Janet Sung, violin and Marta Aznavoorian, piano

Master Performers: Janet Sung and Marta Aznavoorian

  • PROGRAM:
  • Claude Debussy (1862-1918) - Sonata for Violin and Piano (1917) (13')
  • I. Allegro vivo
  • II. Intermède: fantasque et léger
  • III. Finale: très animé
  • Clara Schumann (1819-1896) - Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22 (1853) (11')
  • I. Andante molto
  • II. Allegretto: Mit zartem Vortrage
  • III. Leidenschaftlich schnell
  • Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) - Sonata No. 2 in G for Violin and Piano (1923-27) (17')
  • I. Allegretto
  • II. Blues. Moderato
  • III. Perpetuum mobile. Allegro

Hailed by The Strad for her “compelling” performances and “ravishing tone”, violinist Janet Sung has performed worldwide with orchestras including the Pittsburgh Symphony, Busan Philharmonic, Göttinger Symphonie Orchester, Omsk Philharmonic, Britten Sinfonia, Cairo Symphony Orchestra and Buffalo Philharmonic, as well as orchestras of Delaware, Boise, Dubuque, Hartford, Las Cruces, Tacoma, Wyoming, and many others across the U.S. Ms. Sung has made multiple concerto and recital appearances at Switzerland’s Lucerne Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, Britt Festival, Peninsula Music Festival, Sewanee Festival, Bellingham Festival, and the Conciertos de La Villa Festival de Santo Domingo.

Celebrated for her performances from Bach to works of the 21st century, her solo performances are frequently aired on radio and television, nationally and internationally, including multiple broadcasts on NPR’s “Performance Today,” and regular featured performances on Chicago’s Classical WFMT. She has recorded Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.1, the latter with members of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, as well as music by Britten, Enescu, Ravel, and living composers Augusta Read Thomas, Kenneth Hesketh, Missy Mazzoli, Dan Visconti, and Gabriel Prokofiev. Her most recent recordings, Edge of Youth, released on Sono Luminus, and The deeper the blue…, released on SOMM Recordings (UK) and recorded with the Britten Sinfonia and conductor Jac van Steen, were both critically acclaimed in major publications such as The Strad, Strings Magazine, and BBC Music Magazine.

Ms. Sung studied with legendary pedagogues Josef Gingold, Dorothy DeLay, and Masao Kawasaki, as well as Eugene Phillips and the Juilliard Quartet. She graduated from Harvard University with degrees in anthropology and music, and The Juilliard School. She was a Clifton Visiting Artist at Harvard and is currently Professor of Violin and Strings Chair at the DePaul University School of Music in Chicago. She plays a c.1600 Maggini violin crafted in Brescia, Italy. www.janetsung.com.

“A Pianist of exceptionally finished technique and purity of musical impulse”, (Boston Globe)  Marta Aznavoorian has performed to critical acclaim throughout the world as orchestral soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.   A Chicago native, she has performed in her hometown’s most prestigious venues and tours extensively throughout the world.  She made her professional debut at the age of 13 performing Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor K. 491 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center in four concerts of their series.  She has won over audiences appearing as soloist with orchestras internationally including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Conservatory Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Chicago Civic Orchestra, Aspen Festival Orchestra, San Angelo Symphony,  San Diego Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony, and the New World Symphony which resulted from a personal invitation from Michael Tilson Thomas who also was her conductor.

 Ms. Aznavoorian is founding member of the Lincoln Trio which Fanfare Magazine has labeled as “one of the hottest young trios in the business.”  The Grammy nominated trio tours regularly throughout the world, and just celebrated their most recent Cedille records release of all the chamber works of Spanish composer, Joachim Turina.

A student of the renowned teacher Menahem Pressler, Aznavoorian received her bachelor degree at Indiana University where she was also awarded the prestigious Artist Diploma.She continued on to get her Masters degree from New England Conservatory where she studied with the late Patricia Zander.  A passionate teacher and educator, Aznavoorian has given lectures and masterclasses at numerous schools and Universities throughout the United States and abroad, and is on faculty at the Music Institute of Chicago and Artist in Residence at the Merit School of Music in Chicago.

About the Rush Hour Concerts

Rush Hour Concerts are made possible through the generosity of the Zell Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council Agency and contributions from individual donors.

Our Next Performance

Stay connected with us on social
Join our mailing list and stay up to date.