Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition Fifth Anniversary Gala Concert
The Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition will celebrate its Fifth Anniversary with a gala concert featuring past laureates: Avery Fisher Career Grant recipients violinist, Rachell Ellen Wong, and double bassist, Nina Bernat; Young Concert Artists International Auditions winner, violinist, Lun Li; and Tianyou Ma, winner of the Bach Prize at both the Singapore and Menuhin International Violin Competitions. More about the competition here
The concert is presented by Gotham Early Music Scene (GEMS).
Friday, December 1, 2023 at 7:00 pm
Tickets: $30
The Church of St. Luke in the Fields, 487 Hudson Street, Manhattan
THE PERFORMERS
Rachell Ellen Wong
Recipient of a prestigious 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant — the only Baroque artist in the respected program’s history — and Grand Prize winner of the inaugural Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition, violinist Rachell Ellen Wong is a star on both the modern and historical performance violin stages. Her reputation as one of the top historical performers of her generation has resulted in appearances across the globe, including performances with renowned early music ensembles such as The Academy of Ancient Music, Bach Collegium Japan, Les Arts Florissants, and Ensemble Jupiter, among others. Equally accomplished on the modern violin, Rachell made her first public appearance with the Philharmonia Northwest at age 11 and has since performed as a soloist with such orchestras as Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Panamá and the Seattle Symphony. Rachell made her conducting debut with the Seattle Symphony in 2020 when she directed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons from the violin. She currently serves as concertmaster for the Seattle Baroque Orchestra.
Alongside acclaimed keyboardist David Belkovski, Rachell is co-founder of Twelfth Night, a dynamic period-instrument ensemble based in New York City. Twelfth Night makes its Carnegie Hall debut in the 2023–24 season.
Rachell holds a Masters in Music in Historical Performance from The Juilliard School, a M.M. from Indiana University, and a B.M. from the University of Texas at Austin. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she splits her time between New York City and Seattle. Rachell performs on a Baroque violin from the school of Joachim Tielke ca. 1700, and on a violin by Carlo de March made in 1953. For more information, please visit www.rachellwong.com.
Nina Bernat
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.
This year, Nina is honored as a recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant. 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.
Nina began her studies with her father, double bassist Mark Bernat. A recipient of the Juilliard School Kovner Fellowship, she continued her studies with bassist Tim Cobbs and cellist Astrid Schween. She is currently completing her graduate degree at Juilliard.
Engaged in all aspects of double bass performance, in 2019 she was invited to perform as guest principal bassist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, serving under the batons of András Schiff and Osmo Vänskä. She performed as principal with the 2019 Verbier Summer Festival Orchestra in Switzerland and at the 2018 Santa Barbara Summer Music Academy of the West, notably with Gustavo Dudamel. Additionally, in the role of section substitute, Nina has appeared with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and plays regularly in that capacity with the New York Philharmonic.
Among her regional chamber performances are appearances with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players and the Juilliard ChamberFest. This summer, Nina heads out to Vermont for her second season at both the 2023 Marlboro Music Festival and the Lake Champlain Music Festival. She returns to the 2023 Grace Note Farm Summer Music Festival in Rhode Island for her third season, as both performer and co-organizer.
Nina’s 2023–2024 season includes a concerto debut with the Minnesota Orchestra and guest principal of the Oslo Philharmonic.
Nina performs on a beautiful and sonorous early-18th century bass, ceremoniously handed down to her from her father. Attribution Guadagnini. For more information, visit www.ninabernat.com.
Lun Li
Lun Li is a violinist committed to creating thought-provoking, boundary-pushing concert experiences for contemporary audiences around the world. A native of Shanghai who is currently based in New York, Lun won First Prize in the 2021 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, the Paul A. Fish Memorial Prize, the Buffalo Chamber Music Society Prize, and was named John French Violin Chair at YCA. Additionally, he is also the recent joint winner of the First Prize at the Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition.
Lun has appeared on major musical stages around the world, including Helsinki Music Centre, Konzerthaus Berlin, Kulturpalast Dresden, Wiener Konzerthaus, and Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center. Next Season, He will make his solo recital debut in Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington D. C., as well as his concerto debut in the Lincoln Center.
An avid chamber musician, he has participated in the Marlboro Music Festival, the Verbier Music Festival Academy, Music@Menlo’s international program, and Music from Angelfire. He has collaborated with leading musicians such as Kim Kashkashian, Ani Kavafian, Ida Kavafian, Marcy Rosen, Steven Tenenbom, Peter Wiley, and members from Calidore, Doric, and Miro Quartets. His upcoming season will include chamber music tours with Curtis Institute of Music, Marlboro Music Festival, and Young Concert Artists, bringing him to Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, 92nd Street Y, Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Buffalo Chamber Music Society, and others.
Lun holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music (BM’20) and The Juilliard School (MM’22). His mentors include Ida Kavafian, Catherine Cho, and Joseph Lin. He is currently pursuing an artist diploma at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Catherine Cho.
Lun plays on the Stradivarius “Samazeuilh” 1735 violin, on a generous loan from the Nippon Music Foundation.
Tianyou Ma
“A masterful performer with vision, virtuosity, and exquisite taste. His playing makes me smile.” ~ Collin Carr
Tianyou Ma has been a single study student at the Elder Conservatorie of Music in Adelaide, Australia since 2010, where he was awarded a full scholarship to study with Keith Crellin from 2010–2013. Since 2014, Tianyou was awarded a full scholarship at The Yehudi Menuhin School in the U.K. and studied violin with Diana Galvydyte. He was also awarded a full scholarship covering all his living fees from the Music and Dance Scheme in the U.K. from 2016–2019. Tianyou started his undergraduate study with a full scholarship at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in August of 2019, studying with Pamela Frank and Shmuel Ashkenasi.
Tianyou has been a top prize winner in numerous prestigious international competitions, including the J.S. Bach Competition, the Singapore International Violin Competition (also the recipient of the Bach Prize), Sendai International Music Competition, The Menuhin International Violin Competition (also the recipient of the Bach Prize) and the Postacchini Competition.
Tianyou has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Webern Kammerphilharmonie, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, London Doctors’ Orchestra, Adelaide Youth Orchestra, and Yehudi Menuhin School Orchestra. He has performed as a soloist and a chamber musician in many countries in Europe, Asia, the USA, and Oceania. He has spent his summers studying at the Verbier Festival Academy and International Summer Academy (Internationale Sommerakademie der mdw).