BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwaonline.com
Pianist Kenny Broberg says he and his violin collaborator, Russian-born Maria Ioudenitch, have a “musical connection.”
“We play together fairly often,” says the winner of the 2021 American Pianist Awards and Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship, silver medalist at the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and bronze medalist at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition. “Maria is a wonderful musician. I cannot think of a better musical partner.”
They’ll take the stage July 26 in the second of this year’s Van Cliburn Concert series at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
The series was inspired by the 2016 donation of a Steinway and Sons concert grand piano from the estate of Van Cliburn, who earned international fame in 1958 by winning the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow at the age of 23. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003, was awarded the Order of Friendship by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2004 and received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2011.
“Every work of art that we have tells a story,” Rod Bigelow, Crystal Bridges executive director and chief diversity & inclusion officer, said at the time of the donation. “Van’s story is one that is very American. I think we can tell new stories through a work like this, a piano. It is something that helps us begin new conversations and helps us explore new ways in which we interpret the American spirit and how we engage the community in a bit of a different way.”
Described as a “romantic end-of-summer concert,” the upcoming program, says Broberg, is half German, half French.
“The Schubert and Brahms are both heavy, serious works, whereas the French music is lighter and does not always take itself too seriously,” he describes. “That is not to say that the Poulenc or Ravel sonatas do not contain drama; they most certainly do! But they also know how to laugh at themselves.”
While Broberg and Ioudenitch will share the stage, the performers for the Sept. 5 season finale will share their instrument. The Bax-Chung Duo — Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung — are playing “four-hand” piano.
“Piano four hands is unlike any other form of chamber music,” Bax says. “You are sharing the same instrument, and one that has lots of moving parts. It is essentially a percussion instrument, so perfect coordination is an absolute must. You cannot just follow the other player, you have to be on the same wavelength and imagine what they might do next, musically, technically and on a purely physical level as well.
“Of course, Lucille and I have played a lot together for over 20 years now, so a lot of it has become second nature.”
The duo met at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival in 2003, when a 10 piano extravaganza was orchestrated to celebrate Steinway’s 150th anniversary.
“In the middle of this massive program, they asked us to play the Rachmaninoff Suite No. 2 for two pianos,” Bax remembers. “We were already a couple at that point, so we decided to play together!”
Bax says he started playing on a “little keyboard” he got for Christmas as a child. It was love at first listen.
“I couldn’t get my hands off it and never looked back.”
Chung, who grew up in Montreal, “asked for piano lessons since the ‘cool’ girls in school were taking piano,” Bax explains. “Then she started winning competitions at an early age, and her parents thought that maybe they should buy a piano for their home. Not the usual order of events!”
Bax has has appeared as soloist with more than 150 orchestras, including the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and more, while Chung was 10 when she debuted with the Montreal Symphony and toured Asia with the orchestra.
“We love chamber music, solo, duo and concerti alike,” Bax says. “They are all very different experiences, but the ultimate goal is the same. With a solo program and a duo program, we get a chance to really plan and curate a full and unique journey for us and for the audience.”
He hopes the program — which includes Bach, Schubert and Debussy — shows off the “range of piano four hands music.”
“It is so immense, from the most intimate — interestingly even more intimate than piano solo — to the fully orchestral textures 20 fingers can create on an instrument,” he enthuses. “Also the range of emotions and styles is incredible.”
Broberg simply hopes the audience enjoys his program with Ioudenitch.
“This music brings a lot of joy and fulfillment into my life,” he says. “If we can share just a little bit of that with the audience, I will be happy.”
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FYI
Van Cliburn Concert Series
July 26 — Kenny Broberg & Maria Ioudenitch, 7 p.m.
Sept. 5 — Bax-Chung Duo, 7 p.m.
Tickets are $45 for each performance at crystalbridges.org or by calling (479) 657-2335.
