violin Elli Choi
piano Riccardo Gagliardi
music from Mozart, Brahms, Ysaye, Frolov - Gershwin

Programm
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)
Sonata for violino and pianoforte n. 21 in mi minore, K1 304
Allegro (E minor)
Tempo di Minuetto (E minor)
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Sonata No. 3 in D minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 108
Allegro (D minor)
Adagio (D major)
A little fast and with feeling (F sharp minor minore)
Presto agitato (D minor)
Eugène Ysaye (1858 – 1931).
Sonata for solo violin  No. 6, Op. 27
Allegro giusto, not too lively
Igor Frolov (1937)
Concertante Fantasy on Themes from Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin

The opening event of the program brings together young emerging musicians who have already been awarded in prestigious national and international competitions. Among them is violinist Elli Choi, 23 years old, currently pursuing her undergraduate degree at Columbia University while training at the Juilliard School. She has already won major competitions and performed numerous concerts across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, in renowned concert halls.

Joining her is Riccardo Gagliardi, equally awarded in various national and international competitions, performing Mozart’s Sonatas, No. 21, K. 304, noted for its clear melodic purity, and Brahms’ Sonata No. 3, Op. 108, characterized by exuberance and virtuosity. The program also includes Igor Frolov’s Concertante Fantasy on Themes from Porgy and Bess by Gershwin and Eugène Ysaÿe’s Sonata for Solo Violin No. 6, Op. 27, written in the style of a Spanish habanera, featuring extraordinary textural richness, chromaticism, and virtuosic passages.

Elli Choi is currently completing a bachelor’s degree in economics and philosophy at Columbia University while studying at the Juilliard School, where she has been enrolled since 2009. She has won the Dubai Classical Strings Competition, the Fritz Kreisler Competition, and the Qingdao Competition. She has collaborated with orchestras such as the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Juilliard Orchestra, the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra, the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, and the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. Elli Choi has performed numerous concerts across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East in prestigious venues including David Geffen Hall, the David H. Koch Theater, Maison Symphonique de Montréal, Carnegie Hall, Berlin Philharmonic, Abu Dhabi Palace, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

Riccardo Gagliardi was born in 1997 in Grosseto, Italy. At age 15, he began studying piano with his father, Alessandro, a professor at the “Morlacchi” Conservatory of Music in Perugia. He also received private lessons from Maestro Piernarciso Masi. With the “P. Mascagni” Choir of Piombino, he performed concerts across Italy and played Brahms’ Liebeslieder, Op. 52, for choir and piano four hands, sometimes also conducting. Between 2014 and 2016, he performed as a soloist and in duo with Marianna Tongiorgi in cities including Pistoia and Florence. In 2014, he played Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A major, K. 414, accompanied by the “Haendel” Orchestra of Piombino.

Starting the same year, he attended the conducting course led by Maestro Marco Boni at the International Academy “Incontri con il Maestro” in Imola. Since October 2016, Riccardo has studied concert piano under Professor Margarita Höhenrieder-Dornier at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, performing as a soloist at venues such as Orlandosaal-Germering and SteinwayHaus-Munich, as well as in chamber ensembles. In 2018, he both performed and conducted Mozart’s Concerto K. 415 with the Gubbio Chamber Orchestra.

Riccardo has earned various awards in national and international competitions, including 2nd and 4th prizes at the International Competition of San Donà di Piave, 1st absolute prize at the International Competition of Lagny-sur-Marne (Paris), 1st prize at the National Music Performance Competition “Città di Piove di Sacco,” and 3rd prize at the Arald Gemzmer Competition in Munich. In September 2018, he attended the summer course with Maestro Johan Schmidt at the Académie du Grand Paris in Nancy (Paris). Recently, he took part in a masterclass with pianist András Schiff. In winter 2019, he performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 21, in various theaters in Livorno, accompanied by the EstrOrchestra of Livorno under the direction of Maestro Chiara Morandi.