Hungarian Delicacies with the National Chamber Ensemble

The National Chamber Ensemble continues it’s successful virtual season with Hungarian Delicacies on March 27. We have been keeping our followers and artists safe all season without losing contact. The audience is invited to a virtual reception and conversation with the artists one week after each performance

The NCE, with violinist Leonid Sushansky, cellist Steven Honigberg and pianist Carlos Cesar Rodriguez, will perform “Hungarian Delicacies,” featuring the music of Hungarian composers Bela Bartok, Ernst von Dohnanyi, Franz Liszt and more. A video link to watch the performance will be available on March 27. The European Vacation Season 2020/2021 continues with a great way to experience the wonderful culture and music of Hungary without leaving home. The artists will share personal stories, humor and beautiful music to create a memorable performance.

Hungarian classical music creates it’s own musical flavor using the charming world of the folk song. Hungarian composers such as Bartok and Dohnanyi draw on rural music of the peasants to create a distinctive Hungarian classical style that will captivate.

Violinist Leo Sushansky has been acclaimed widely for his, “Gorgeous tone… Compelling musical personality…Passionate intensity,” The Washington Post and called “Astonishing” by The New York Times. He made his Carnegie Hall recital debut in 2005 and has appeared with many orchestras, as a recitalist and chamber musician in esteemed concert halls worldwide and has been featured on numerous radio and television programs. He is the Artistic Director of the National Chamber Ensemble. Recent appearances include the Kennedy Center, Merkin Hall in NYC, debuts with Musica Animae Orchestra of Budapest at the Berlin Philharmonie and Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic. This season he will also perform recitals in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington DC as well as soloist with the Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Berlin and the National Chamber Ensemble. He has performed five times in recital at the Phillips Collection. The many prizes and honors received include the Outstanding Young Emigre Musician Award, winning the Leningrad Young Musician’s Competition, the Westchester Conservatory Competition, the University of Maryland Concerto Competition, Three University of Maryland Graduate Assistantships, the New York Philharmonic National Young Artists Competition, the Bergen Philharmonic Competition and the Inter-Cities Foundation Award. 

Cellist Steven Honigberg is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music where he studied with Leonard Rose and Channing Robbins. Hired under the leadership of Mstislav Rostropovich, he is currently a member of the National Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Honigberg has given recent recitals in Washington DC at the Dumbarton Concert Series, at the Phillips Collection, at the National Gallery of Art, and recitals in New York and throughout the United States. In Chicago (his home town) he has appeared on radio WFMT, at the Ravinia Festival, and as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ars Viva Orchestra, Lake Forest Symphony and New Philharmonic Orchestra among others. In October 2014 Honigberg performed Andrzej Panufnik’s Cello Concerto with conductor Marek Mos in Warsaw, Poland. He has appeared most recently in Washington, in 2015, as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra in two performances at the Kennedy Center of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Triple Cello Concerto with the NSO’s Music Director Christoph Eschenbach. In 2009 Mr. Honigberg performed Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Cello Concerto with the NSO and won rave reviews for the 1988 world premiere of David Ott’s Concerto for Two Cellos conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich and the National Symphony with repeat performances on two NSO United States tours.

 

A musician of brilliance and versatility, pianist Carlos Cesar Rodríguez has gained recognition as a virtuoso pianist who not only generates excitement in the Hispanic and Spanish repertoire but also displays an extraordinary flair for Mozart, the romantics and the avant-garde scores. He has recorded for Omicron and Brioso labels and has won the highest critical acclaims for his CD of Spanish music, España en el corazón, distributed by Brioso Recordings. An expert on early instruments as well, enjoying entree to the Smithsonian Institution’s rare collection, Mr. Rodríguez was chosen by the Smithsonian to perform during the 300th year celebration of the Piano by the museum. He was also invited to participate in the 150th anniversary celebration of the Smithsonian Institution. Mr. Rodríguez has won acclaim moreover as music director of Mozart operas and Zarzuelas (Spanish operas), and as a composer, arranger, and improviser of ballets, Spanish dance scores, and Latin-Jazz/Pop compositions.As concert-pianist Carlos Cesar Rodríguez made his recital debut in his native Venezuela at age 5 and made his orchestral debut as soloist at age 11. Soon after he arrived in the United States to continue his music studies, Mr. Rodríguez was a finalist in the New York Philharmonic Young People’s Competition. At age 21 he made his Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall debut. As concert-artist he has toured Europe and performed concerti and solo recitals throughout the Americas. Venues in which Mr. Rodríguez has performed include the John F. Kennedy Center; the White House; and the Corcoran Gallery in Washignton DC; Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Americas Society in New York; the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. As chamber music artist Mr. Rodríguez has become a regular guest artist with the Garth Newell Chamber Music Festival. As collaborative artist he has worked with Jessye Norman, Denyce Graves and Plácido Domingo. Mr. Rodríguez earned his Bachelor’s degree with Clifton Matthews (Mr. Rodriguez’ mentor) from the North Carolina School of the Arts, his Master’s degree from the Juilliard School of Music with Joseph Kalichstein, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree, conferred summa cum laude, with Thomas Schumacher at the University of Maryland.