World Class Showcase Concerts

Choose Vivace for a complete immersion in music

IMPRESSIONS & PASSIONS

The 2025 Vivace International Music Festival’s opening showcase presents virtuoso cellist Andrew Shulman, violin stars Dmitri Berlinsky and Amy Schwartz Moretti and award-winning pianists Paolo Gualdi, Christopher Guzman, and Dmitri Vorobiev in a program of Debussy, Ravel, Piazzolla, and Mendelssohn. From the impressionism of Debussy to the passion of Piazzolla, this is chamber music at its finest.

Debussy: Sonata for cello and piano, L. 135
Andrew Shulman, cello; Christopher Guzman, piano
Ravel: Sonata for violin and piano No. 2, M. 77
Dmitri Berlinsky, violin; Paolo Gualdi, piano
Piazzolla: Primavera porteño Piano Trio (arranged by Jose Bragato)
Dmitri Berlinsky, violin; Andrew Shulman, cello; Christopher Guzman

Intermission

Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in D minor
Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin; Andrew Shulman, cello; Dmitri Vorobiev, piano

ALEXANDER KOBRIN: ROMANTIC REVERIES

August 3, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. @ St. James Episcopal

Called the “Van Cliburn of today” by the BBC, pianist Alexander Kobrin has placed himself at the forefront of today’s performing musicians. In his sixth appearance with the Vivace International Music Festival, he presents a program of Brahms and Schumann. As New York Arts says, “Few listeners would fail to be… carried away by Kobrin’s brilliant technique and intuitive sense of Schumann’s poetry.”

Brahms: 6 Klavierstücke, Op. 118
Brahms: 4 Klavierstücke, Op. 119

Intermission

Schumann: Arabesque, Op. 18
Schumann: Kreisleriana Op. 16

VIVACE RISING STARS CONCERT

August 7, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. @ St. James Episcopal

Discover the stars of tomorrow – violinist Laurel Gagnon and pianist Yizhen Chen present a program that strikes a perfect balance between classical rigor and romantic spirit. Presenting masterpieces by Schumann, Schubert, Scriabin, Beach, and Chaminade, this will be a memorable program full of revelations and surprises.

R. Schumann: Drei Fantasiestücke, Op. 111
F. Schubert: Sonata in C Minor, D. 958: I. Allegro
A. Scriabin: Fantasy in B Minor, OP. 28
Yizhen Chen, piano

Intermission

R. Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105
Amy Beach: Romance for Violin and Piano, Op. 23
Cécile Chaminade: Capriccio, Op. 18
Laurel Gagnon, violin; Yizhen Chen, piano

MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN: MONUMENTAL VOICES

August 8, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. @ St. James Episcopal

A piano-lovers dream recital from pianist Marc-André Hamelin of monumental works by Schumann, Weinberg, and Beethoven. Join the Vivace International Music Festival on August 8th to experience this “performer of near-superhuman technical prowess” (The New York Times) and one of the great artists of today.

Schumann: Fantasiestücke op. 12
Weinberg: Sonata No. 6

Intermission

Beethoven: Sonata Op. 106, “Hammerklavier”

VIVACE EXTRAVAGANZA

August 9, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. @ The Wilson Center

The 2025 Vivace International Music Festival closes its Showcase Series with a Vivace Extravaganza! Co-artistic directors Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers lead a dazzling display of multiple chamber music and piano ensembles, with a surprising finale!

Mozart: Overture to Marriage of Figaro – arranged for Two Pianos, 8 hands
Angela Cheng, Dmitri Vorobiev, Yakov Kasman, Jason Kwak, pianists

Beethoven: Cello Sonata, Op. 102: No. 1 in C Major – I. Andante – Allegro Vivace
Andrew Shulman, cello; Tom Sauer, piano

Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 2 S. 244/2 (arranged for four hands by Franz Bendel)
Joseph Rackers and Marina Lomazov, pianists

Debussy: Nocturne & Scherzo
Andrew Shulman, cello; Tom Sauer, piano

Gavrilin: From Sketches for One Piano Four Hands (After ballet Anyuta) , No. 9 — Waltz, No. 10 — Tarantella
Yakov and Dina Kasman, piano

Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, (arranged for 2 Pianos, 8 hands by Ad. Ruthardt)
Elle Levine, John Samuell, Justin Chen, Gaia Daniel (Vivace participants)

Lutosławski: Variations on a Theme by Paganini, for two pianos
Joseph Rackers and Marina Lomazov, pianists

Shostakovich: Prelude
Mark Kosower cello; Andrew Shulman, cello; Tom Sauer, piano

Shostakovich: The Suite for Variety Orchestra, No. 1 – VII. Waltz II
Everyone!