The Eight Strings Duo Performs at The Enescu Soirees

In March 2020, two outstanding young musicians, violinist Alex Malaimare and violist YooBin Lee, created The Eight Strings YouTube Channel with the aim of reaching a wider audience than possible in a traditional concert hall and of promoting music of various genres, from Classical to K-Pop, along with violin & viola tutorials. We are pleased to partner with the talented and intrepid duo for another Enescu Soiree full of color and energy. Check out The Eight Strings Duo HERE.

Watch on our FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE and WEBSITE from Thursday, September 24, 2 p.m. EDT or anytime later.

PROGRAM:

H. Wieniawski - "Caprice" No. 4 for solo violin 

J. Pachelbel - "Canon" in D, for solo viola, arr. The Eight Strings 

J. Williams - Theme from "Schindler’s List" 

J.S. Bach - Prelude from Cello Suite No.1, arr. for solo viola 

V. Monti - "Csardas", arr. The Eight Strings 

J. Brahms -"Wiegenlied" ("Lullaby"), arr. The Eight Strings 

P. de Sarasate - "Zigeunerweisen", arr. The Eight Strings

Violinist Alex ‘Nica’ Malaimare studied at the National University of Music in Bucharest and took his Masters at the Royal Conservatory. He currently pursues a Doctoral degree at the University of Illinois, where he studies under the guidance of Stefan Milenkovich and Rudolf Haken. Alex was a student of celebrated Romanian violinist and mentor Stefan Gheorghiu and participated in masterclasses of important musicians like Almita Vamos, Rachel Barton-Pine, and the Chiara String Quartet. As soloist, he worked with first-rate orchestral and chamber groups and had the opportunity to collaborate with esteemed conductors such as Igor Coretti (Slovenia-Italy), Christian Badea (USA), and Donald Schleicher (USA), to name but a few. Alex has performed in recitals and concerts in well-known venues in Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, United States. He owes a notable part of his development as a musician to a scholarship that afforded him to study at the “SoNoRo” Chamber Music workshops, thanks to which he could play alongside artists like Corinne Chapelle, Erik Schumann, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Adrian Brendel, David Cohen, Razvan Popovici, and Diana Ketler. In addition to winning prizes at violin competitions in Romania, Alex was triumphant at the Young Artist Competition of MTNA and the University of Illinois Concerto Competition. Most recently, he was awarded The Judges Special Recognition Award at Plowman Chamber Music Competition 2017, and the First Prize at New York Artists International Competition, both together with his quartet, with which he gave a recital on July 6th at Carnegie's Weill Hall. Most recently, Alex has been appointed Adjunct Instructor of Violin at the University of Illinois and has become a member of the Eykamp String Quartet of the University of Evansville, a Principal Second for the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, and a member of Lincoln Center Stage.  

Violist YooBin Lee, a native of Korea, is pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she was a Teaching Assistant. She received a Bachelor's degree from Chungnam National University in Korea and an MA from the University of Michigan and Bowling Green State University. Her principal teachers have been Yizhak Schotten, Rudolf Haken, Elizabeth Freivogel, Matthew Daline, and Jupiter Stringquartet. As an avid soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player, she performed as a principal violist in several ensembles and orchestras. Also, she was awarded First Prizes in the New York Artists International Competition, the Bowling Green Chamber Music Competition, the Korea Art Music Competition, as well as being a finalist in the MTNA Young Artist Competition in New York City. She served as a violin/viola instructor at Millikin University and is currently a visiting adjunct faculty at BGSU.