Duo Appassionato March 21 concert

Farewell to Winter, Welcome Spring!

Duo Appassionato concert

Music Island (Second Life Slurl)

Saturday , March 21, 2009, 12 noon SLT

Program:

1) F. Mazas - Duet op 39, #1. in G Major for 2 violins

• Allegro maestoso
• Minuetto
• Rondo

2) Wieniawski - Capriccios for 2 violins op.18

• # 2, E Flat Major
• #3, D Major
• #4, A Minor

3) Chinese folk song - "Spring Happiness"

4) C. Saint-Saens - The Swan

5) L. von Beethoven - "Spring" Sonata in F Major . 1-st mvt.

6) A. Vivaldi - "Winter" & "Spring" ( from "The Four Seasons" )

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Duo Appassionato possesses exceptional virtuoso ability and musical harmony rarely found in two instrmentalists of the same genre performing together. Both active solo performers of unsurpassed spirit and flair, the duo has a refreshing stage presence and often explores a repertoire that is rarely performed because of its unusually demanding nature. They project " virtuosic devilry and imagination..." and their playing is " stunning and incredibly well matched". Their presence is a highlight to any recital or concert stage.

Violinist Izabela Spiewak began her international music career at the age of 5, and was awarded a scholarship to a music school for gifted young artists at the age of 8. She is performed chamber music concerts, recorded albums with musicians such as Leonard Bernstein, Eduardo Mata, Placido Domingo and Yehudi Menuhin.

Xi Yang began his distinguished music career when he was a student at the Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China where he studied both violin and viola Performance. He had his first solo debut when he was 9 years old. By the age of 12 he made an average of 200 solo appearances a year in China. He won the National Violin Competition in Shanghai and made his solo debut with the Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra. Arriving in the United States, Mr. Yang won a National Strings Competition in Arkansas and has performed numerous solo recitals, chamber music concerts and gave master classes to young string players from many public schools and colleges . Mr. Yang was the Principal Violist for the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, Florida Grand Opera and the Principal Viola with the Symphony of the Americas. He is also the Assistant Concertmaster and a guest conductor, soloist with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra.