Sep 4, 2020 5:00 pm

When my gifted piano student, Ahmed Alom (BM ‘21), alerted me to his idea of a video-recording of Mozart’s “Twinkle” variations performed in collaboration with 11 of his classmates, I immediately realized that this project would be an ideal vehicle for an expression of gratitude to the school to which we all owe so much: MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC!

Shortly afterwards, I decided to expand it to also encompass many alumni, including the seven current members of MSM’s piano faculty.  This has allowed me to renew contacts with students who studied with me from as far back as 51 years ago: more than 5 decades!

The famous “Twinkle” variations themselves comprise Mozart’s 12 piano variations on the French folk song, “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” (published in 1785), which would over half a century later provide the melody to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” The most rewarding aspect of this MSM multi-pianist collaboration is the inspiration provided by the great composer, making the participants realize anew Mozart’s genius and the artistic challenge that performing 16 measures of his music entails.

When one pianist performs the entire work, he/she is responsible for all the interpretive decisions that balance the unifying element (the Theme) and the imaginative devices used by Mozart to do justice to the Variation style. Could anyone imagine the results when each of the participants interprets only one variation, without any sense as to how the previous one sounded? Can both unity and variety be established with this number of performers — a total of 48 pianists interpreting the full set of 12 variations five times through — each one with a different background, age, temperament, sense of style, and instrument, ranging from at-home electronic keyboards, uprights and grands, all the way to concert hall pianos, all the result of stay-at-home requirements during the coronavirus 2020 pandemic?

I have done my best to encourage each performer to project his/her vision. Participants include only current students, full-time teachers, and teachers who also maintain a performing career. I am proud that so many of these teachers committed themselves to the task, knowing how difficult it can be after not having performed in years and with almost non-existent practice time.

We humbly present our effort. Enjoy!

Warm regards,

Solomon Mikowsky

globalconserv.wpengine.com/faculty/solomon-mikowsky

 

 

 

THEME: Solomon MIKOWSKY

VARIATION 1: Jennifer CHU (USA), MM ’08
Director of Secondary Piano, The Juilliard School
Keyboard Skills Faculty, The Juilliard School

VARIATION 2: Kookhee HONG (Republic of Korea),  BM ’01, MM ’03, PS ’04, DMA ’11
Adjunct Professor, Irvine Valley College, CA

VARIATION 3: Yoon LEE (Republic of Korea), BM ’09, MM ’11, DMA ’18
Faculty, SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music
Faculty, Heifetz International Music Institute
Teaching Assistant, The Juilliard School
Artistic Director, Noree Chamber Soloists

VARIATION 4: ​Erica GUO (China), Precollege ’11, BM ’15

VARIATION 5: Chi-Ying HUNG (Taiwan), Precollege ’92, BM ’96, MM ’98, DMA ’03

VARIATION 6: Julian YU (China), BM ’99, MM ’01
Director, Joyous School of Music
Conductor, New York International Youth Philharmonic

VARIATION 7: Aaron SHORR (USA), Precollege ’79, BM ’83, MM ’84

Head of Keyboard, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Artistic Director, Scottish International Competition
Associate Royal Academy of Music
Recording Artist

VARIATION 8: Bai YANG (China), BM ’15

VARIATION 9: Yoni LEVYATOV (Israel), MM ’05, PS ’06, AD ’07

VARIATION 10: Edward NEEMAN (Australia), MM ’11

Piano Lecturer, Australian National University, Canberra

VARIATION 11: Charis DIMARAS (Greece), DMA ’98

Professor, Piano & Collaborative Studies
Keyboard Area Coordinator – Ithaca College

VARIATION 12: Peter FANCOVIC (Slovakia), BM ’12, MM ’14

Faculty, Riverside Music Studios

ENCORE: Aaron SHORR (USA)

​Inspired by Beethoven’s Diabelli Variation No.22
“Alla Diabelli e Leporello”
Dedicated to Dr. Mikowsky

 

THEME: Solomon MIKOWSKY

VARIATION 1: Gloria LIN (Taiwan), MM ’95 ​
Pianist, Cliburn in the Classroom
Artistic Administrator, Fort Worth Country Day Conservatory

VARIATION 2: Olga VINOKUR (Russia), MM ’00, DMA ’07
Faculty, Crestwood Music Education Center
Recording Artist

VARIATION 3: Mijung LEE (Republic of Korea), Precollege ’08, BM ’11, MM ’13, DMA ’19
Faculty, Opus One Music

VARIATION 4: ​Chun WANG (China), DMA ’20

VARIATION 5: Kyriakos SOUROULLAS (Cyprus), PS ’11, DMA ’19

Faculty, Opus One Music

VARIATION 6: Emily WHITE (USA), DMA ’95
Associate Royal Academy of Music
Faculty, Special Music School
Recording Artist

VARIATION 7: Kyu Yeon KIM (Republic of Korea), DMA ’20
​Assistant Professor, Seoul National University
Recording Artist

VARIATION 8: José Ramón MENDEZ (Spain), BM ’91, MM ’93, DMA ’02
Associate Professor, Northwestern University
Faculty, Gijón International Piano Festival

VARIATION 9: Willanny DARIAS (Cuba), BM ’14, MM ’16
Recorded at the Franz Liszt Musikhochschule in Weimar
Accompanist and vocal coach at the Deutsches National Theater in Weimar

VARIATION 10: Elina CHRISTOVA (Bulgaria), MM ’98, DMA ’06
Fulbright Scholar
Recording Artist

VARIATION 11: Audrey AXINN (USA), Precollege ’82, BM ’86
Associate Dean, The Tianjin Juilliard School
Faculty, The Juilliard School
Faculty, Mannes School

VARIATION 12: Yungwook YOO (Republic of Korea), MM ’04
Recording Artist
Professor of Piano, Yonsei University,

ENCORE: Jennifer CHU
“Mozart in Havana”
Dedicated to Dr. Mikowsky’s city of birth

 

THEME: Solomon MIKOWSKY

VARIATION 1: Tzu-Wei KANG (Taiwan), Precollege ’18, BM anticipated ’22

VARIATION 2: Daniel HART (Cuba),  MM anticipated ’22

VARIATION 3: Weiwei ZHAI (China), BM ’13, MM ’15, DMA anticipated ‘21

Faculty, Bloomingdale School of Music

VARIATION 4: Sining LIU (China), Precollege ’15, BM ’19, MM anticipated ’21

VARIATION 5: Zoe PIAN-CHOWDHURY (USA), Precollege anticipated ’21 ​

VARIATION 6: Tatuka KUTSNASHVILI (Georgia), MM anticipated ’21 ​

VARIATION 7: Jiayin LI (China), DMA anticipated ’22 ​

VARIATION 8:  Jojo YAN (China), MM ’20

VARIATION 9: Ruiqi FANG (China), MM ’13, PS ’14, DMA ’20 ​

Piano Faculty, Long Island Conservatory

VARIATION 10: Hangli WU (China), BM ’20, MM anticipated ’22

VARIATION 11: Sophiko SIMSIVE (Georgia), DMA anticipated ’24

VARIATION 12: Ahmed ALOM (Cuba), BM anticipated ’21

​ENCORE: MOJITO – Jiayin LI ​(China), DMA anticipated ’22,

Cuban song sang in Chinese, honoring Dr. Mikowsky’s country of birth

THEME:  Solomon MIKOWSKY

VARIATION 1: Elena BELLI​ ​(USA), Precollege ’73, BM ’77, MM ’82
Piano Faculty, Manhattan School of Music Precollege
Faculty
Hoff-Barthelson Music School
Pianist & Assistant Conductor, West Village Chorale

​VARIATION 2: Alexandre Moutouzkine (Russia), MM ’04, PS ’05, AD ’06
Piano Faculty, Manhattan School of Music
Steinway & Sons Recording Artist

VARIATION 3: Daniela BRACCHI (USA), MM ’06, DMA ’12
Piano Faculty, Manhattan School of Music Precollege

VARIATION 4: Inesa SINKEVYCH (Ukraine), PS ’06, DMA ’11
Piano faculty, Manhattan School of Music
Recording Artist

VARIATION 5: Daniela BRACCHI

VARIATION 6: Inesa SINKEVYCH

VARIATION 7: Robin FREUND-EPSTEIN (USA), BM ’85, MM ’87
Piano Faculty, Manhattan School of Music Precollege

VARIATION 8: Robin FREUND-EPSTEIN

VARIATION 9: Jiayin LI (China), DMA anticipated ’22
Piano Faculty, Manhattan School of Music Precollege

VARIATION 10: Adam “Adameus” KENT (USA, Precollege ’82, BM ’86, MM ’87
Piano faculty, Manhattan School of Music Precollege
Associate Professor, State University of New York at Oneonta
Recording Artist

VARIATION 11: Adam “Adameus” KENT

VARIATION 12: Alexandre MOUTOUZKINE

THEME: Solomon MIKOWSKY
VARIATION 1: Jie YUAN (China), PS ’13
Chair of Piano, Harbin Conservatory of Music
Chair of Piano, JiLin University of the Arts
Artistic Director, Lanzhou International Piano festival
Artistic Director, China BOYA International Piano festival

VARIATION 2: Wael FAROUK (Egypt), PS ’07
Director, Keyboard Studies Program, Carthage College
Faculty, Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University
Recording Artist

VARIATION 3: Po-Wei GER (Taiwan), BM ’18

VARIATION 4: Yuan SHENG (China), BM ’95, MM ’97
Professor, Central Conservatory, Beijing
Recording Artist

VARIATION 5: Eleni MOON (USA), Precollege
Also studying with Jiayin Li, Dr. Mikowsky’s Precollege Assistant

VARIATION 6: Simone DINNERSTEIN (USA), Precollege ’89
Faculty, Mannes College
SONY Recording Artist

VARIATION 7: Simone DINNERSTEIN

VARIATION 8: Simone DINNERSTEIN

VARIATION 9: Ren ZHANG (China), Precollege ’90, BM ’94, MM ’96
Recording Artist

VARIATION 10: Wael FAROUK

VARIATION 11: Yuan SHENG

VARIATION 12: Wael FAROUK

ENCORE: Simone DINNERSTEIN

“Mozart Dreaming in Havana”

Rehearsing “El Manisero” (The Peanut Vendor”)
With Havana’s Lyceum Orchestra
José Antonio Méndez, Conductor