Bach and Vivaldi Violin Concertos
Remus Azoitei (violin /director) and London Musical Arts,
with Yuri Kalnits (violin)
Thursday 6 November 2008, at 19.30
St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square
London WC2N 4JJ; Box Office 020 7766 1100
Tickets: £6.00, £9.00, £12.00, £15.00, £20.00.
www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org
Programme
Bach – Violin Concerto in E
Bach – Air ‘on the G string’
Vivaldi – Concerto for Two Violins in A minor
Bach – Violin Concerto in A minor
Bach – Chaconne
Pachelbel – Canon in D
Bach – Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor
Hailed as “an uninhibited virtuoso, with soul and fabulous technique” by The Strad, the Romanian-born violinist Remus Azoitei has achieved international acclaim since his concerto debut at the age of eight. Since then, he has performed extensively as a soloist with all the major orchestras in Romania, as well as being a featured soloist with various ensembles in Europe, North America and Japan. He held a full scholarship to study with Itzhak Perlman, and Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School in New York, where he obtained his Master Degree, as well as Maurice Hasson at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He was the winner of the Sarbu Scholarship at the Bucharest Conservatoire. As a recitalist, Remus Azoitei has performed in venues such as Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center and CAMI Hall (New York), St-Martin-in-the-fields and Wigmore Hall (London), also appearing in the Music Festivals of Yokosuka, Cambridge, London, Heidelberg, Paris, Santander, Munich and Bucharest, among others. Remus has been broadcast on the Romanian Cultural Channel, BBC Radio 4, Radio Kishinev, as well as on Concert FM in New Zealand. He has worked with artists such as David Geringas, Nigel Kennedy, Gerard Caussé, Adrian Brendel and Konstantin Lifshitz.
After his London Wigmore Hall debut in 2004, the Sunday Express wrote that “he delivered a memorable programme in front of a packed Wigmore Hall, and had the crowd cheering. He is one fine musician.” In 2005, he performed the Bach Double concerto with Nigel Kennedy in the Enescu Festival, concert broadcast on 19 TV and Radio stations across Europe and North America, including Arte and Mezzo. He has recorded for the Electrecord, Radio Bremen, and Hanssler Classic. In 2007, Remus Azoitei released together with pianist Eduard Stan the entire repertoire for violin and piano by George Enescu, a world premiere project. Launched by Hanssler Classics on 2 CDs, this collection has immediately attracted international acclaim.
The American Fanfare Magazine reviews it as “an incandescent reading that positively bursts forth with energy from this genuine musical partnership”, and proposes it as a “strong candidate for admission to the Classical Hall of Fame.” The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung names it a “phenomenal recording” and The Strad states that “Azoitei has all the requirements: marked sensitivity, a sweetness of tone (but not over-succulence) and an impressive emotional and dynamic range”. “Interpretational mastery” (Fono-Forum–Germany), “Assured performance, enthralling reading, a superb disc” (International Record Review), “One can not wish for a more authentic interpretation” (Musik & Theater–Switzerland), “Spectacular performance” (Muzyka21–Poland), “Grand virtuosity” (La Scena Musicale – Canada) are only a fraction of the praise received by these CDs.
Classical Source notes that “Azoitei identifies completely with the music. He surmounts the music’s technical challenges with such ease you forget they are there and focus on the music’s eloquent magic”. Remus is a prize-winner of the George Enescu, Jeunesses Musicales, Michelangelo Abbado, Weimar, and Michael Hill World international violin competitions. In 2005 he received “The Cultural Order”, a decoration offered to him for his achievements by the Romanian President. Remus is sharing his busy concert schedule with the one of teaching. He was appointed violin professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 2001, becoming the youngest ever violin professor in the history of this institution. In 2006, Remus was awarded the title of Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, ARAM. He is the founder of the Enescu Society in London, as well as its Artistic Director. He plays on a Niccolo Gagliano violin made in 1753.
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