CHAMBER MUSIC


DUO MCEWAN - VERHAGEN
Viola player Eileen McEwan and Patricia perform together since 2006. Their programs illustrate the beauty of the warmer tones of the viola combined with a clear piano sound. The Russian composers Glinka, Shostakowitch and Rubinstein wrote beautiful music for this combination. Colourful sounds emanate from the compositions of Vieuxtemps, Milhaud and Ravel. The sonatas of the unjustly unknown composers Bréville and Labey – late Impressionistic with reminisences of César Franck - are given pride of place in the French program of Eileen and Patricia.

Eileen McEwan started with violin lessons when she was 8 years old. Upon entering the Dutch Youth Stringorchestra she changed the violin for the viola en studied with Gisella Bergman. Eileen studied with Ferdinand Erblich at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. After obtaining her diplom, she continued her studies with Thomas Riebl at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Since 2000 Eileen is leader of the Viola Group of the Gelders Orchestra and works freelance in the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the ASKO and the Schönberg Ensemble.
Eileen participates in the Kraayenhof Tango Ensemble en performs regularly with various chamber Music ensembles, for instance with the Orlando quartet, the Osiris trio and the Van Dingstee quartet. In august 2007 Eileen performed in the Canal Festival in Amsterdam with Céleste Zeewald and Daniël Kramer. Eileen frequently plays at the International Music Summer in Arnhem, the Netherlands.

Patricia Verhagen > see Biography


PIANO TRIO NAITO - ESSER - VERHAGEN
Patricia Verhagen forms a Piano Trio together with violinist Junko Naito and violoncellist Daniël Esser. Their joint passion for the delightful romantic repertoire and the refined colourful French, is reflected in their inspired playing. They always create space for unknown composers in their programs. In the program “Around Schumann, unprecedented highlights in German Romantics” the listener can admire –besides the second pianotrio of Schumann – the compository talents of Theodor Kirchner and enjoy an unknown pianotrio which is very likely written by the young Brahms.The pianotrio’s of Debussy, Ravel and the unknown Labey are performed in the program “Impressionistic pianotrio’s , Early and Late, Known and Unknown”. A stimulating and fascinating program that invites the listener to enjoy not only the well-known tones and tunes of Ravel, but also of the early Debussy and of the unknown Labey whose compositions may be characterised as elaborating on traditions and gradually introducing new harmonies and rhythms. Labey was innovative, but never shocking, daring but always displaying a refined taste.

The Japanese violinist Junko Naito arrived in the Netherlands after her studies at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts. She studied with Viktor Liberman at the Utrecht Consservatoire. Junko won the prestigious “O.E.K. solist-prize” in 1997 en made her debut in the famous Suntory Hall in Tokyo. In 1998 Junko acquired in Utrecht her “performing artist”- degree with the highest marks. She continued her studies in Utrecht with Alexander Kerr and with Charles-André Linale (Orpheus quartet) for chamber music. Junko attended master courses given by Felix Andrievsky in London, by Franco Gulli in Luzern, by Vladimir Spivakov in Zurich, by Gerhard Schulz in Cornwall and by Christian Ivaldi in Japan. Junko performed with various orchestra’s in Japan and Germany and plays the great classical concerts. She can be heard on NHK-radio and tv regularly and is a member of the first violin-group of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Daniël Esser studied the cello with Tibor de Machula and Jean Decroos in Amsterdam. He also studied composition with Robert Heppener at the Amsterdam High School of Music. As member of the Amsterdam Pianotrio he won the First Prize in the renowed international pianotrio-competition in Colmar, France followed by many tours abroad. Daniël plays in the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra since 1979 and since 1990 in the Ebony Band. He played the cello concerto by Ernst Toch with this ensemble and recorded many CD’s with compositions written by Erwin Schulhof, Hans Krasa and others. He performed in festivals such as The Prague Spring Festival, The Warschau Autumn and in the Cité de la Musique in Paris. Daniël is a connaisseur of unknown repertoire and regularly performs and records on CD compositions of Breville, Widor, Pierné, Weinberg etc. He teaches at the Sweelinck Conservatoire in Amsterdam and plays a cello built by Claude Auguste Miremont.

Optionally a brief elucidation of the music is given to the audience.


> see also Programs