Montreal Chamber Music Festival presents

Paganini – Date with the devil

Artists
Kevin Zhu, violin

American violinist Kevin Zhu has amassed an outstanding record of concert performances and competition wins since he began playing violin at age three. Praised for his “awesome technical command and maturity” (The Strad) and “absolute virtuosity, almost blinding in its incredible purity” (L’ape musicale), Kevin regularly performs on the world’s largest stages, ranging from Carnegie Hall in New York to London’s Royal Festival Hall to the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. Initially coming to international attention after winning the 2018 Paganini Competition and 2012 Yehudi Menuhin Competition, he has established himself as a leading figure among the next generation of musicians, astonishing audiences with his peerless technical mastery and inimitable artistic voice.

In the 2021-22 season, Kevin will debut with the Polish Baltic Philharmonic and undertakes a multi-city recital tour in Italy, including appearances at the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, one of the official residences of the Italian President; and with Paganini’s famed violin ‘Il Cannone’. He will also make recital debuts in Miami, Dresden, and Madrid, and embarks on a project to perform Paganini’s complete 24 Caprices in one concert, one of few violinists to ever do so.

Recent performing highlights include concerto appearances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Virtuosi, and China Philharmonic Orchestra. A highly sought-after recitalist, he has toured across the United States and Europe with repertoire ranging from Beethoven to contemporary commissions. Kevin is also a passionate chamber musician, collaborating with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Lawrence Power, and Jan Vogler.

Philip Chiu, piano

More than a summation of technical and musical abilities, pianist Philip Chiu has become one of Canada’s leading musicians through his infectious love of music and his passion for communication and collaboration. Lauded for the brilliance, colour and sensitivity of his playing, he is particularly noted for his ability to connect with audiences on and off-stage.

An exceedingly sociable pianist, Philip concertizes extensively as one of Canada’s most sought-after chamber musicians. He has appeared in recitals with leading musicians of the world stage, including James Ehnes, Raphael Wallfisch, Patrice Fontanarosa, Regis Pasquier, Matt Haimovitz, Radovan Vlatkovic, Stefan Dohr, Philippe Bernold, Alex Klein, and Eugene Isotov. He performs regularly with principal members of Canada’s leading orchestras and ensembles, including Toronto Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Jonathan Crow, l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal concertmaster Andrew Wan, and Pascale Giguere of Les Violons du Roy.  Along with pianist Janelle Fung, he forms one of Canada’s most exciting piano duos, the Fung-Chiu Duo.

Dedicated to elevating the standard and art of collaborative piano, Philip is the creator and director of the new Collaborative Piano Program at the Domaine Forget International Festival and Academy. He is an acclaimed accompanist­/coach based at McGill University, has been an invited professor­-accompanist for the Conservatoire de musique de Montreal, and regularly accompanies at l’Universite de Montreal. He travels regularly across Canada and the U.S. to accompany for national and international competitions.

Program
24 Caprices, Op. 1 – Paganini (arr. for violin and piano by Robert Schumann)

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 7:30pm
To purchase your tickets visit: www.mbam.qc.ca/en/bourgie-hall/

The 2022 Montreal Chamber Music Festival (MCMF) takes place between June 12 and 19 at Salle Bourgie, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). It features world-class artists, world premières, rising stars and some of Canada’s finest musicians in unique chamber music combinations.