Necessity is the Mother of Invention: The Concert Meister Series in New York

To save on costly travel and hotel accommodation for international high-calibre musicians, Simona DeFeo envisioned a concert series of solo performances for musicians who had already arrived in the country with their orchestras. Moderate pricing of the concerts would be an added advantage of her concept. Together with Israeli pianist Elisha Abas whose long career and many connections in the international music world helped facilitate the series, a new concert entity was born: The Concert Meister Series.

Albena Danailova, one of the very few female violinists and also one of four concert meisters at the Vienna Philharmonic, had come to the U.S. for a performance at the United Nations. On Tuesday, November 3, 2009, she played the very first concert of the brand-new series at the Performing Arts Center of New York’s Baruch College.

The program at Baruch’s Engelman Recital Hall included Beethoven’s ‚Kreutzersonate’ (Nr. 9, opus 47 in A major), Bela Bartoks Sonata Nr. 1, followed by Ronn Yedidia’s ‚Lullabye’, and ‚Liebesleid’, as well as ‚Marche Miniature Viennoise’ by Fritz Kreisler. Julian Riem, the young pianist and alumnus of the Musik-Akademie Basel (Switzerland), accompanied Danailova. Resident componist Ronn Yedida, a student of David Diamond und Milton Babbitt, was present during the concert.

"For many musicians who are used to only performing as part of an orchestra, being able to perform as a soloist again is a much welcomed change“, said Danailova in an interview with the New York Times. Thanks to the Concert Meister Series, this rare opportunity is now becoming a reality more frequently.

The Chopin Vodka – (partly) sponsored afterparty at the ‚W hotel’s restaurant ‚Olives’ on Union Square offered a stylish encore, and a chance for meeting and greeting over drinks and elegant hors d’ouvres. I was pleased to be able to meet Ronn Yedida, and to talk to Elisha Abas and Simona DeFeo about the fantastic concept of the series.

Article Author: Ilona Oltuski

Ilona Oltuski was born in Germany, where she studied art history and published her doctorate about the Bezalel art movement. She discovered her penchant for writing again much later, through another interest of hers, the piano. …

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