Evening Escape (Candlelight Series)

Just because the sun has set does not mean the day is over - in some ways it has just begun! Crickets set their rhythmic background amidst rustling leaves while the distant sounds of revelry and church bells waft through the gentle breeze - no one captured the sonic beauty of evening quite like Luigi Boccherini in his Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid. Finally, Rachell Ellen Wong, Sarah Pizzichemi, Andrew Gonzalez, Jessica Korotkin, and Nathan Whittaker bring our “Day In The Life” to a close with Schubert’s indomitable String Quintet in C Major.

Described as the “most approachable virtuoso” (New York Classical Review), Rachell Ellen Wong is one of the leading violinists and directors of her generation. Known for her technical brilliance on gut strings, expressive musicianship, and insight into period performance, she is the only baroque artist to receive the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. She has appeared as a soloist across five continents with ensembles including the Academy of Ancient Music, The English Concert, Bach Collegium Japan, and Jupiter Ensemble. Equally at home on modern violin, Rachell has directed orchestras such as the Seattle Symphony and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Recent highlights include performances with the New World Symphony, Camerata Pacifica, Ilumina Festival in São Paulo, Trame Sonore Festival in Mantova, the Kronberg Festival, and the Rome Chamber Music Festival. Alongside conductor and keyboardist David Belkovski, Rachell co-founded Twelfth Night in 2021. The ensemble has already appeared on many of the top chamber music series in the country, including Carnegie Hall, Cal Performances, Caramoor, Newport Classical, Friends of Chamber Music Kansas City, and maintains a regular presence with Early Music Seattle. The inaugural winner of the Barbash J.S. Bach Competition, Rachell studied at the University of Texas, Indiana University, and The Juilliard School as a Kovner Fellow. She lives in NYC with her two bunnies. www.rachellwong.com Photo Credit: Lucien Knuteson Photography

Dr. Sarah Pizzichemi is a dynamic violinist who performs internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player on both modern and period instruments. She is the first violinist and a founding member of the Skyros Quartet, known for its compelling performances and focus on both classical and contemporary repertoire. In 2020, the quartet launched Constellation Creatives, a nonprofit dedicated to innovative chamber music experiences. Sarah is also co-Artistic Director of Chamber Music Guild, where she leads educational programs and co-hosts The Counterpoint Club podcast. She co-founded Evergreen Music Press, which expands access to string and chamber music resources. Her award-winning Pizzichemi Violin Studio consistently cultivates high-achieving students, many of whom pursue music professionally. She has held concertmaster roles with the Saratoga Orchestra and Seattle Collaborative Orchestra and performed with ensembles including Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra, and Seattle Modern Orchestra. Sarah earned her D.M.A. from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and B.M./M.M. in Chamber Music from the University of Texas at Austin. Her scholarly research on Maud Powell and Maddalena Lombardini contributes to feminist musicology and reexamines overlooked moments in music history. Her mentors include many of the world’s leading violinists and quartets.

Praised for his expressive artistry and versatility, Andrew Gonzalez is a violist whose performances span centuries of repertoire and styles. He has appeared with leading ensembles including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Sejong Soloists, and has shared the stage with members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, Tokyo, Orion, Borromeo, and Vermeer quartets. Since 2020, he has been the violist of the Jasper String Quartet, bringing his dynamic sound to audiences across the country. Equally passionate about historical performance, Andrew is one of the few musicians worldwide to play the Violoncello da Spalla—a rare five-string shoulder cello. His festival appearances include the Washington Bach Consort, Valley of the Moon Music Festival, American Bach Soloists, and the Boston Early Music Festival. In 2023, he gave the New York premiere of Bach’s six cello suites on the Spalla at Barge Music. A native of Chesapeake, Virginia, Andrew discovered his love of chamber music and orchestra playing as a student at the Governor’s School. He now performs regularly with the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Andrew studied with Michael Tree, Heidi Castleman, Steve Tenenbom, and Hsin-Yun Huang.

Montreal-based Cellist and composer Jessica Korotkin transforms the stage with performances that weave past and present into a living dialogue. Her concerts invite discovery, pairing her own compositions and hidden gems with familiar masterpieces, brought to life on her centuries-old cello. Making waves across the international stage, Dr. Korotkin performs and records with award-winning ensembles across North and South America and Europe, with appearances at Bolivia’s XIII Festival Internacional de Música Renacentista y Barroca Americana and Germany’s Internationale Bach Akademie. She is also the co-founder of Les Temps Perdus, a period instrument ensemble she directs alongside renowned harpsichordist Elizaveta Miller. After earning degrees from the Peabody Institute and Oberlin Conservatory, she completed a doctorate at McGill University, where she composed 6 new Bach-inspired cello suites. This research-creation project drew international attention and was featured in Early Music America’s article Making a Parody of Bach, No Kidding. Offstage, Korotkin directs an afterschool strings program in Kahnawà:ke, where she is dedicated to empowering young students through music-making.

Nathan Whittaker, violoncello, enjoys a diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician, recitalist, teacher, and historical cello specialist, with concert stops ranging from New York to Seattle to Dubai. He is Artistic Director of Gallery Concerts (Seattle), a chamber music series on period instruments, and appears frequently with the Trinity Baroque Orchestra, New York Baroque Incorporated, ARTek, Twelfth Night, The Sebastians, and the Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble. He has also served on the faculty of Cornish College of the Arts and each summer hosts “Cello Day,” a one-day workshop for adult cellists. His performances can be heard on recordings for ATMA Musique, Harmonia, and Centaur, as well as in live broadcasts on NPR, CBC, and KING FM. Dr. Whittaker holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Indiana University. He performs on a 1957 cello by Mario Gadda and a baroque cello by Johann Christian Ficker II, c.1770. When not playing the cello, Nathan enjoys strolling through Hell’s Kitchen, coffee in hand, with his wife, soprano Linda Tsatsanis, and their mischievous mutt, Julep.

Program & Program Notes

Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid, Opus 30 No. 6 (G. 324)
(Night Music of the Streets of Madrid)
Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805)
Le campane de l'Ave Maria ~ Il tamburo dei Soldati ~ Minuetto dei Ciechi ~ Il Rosario ~ Passa Calle (Allegro vivo) ~ Il tamburo ~ Ritirata

--Intermission--

String Quintet in C major, D. 956
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Allegro ma non troppo ~ Adagio ~ Scherzo: Presto – Trio: Andante sostenuto ~ Allegretto