Background: |
Joining faculty cellist Bongshin Ko are violinists
Phillip Levy and Julie Gigante, violists Simon Oswell
and Brian Denbow and cellist David Low. This special
sextet of musicians come together to perform “one
of the biggest and most important string sextets rarely
performed,” states recital coordinator and faculty
cellist Bongshin Ko, “the Brahm’s String
Sextet.” She continues, “it is also one
of the first major masterworks written for string sextet
from the Romantic era.” In addition the ensemble
will also perform Bach’s “Ricercare”
from Bach’s BWV 1079 arranged for string sextet.
Praised by critics for her “mastery of the instrument,”
associate professor and cellist Bongshin Ko appears
worldwide as a soloist and chamber musician. She’s
collaborated in performance and recording with Sir George
Solti, Mstislav Rostropovich, Günter Schuller and
others. A recipient of over 30 international prizes
and awards including Korea’s highest music award,
the Dong-A Gold Award. She’s regularly performed
and taught at music festivals and has presented numerous
European and Asian premieres.
Soloist, recitalist, concertmaster and teacher, Phillip
Levy returns to CSUF to perform with Ko, and regularly
performs throughout Europe, Israel, Asia and the U.S.
For eight years he held a senior lectureship in violin
and chamber music at Stanford University and lead the
Stanford String Quartet. Currently residing in Los Angeles,
Levy is on the faculty at California State University,
Long Beach and Santa Monica College.
Since her debut at Carnegie Hall in 1981, Julie Gigante
has been in demand as a chamber musician, soloist, and
recording artist. Her solo appearances include performances
with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Opus Chamber
Orchestra, National Symphony and Fairfax symphonies
in Virginia.
Violist Simon Oswell was born in Brisbane, Australia
and has studied with Jan Sedivka, Janos Negyesy and
Donald McInnes. He was a founding member of the Petra
String Quartet, principal viola with the Queensland
Philharmonic Orchestra, and professor of viola at the
University of Tasmania. Presently Oswell is principal
violist at the Carmel Bach Festival.
As a soloist, David Low has captured the acclaim of
critics and audiences alike. He has performed at Carnegie
Recital Hall, in China with the Beijing Film Philharmonic
Orchestra and in Lithuania. Legendary violinist Josef
Gingold called his technique that of “a virtuoso,
plus a beautiful tone, as well as a splendid musician."
Low is the Kayser Distinguished Professor of Music at
the University of Nebraska, Omaha where he teaches cello,
music history and coaches chamber ensembles. |