Opera Fantasies for Violin

A virtuosic program built around favorite opera tunes, in the grand style of the concert encore. These delightful showpieces transform favorite themes and arias into elaborate structures testing the outer limits of the soloist’s virtuosity. Haik Kazazyan, who comes from the great Russian violin tradition, has distinguished himself as one of the outstanding young violinists of his generation. He begins this varied program with the “Coq d’Or” Fantasy, full of exotic melody and color, and goes on to more familiar virtuoso showpieces, ending with the crowd-pleasing “Porgy and Bess” Fantasy. Haik has attracted international attention through his worldwide concert tours, and has won prizes in a number of international competitions, such as the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow, the Wieniawski International Competition in Warsaw, and the Long-Thibaud Competition in Paris. Pianist Andrey Shibko is a formidable soloist in his own right, and has won international competitions such as London’s World Competition, Zurich’s Geza Anda Competition, and the D’Angelo Competition in the U.S., which was followed by an appearance on the Great Performers Series in New York. As evidenced on this recording, Andrey is also an accomplished chamber musician, in which role he has appeared in many international tours. Both young performers are also members of the artist faculty of the Moscow Conservatory.

Efrem Zimbalist: Fantasy on themes from “Le Coq d’Or” (“The Golden Cockerel”) by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov 

Pablo de Sarasate: Fantasy on themes from “The Magic flute” by W. A. Mozart 

Franz Waxman: Fantasy on themes from “Carmen” by Georges Bizet 

Henryk Wieniawski: Fantasy on themes from “Faust” by Charles Gounod 

Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst: Fantasy on themes from “Otello” by Gioachino Rossini 

Igor Frolov: Fantasy on Themes from “Porgy and Bess” by George Gershwin