The Caramoor Virtuosi, Arnaud Sussman, and Michael Brown

June 7, 2011 - PRLog -- KATONAH, NY – On Thursday, July 7, at 7:30pm, two brilliant young chamber musicians will make their Caramoor recital debuts in the intimate Spanish Courtyard. Virtuosi mainstay and former Rising Star Arnaud Sussmann teams up with 2010 Concert Artist Guild Winner Michael Brown for an intricately powerful program of works for violin and piano by Janacek, Suk, Debussy and Brahms, illustrating why both artists are on the verge of very important careers.

With consummate artistry and fascinating programs, the Caramoor Virtuosi explore and animate the treasure trove of the chamber music literature, pairing masterpieces with the less known and the more recent. On Friday, July 8 at 8:00pm, the ensemble performs one of the most famous chamber music works—Schubert’s Trout quintet—alongside Mozart’s late quintet, and a mesmerizing work by John Adams. Concertgoers are invited to stay late for refreshments while the Virtuosi offer performances of solo encores and show(off) pieces.

PROGRAMS
Thursday, July 7 at 7:30pm in the Spanish Courtyard
Arnaud Sussmann, violin
Michael Brown, piano
Concert program includes Janacek, Suk, Debussy, and Brahms

Friday, July 8 at 8:00pm in the Spanish Courtyard
“Chamber Music Goes Late-Night” with Caramoor Virtuosi
Jeewon Park, piano; Jesse Mills, violin; Yura Lee, violin; Arnaud Sussmann, violin; Nicholas Cords, viola; Max Mandel, viola; Alice Yoo, cello; Zachary Cohen, bass
Edward Arron, Artistic Director of Caramoor Virtuosi and cello
Concert program includes Mozart, John Adams, and Schubert

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2009, violinist Arnaud Sussmann is quickly establishing a reputation as a multi-faceted and compelling artist, earning the highest praise from both critics and audiences alike. Arnaud has performed as a soloist throughout the United States, Central America, Europe, and Asia, and at many renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Smithsonian Museum and the Louvre Museum. He has recently appeared with the New York Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, Monaco Chamber Orchestra, Nice Orchestra, Orchestre des Pays de la Loire, El Salvador National Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, and presented recitals in numerous cities around the world including New York, Memphis, Chicago, Panama City, San Salvador, London, Paris, and St Petersburg. To learn more about Arnaud Sussmann, visit www.arnaudsussmann.com

Hailed as a "vividly characterized" and "free-spirited" player by The New York Times, pianist and composer Michael Brown was recently awarded the First Prize and Victor and Sono Elmaleh Award in the 2010 Concert Artists Guild (CAG) Competition. He recently performed Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto with Alan Gilbert and the Juilliard Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall. He was a featured performer at the memorial concert for American composer George Perle at Merkin Hall, and has performed in virtually every major venue in New York, including Carnegie Hall, Caramoor Music Festival, Symphony Space, Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium at the Metropolitan Museum, Temple Emanu-el, and the Mostly Mozart Festival at Avery Fisher Hall. Mr. Brown has been invited to tour with "Musicians from Ravinia,"and to the Marlboro Music Festival in 2011. To learn more about Michael Brown, visit www.michaelbrownmusic.com

After-concert "Virtuosic" encores and show(off) pieces

ABOUT CARAMOOR VIRTUOSI
The Caramoor Virtuosi is an ever-evolving ensemble of some of America's finest young professional musicians who began their association with Caramoor as participants in our Rising Stars workshops. Founded by André Previn in 1992, the Rising Stars workshops were designed to identify exceptional young musicians and provide them with the artistic and collegial support needed to cross the threshold from promising student to committed artist. Over the past seventeen years, only 100 musicians have qualified for this highly selective mentoring and performance program, which is directed today by Pamela Frank.

After completing Rising Stars, these young musicians may be selected to participate in the Caramoor Virtuosi and traditionally appear as the resident ensemble during one week of the Caramoor International Music Festival. There are currently 40 active Virtuosi who perform in various combinations at concerts during Caramoor's Indoors and Festival seasons. While still young, they are artists and musicians with exceptional command-of their instruments, of the music, of the ensemble process and ultimately, of communicating a musical message to the audience.

According to Edward Arron, Artistic Director of the Caramoor Virtuosi, "Each Caramoor experience is memorable. The musicians establish relationships, even if only for a week, and a chemistry develops. Caramoor is unique in that the Rising Stars and Virtuosi programs have created an association among musicians that’s especially long lasting. The number of musicians who consider Caramoor to be their musical home grows each year. Each year we see familiar faces combined with newer talents; each year the combination changes, creating a different chemistry every season."

ABOUT CARAMOOR
Caramoor is the legacy of Walter and Lucie Rosen, who built their summer home – now known as the historic Rosen House at Caramoor – and filled it with their treasures. Walter Rosen was the master planner for the Caramoor estate, bringing to reality his dream of creating a place to entertain friends from around the world. Their musical evenings were the seeds of today’s Caramoor International Music Festival. Realizing the pleasure their friends took in the beauty of Caramoor – the house with its art collection, the gardens, and the musical programs on summer evenings – in 1946 the Rosens established a public charity to open Caramoor to the community. Lucie Rosen survived her husband by seventeen years. During those years, she expanded the Music Festival: the Spanish Courtyard was used as a setting for musical events, as it is today, and, under her direction, the great stage of the Venetian Theater was built.

GETTING TO CARAMOOR
By car from the West Side of Manhattan and New Jersey, take the Saw Mill River Parkway north to Katonah. Exit at Route 35/Cross River. Turn right, and, at the first traffic light, make a right turn onto Route 22 south. Travel 1.9 miles to the junction of Girdle Ridge Road. Follow the signs to Caramoor. (For detailed directions call 914.232.5035 and press 2, or online at www.caramoor.org). Parking at Caramoor is free on-site on a first-come, first-served basis. Once on-site parking is full, alternate parking will be available with free shuttle bus service.

By train, take the Harlem Division of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah, New York. Taxi service from the station to Caramoor (5 minutes away) is available.

TICKETS
Tickets to Introductions: Arnaud Sussmann & Michael Brown are $20 and $30. Tickets to Caramoor Virtuosi are $30 and $40. To purchase, call 914.232.1252 or visit www.caramoor.org. Groups of 16 or more may purchase discounted tickets by contacting Matthew Scarella at 914.232.5035 ext. 252 or matthew@caramoor.org.

PICNICKING AT CARAMOOR
Extend the Caramoor experience by arriving early and enjoying a picnic amidst the beautiful gardens. Concertgoers can bring their own picnic, or order one for pick-up at Caramoor by calling Great Performances® at 212-337-6055 or online at www.greatperformances.com/caramoorpicnics.

PRESS CONTACT
For press tickets, images, or interviews, contact Whitney Holden at 917.339.7188 or wholden@cohndutcher.com

ALL PROGRAMS AND ARTISTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

CARAMOOR CENTER FOR MUSIC AND THE ARTS IS LOCATED AT 149 GIRDLE RIDGE ROAD, KATONAH, NY.

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With its outstanding summer music festival & indoors concerts, arts-in-education programming and beautiful grounds, Caramoor is a cornerstone of the cultural life of Westchester County, NY.