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ABOUT THIS PERFORMANCE
A founding member of the Grammy Award-winning Harlem Quartet, violinist Melissa White is recognized for her “warmly expressive and lyrical” playing (Chicago Classical Review). Her recital with Indian-American pianist Pallavi Mahidhara highlights works by Brahms and Gershwin, alongside American women composers Amy Beach and Reena Esmail. The program concludes with William Grant Still’s Suite, a stunning work by the “Dean of Black American Composers”, inspired by the visual art of the Harlem Renaissance. Mahidhara explains, “We are performing works by composers who represent a diversity of backgrounds, much like the two of us.”
PROGRAM
Arvo Pärt: Fratres
Johannes Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108
Amy Beach: Romance for Violin and Piano, Op. 23
Reena Esmail: Jhula Jhule
George Gershwin (arr. Jascha Heifetz): Porgy and Bess Transcriptions
Bess, You is My Woman Now
It Ain’t Necessarily So
William Grant Still: Suite for Violin and Piano
Running time: 90 minutes (including intermission)
Read Program Notes
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Melissa White, violin
American violinist Melissa White has enchanted audiences and critics around the world for her “warmly expressive and lyrical…glittering” playing (Chicago Classical Review) and for “making her violin sing elegantly” (Aspen Times). Ms. White’s rapid rise as a soloist has captured the attention of orchestras and audiences worldwide, many of whom already know her for her successes as a founding member of the Grammy-winning,… Read More >
Pallavi Mahidhara, piano
Indian-American pianist Pallavi Mahidhara made her orchestral debut at the age of 10, performing at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. She is the Second Prize winner and Young Audience Award winner of the 69th Geneva International Piano Competition, and of the VI International Prokofiev Competition in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She has appeared in solo and orchestral concerts across five continents,…Read More>
Join Melissa White at the Sphinx Competition too!
Melissa White will be a part of the jury at the Sphinx Competition this year.
The Sphinx Competition, held every year in Detroit, is a national competition offering young Black and Latino classical string players a chance to compete under the guidance of an internationally renowned panel of judges and to perform with and receive mentorship from established professional musicians. Under the direction of Lina Gonzalez-Granados, the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra will also perform the world premiere of Daydreaming for Orchestra by composer Levi Taylor. Buy Tickets Here!