Violinist Benjamin Beilman and pianist Andrew Tyson make their first tour of Australia from 3 to 25 October 2016 for Musica Viva. The program showcases their astonishing virtuosity in works by Mozart, Janáček and Saint-Saëns, as well as a world premiere by Australian composer Jane Stanley that was commissioned by Musica Viva’s Hildegard Project.
Twenty-six-year-old American violinist Benjamin Beilman is one of the fastest rising stars of his generation, earning praise for his deep, rich tone that The New York Times describes as “muscular with a glint of violence”. He’s a great match for Andrew Tyson, who was hailed by BBC Radio 3 as “a poet of the piano”.
Both were winners of the prestigious US Young Concert Artists international auditions but their friendship goes back much further to their student days at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. “Andrew is one of those pianists that I’ve kept my eye on for a long time,” says Beilman. “Even in school he was very much the introspective thinker: he had wonderful, creative ideas, but now, as he matures, I’m seeing this total genius develop.”
Each enjoys a flourishing career: Beilman won, among other things, a Borlotti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship in 2014 and first prize plus People’s Choice award at the Montreal International Violin Competition in 2010. Tyson swept the board clean at least year’s Géza Anda Competition in Zürich, taking home not only first place but also the Mozart and Audience Prizes.
Their tour program calls for a meeting of equals, starting with the thrilling virtuosity of Mozart’s late Violin Sonata K526. It begins and ends in A major, a key the composer always chose when his operatic heroines sang of romance. “What I love about Mozart’s music is that there’s a beseeching quality to it: ‘Please adore this music, please love me!’ I think that’s a nice way to open,” Beilman reveals. Janáček’s Sonata is a darker beast with a wealth of Bohemian folk touches. “I knew I wanted to play the Janáček. It’s an extremely deep work; very dark, ominous, and passionate, so having that side by side with the Mozart is a great first half,” he adds.
The second half opens with a purpose-built world premiere by Jane Stanley, an Australian composer now living in Glasgow. Entitled Cerulean Orbits, the piece explores the relationship between violin and piano – the players’ lines encircling each other in ornate and contrasting ways. “I do love her timbres; many of her works that I’ve heard start from the depths of the range of the instrument and then they emerge with this upward-looking, reflective gaze,” says Beilman. The commission was made possible by Musica Viva’s Hildegard Project, which aims to encourage more female composers in the Australian music landscape. Named after 12th Century composer Hildegard of Bingen, the program originated with a generous gift made by Katherine Grinberg in honour of the late Adrienne Nagy and her sister Yolanda (Nagy).
Saint-Saëns’ First Violin Sonata requires two virtuosi to bring it off: the parts are equal in emotional expression and take turns in musical leadership, before joining for an exuberant finale. “It’s is the most flamboyant piece you can end with, so I thought that it would be a good juxtaposition,” Beilman explains.
He looks forward to returning to Musica Viva, having taken part in its inaugural chamber music festival a few years ago. “I spent ten days in Sydney and absolutely fell in love with it – especially the music-making, the coffee and the audience!”
Benjamin Beilman and Andrew Tyson will tour to Perth, Adelaide, Coffs Harbour, Armidale, Sydney, Newcastle, Hobart, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne. For full information, visit musicaviva.com.au/Beilman.
Image supplied.
