Celebrate spring and the “New World” Symphony in a special tribute to Antonín Dvořák and his symphonic masterpiece, marking its 130th anniversary year.
Hear an arrangement of "Largo" from Dvořák’s Symphony No.9 in E minor, the widely beloved “New World“ Symphony. Dvořák’s symphony premiered with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall on December 16, 1893. This arrangement for cello choir, along with "Song of the Birds" – El Cant dels Ocells, a Catalonian Traditional, will be performed by a choir of cellists from the esteemed Violoncello Society of New York and Czech guest, cellist Tomáš Jamník.
A special arrangement of Dvořák’s prized Humoresque No.7 will be performed by cellist Aurelia Faidley-Solars, a talented rising star in the music world. And, the ArtsAhimsa Trio: Laura Jean Goldberg, violin; Kate Dillingham, cello; and Anna Royzman, piano will play Dvořák’s Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 90, The “Dumky." Last year this piece brought the audience to their feet, cheering. We hope this year's encore performance will inspire similar excitement.
View the world premiere of "A Ballet for The New World" inspired by the “New World” Symphony and its embrace of multicultural themes. The new work explores the rich cultural heritage of the Americas incorporating dance and thematic materials from across the region North to South, with choreography by Cuban-born Pedro Ruiz and music by Venezuelan-born Moshe S. Knoll. Featuring musicians from the ArtsAhimsa ensemble and dancers Nick Camarero, Frankie Levita, Kayla Hsu, Greg Bantugan, Tade Biesinger, and Ethan Palma from Marymount Manhattan College.
Hear the recitation of Czech and Ukrainian poetry reflecting the idea of open thought and freedom in Dvořák’s work, which resonates as much with audiences today as it did in the late 19th century. Václav Havel's "It Is I Who Must Begin" from Dopisy Olze (Letters to Olga) will be read in Czech by Miroslav Konvalina, and in English by Tristien Marcellous Winfree. Serhiy Zhadan’s "Rhinoceros" will be read in Ukrainian by Marina Kushnir, and in English by Tristien Marcellous Winfree.
Following the Spring Musicale concert, audience members are invited to visit the Dvořák Room exhibit on the 3rd floor and the Czech Center New York exhibit on the 2nd floor. There will be a lecture presentation at the Czech Center exhibit at 5:30 p.m.
Program
1. Dvořák, Humoresque No.7, arranged by Ben Clinesmith and Moshe Knoll
Aurelia Faidley-Solars, solo cello
Moshe S. Knoll, piano
2. Václav Havel, "It Is I Who Must Begin"
Miroslav Konvalina, Czech reader
Tristien Marcellous Winfree, English reader
Serhiy Zhadan, "Rhinoceros"
Marina Kushnir, Ukrainian reader
Tristien Marcellous Winfree, English reader
3. Dvořák, Piano Trio in E Minor, Op.90, The "Dumky"
ArtsAhimsa Trio: Laura Jean Goldberg violin; Kate Dillingham, cello; Anna Royzman, piano
4. Dvořák, "Largo" from the “New World” Symphony, arranged by David Johnstone
Traditional from Catalonia, "Song of the Birds" – El Cant dels Ocells, arranged by David Johnstone
Violoncello Society of New York Cello Choir: Kate Dillingham, Molly Aronson, Dan Barrett, Nan-Cheng Chen, Dara Hankins, Robert Reed, Mosa Tsay, Josh Weissenborn, with special guest, Czech cellist Tomáš Jamník
Intermission and musical interlude: Moshe S. Knoll, piano
5. World Premiere
"A Ballet for The New World,” Pedro Ruiz, choreographer; Moshe S. Knoll, composer
Dancers from Marymount Manhattan College: Frankie Levita, Kayla Hsu, Greg Bantugan, Tade Biesinger, Ethan Palma, Nick Camarero. Music performed by: Laura Jean Goldberg, violin; Kate Dillingham, cello; Moshe S. Knoll, piano
General admission for in person event: $30; seniors, students: $20. Livestreaming ticket: $25.
Tickets may be purchased online through Eventbrite (plus the processing fee).
This event is organized by violinist and DAHA music advisor Laura Jean Goldberg, with support of the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association.
ACCOMPANYING EVENTS
Dvořák Room Open House
Visit the Dvořák Room (3rd floor) after the concert, and view archival material about the 1893 premiere of the New World Symphony and Dvořák’s American sojourn. Curated by Majda Kallab Whitaker of DAHA.
Guided Tour: Exhibition Famous Czech Composers
Join us at 5:30 pm for a curator-led tour of the multimedia exhibition Famous Czech Composers in the Czech Center Gallery. Dr. Veronika Vejvodová of the Antonín Dvořák Museum-National Museum in Prague will lead a tour of the exhibition highlighting Czech composers Smetana, Dvořák, Janáček and Martinů. Free with RSVP. >> RSVP for the exhibition guided tour
ABOUT
Renowned choreographer and dancer Pedro Ruiz was born and trained in Cuba, as well as in Venezuela. In a 21-year career with Ballet Hispanico as its principal dancer, Ruiz choreographed ballets for the company that received critical acclaim. Clive Barnes of The New York Post said of Ruiz's Guajira, “...An especially fine work of form and structure.” Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times gave kudos to Club Havana, writing “...An explosion of sensuous pure dance”, and Gia Kourlas of Time Out New York glowed, “Ruiz’s Cecilia furthers the notion that his pieces exhibit a timelessness.”
Mr. Ruiz has achieved a career as one of the most well-known and successful living choreographers, and his pieces are in demand throughout the US and internationally. In 2022 Ruiz was commissioned to create a new ballet for the New Jersey Philharmonic Orchestra 100th Anniversary Gala. Ruiz's “La Estancia”, in collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, and the New Jersey Ballet at NJ PAC, was a stellar success. Ruiz is a member of the dance faculty at Marymount Manhattan College, and, among others, is the recipient of The Bessie Award, the Choo-San Goh Award, The Cuban Artist’s Fund Award and The Joyce Foundation Award.
Pianist-composer Moshe S. Knoll was born in Venezuela of Eastern European immigrant parents. Educated at The Juilliard School and the University of Arizona, Knoll has a direct personal link to Antonín Dvořák: his mentor Ozan Marsh was a composition student of Rubin Goldmark, who was in turn a student of Dvořák, himself. Knoll has had a successful career as a pianist, pedagogue, composer, and arranger. His Piano Sonata #1 was published in 1980 and has been performed multiple times. In 1987 he received the "Artist of the Year Award" from the Pianist's Foundation of America. Recent achievements include his setting of Psalm 133 for Soprano, Narrator, and String Orchestra which has had repeated performances. ArtsAhimsa presented a Retrospective Concert of Knoll's works in NYC and he composed the soundtrack for the documentary film "God Knows Where I am" produced by Jedd and Todd Wider. His Chamber Cantata "Simplicity", set to texts by Henry David Thoreau, was premiered at Symphony Space by the Ark Trio in 2017, and it is included in their debut CD album, "Ark Resounding" which is now available on Amazon. His Piano Trio "Twilight Serenade" was performed at The Juilliard School in 2022, with the composer at the piano. More than 80 of his compositions are published on Sheet Music Plus. Dr. Knoll has been Composer-in-Residence at ArtsAhimsa since 2012. He is also a member of the Board of the Dvořák American Heritage Association.
Violinist Laura Jean Goldberg is active as performer, teacher, and presenter for musicians and artists both in the US and abroad. As a solo violinist, she performed with the BSO at Boston's Symphony Hall and played recitals in Boston, New York, and in India. A member of the chamber music faculty at The Juilliard School Pre-college division, she previously taught at Columbia University, Yale, and Teachers College. She has performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Tanglewood, venues in India, Japan, London, Paris, and across the US. As founding member of the Cassatt Quartet, Goldberg earned top prizes at the Fischoff, Coleman, and Banff competitions and worked as assistant to the Juilliard and Tokyo Quartets. Goldberg is committed to celebrating the music of living composers including Julia Wolfe, Moshe Knoll, Eric Ewazen, Behzad Ranjbaran, and Gabriela Lena Frank, and she is a member of the Sullivan String Quartet, based in New York. Trained at The Juilliard School and the Charles Castleman Quartet Program, Goldberg is founder of ArtsAhimsa Music for Peace, presenting events that inspire and support inclusive communities, social justice, and the environment through the arts. Goldberg is director of the ArtsAhimsa Chamber Music Workshop for professional and amateur musicians that meets annually at Belvoir Terrace in Lenox, Ma. She teaches at Belvoir Terrace camp for girls and is a board member at Dvořák American Heritage Association.
Kate Dillingham is a cellist, recording artist, and proponent of the music of living composers who enjoys a multifaceted career on varied frontiers of the musical world. She has performed concerti of Dvořák and Haydn in musical capitals from Salzburg to Moscow and has appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and The MET Museum. Ms. Dillingham has driven innovation in the composition and performance space, commissioning contemporary works and collaborating with many artists in original multimedia events. She has produced and recorded audio/video projects, is a voting member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMY’s) and serves as President of the Violoncello Society of New York. Kate is Artistic Director of ArtsAhimsa: Music for Peace, a global network of artists working together to promote non-violence through affirmative power of the Arts. A skilled teacher and inventor, she founded MyBlueSkiesMusic.com, an online meeting platform for musicians to connect, teach, and live-stream in high quality audio/video. Kate is both architect and facilitator of ideas and is passionate about her craft and engagement in the full spectrum of music from composition to performance.
Cellist Aurelia Faidley-Solars, 13, attends The Juilliard School where she studies with Natasha Brofsky. At the age of 12, Aurelia released her first album, “From Bach to Summerland” which was reviewed by Huntley Dent for the New York Classical Review: “She’s a wonderfully gifted 12-year-old with remarkable technique and a musical understanding beyond her years.” Aurelia is the youngest prizewinner in the Ronald Sachs International Competition and the winner of the 2023 Hill Concerto Competition. Currently working on her second album with Petrichor Records, Aurelia is the youngest finalist in the history of the Artist’s Presentation Society. Aurelia has performed with several orchestras, including the Haydn Concerto in Lausanne, Switzerland and the Elgar Concerto in 2022 with the NY Virtuosi Symphony. She has also soloed with the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, the New York Concerti Sinfonietta, the Camerata Artists International Orchestra, and the Sempre Musick Symphony. Aurelia will be performing as soloist with the NY Chamber Orchestra with Tessarini in April, and with the American Concerti Sinfonio several times in May, 2023. She will also embark on a 5-state tour with a solo recital program in May.
Pianist Anna Royzman was born in Odessa, Ukraine, and immigrated to the U.S. with her family in 1989. Ms. Royzman received her B.M. and M.M. degrees from The Juilliard School where she studied with Jerome Lowenthal as a recipient of the full-tuition Elizabeth Smith Scholarship. A frequent collaborator with vocalists and instrumentalist, she has performed solo and chamber music concerts in the U.S. and abroad. Highlights include a performance of Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, performances at Lyricafest in Lincoln, M.A. and the National Opera Center in Chelsea. She has participated in international music festivals in Viana do Castelo, Portugal and Puigcerda, Spain where she was the recipient of the first prize in the program’s annual piano competition. She has taught piano and chamber music at Belvoir Terrace Fine Arts Camp and the ArtsAhimsa Music Festival in Lenox, MA. Ms. Royzman is currently the director of performance activities in the Pre-College at The Juilliard School and the administrative director of the Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies.
About “A Ballet for the New World”
Award-winning choreographer Pedro Ruiz was commissioned by ArtsAhimsa: Music for Peace to create "A Ballet for The New World" for the Dvořák American Heritage Association, in commemoration of the 130 year anniversary of the premiere of Antonín Dvořák's Symphony “From The New World.” Ruiz's ballet incorporates dance and thematic musical materials inspired by the multi-ethnic cultures of North, South, Central America, and the Caribbean. It is at once a celebration of the unique beauty of the individual and a prayer for inclusion, cooperation, and collaboration in our complex, modern world.
The musical composition by composer-pianist Moshe S. Knoll is a Chamber Ballet Score that engages in a soulful meditation on the complex, and often tragic history of the Americas, expressing a hope for a better future. It is a message of peace and reconciliation for the diverse peoples inhabiting the Western Hemisphere, based on our common humanity.