Basil Alter
violin
Jiayi Huang
piano
Programme
Antonín Leopold Dvořák (1841-1904)
Romance in F minor Op 11 (B 38) (1873)
George Gershwin (Jacob Gershwine 1898-1937)
transcribed by Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987)
Three Preludes, (1926)
I Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
II Andante con moto
III Agitato (as marked in the manuscript)
Gabriel Urbain Fauré (1845-1924) - pictured on this webpage
Violin Sonata No 1 in A major Op 13 (1875-6)
I Allegro molto (A major)
II Andante (D minor)
III Scherzo: Allegro vivo (A major)
IV Finale: Allegro quasi presto (A major)
courtesy of the Royal Academy of Music
Concert duration approx: 50+ minutes
Main image: Gabriel Fauré
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Basil Alter
Violinist Basil Alter is presently studying at the Royal Academy of Music under the instruction of Australian pedagogue Robin Wilson. While at the Academy, he has had the opportunity to perform with conductors including John Wilson and Edward Gardner.
He has performed recitals across the US, most recently with the Memphis Chamber Music Society in concert with pianist Evan Solomon in April 2024, featuring the violin sonatas of Respighi and Debussy. Alongside pianist Tiffany Qiu, he has performed in Oxford at the University Church, and London at Holy Sepulchre, featuring programmes of the sonatas of Schumann, Beethoven, and Mozart.
Recent orchestral highlights include performing the Bruch Violin Concerto with the Germantown Symphony Orchestra, and Saint-Saëns Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso with the Delta Symphony Orchestra.
Basil began violin lessons at age three with his mother. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he began formal studies at the Rudi E Scheidt School of Music, where he led the school orchestras and also performed Ravel’s Tzigane. He later attended Manhattan School of Music in New York,
studying with Mark Steinberg of the Brentano String Quartet. While at Manhattan School of Music, he had the opportunity to lead the school orchestras on several occasions, performing under the batons of Leonard Slatkin, Kent Tritle, and Rob Kapilow.
He appears on the NAXOS recording label’s “Slatkin Conducts Slatkin” with actor Alec Baldwin, and was privileged to lead a live “What Makes It Great” concert with Rob Kapilow at the Kaufman Center of New York.
As a chamber musician, he founded the All Saints’ Chamber Music Series in Tennessee, with the goal of promoting high-quality classical music to diverse audiences across the state. Performances have included a concert of string trios with violist Eddy Malave, and the clarinet quintets of Mozart and Brahms with his father, a clarinettist. He is the founder of the KASHA Quartet, with an emphasis on new music, including presenting a Philip Glass quartet cycle at
various art galleries in Memphis.
Basil Alter performs on a violin made by Giuseppe Baldantoni, circa 1820.
He has performed recitals across the US, most recently with the Memphis Chamber Music Society in concert with pianist Evan Solomon in April 2024, featuring the violin sonatas of Respighi and Debussy. Alongside pianist Tiffany Qiu, he has performed in Oxford at the University Church, and London at Holy Sepulchre, featuring programmes of the sonatas of Schumann, Beethoven, and Mozart.
Recent orchestral highlights include performing the Bruch Violin Concerto with the Germantown Symphony Orchestra, and Saint-Saëns Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso with the Delta Symphony Orchestra.
Basil began violin lessons at age three with his mother. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he began formal studies at the Rudi E Scheidt School of Music, where he led the school orchestras and also performed Ravel’s Tzigane. He later attended Manhattan School of Music in New York,
studying with Mark Steinberg of the Brentano String Quartet. While at Manhattan School of Music, he had the opportunity to lead the school orchestras on several occasions, performing under the batons of Leonard Slatkin, Kent Tritle, and Rob Kapilow.
He appears on the NAXOS recording label’s “Slatkin Conducts Slatkin” with actor Alec Baldwin, and was privileged to lead a live “What Makes It Great” concert with Rob Kapilow at the Kaufman Center of New York.
As a chamber musician, he founded the All Saints’ Chamber Music Series in Tennessee, with the goal of promoting high-quality classical music to diverse audiences across the state. Performances have included a concert of string trios with violist Eddy Malave, and the clarinet quintets of Mozart and Brahms with his father, a clarinettist. He is the founder of the KASHA Quartet, with an emphasis on new music, including presenting a Philip Glass quartet cycle at
various art galleries in Memphis.
Basil Alter performs on a violin made by Giuseppe Baldantoni, circa 1820.
Jiayi Huang
Originally from China, Jiayi Huang studied at the Capital Normal University in Beijing, where she was awarded a Bachelor's degree. During her undergraduate studies she performed and held the role of accompanist for the choir and teaching concerts on campus.
She has won numerous prizes for her piano playing, including first prize in the Global Association of Music Educators' Teen Artist training programme, first prize in the Xiamen Music Season's International Piano Competition, and second prize in the Singapore International Piano Competition.
Currently, she is continuing her studies in London on scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, specialising in ensemble piano with Michael Dussek.
She has won numerous prizes for her piano playing, including first prize in the Global Association of Music Educators' Teen Artist training programme, first prize in the Xiamen Music Season's International Piano Competition, and second prize in the Singapore International Piano Competition.
Currently, she is continuing her studies in London on scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, specialising in ensemble piano with Michael Dussek.
Recordings of the works in today's concert
Antonín Leopold Dvořák (1841-1904)
Romance in F minor Op 11 (B 38) (1873) [13:25]
The performers here are Vítězslav Ochman, violin and Mikoláš Troup, piano. Mr Ochman is a member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Romance in F minor Op 11 (B 38) (1873) [13:25]
The performers here are Vítězslav Ochman, violin and Mikoláš Troup, piano. Mr Ochman is a member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
George Gershwin (Jacob Gershwine 1898-1937)
transcribed by Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) [6:40]
Three Preludes, (1926)
I Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
II Andante con moto
III Agitato (as marked in the manuscript)
Violinist Kevin Zhu won the Paganini Prize at the 2018 Paganini Genova Festival. This recording comes from the festival, and his accompanist here is Anna Geniushene. They are performing in the Duke's Palace, Genoa, Italy.
Gabriel Urbain Fauré (1845-1924)
Violin Sonata No 1 Op 13 (1875-6) [27:00]
I Allegro molto (A major)
II Andante (D minor)
III Scherzo: Allegro vivo (A major)
IV Finale: Allegro quasi presto (A major)
About halfway between Heidelberg and Mannheim is the town of Schwetzingen, famed for its magnificent palace, and formal gardens - in the French style. Each year in May the palace is home to the annual performing arts festival.
Our recording features Vilde Frang and Michail Lifits giving this performance of Fauré's First Violin Sonata, in the palace's beautiful Jagd-(Hunting) or Mozartsaal.
Previous concert
23 May 2024 - Eden Meged, piano, from Royal Academy of Music - click here
Next concert
6 June 2024 - Sophie Patterson, mezzo-soprano, Siyuan Xu, piano, from Royal Academy of Music click here