THE A&A CEMBALO DUO – ‘EAST WINDS: A CONCERT OF FOUR HANDS’

September 28, 2019

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This Concert is Sold Out. Capriccio is thrilled to present The A&A Cembalo Duo at this Benefit Soirée. The Duo perform solo and duo works on one harpsichord by Mozart, Debussy, Bach, Lully & more.

This event is one of Capriccio’s very special and exclusive fund raising Benefit Soirées.  Our Benefit Soirée offer attendees an exceptional experience – a very intimate musical experience with seating available for just 14 attendees; a specialized concert program performed by exceptional performers; and  a complimentary multi-course sumptuous dinner served with outstanding wines donated by the International Wine Review.

EAST WIND: A CONCERT FOR FOUR HANDS
THE A&A CEMBALO DUO
Anastasia Antonova & Anna Kiskachi

~ OUVERTURE DE SALON ~

W.A. Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Sonata in D Major for harpsichord for four hands


~ CHILDREN’s CORNER ~

C. Debussy (1862 – 1918)
Golliwogg’s Cakewalk from the ‘Children’s Corner’

G. Fauré (1845 – 1924)
The Dolly Suite          Transcription for harpsichord four hands

A. Liadov (1855 – 1914)
The Music Box for harpsichord

A. Dvoràk (1841 – 1904)
Slavonic Dance          Transcription for harpsichord four hand


~ MYTHS AND LEGENDS ~

J.B-A. Forqueray (1672 – 1745)
Jupiter for harpsichord

J.P. Rameau (1683 – 1764)
Les Cyclopes for harpsichord

J-B. Lully (1632 – 1687) / J-H. D’Anglebert (1629 – 1691)
Armide          Transcription for harpsichord four hands


~ ETERNAL PARADISE ~

J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750)
Prelude in C Major from Well-Tempered Clavier Book I for harpsichord

J.S. Bach
Lute prelude C minor for harpsichord

J.S. Bach
Passacaglia C minor          Transcription for harpsichord four hands

ANNA KISKACHI

Harpsichord, piano, hammer-clavier, historical piano and continuo player.

Prize-winner at the Prague Spring Harpsichord Competition (Czech Republic), a leading music competition represented by the World Federation of Music Competitions.

Winner of the Bohuslav Martinu Foundation Prize for best performance of the Concerto for Harpsichord and Small Orchestra (composer: Bohuslav Martinu).

Winner of the Wanda Landowska Harpsichord Competition (Italy).

Senior Lecturer for harpsichord and accompaniment at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz (Austria).


“[.. Anna Kiskachi completely steals the show with her virtuosic performance …moving from the small Italian to larger two-manual French harpsichord for the occasion.  This really was a show-stopping performance, full of dramatic and well-timed pauses.”  Andrew Benson-Wilson, Early Music Review.

Anna Kiskachi recently celebrated her debuts at:
          Konzerthaus Vienna
          Great Hall of Brivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht
          Moscow International House of Music
          Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory
          Concertgebouw Brugge
          Moscow Philarmonic Hall
          ZaryadyeHall
          & many others…

Anna Kiskachi recently participated in prestigious festivals including:
          Utrecht Early Music Fabulous Fringe Festival (Holland)
          Musica Antiqua Brugge (Belgium)
          Resonanzen – Festival (Austria)
          Styriarte – die steirischen Festpiele (Austria)
          Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik (Austria)
          Yamanashi Early Music Festival (Japan)
          New Virtuosi (Great Britain)
          Bach Festival (Poland)
          AMIA – amis de la musique sur instruments ancienc (France)
          Clavecin en France (France)
          Neuburger Barockkonzerte (Germany)
          & many others…

With her numerous concerts as a soloist, as part of the A&A Cembalo Duo, and as a continuo player Anna is widely appreciated and lauded across Europe and internationally. She has performed in Russiea, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Finland, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, and Japan.

Anna has performed with highly regarded orchestras including the Orchestra of Salzburg Philharmonie (Austria); Les Orpheistes (Vienna); the Haydn Orchestra (Bolzano); Collegium 1704, Filharonie Bohuslava, Martinu Zlin, etc.  Anna has also collaborated with many renowned musicians including Julia Lezhneva, Michi Gaigg, soloists of the Moscow Baroque ensemble Pratum Integrum, and with ensemble NEObarock (winner of the prestigious music award ECHO).  Anna has also collaborated in programs with the Moscow PhilarmonicSalzburg Philarmonic and the Haydn Fondazione (Bolzano, Italy). 

In 2011 Anna Kiskachi and Anastasia Antonova founded A&A Cembalo Duo.  This is the only harpsichord duo in Russia and its unique and extravagant performances have been enthusiastically endorsed by audiences in cities across Europe and in Japan.

Since 2012 Anna have been an Invited Artist at the Accademia Villa Bossi in Italy.

In 2019 Anna was appointed a Senior Lecturer for harpsichord and accompaniment at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria. 

ANASTASIA ANTONOVA

Anastasia Antonova, a Russian harpsichordist and pianist, is the only musician who has won prizes at each of the three largest and most prestigious harpsichord concerts: 1st prize at the international Prague Spring Competition (69th edition, 2017, Czech Republic); 3rd prize at the International J.S. Bach Competition (21st edition, Leipzig, Germany); and 3rd prize at the International  Musica Antiqua Competition (Brugge, Belgium, 2018).   Additional prizes won by Anastasia include:

*  Winner (2nd prize, 1st was not awarded) at the international Yamanashi Competition (Japan, 2016)
*  Winner of the City of Prague Prize for the most successful laureate at the Prague Spring International Music                       Competition (2017, Czech Republic)
*  Laureate (Golden Award) at the international harpsichord Svirel competition (A&A Cembalo Duo, ensemble nomination,         Slovenia, 2016)
*  Winner (3rd prize) at the international Volkonsky harpsichord competition (Moscow, Russia, 2013)
*  Winner of a special audience award at the Austrian Baroque Academy (Gmunden, Austria, 2011)
*  Laureate (3rd prize) of the Open All-Russian “Merzlyakovka invites friends” piano competition (Moscow, 2008)
*  Laureate and winner of a special prize at the international “IBLA Grand Prize” competition (Raguza, Italy, 2007)

Since 2018 Anastasia Antonova has been teaching harpsichord, basso-continuo, and chamber ensemble performance in Moscow State P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory.  And, since 2012 she has been an Artist of Accademia Villa Bossi in Italy.

Born in Moscow, Anastasia excelled at Classical and Baroque music from her early school years.  Her first recitals with orchestra were at age 12 when she performed keyboard concertos by J.S. Bach and W.A. Mozart.  And, also while at school, she received the honor of playing at the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory performing solo repertoire by Mozart and Beethoven.

Anastasia graduatded with honors from Moscow State P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory where she studied harpsichord (Prof. Olga Filippova), piano (Prof. Michail Dubov) and fortepiano (Prof. Alexey Lubimov).  She continued her harpsichord studies at the post-graduate level at Moscow Conservatory (Prof. O. Filippova) and the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna (Prof. Wolfgang Gluxam).  She also received important artistic guidance at international master classes with K. Haugsand, P. Hantai, S. Sempe, M. Mencoboni, C. Schornsheim, and others.

Anastasia performs extensively as a soloist and chamber music player in Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Italy, Japan, Slovenia and Russia.  Her repertoire covers music of five centuries – from English virginalists to modern composers.  As pianist and harpsichordist she has premiered a number of works by composers of the 20th and 21st centuries in Russia.  Anastasia’s recent appearances have been in venues such as the Wiener Konzerthaus; Prague’s Rudolfinum; the Great Hall of Tivolivredenburg in Utrecht; the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory; South Czech Philharmonic; Moscow International House of Music; Moscow Philharmonic; Zaryadye Hall, and many others.  In 2018 she made her debuts with Czech Philharmonic and Prague Spring International Music Festival.

In 2011 Anastasia, with her colleague Anna Kiskachi, founded A&A Cembalo Duo.  A&A has already proven itself at numerous international music festivals, including Early Music Fabulous Fringe in Utrecht (Holland); Musica Antiqua in Brugge (Belgium); ResonanzenStyriarteAlter Musik Italia Mia; Brunnenthaler Konzertsommer (Austria); Early Music Yamanashi (Japan); Klang im Kloster; Neuburger Barockkonzerte (Germany); Accademia del Ricercare (Italy); Clavecin en France (France); Breaking Stereotypes (Russia), and others. 

Besides solo, chamber music and cembalo duo concerts Anastasia performs as a soloist with orchestras such as Pratum Integrum; Collegium 1704; South Czech Philharmonic; Filharmonie Bohuslava Martinu Zlin Orchestra; State Symphony Capella of Russia, Moscow Chamber Gnessin Orchestra; and others. 

Her harpsichord performances were broadcasted by Russian Culture TV and radio stations such as Radio Osterreich I (Austria); Cesky rozhlas, CRo Vltava (Czech Republic); Der Bayerische Rundfunk (Germany); Concertzender (Netherlands); Radio Russia; and Radio Orpheus (Russia). 

Devilish virtuosity…“
“Just grandiose!“
“Yes, you hardly believe that a harpsichord duo can give rise to such emotions…but two ladies have always found ways to awaken their instrument the imagination of long-lasting and far-reaching sounds“
Donaukurier, German newspaper

“A fulminating finger dance“
“When both harpsichordists took a seat on their instrument, their four hands seemed to belong to only one body“
Ausburger-allgemeine, German newspaper

“In fact, in the music of the two ladies, who mostly played dance arrangements of grand orchestral works, there is a poetry of intoxicating virtuosity beyond expectations“
Steirerkrone, Austrian newspaper