An evening of French piano quartets - Feb 6

Faculty Artist Series presents an evening of French chamber music

TORONTO ’Äì Four outstanding musicians from the Faculty of Music gather for a special evening of music making on Friday, February 6, 2009. Faculty pianist Henri-Paul Sicsic is joined by violinist Jacques Israelievitch, violist Teng Li, and cellist Shauna Rolston in two French gems in the chamber music repertoire ’Äì Faure’Äôs Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15 and Chausson’Äôs Piano Quartet, Op. 30. The concert takes place at 7:30 pm in Walter Hall in the Edward Johnson Building at 80 Queen’Äôs Park. Tickets ($25 adults and $15 seniors/students) can be purchased at the box office in person or by calling 416-978-3744.

Henri-Paul Sicsic joined the piano faculty at the University of Toronto in 2007 after serving 13 years at the University of British Columbia. Sicsic studied in France with Juliette Audibert-Lambert (a student of Cortot and Faurˆ©) and Pierre Sancan, and in the U.S. with John Perry. A concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, Sicsic has appeared with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, the Pasadena Philharmonic, the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, the Abbotsford Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice. Sicsic is a winner of the prestigious Killam Teaching Prize, and his students have

Internationally renowned violinist Jacques Israelievitch has become a popular and active member of the Canadian music scene. He appears regularly with the orchestra as both soloist and conductor. Born in France, Mr. Israelievitch made his debut on French National Radio at the age of eleven and graduated from the Paris Conservatory at just sixteen. At age 23 he was appointed by the late Georg Solti to be assistant Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony and, six seasons later, become the Concertmaster of the St. Louis Symphony. For 19 years, he was the Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Principal violist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Teng Li is also in great demand as a recitalist and chamber musician. Li began playing the violin at age five in her native China, and at age 12, transferred her attention to viola. She entered the Central Conservatory in Beijing in 1992, and by age sixteen was accepted to study at the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Michael Tree and Joseph DePasquale. An accomplished chamber musician, Li has participated in the Marlboro, Santa Fe chamber music festivals as well as the Music from Angel Fire Festival, and the Caramoor Festival. She has performed in concert with the Guarneri Quartet in New York, and performed chamber music at the Weill Recital Hall and 92nd St. 'Y' Chamber Music Society.

Having been named "Young Artist to Watch" by Musical America and the youngest recipient of the Pro Musicis International Award, celebrated cellist Shauna Rolston is considered one of the most compelling musicians of her generation. Following formative studies at the Banff Centre, Shauna earned undergraduate (Art) and graduate (Music) degrees at Yale where she studied with the distinguished cellist and pedagogue, Aldo Parisot. She also served as his teaching assistant. As a chamber musician, Shauna has performed and recorded with pre-eminent artists and ensembles including pianist Menahem Pressler and the Gallois Quintet. Her recent artistic partnership with pianist/composer Heather Schmidt began in 2002 at the Winnipeg New Music Festival and developed with performances as part of the Governor General of Canada's state delegation visit to Finland and Iceland and a tour of the Maritime Provinces through Debut Atlantic. Current and upcoming performances include recitals across North America ending with a tour of Quebec through Piano Plus.

Featuring music faculty members, the Faculty Artist Series has a long tradition of presenting some of Canada’Äôs most celebrated artists and is considered one of the finest recital series in Toronto. For more information on this or other Faculty of Music concert series, please visit our website at www.music.utoronto.ca or contact the Box Office at 416-978-3744.



Ticket sales and general inquiries:
Faculty of Music Box Office
Hours: 1 ’Äì 7 pm, Monday to Friday, with extended hours on performance nights.
Phone: 416-978-3744
Address: Lobby level, Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen’Äôs Park, Toronto ON M5S 2C5