Protégé Project Celebration!
Revel in the spirit of mentorship and excellence for the 15th Anniversary of CMNW’s Protégé Project! World-renowned luminaries Paul Watkins, Carolin Widmann, and Jonathan Vinocour join Protégé Alumni the Viano Quartet, Benjamin Beilman, and Nina Bernat for Rossini’s lively Duet for Cello & Bass, Bottesini’s dazzlingly agile Gran Duo Concertante, and George Walker’s Lyric for Strings. Mendelssohn’s captivating String Quintet in B-flat Major brings the evening to a soulful conclusion.
This concert is sponsored by Marvin & Abby Dawson.
PSU, College of the Arts, Lincoln Performance Hall
Sunday, 7/20 • 4:00 pm PT
Program
Click on any piece of music below to learn more about it.
- ROSSINI Duet for Cello & Bass in D Major
ROSSINI (1792–1868)
Duet for Cello & Bass in D MajorI. Allegro
II. Andante molto
III. AllegroGioachino Rossini’s name is synonymous with Italian opera; he composed 39 in 23 years, including The Barber of Seville and his final opera, William Tell. At the age of 37, Rossini stopped composing operas—and most other music, in fact—and spent his remaining years traveling, enjoying his well-earned fame, and hobnobbing with the luminaries of Europe.
In 1824, Rossini and his wife Isabella visited London, where they met many influential people, including the banker Sir David Salomons, a scion of a prominent family who would later become the first Jewish Lord Mayer of London. Accounts differ as to whether Rossini composed his Duet for Cello and Bass for Sir David or for his cousin Philip Joseph, a gifted amateur double bass player. In either case, Rossini received a generous fee for his efforts. The first performance was at a private event in the Salomons’s home in 1824, with Philip Joseph playing double bass while his teacher, bass virtuoso Domenico Dragonetti, most likely performing the cello part.
The Duet remained in the Salomons family—and virtually unknown to the rest of the world—for the next 144 years, when the manuscript was sold at a Sotheby’s auction. It quickly became popular with double bass players and has entered the bass chamber repertoire. Its three movements reflect Rossini’s facility with singable melodies and musical dialogue. The two instruments take turns presenting an array of pleasing, often lighthearted tunes, shifting fluidly between the roles of soloist and accompanist.
—© Elizabeth Schwartz
- GEORGE WALKER “Lyric for Strings”
GEORGE WALKER (1922–2018)Lyric for Strings
Lyric for Strings was composed in 1946 and was originally the second movement of my first string quartet. After a brief introduction, the principal theme that permeates the entire work is introduced by the first violins. A static interlude is followed by successive imitations of the theme that leads to an intense climax. The final section of the work presents a more animated statement of the same thematic material. The coda recalls the quiet interlude that appeared earlier.
—© George Walker
- BOTTESINI Gran Duo Concertante
GIOVANNI BOTTESINI (1821–1889) Gran Duo Concertante for Violin, Bass & Piano
Double bassists owe a huge debt to Giovanni Bottesini. Without him, the double bass might have remained hidden at the back of the string section, its players unknown and its potential as a solo instrument unrealized. Through his brilliant playing, Bottesini singlehandedly gave the double bass a new identity as a virtuoso instrument. He also composed many works that feature the double bass, although most are seldom performed today because of their extreme technical difficulty.
Bottesini became a bass player by accident. At 14, he entered the Milan Conservatory, but the only scholarships available were for bassoon and double bass. Bottesini quickly became a virtuoso player; after he left the conservatory, he soon established himself as an outstanding soloist. Bottesini performed throughout Europe and also toured America; it was during this time that he earned the nickname, “Paganini of the double bass.” In later life he became a noted conductor and composer, but it is for his double bass techniques that Bottesini is best remembered, and where he made his most significant musical contributions.
The Gran Duo Concertante dates from 1880 and was originally written for two solo basses and orchestra. An Italian violinist transcribed one of the solo parts for violin; this version is the one most often performed today. The episodic music ranges from graceful arabesques to dramatic declarations and poignant interludes, and concludes with a twinkling-eyed one upmanship contest, in which the bass plays in its highest register as it partners (outshines?) the violin.
—© Elizabeth Schwartz
- FELIX MENDELSSOHN String Quintet in B-flat Major, Op. 87
FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) String Quintet No. 2 in B-flat Major
I. Allegro vivace
II. Andante scherzando
III. Adagio e lento
IV. Allegro molto vivace
Felix Mendelssohn’s many professional obligations left him so exhausted he needed an extended break in the fall of 1844, an initial symptom of the overwork that contributed to his early death only three years later. He spent his break in Frankfurt, recuperating and rededicating his energy to composition.Mendelssohn wrote all four movements of the String Quintet No. 2 in B-flat Major during this break, but he struggled to develop a fitting second theme for the final movement and eventually set the quintet aside. He never had a chance to return to it during his lifetime, but fortunately its posthumous publication allowed this vibrant, mature work to see the light of day.
Mendelssohn treats the ensemble like a miniature symphony by creating a full texture, packed with tremolos, double stops, and generally dense writing. Triplet rhythms power the Allegro vivace into quasi-operatic drama, pausing only for a moment to gather energy for an ecstatic conclusion.
Comparatively restrained, the Andante scherzando sounds more like a graceful waltz than Mendelssohn’s typically fiery scherzos. Then, the Adagio e lento introduces a more tragic tone to the quintet, pairing full-bodied symphonic accompaniments with plaintive, operatic melodies. Given Mendelssohn’s misgivings about the Allegro molto vivace finale, it holds together surprisingly well, finishing the quintet with an energetic display of ensemble virtuosity.
—© Ethan Allred
Artists
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Benjamin Beilman
Violin
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Benjamin Beilman is one of the leading violinists of his generation. He has won international praise for his passionate performances and deep, rich tone which The New York Times described as “muscular with a glint of violence”, and The Strad described as “pure poetry.“ Le Monde has described him as “a prodigious artist, who combines the gift of utmost sound perfection and a deep, delicate, intense, simmering sensitivity”.
Benjamin’s 2024/25 season includes his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic and Kirill Petrenko on tour in the US, and returns to the Chicago, Cincinnati, and Antwerp symphonies. He also makes his debut with the Belgian National Orchestra the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony. He will also tour with pianist Steven Osborne across the US.
In recent seasons, Beilman’s commitment to and passion for contemporary music has led to new works written for him by Frederic Rzewski, Gabriella Smith, and a concerto by Chris Rogerson. He has also given multiple performances of Jennifer Higdon’s violin concerto, and recorded Thomas Larcher’s concerto with Hannu Lintu and the Tonkünstler Orchester.
He has received many prestigious accolades including a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and a London Music Masters Award. He has also recorded works by Stravinsky, Janáček, and Schubert for Warner Classics. In 2022, he became one of the youngest artists to be appointed to the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music.
He performs with the ex-Balaković F. X. Tourte bow (c. 1820), and plays the “Ysaÿe” Guarneri del Gesù from 1740, generously on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation.
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Nina Bernat
Bass
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American double bassist Nina Bernat, acclaimed for her interpretive maturity, expressive depth and technical clarity, emerges onto the world stage with awards and accolades, thrilling audiences everywhere. She was hailed by Star Tribune as a “standout” for her recent concerto debut with the Minnesota Orchestra, praising her performance as “exhilarating, lovely and lyrical…technically precise and impressively emotive.”
In 2023, Nina was honored as a recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and winner of the CAG Elmaleh Competition. Recent 1st prizes include the Barbash J.S. Bach String Competition, the Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition, the Juilliard Double Bass Competition, and the 2019 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition.
Engaged in all aspects of double bass performance, she has been invited to perform as guest principal bassist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Oslo Philharmonic, serving under the batons of conductors such as András Schiff and Osmo Vänskä. Nina is in demand as a passionate chamber musician. She began her involvement with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center as a member of the Bowers Program in 2025. She has spent summers at Marlboro Music Festival, Verbier Festival, Music@Menlo, and Chamber Music Northwest.
She is quickly becoming a sought-after pedagogue, having given masterclasses at the Colburn School, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and University of Texas at Austin, among others. She is on the faculty of Stony Brook University.
Nina performs on an instrument passed down from her father, Mark Bernat, attributed to Guadagnini.
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Aiden Kane
Viola
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American violist Aiden Kane has performed in North America, Europe, and Asia as a current member of the Viano Quartet, First Prize Laureates of the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition and recipients of the 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant.
After leaving violin for the dark side, Aiden first studied viola with Daniel Foster through the National Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Fellowship Program. She subsequently earned a Bachelor’s and two Master’s degrees (in viola performance and chamber music studies, respectively) at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Paul Coletti. During her undergraduate years at Colburn, Aiden discovered her love for quartet life as the violist of the Calla Quartet, which received the Silver medal at the 2015 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and presented Colburn’s inaugural Musical Encounters outreach program. Since she joined the Viano Quartet, Viano has won international competitions, weathered a pandemic, moved from one coast to another, studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in the Nina von Maltzahn String Quartet-in-Residence program, and joined the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Bowers Program—and Aiden loves quartet life even more for it all.
When she isn’t playing the viola, Aiden enjoys hiking, composing, and keeping an assortment of remarkably self-reliant houseplants.
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Yutong Sun
Piano
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Yutong Sun has gained international recognition for his profound artistry and refined musical voice. He is a laureate of numerous major international piano competitions, including second prize at the 19th Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition, first prize at the 54th Jaén International Piano Competition, and third prize at the 62nd Maria Canals International Music Competition in Barcelona. He has also received top prizes at the Bösendorfer, Horowitz, New Orleans, and Ferrol International Piano Competitions.
Sun has performed as a recitalist at prestigious venues around the world, including Salle Cortot in Paris, Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Jordan Hall in Boston, the Bolshoi Hall in Saint Petersburg, the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, and the Shanghai Oriental Art Center. His performances have been broadcast by Bavarian Broadcasting, Polish Radio, and the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation.
He has appeared as a soloist with the China NCPA Orchestra, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, the RTVE Symphony Orchestra of Spain, the Symphony Orchestra of Galicia, the City of Granada Orchestra, the Ukrainian National Symphony Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Santander Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic. He has collaborated with distinguished conductors including Hugh Wolff, Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez, Paul Mann, Earl Lee, Nicholas McGegan, Matthew Kasper, Lio Kuokman, Yifan Sun, Maciej Tworek, José Trigueros, and José Molina.
In 2024, Sun joined celebrated pianist Sa Chen and other distinguished pianists for a nationally acclaimed tour of Bach’s Concertos for One to Four Keyboards (in piano version) with the China NCPA Orchestra, performing at major venues in Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing.
He has been invited to perform at major international festivals including the Verbier Festival, Kissinger Sommer, the Beethoven Easter Festival, and the Holland International Music Festival.
Sun’s debut solo album, recorded for the Naxos Laureate Series, was released internationally in 2013 to critical acclaim.
Born in 1995 in China, Yutong Sun began piano studies at age seven in Tianjin. He later attended the middle school affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where he studied with Professor Chang Hua. Since 2015, he has studied at the New England Conservatory with Professors Alexander Korsantia and Dang Thai Son, earning his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Artist Diploma degrees. He currently serves as Artist-in-Residence at the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music.
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Jonathan Vinocour
Viola
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Violist Jonathan Vinocour enjoys a varied career as an orchestral player, chamber musician, and soloist. He was appointed principal viola of the San Francisco Symphony in 2009 having previously served as principal viola of the Saint Louis Symphony and Guest Principal of the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Since that time, he has appeared frequently as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony. Concerto performances have also brought him to the Saint Louis Symphony, La Jolla Music Society, Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra, and the New World Symphony where he was a featured artist of their Viola Visions Festival alongside Tabea Zimmerman, Kim Kashkashian, Roberto Diaz, and Cynthia Phelps.
A sought-after chamber musician, he is a regular guest of festivals such as the Seattle Chamber Music Society, La Jolla SummerFest, Marlboro, Bridgehampton, Salt Bay festivals, and Chamberfest Cleveland. Chamber music partners have included Yefim Bronfman, Yo-Yo Ma, Augustin Hadelich, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Igor Levit, and James Ehnes among others. He also performs frequently on the chamber music series of the San Francisco Symphony and as a recitalist and chamber musician on concert series around the country.
Jonathan graduated from Princeton University with a degree in chemistry and from the New England Conservatory where he studied with Kim Kashkashian. An active and dedicated teacher, he serves on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as well as the Aspen Music Festival and School and is a frequent coach at the New World Symphony. Jonathan plays on a 1784 Lorenzo Storioni viola on loan from the San Francisco Symphony.
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Lucy Wang
Violin
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Canadian violinist Lucy Wang has garnered praise as an artist whose “technical prowess, tonal mastery, and stage presence can come as no surprise to anyone who has seen her work” (Peace Arch News). A native of Vancouver, she is a founding member of the Viano Quartet—First Prize Laureates of the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition and recent graduates of the Nina von Maltzahn Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence Program at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Lucy obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Colburn Conservatory and has performed as soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician in venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Izumi Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Konzerthaus Berlin. Lucy has also given recitals with the Viano Quartet at Hong Kong’s Intimacy of Creativity Festival, the Banff International String Quartet Festival, Bravo!Vail Festival, Ottawa Chamberfest, and Minnesota Beethoven Festival, among others.
In addition to touring with the Viano Quartet, Lucy maintains an active individual presence on social media, with over 50 million views on her videos and over 600,000 followers across various platforms. Reaching people across six continents, Lucy aims to craft a unique path as an artist that builds bridges across different musical and cultural communities.
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Paul Watkins
Cello
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Acclaimed for his inspirational performances and eloquent musicianship, Paul Watkins enjoys a distinguished career as concerto soloist, chamber musician and conductor.
He is the Artistic Director of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival in Detroit (since 2014), the cellist of the Emerson String Quartet (2013-2023) and Visiting Professor of Cello at Yale School of Music (since 2018). He took first prize in the 2002 Leeds Conducting Competition, and has held the positions of Music Director of the English Chamber Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra.
As a cellist, Watkins has given regular concerto performances with prestigious orchestras across the globe. Also, a dedicated chamber musician, Watkins was a member of the Nash Ensemble (1997-2013) and the Emerson String Quartet (2013-2023). After 44 successful seasons, the quartet decided to retire, and undertook an extensive series farewell tours, culminating in their final performances in New York Lincoln Center in October 2023. This concert was filmed for a documentary by filmmaker Tristan Cook, and the release of their final recording of Berg, Chausson, Schoenberg, and Hindemith with prestigious guests soprano Barbara Hannigan and pianist Bertrand Chamayou.
As a conductor, Watkins has conducted all the major British orchestras and a wide range of international orchestras. In 2006 he made his opera debut conducting a critically praised new production of Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine for Opera North.
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Carolin Widmann
Violin
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A wonderfully versatile musician, Carolin Widmann’s activities span the great classical concerti, new commissions specially written for her, solo recitals, a wide variety of chamber music and period instrument performances, including play/direction from the violin.
Widmann was awarded the Bayerischer Staatspreis for music in 2017, honouring her individuality and exceptional musicianship. Widmann was also the recipient of an International Classical Music Award (Concerto category) for her critically acclaimed recording of both Mendelssohn’s and Schumann’s Violin Concertos with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, released in August 2016 by ECM and which Widmann herself conducted from the violin.
Named ‘Musician of the Year’ at the International Classical Music Awards 2013, Ms Widmann has played with Berliner Philharmoniker, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France, Czech Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Vienna Radio Symphony, London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, and Bayerische Rundfunk with distinguished conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Riccardo Chailly, Edward Gardner, Vladimir Jurowski, Sakari Oramo, Daniel Harding, François-Xavier Roth, Santtu-Matias Rouvali and Jukka-Pekka Saraste. She also appears at such widely known festivals as Musikfest Berlin, Salzburger Festspiele, Lucerne Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Prague Spring International Festival, Pau Casals Festival, and Festival d’Automne in Paris.
Carolin debuted with an extensive number of orchestras over the 2024/25 season, including with the Danish National Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Further highlights included the Robert Gerhard concerto with Orquestra Sinfònica de Barcelona, a Kurt Weill inspired play-direct programme with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris featuring Ute Lemper, a tribute to Kaaja Saariaho with SWR Symphonieorchester, and the UK premiere of Jörg Widmann’s Violin Concerto No. 2, a piece written for and dedicated to her, with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. She is also the Fondazione Arturo Toscanini’s artist-in-residence for the 24/25 season.
Chamber music projects for the season include two recitals at the Pierre Boulez Saal; a quartet programme with Nils Mönkemeyer, Julian Steckel, and William Youn, as well as a solo project for violin and electronics; and a return to the Alte Oper Frankfurt.
Carolin Widmann is playing a G.B. Guadagnini violin from 1782 which is on loan from a Charitable Trust.
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Tate Zawadiuk
Cello
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Canadian cellist Tate Zawadiuk is both an engaging soloist and founding member of the Viano Quartet. The ensemble won first prize at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition and has performed internationally in venues such as Wigmore Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Flagey, and Bremen Die Glocke.
As a soloist, Tate has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vancouver Philharmonic, New Westminster Symphony, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra. He has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Emanuel Ax, James Ehnes, Marc-André Hamelin, Inon Barnatan, Clive Greensmith, Scott St. John, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, and Johannes Moser.
Tate is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music as a member of the Nina von Maltzahn Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Clive Greensmith and Ronald Leonard.
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Hao Zhou
Violin
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“Personal, impassioned, courageous, and unostentatiously brilliant” (Musical America), American violinist Hao Zhou rose to international acclaim as both the Grand Laureate and Audience Favorite of the 2019 Concours Musical International de Montréal and a first-prize winner of the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition.
An accomplished soloist and chamber musician, Hao made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 12. He made solo appearances with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Downey Symphony Orchestra, and Peninsula Symphony Orchestra alongside conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Alexander Shelley, and Thierry Fischer. Hao is a founding member of the award-winning Viano Quartet and has performed worldwide alongside such internationally distinguished artists as Emanuel Ax, Roberto Diaz, James Ehnes, Noah Bendix-Balgley, and Marc André-Hamelin. In 2023-24, Hao will be performing recitals all over the world in cities such as New York, Hong Kong, Nova Scotia, Buffalo, and Banff.
Hao is a recent graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music as a member of the Nina von Maltzhan Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence. He has been invited to perform at the Kronberg Academy Festival, Bravo! Vail, Bard Music Festival, and at Chamber Music Northwest. He was the first recipient of the Frances Rosen Violin Prize at the Colburn Conservatory, where he studied with Martin Beaver and received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
Hao plays on a 1783 Joseph and Antonio Gagliano violin, on generous loan from the Aftergood Family.
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Viano Quartet
String Ensemble
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Lucy Wang, violin
Hao Zhou, violin
Aiden Kane, viola
Tate Zawadiuk, celloPraised for their “virtuosity, visceral expression, and rare unity of intention” (Boston Globe), the Viano Quartet is one of the most sought-after ensembles today and recipients of the prestigious 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant. Since soaring to international acclaim as the first-prize winner at the 13th Banff International String Quartet Competition, they have traveled to nearly every major city across the globe, captivating audiences in New York, London, Berlin, Hong Kong, Vancouver, Paris, Beijing, Toronto, Lucerne, and Los Angeles. They are currently in-residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program from 2024-2027.
During the 2025 summer season, the quartet will debut at Klavier-Festival Ruhr, CMS Summer Evenings, Tippet Rise, and Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Their many return visits include Music@Menlo, Mt. Desert Festival of Chamber Music, and MISQA. Their latest album, Voyager, was released with Platoon Records in Spring 2025.
The Viano Quartet has collaborated with world-class musicians including Emanuel Ax, Fleur Barron, Sir Stephen Hough, Miloš Karadaglić, Mahan Esfahani, and Marc-André Hamelin. Dedicated advocates of music education, they have given classes at institutions such as Northwestern University, University of Victoria, Colburn Academy, Duke University, and SMU Meadows School of the Arts. Each member of the quartet is grateful to the interminable support from their mentors at the Curtis Institute and Colburn Conservatory, including members of the Dover, Guarneri, and Tokyo string quartets.
The name “Viano” reflects the unity of four string instruments acting as one, much like a piano, where harmony and melody intertwine.