chamber & solo music of

Krzysztof Penderecki

april 28, 2010

and a conversation

between
Robert Blocker and
Krzysztof Penderecki

Robert Blocker, Dean

 april 28, 2010 morse recital hall

Krzysztof Penderecki

Three Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano (1956)

paul won jin cho, clarinet

amy jiaqi yang, piano

Cadenza for Viola (1984)

ettore causa, viola

Serenata for Three Cellos (2008)

arnold choi, sunhee jeon, & ying zhang, cello

Capriccio for Solo Tuba (1980)

jerome stover, tuba

String Quartet No. 2 (1968)

jasper string quartet

j freivogel & sae niwa, violin
sam quintal, viola
rachel henderson, cello

Krzysztof Penderecki was born in 1933 in Dbica,
Poland. He studied violin and piano at a very
early age and entered the Conservatoire in
Krakow at age 18. He studied composition with
Artur Malewski and Stanislas Wiechowicz at the
Krakow Academy of Music, where he was sub-
sequently appointed as professor. One year later,
Penderecki won all three available prizes at the
Second Warsaw Competition for Young
Composers. With the first performance of
Anaklasis for 42 string instruments at the
Donaueschingen Festival in 1960, he became
part of the international avant garde. Penderecki
gained a reputation with a wider public with
the 1966 premiere of the St. Luke Passion in
Mnster Cathedral.
The composer taught at the Folkwang Hoch-
schule in Essen from 1966 to 1968. His first
opera, The Devils of Loudon (based on a book
by Aldous Huxley), received its premiere at the
Hamburg State Opera House in 1969. In 1972,
Penderecki was appointed as rector of the State
Academy of Music in Krakow and taught at
Yale University from 1973 to 1978. Penderecki
gained an international reputation as the
conductor of both his own compositions and
other works.
Penderecki composed several of his works in re-
membrance of catastrophes in the 20th century.
krzysztof penderecki
b. 1933
Threnos for 52 string instruments, composed in
1960, is dedicated to the victims of the atomic
bomb dropped on Hiroshima, and the piano
concerto Resurrection was composed as a reaction
to the terror attacks of 11 September 2001. For
Penderecki, these associations in content are not
merely an abstract concept, but also in their in-
strumental tonal colouring and dramatic sounds
emotionally comprehensible for listeners. Ex-
tensive political-social associations can also be
found in the Polish Requiem, begun in 1980 with
the composition of the Lacrimosa, which is dedi-
cated to Lech Walesa. The composer dedicated
other movements of this work to the Polish
victims of Auschwitz and the Warsaw uprising
in 1944. This was supplemented by the Ciaccona
in memory of Pope John Paul II in 2005.
Numerous compositions from a variety of
genres originated from direct cooperation with
outstanding soloists, including Anne-Sophie
Mutter, Mstislav Rostropovitsch, and Boris
Pergamenschikow. The composer focused his
interest on large-scale musical forms, particularly
the symphony. Penderecki has received a great
number of awards: in 1966 he received the
Grand Art Prize from the federal state of North-
Rhine Westphalia, in 1967 the Prix Italia and
the Sibelius Gold Medal, and in 1970 the prize
from the Polish Composers Association. He has
also received the Prix Arthur Honegger (1977),
the Sibelius Prize of the Wihouri Foundation,
the National Prize of Poland (both in 1983),
the Premio Lorenzo Magnifico (1985), the
Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition
(1992), the Prize of the International Music
Council/UNESCO (1993) and the Music Prize
of the City of Duisburg (1999), the Cannes
Award as Living Composer of the Year (2000),
the Romano Guardini Prize of the Catholic
Academy in Bavaria (2002) and the Praemium
Imperiale (2004).

krzysztof penderecki
(continued)
Since 1990 he has held the Grand Cross for
Distinguished Services of the Order of Merit of
the Federal Republic of Germany and Chevalier
de Saint Georges. In 1995, he became a member
of the Royal Academy of Music in Dublin and
in 1998 a member of the American Academy of
Arts and Letters and the Bavarian Academy of
Fine Arts in Munich. In 2006, he was made
Commander of the Three Star Order in Riga,
Latvia and is a member of the Order of the White
Eagle in Poland. Penderecki is an honorary
doctor and honorary professor of numerous
international universities.
Penderecki has enjoyed a longstanding relation-
ship with Yale, beginning with his years on the
faculty of the School of Music. He has made a
number of memorable appearances conducting
his music with the Philharmonia Orchestra of
Yale. His 1977 New York conducting debut
featured the Yale Philharmonia in a Carnegie
Hall program that included The Awakening of
Jacob, the Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra,
and the North American premiere of Magnificat.
about the performers
ettore causa
viola
Ettore Causa was appointed Associate Professor
(adjunct) of viola at the Yale School of Music
in 2009. He studied at the International
Menuhin Music Academy with Alberto Lysy,
Sir Yehudi Menuhin, and Johannes Eskar, and
with Michael Tree at the Manhattan School of
Music. He has been first solo viola of the Carl
Nielsen Philharmonic (Denmark) and leader of
the Copenhagen Chamber Soloists. In 2000,
he won the Peter Schidlof Prize and the John
Barbirolli Prize at the Lionel Tertis International
Viola Competition. He has since made solo and
recital appearances around the world, performing
in such halls as Victoria Hall (Geneva), Zurich
Tonhalle, Madrid National Auditorium, Barcelona
Auditorium, Salle Cortot (Paris), Teatro Coln
(Buenos Aires), Tokyo and Osaka Symphony
Hall, and MSM Auditorium (New York). He has
played at major festivals including the Menuhin,
Festival de Estoril, Salzburg, Festival del Pontino,
Tivoli (Copenhagen), Perth, Prussia Cove
(England), Savonlinna, and Lanaudiere (Canada).
He is a member of the Aria Quartet and is
regularly invited to play with colleagues such
as Pascal Rog, Thomas Ads, Jeremy Menuhin,
Ani Kavafian, and others. In 2001 Ettore Causa
was appointed professor of viola and chamber
music at the International Menuhin Music
Academy. He is regularly invited to give master
classes in Europe and Argentina. His first
recording, for Claves, was crowned with the 5
Diapason. A new recording (also on Claves)
has already been highly praised by critics world-
wide. Ettore plays on a viola made for him by
Frederic Chaudiere in 2003.
 about the performers

paul won jin cho Music Competition, Mr. Choi has won first
clarinet prize at the Pasadena Showcase Instrumental
Competition, Kingsville International String
Paul Won Jin Cho received his bachelors degree Competition (junior division), the Canadian
from Korean National University of Arts and National Music Festival, and the Montreal
his masters degree from Seoul National Symphony Orchestra Competition, among
University. He finished his Graduate Certificate others. In 2008, he received the grand prize at
in University of Southern California under the International Stepping Stone Competition.
Yehuda Gilad. Mr. Cho has won awards in He has soloed with the Calgary Philharmonic,
numerous competitions, including first place in Montreal and Quebec Symphony Orchestras,
the Donga Competition in Korea. The recipient Edmonton Symphony, Shanghai Opera House
of the 2006 Leni Fe Bland Music Scholarship Orchestra, Schleswig-Holstein Orchestra, and
Award, recently he won the Woolsey Hall others. At age 14, he was invited to give a solo
Competition and received a Koussevitzky Young recital tour of Mexico. Mr. Choi is a founding
Artists Award. He has been invited to solo with member of the Janaki String Trio, which received
Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, Suwon the Grand Prize at the 2005 Coleman Chamber
Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Torrance Music Competition and the 2006 Concert
Symphony Orchestra, and recently performed Artists Guild International Competition. The
the Nielsen clarinet concerto with the Yale Janaki Trio released its debut album on Yarlung
Philharmonia. As an orchestra member, Mr. Records to great acclaim and released its second
Cho has played at Tanglewood, Youth Orchestra album on Naxos. Mr. Choi received his bachelors
of the Americas, American Youth Symphony, degree from the Colburn Conservatory and now
and Asian Youth Orchestra under conductors studies with Aldo Parisot at the Yale School of
including Rafael Frhbeck de Burgos, Sergiu Music. He plays a Carlo Tononi 1725 (Venice)
Commissiona, Myung-Hun Chung, Placido cello, on loan from an anonymous donor.
Domingo, James Levine, and Carlos Miguel
Prieto. Mr. Cho currently studies with David
Shifrin at the Yale School of Music, pursuing jasper string quartet
his artist diploma, and will continue his musical
activity in New York City with The Academy. The Jasper String Quartet is the winner of the
Grand Prize and the Audience Prize at the 2008
Plowman Chamber Music Competition, the
arnold choi Grand Prize at the 2008 Coleman Competition,
cello First Prize at Chamber Music Yellow Springs
2008, and the Silver Medal at the 2008 and
Born in 1985, cellist Arnold Choi has already 2009 Fischoff Chamber Music Competitions.
performed to great acclaim throughout North They are currently the graduate quartet-in-
America, Europe, and Asia. A prizewinner at residence at the Yale School of Music, studying
Koreas Gyeongnam (Isang Yun) International with the Tokyo String Quartet. In 2010 they
joined the roster of Astral Artists as a winner of jerome stover
their national auditions. The Jaspers are the tuba
2009-10 Ernst C. Stiefel String Quartet-in-
Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music A native of Columbia, South Carolina, tubist
and Arts and were the first ensemble to win the Jerome Stover holds degrees in music perfor-
Yale School of Musics Horatio Parker Memorial mance from Indiana University and DePaul
Prize, an award established in 1945 and selected Univeristy, and is currently pursuing an Artist
by the faculty for best fulfilling lofty musical
Diploma at the Yale School of Music. He has
ideals. Originally formed at Oberlin Conserva- performed with many of the finest ensembles
tory, the Jaspers began pursuing a professional throughout North America, Europe, and Japan.
career when they became Rice Universitys He has played with the Chicago, Oregon,
graduate quartet-in-residence in 2006. J and Alabama, New Mexico, and New World
Rachel are married, and all four members are Symphonies and was the principal tubist of
close friends, living within a block of each other
the Civic Orchestra of Chicago from 1999 to
in New Haven, Conn. The quartet is named 2000. Stover also held the post of principal
for Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. tubist of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra
from 2001-2003, where he appeared as soloist
www.jasperquartet.com of the Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto. He
can be heard on recordings with the Chicago
and Honolulu Symphonies as well as the DePaul
sunhee jeon Wind Ensemble. He has also served on the fa-
cello culties of the University of Hawaii and Rochester
College of Michigan. Stover has been a principal
Prize-winning cellist Sunhee Jeon has performed musician of the Tanglewood Music Center,
throughout the United States, Finland, France, Cascades Music Festival, and the Sun River
Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden, and her native Music Festival. From 2005 to 2008, he was a
South Korea. Following her initial musical Senior Banker at Quicken Loans Inc., one of
studies on the piano at the age of four, she the nations largest mortgage firms.
started playing the cello at the age of eleven.
Within several years she had gained public
recognition as a cellist by winning several com- amy yang
petitions. At the age of eighteen she moved to piano
Europe to further her musical endeavors, study-
ing with Ventin Erben at the University of Music Hailed by Harris Goldsmith of New York Concert
in Vienna and with Arto Noras at the Sibelius Review as a magnificent artist and poet: every-
Academy in Helsinki. She is currently an Artist thing she touches turns to gold, pianist Amy
Diploma student of Aldo Parisot at the Yale Jiaqi Yang has appeared at the White House,
School of Music. Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Philadelphias
Academy of Music, the New School, Rockefeller
University, Columbia University, and on the number of awards in the Fourth Central
Rising Star Series of Ravinia Festival. Guest Conservatory of Music Cello Competition and
artist at the OK Mozart Festival and Music from the Fifth National Cello Competition.
Angel Fire, she has also participated in the
Verbier Academy, Music Academy of the West, In June 2008, she recorded the cello version of
Ravinia Festival (where she was chosen to the Olympic theme song, You and Me, for the
participate in its 2008 U.S. tour), and Marlboro Olympic Games. Currently she is a student at
Music Festival. the Yale School of Music, studying under Aldo
Parisot.
A devoted chamber musician, Ms. Yang has col-
laborated with David Soyer, Arnold Steinhardt,
Peter Wiley, Ani and Ida Kavafian, Miriam Fried,
Paul Neubauer, and Anne-Marie McDermott,
among others. She is in a professional duo with
violinist and Yale alumnus Adrian Anantawan.
In 2002, she made her debut with the Houston
Symphony. Ms. Yang holds degrees from the
Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School.
Her teachers include Timothy Hester, Claude
Frank, Robert McDonald, and Peter Frankl.

ying zhang
cello

Ying Zhang, a brilliant young Chinese cellist,

has shown outstanding musical talent since she
was a child. She was admitted at age nineeteen
to the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing),
where she studied under renowned cello virtu-
oso Chu Yi Bing. She has also been fortunate to
work with such world-renowned musicians as
Wang Jian Rodin, Kirill Shakhovskaya, Natalia,
Andress Diaz, Desmond Hebig, and Matian
Wasiolka.

During her studies, she won the gold medal at

the Sixth Cello Concerto Competition of the
Central Conservatory of Music and received a
 upcoming events

http://music.yale.edu

listen live at April 29

music.yale.edu/media penderecki conducts penderecki

box office 203 432-4158 8 pm, Woolsey Hall, Free

Krzysztof Penderecki conducts the Yale
Philharmonia in four important works from
concerts & media
across his career. With faculty soloists Syoko
Vincent Oneppo
Aki, violin, and William Purvis, horn.
Dana Astmann
Monica Ong Reed
May 3
Danielle Heller
liederabend
Elizabeth Martignetti
8 pm, Morse Recital Hall, Free
operations Yale Opera presents an evening of French art
Tara Deming song, with selections by Bizet, Poulenc, Duparc,
Christopher Melillo Saint-Sans, Faur, and Debussy. With
Timothy Shaindlin and Kyle Swann, piano.
piano curators
Brian Daley May 4
William Harold chamber music society at yale

recording studio 8 pm, Morse Recital Hall

Eugene Kimball Tickets $10-$15, Students $5
Jason Robins Winning performances from the 2010
Chamber Music Competition. Elliott Carter:
Wind Quintet; Brahms: Clarinet Quintet;
Mauricio Kagel: Dressur for percussion trio.

May 5
guitar chamber music

8 pm, Morse Recital Hall, Free

Benjamin Verdery, director. Verderys Give for
eight guitars (U.S. premiere), Tedescos
Quintet for guitar and string quartet, and
music by Giuliani and Goss.

Robert Blocker, Dean