Duo Appassionato Mar 4 @ 8 am

Fantastic Euro-friendly time for Thursday's concert
Thursday Mar 4 @ 8 am SLT
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island


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.

Teleport to Music Island

Duo Appassionato, The Four Seasons Dec. 19 @ 12 pm SLT

The Duo began playing one concerto from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons", at the peak of each season during 2009, starting with "Winter" on New Years Day 2009. Now as the year draws to a close, suspense has grown throughout all of SL... we will finally be able to hear the full work. What a fitting way to finish up the musical year in Second Life! The name of the duo says it all about the passionate love of music that is apparent in their performances. Join us on beautiful Music Island for a great afternoon concert.

Because of the high interest in this program, there have been several concerts scheduled throughout SL, giving audiences a choice of dates, times and settings.

This concert on Music Island will be one of the last opportunities to join in this memorable moment in SL musical history. Music Island is where Duo Appassionato first performed in SL about 18 months ago. Their long association with the series has shaped events, raised the bar for classical performances in Second Life and continued a tradition of informative, approachable presentation of music in an inclusive atmosphere.

Holiday Line-up at Music Island

MUSIC ISLAND HOLIDAY CONCERT SCHEDULE
2009


THURSDAY DEC 10 @ 4:30 pm
DUO APPASSIONATO
THE FOUR SEASONS @ Virtually Speaking

The Duo began playing one concerto from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons", at the peak of each season during 2009, starting with "Winter" on New Years Day 2009. Now as the year draws to a close, suspense has grown throughout all of SL... we will finally be able to hear the full work in a series of concerts in all major SL classical venues during December.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 12 @ 12 PM SLT
Cindy Ecksol, traditional song, fiddle and autoharp
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Christmas roots music that will warm you to your soul. Cindy Ecksol has been making and teaching music with voice, autoharp, fiddle and a variety of other instruments for as long as she can remember. She is particularly interested in traditional music of many varieties, and her repertoire includes everything from Irish tunes and Israeli dance music played on autoharp to dark Appalachian fiddle tunes from the mountains of West Virginia. But her playful side can't resist amusing modern songs about real life, which somehow co-exist with folk songs from long ago. A concert set from Cindy is always a collection of eclectic surprises bound together by a common theme that suits the occasion.





SUNDAY DECEMBER 13 @ 8 am
JUST "DYING FOR CHRISTMAS"
Music Island
"Music or Die Flute" Ensemble
Students of Thom Dowd from the Fribourg Conservatory, Switzerland combine forces in a mighty flute ensemble whose name says it all. Another "Flutes on Fire" concert!

Sunday Dec 13 @ 12 pm
Mihangel Thespian, harp
The Angel's Harp
"Music Island, Sea Turtle Island




Golden tones of celtic and orchestral harp in the hands of a master of the instrument.

DECEMBER 15 TO 23 SOLSTICE FESTIVAL (Mainstage Concerts as below)

TUESDAY DECEMBER 15
LUDWIG'S Seasons (Photography Opening)
Cedar Island and Music Island
Photographer, Ludwig Veliz captures small perfect moments in nature. He has selected a very few photos for each of the Four Seasons in harmony with the Solstice festival.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 19 @ 12 PM SLT
Duo Appassionato
THE FOUR SEASONS
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
The Duo began playing one concerto from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons", at the peak of each season during 2009, starting with "Winter" on New Years Day 2009. Now as the year draws to a close, suspense has grown throughout all of SL... we will finally be able to hear the full work in a series of concerts in all major SL classical venues during December

SUNDAY DECEMBER 20 @ 12 PM SLT
Naftali Torok, fiddle
SEASONS OF THE WORLD
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
European folk traditions celebrating the seasons of earth.

also a POSSIBLE LIVE CONCERT by NAFTALI'S Balkan Folk group Dec. 29 (stay tuned)

MONDAY DECEMBER 21 @ 8 AM
Benito Flores, piano
IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
Classical and devotional works from one of SL's most accomplished classical pianists.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 22 @ 6:30 PM
AldoManutio Abruzzo
SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
Mysterious and magical preparations are afoot. Prepare to be inspired and surprised. New Age ambient music and multimedia art.

7:30 PM (post concert)SOLSTICE DRUM CIRCLE AND BONFIRE

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 23 @ 2 pm
Schumann Duo
Holiday at home with the Schumanns
Music Island, Sea Turtle Island
Seasonal oboe and piano program from the esteemed duo, who also host their own wonderful series at Amadora concert hall.

Duo Appassionato, Anniversary Concert

Saturday, August 15, 1 :00pm SLT
Simulcast to Second Life Community Conference, San Francisco

Summer Anniversary Concert Program:

1). Mazas.....................Duo for 2 violins in G MAjor (3 mvts.)
2). Wieniawskii......Capriccios op 18 for 2 violins No. 2 3, 4.
3). Vivaldi......................."Summer' from THE FOUR SEASONS
4). Bach ...................................."DOUBLE" concerto ( 3 mvts)
5). Handel/Halvorsen ...........Passcaglia for Violin and Viola

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.

Exciting Summer on Music Island

HIGHLIGHTS OF SUMMER SEASON

While more activity is being added daily, here are some dates you won't want to miss!

July 11 @ 1 pm Naftali Torok Roots of European Music, is a complementary concert to the following weeks program. Composers drew on the inspiration of the gypsy fiddle, klezmer music and other folk traditions to inspire, enliven and paint the landscapes in their classical works. Experience the original sources of this rich musical literature

July 19 @ 12 pm SLT American Roots, is a concert in the lighter vein with Cindy Ecksol. Cindy plays authentic American folk music of the sort that has been an inspiration to American classical composers in the same way that gypsy fiddlers inspired Dvorak.

July 25 @ 12 pm Vivaldi's Summer, a concert with violinist Izabela Jaworower. Izabela has been performing one movement of the work each season through the year, beginning with "Winter" in December '08. Here in high summer, she brings us the third movement, with complementary repertoire for a hot weekend at Music Island.

August 1 @ 12 pm Benito Flores Peace Festival Concert. The rising star of the Italian piano keyboard returns to the Music Island stage in support of the Peace Festival (additional Peace Festival events will be happening at Music Island, throughout the Cedar Island region and across Second Life) See the video here.

August 1 @ 2 pm Enniv Zarf, piano Peace Festival Concert. The busy and multi-talented Enniv has been away from Second Life for some months. His prodigious contributions to the Second Life arts have sure been missed. We're all glad he's back at Music Island for this concert during the SL-wide Peace Festival.

PERSEIDS FESTIVAL

August 9-14 From Falling Stars to Meteors. Informative Display on Music Island.

August 11 @ 4 pm International Year of Astronomy--Lecture and Tour, Ourania Fizgig. Begins in the Lodge on Sea Turtle Island

August 12 @ 4 pm Storytelling Campfire and Community Drumming. Drum, Talk share under the night sky on the evening of the biggest lightshow of the summer.

August 12 @ 6:30 pm AldoManutio Abruzzo, composer/musician WITH Desdemona Enfield and Douglas Story, artists. Multimedia extravaganza concert.

August 15 @ 1 pm Duo Appassionato Anniversary Concert. One year of great music in Second Life-- to be streamed live into Second Life Community Conference in San Francisco.

August 29 @ 12 pm Young Zeid, violin. Young brings down the curtain on summer with a show-stopping concert.

The Two Duos Friday June 19 4 pm

On Friday June 19th at 4pm SLT 2 duos of RL classical musicians who have regularly been playing in SL as duos will be performing together in RL as a quartet. The quartet is piano, oboe doubling saw, violin, and violin doubling viola. The concert will be streamed live into SL and the quartet (Sisi Schumann, Kahuna Schumann, Young Zeid, and Izabela Jawowerer) thought it would be a fine idea to stream the concert into as many sims as are interested, making the event a simulcast. 21 sims will be involved. Music Island, where many concerts by both duos have been presented will be one of the participating sims.

Recently, the 2 Duos' benefit recital for the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra was a huge success. They helped raise nearly $2000 and the reviews were enthusiastic!

Made in Second Life and exported to Real Life

FRIDAY June 19 @ 4 pm SLT
Schumann Duo and Duo Appassionato

Live-streamed event
Music Island/Sea Turtle Island
Slurl: Music Island

The Schumann Duo and Duo Appassionato join forces for a series of live appearances in RL this June. They met in Second Life. They discussed planned concerts in Second Life, they met with a composer/arranger in SL to hand-craft arrangements for them and now they will be giving a series of concerts in Second Life. This is an event which will be shared by all of the concert venues that have supported their work over the past year. Live streamed from RL

Young Zeid plays music from "The Red Violin"

YOUNG ZEID, violin

Saturday, May 9 @ 12 pm SLT

Have you seen the film "The Red Violin"?

The film tells the story of a perfect violin known as 'The Red Violin' for its rich red colour. At the film's beginning, the violin is being auctioned in Canada. As the bidding starts, the violin's history is revealed, showing that the violin has been in existence for over 300 years, having been made in 1681. Its history is told in five locations around the world: Cremona; Vienna; Oxford; Shanghai; and Montreal. To its owners, the violin causes anger, betrayal, love, and sacrifice. In each setting the dialogue is spoken in the appropriate language. Also, a variation of the movie's signature violin solo by composer John Corigliano is played at least once in the period it is played, with the exception of Cremona, where the solo is being hummed by Anna herself. Throughout the movie, the solos are played by noted violinist Joshua Bell.

The haunting score by one of the world's most renowned living composers is a challenge for any violinist. Second Life's Yound Zeid has been perfecting the signature pieces from the film for a concert he gave a few weeks ago in North Carolina. Now he will share his work with us live in Second Life at Music Island. It will be one of the most memorable concerts of the Second Life arts season. If you get to only one classical concert in SL, this month, make sure it is this one.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Xi Yang (Young Zeid in SL) 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.

Izabela Jaworower, violin April 26 @ 12 pm SLT

At 12 pm SLT (Pacific Time), the lovely Izabela will perform a live piano recital program in the beautiful amphitheatre at Music Island on Sea Turtle Island. Slurl for Music Island.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Violinist Izabela Spiewak (Izabela Jawororer in SL) started her international musical career as a winner of the Wieniawski/Lipinski International Young Violinists' Competition at the age of 17, in Lublin, Poland. Born in Eastern Poland, she is a graduate of the State Music School for gifted children which she joined at the age of 8 and was a part of for 12 years ona full scholarship. Subequently she completed the Performing Artists' Degree and graduated with honors from the acclaimed Warsaw Music Conservatory, Poland.

She studied with the leading Eastern European pedagogues, including Mr. Oskar Ruppel, a pupil of a legendary virtuoso Eugene Ysaye. Still as a student, Ms. Spiewak recorded classical and popular music for the Polish Radio and TV and was a part of the Polish Radio and TV Orchestra. Under the auspices of the Polish Performing Artists' Management, Ms. Spiewak relocated to Central America and toured all over the world with the Mexico City Philharmonic.

Upon arrrival to the United States, Ms. Spiewak was offered a full scholarship to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute under the direction of Leonard Bernstein and Michael Tilson Thomas. She studied chamber music and performed under the guidance of such distinguished masters as Menahem Pressler, Martha Argerich, Lynn Harel, and Pinchas Zuckerman. She recorded albums with celebrities such as Leonard Bernstein, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, YoYo Ma and Yehudi Menuhin, and pop stars, such as Michael Jackson, Lisa Minelli, Michael Crawford, Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias, Sarah Brighton. In addition, she was priviledged to play for Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, and the Pope John Paul The 2nd.

She is an active recitalist, a recipient of the North Carolina Regional Artist Grant and a Touring Artist for the State of North Carolina, a leader of the Arcangelo Piano Quartet (since 1997) and a violinist of the DUO APPASSIONATO. She toured the US, Europe, South America and China. In addition to her busy performing career, she keeps a prominent teaching studio where she shares her expertise with talented young violinists.

Sailing Room Only on Music Island?

The March 21 performance at Music Island of Duo Appassionato was so full that one resourceful member of the audience, Fuzsea Lime, decided to launch a ship, sail it behind the stage and create extra concert standing room for a few avatars. His actions amused the crowd and was a practical solution as the stage area is in a separate sim from the crowded audience.