Jennifer Taylor

Pinchas Zukerman — the violinist of the renowned Zukerman Trio — has focused his career on inspiring young musicians across the globe. At a Tuesday concert in Morse Recital Hall, Zukerman and his colleagues will seek to do just that for the Yale community.

On Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m., the Yale School of Music will feature the trio in the fifth concert of the Oneppo Chamber Music Series. The Zukerman Trio includes renowned violinist Zukerman, cellist Amanda Forsyth and pianist Angela Cheng. The trio began performing together in 2011 but did not officially establish until 2013. Now, the musicians tour the world with regularity.

“The Zukerman Trio is a perfect example of how a mentor and his protégés can inspire each other to the highest levels of musical performance,” said David Shifrin, who is a clarinet professor at the School of Music and artistic director of the Oneppo Chamber Music Series.

Zukerman is an acclaimed violinist, violist and conductor who has released over 100 albums. He has been nominated for 21 Grammy awards, two of which he won. His musical career is devoted to pedagogy and he currently chairs the Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music.

The Los Angeles Times described Zukerman’s playing as “expressively resourceful, infectiously musical, technically impeccable, effortless.”

“Pinchas Zukerman has been one of the superstars of classical music for decades, and it is a gift to chamber music audiences that such a high profile soloist and consummate violin virtuoso loves the democratic art form of chamber music,” Shifrin added.

Forsyth and Cheng are both distinguished musicians. Forsyth was the principal cellist of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada from 1999–2015. Cheng has won the reputable Montreal International Piano Competition and was a gold medalist at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition.

According to the School of Music website, the goal of the Oneppo Series is to present ensembles of a variety of styles and genres to the Yale community.

“The Oneppo Chamber Music Series at Yale is dedicated to presenting Yale audiences with world-class performances of the great repertoire of the chamber music canon,” Shifrin said. “This is achieved by inviting the finest ensembles from around the globe to come to Morse Recital Hall.”

Morse Recital Hall is integral to the Oneppo Series’ performances. According to Shifrin, Morse is one of the most acoustically perfect halls for chamber music, and “it completes the circle of great music, performed live by world-class musicians in an intimate and vibrant setting for a knowledgeable and appreciative audience.”

Shifrin added that performers featured in the Oneppo Series include Yale faculty members. The 2019–2020 season has so far featured the Brentano String Quartet, the Akropolis Reed Quintet and the Horszowski Trio.

“Each member of the trio is the master of their instrument and is dedicated to realizing performances that are greater than the sum of their parts,” Shifrin said. 

“The Zukerman Trio is special in that it combines the artistry of three renowned musicians in a wonderful mix of expression and virtuosity,” violinist Ariel Horowitz MUS ’20 said. “As a violinist, I’ve always admired Pinchas Zuckerman’s sound, and it’s a tremendous opportunity to have such a world class ensemble at the Yale School of Music for a concert.”

The Oneppo Series was renamed in 2011 to honor Vincent Oneppo MUS ’74, a longtime director of Yale’s chamber music series.

 

Marisol Carty | marisol.carty@yale.edu

MARISOL CARTY
Marisol Carty was Arts Editor from 2021-2022 and previously covered Music. She double majors in Economics and Philosophy.