerous countries and festivals and his music has been played by great musicians. Huillet's works as a composer are published at Editions Alphonse Leduc, Paris.
The permanent duet formed by Clara Cernat and Thierry Huillet asserts itself in the international musical world, playing worldwide and regularly recording successful CDs, unanimously praised by the critics. In 2009-2010 Clara Cernat and Thierry Huillet made concert tours in China, USA, Vietnam, Lybia, Brasil, Argentina, France, Belgium,Portugal, Spain, Romania and Greece.More details at www.pianoviolon.com.
The Enescu Society was established by the Romanian Cultural Institute in 2007 under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Margarita of Romania.
The Institute runs the Enescu Society Concerts Season from October to June, on the first Thursday of each month. The concert stage of the Institute hosts outstanding musicians performing George Enescu's music alongside an international repertoire.
From September 2009 the Romanian Cultural Institute awards the Enescu Society sholarship to a student at the Royal Academy of Music.
When: Thursday, 7 October 2010, 7-9 pm;
Where: Romanian Cultural Institute, London
Admission is free, but places are limited. Early booking is well recommended.
Please reserve your seats at T: 020 7752 0134, E: office@icr-london.co.uk.
Latecomers will be admitted at the interval.
