The Art of Duo: A Journey through Europe to the USA from 1700 to 1930

Ambroise Aubrun, violin
Steven Vanhauwaert, piano

“ A Journey through Europe to the USA from 1700 to 1930” invites you to an exploration of the violin and piano duo’s rich history. Each piece performed will reflect the evolving styles and cultural influences that shaped the duo’s repertoire from the baroque era to the early 20th century. The performance is complemented by engaging presentations and discussions, offering a guide to a deeper understanding of this timeless repertoire.

Program

Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713)
Sonata in D Minor, op. 5, no. 7

I. Preludo. Vivace
II. Corrente. Allegro
III. Sarbanda. Largo
IV. Giga. Allegro

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Sonata No. 21 in E Minor, op. 1, no. 4,  K. 304

I. Allegro
II. Tempo di menuetto

César Franck (1822–1890)
Sonata in A Major, M. 8

I. Allegretto ben moderato
II. Allegro
III. Recitativo – Fantasia: Ben moderato – Molto lento
IV. Allegretto poco mosso

Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953)
Five Melodies, op. 35b

I. Andante
II. Lento ma non troppo
III. Animato ma non allegro
IV. Andantino un poco scherzando
V. Andante non troppo

Eric Zeisl (1905–1959)
Menuchim’s Song

Ambroise Aubrun
Hailed as a “marvelous violinist” (France Musique) with “sensitive tone” (Pizzicato Magazine) and “tremendous ease, suppleness, and beauty of sound” (Nice-Matin), violinist Ambroise Aubrun enjoys a career as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. He has performed extensively on three continents and has conducted master classes in North America (Québec, California, Oregon, New York, Wisconsin, Nevada, Utah, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico), France, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand.

His albums for Editions Hortus and Navona Records have embraced a wide range of repertoire from J.S. Bach to Eric Tanguy (b. 1968), and received praise of the highest caliber (five stars in Pizzicato Magazine, “coup de coeur” by France Musique, and a nomination for the 2021 International Classical Music Awards). His performances and albums have been broadcast on CBS, ABC, WFMT Chicago, France Musique, 3MBS Melbourne (Australia), Klara Radio (Belgium), KPFK Los Angeles, KNCJ Nevada, WTUL New-Orleans, and KUSC Los Angeles.

He has served as guest concertmaster of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, and is a regular guest of the Los Angeles Philharmonic violin sections.

Aubrun graduated at age nineteen from the Paris National Superior Conservatory, and then studied at UCLA (D.M.A.) and at the Colburn Conservatory of Music (Artist Diploma). He is a winner of the Charles Oulmont Prize of the Fondation de France, a laureate of the Langart Foundation in Switzerland, and a recipient of the UNLV Barrick Scholar Award for outstanding achievement in Creative Activities and a CSUN Faculty Achievement Award. Currently Associate Professor of Violin at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Dr. Aubrun previously taught at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and UC Santa Barbara. He is the artistic director of the Henry J. Bruman Summer Chamber Music Festival at UCLA. Dr. Aubrun plays a Matteo Goffriller violin, on generous loan from the Langart Foundation. More info at www.ambroiseaubrun.com.

Steven Vanhauwaert
Hailed by the Los Angeles Times for his “impressive clarity, sense of structure, and monster technique,” pianist Steven Vanhauwaert has garnered a wide array of accolades, including the First Prize at the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition. Mr. Vanhauwaert has appeared as a soloist at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, the Concertgebouw Brugge, the Great Hall of the Budapest Liszt Conservatory, the Forbidden City Theatre in Beijing, Segerstrom Hall, and the National Philharmonic Hall in Kiev. He has appeared with orchestras including the Pacific Symphony, the Lviv Philharmonic, the Sofia Sinfonietta, the Reno Chamber Orchestra, the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, the Flemish Symphony, and the Kyiv Camerata.

Mr. Vanhauwaert serves as co-director for the Unbound Chamber Music Festival in Mammoth Lakes, a three-week-long summer festival featuring guest artists from around the world. He is also the Artistic Director for the Second Sundays at Two concert series in Rolling Hills, CA.

His discography, on the Hortus, Sonarti, ECM, and Bridge labels, covers a wide range of composers, from Joseph Woelfl to Stravinsky and Tigran Mansurian. His recordings have been awarded 5 Diapasons, a nomination for the International Classical Music Awards, France Musique’s Editor’s Choice, and five stars in Pizzicato Magazine. Mr. Vanhauwaert serves on the faculty at the University of Utah’s School of Music and he is a Steinway Artist. More info at www.stevenpiano.com.

As a duo, Ambroise and Steven have performed across the United States and Europe and have recorded three critically acclaimed albums earning a nomination for the International Classical Music Awards.

The program is free to attend with advance registration and will be held in-person at the Clark Library. The registration form will post here approximately a month in advance, and registration will close on Monday, April 28 at 5:00 p.m. Seating is limited at the Clark Library; walk-in registrants are welcome as space permits.

Photograph credit: Martin Chalifour, courtesy of the Artists.