The last concert of the summer in our popular Enescu Soirees Online presents the impetuos duo made up by Romanian violinist Ioana Popescu and German pianist and composer Alexander Maria Wagner, tireless promoters of Romanian music to wider European audiences. Don't miss a diverse and skillfully interpreted program featuring well known works by Janáček and Enescu, complemented by a composition by Alexander Maria Wagner and Lukas Metzenbauer.
Program:
George Enescu - Ballade for violin and piano and Hora Unirii (The Union Rould Dance)
Leoš Janáček - Sonata for violin and piano - 2nd movement: Ballada. Con moto
Alexander M. Wagner & Lukas Metzenbauer - TANGO Operetta „Café Ringelspiel“ Suite for piano and violin, No. 4
Romanian violinist Ioana Popescu is currently studying at the Mozarteum Universität in Salzburg, Austria under the guidance of Prof. Annelie Gahl. Ioana was born in 1996 in a family of musicians in which her love for music was supported from an early age. She started to study the violin at 6, and at the age of 8 he gave his first recital. From the age of 14 she won numerous prizes at famous national and international competitions. Ioana Popescu graduated in 2015, with the highest distinction, from the "George Enescu" National College of Music in Bucharest where she studied with Valeriu Rogacev and Elena Baltaga. She took part in numerous masters courses under the guidance of internationally renowned professors such as Sherban Lupu (University of Illinois), Peter Schuhmayer (Royal College of Music London), Gerard Schubert (Wiener Philarmoniker), Elisabeth Kropfitsch (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna), Eric Grossman (The Juilliard School - New York). Her solo, orchestral and chamber music activity includes recitals and concerts in Romania, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. Since January 2017, he has been performing the “Mozart Violin Sonaten” Concert Series at the Residenz Hall in Salzburg.
Pianist and composer Alexander Maria Wagner is currently enrolled in the MA program of composition at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London. Alexander, born in 1995 in Straubing, Germany, studied piano and composition with Franz Hummel and Theodor Breu. His training continued with pianist Pavel Gililov at the prestigious Mozarteum University in Salzburg. His numerous stage appearances include concerts in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Romania, and Switzerland. At the age of 14, Alexander composed his first symphony, entitled KRAFTWERK. The Principal Conductor of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Alexei Kornienko, was impressed by the young composer and recorded his Symphony for the Oehms Classics record label. About his second CD, including works by Bach, Schumann but also a composition of his own, the critic Ingo Harden wrote in Fono Forum: “[..] marvels by his singing, from the first to the last sentence, by the authenticity of his art, through the clarity of his musical message. His art is extremely lively, his interpretation perfect. He overcomes the many piano obstacles with unimaginable virtuosity. " In January 2016, he made his piano debut at the Herkulessaal in Munich, with resounding success. In the spring of 2017, the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra recorded his second symphony, as well as the Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra op. 23 of P.I. Tchaikovsky, with Alexander Maria Wagner as soloist.