Christoph Müller & Stefan Pavlik artistic management GmbH

Byfangweg 22CH-4051 Basel

T: +41 61 273 70 10F: +41 61 273 70 20

info@artisticmanagement.euwww.artisticmanagement.eu

g e r s h w i n p i a n o q u a r t e tM i s c h a C h e u n g | A n d r é D e s p o n d s | B e n j a m i n E n g e l i | S t e f a n W i r t h

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4 p i a n o s

The Gershwin Piano Quartet sheds new light on the music of George Gershwin. It features 4 pianists on 4 grand pianos, playing, arranging and improvising on some of Gershwin’s most popular songs and orchestral works, such as Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, Porgy and Bess and I Got Rhythm. The originals are rescored for the unfamiliar combination of 4 pianos by the members of the quartet themselves and make for a novel and exciting listening and viewing experience.

In its new program, the quartet does not limit itself solely to the music of Gershwin but also includes important works by some of Gershwin’s contemporaries, namely Ravel’s „La Valse“ and Bernstein’s „West Side Story“. In this way, the many cross-references between the old world and the new, between classical music and jazz, classical ballet and Broadway theater, become apparent, thus creating a lively and highly virtuosic concert evening.The Gershwin Piano Quartet was founded by

André Desponds in 1996 and has presented its program in Europe, South America, China and the Middle East with great success and to broad critical acclaim. Some of the places where the Quartet has performed include the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Tonhalle Zurich, the Musikfest Stuttgart, the Menuhin Festival Gstaad, the National Palace of Culture Sofia, the Oriental Art Center Shanghai and the Sala São Paulo.

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r e p e r t o i r e

George Gershwin • An American in Paris (arr. Stefan Wirth / Marlis Walter)

(1898-1937) • Rhapsody in Blue (arr. André Desponds)

• Fantasy on Porgy and Bess (arr. Benjamin Engeli / Stefan Wirth)

• I Got Rhythm (arr. André Desponds)

• From „Concerto in F“: I. Allegro (arr. André Desponds)

• Summertime (arr. Nik Bärtsch)

• A Foggy Day (arr. Stefan Wirth)

• The Man I Love (arr. Gershwin Piano Quartet)

• Oh Lady Be Good (arr. Gershwin Piano Quartet)

• Love is Here to Stay / Fascinating Rhythm

(arr. André Desponds / Benjamin Engeli)

Johannes Brahms • Hungarian Rhapsody (arr. Benjamin Engeli)

(1833-1897)

Richard Wagner • Ride of the Valkyries (arr. Benjamin Engeli)

(1813-1883)

Camille Saint-Saëns • Danse macabre (arr. Benjamin Engeli)

(1835-1921)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • Nutcracker-Suite (arr. Gershwin Piano Quartet)

(1840-1893)

Richard Strauss • „Dance of the Seven Veils “ (From „Salome“) (arr. Stefan Wirth)

(1864-1949)

Sergej Rachmaninov • Vocalise & Tarantella (arr. Benjamin Engeli)

(1873-1943) • From Symphonic Dances Op. 45: I. (Non) Allegro (arr. Mischa Cheung)

Paul Dukas • The Sorcerer‘s Apprentice (arr. Stefan Wirth)

(1873-1943)

Maurice Ravel • La Valse (arr. Stefan Wirth)

(1875-1937)

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r e p e r t o i r e

Igor Stravinsky • Les Noces(1882-1971)

Cole Porter • Night´n´Day (arr. Gershwin Piano Quartet)

(1891-1964)

Leonard Bernstein • Songs and Dances from West Side Story

(1918-1990) (arr. Gershwin Piano Quartet)

Antonio Carlos Jobim • Corcovado (arr. Gershwin Piano Quartet)

(1927-1994)

George Antheil • Ballet Mécanique

(1900-1959)

Michael Jackson • Bad (arr. Benjamin Engeli)

(1958-2009)

Martin Wettstein • Stuxnet - The Worm (2011)(*1970)

Nik Bärtsch • 352(*1971)

Stefan Wirth • Tango-Fugue on a Theme by Astor Piazzolla(*1975)

Trailer and clips:www.youtube.com/gershwinpianoquartet

Solo worksIn addition to the works performed as a quartet, every single pianist often also introduces

himself with a solo work. The multifaceted selection ranges from Alexander Skrjabin’s Nocturne for the left hand to the „Danzas Argentinas“ by the Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera and the „Virtuoso Etudes on Gershwin’s Song Melodies“ by Earl Wild. It also includes improvisations on familiar standards such as „Oh, Lady be Good“ or „Autumn Leaves“.

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4 p i a n i s t s

Mischa Cheung comes from a musical Swiss-Chinese family and currently lives in Zurich. He studied with Prof. Konstantin Scherbakov at the Zurich University of the Arts and has taken up a busy career bringing him to many concert stages and festivals throughout the world. He has appeared at prestigious halls such as the Tonhalle Zürich, Philharmonie de Paris, Barbican Center London, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Konzerthaus Vienna, Philharmonie Köln, National Concert Hall Taipeh or the National Center for the Performing Arts Beijing. Besides being a member of the Gershwin Piano Quartet, Mischa Cheung plays solo and chamber music recitals and regularly performs at the Game Concerts directed by the Merregnon Studios. At this concert series, he is a popular soloist and has toured Japan with the London Symphony

Benjamin Engeli is one of the most versatile Swiss musicians of his generation. His career as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher has taken him to most European countries as well as to Australia, India, North and South America. As a member of the Tecchler Trio, he was the 1st Prize winner at the International ARD Music Competition in Munich in 2007, and has since then performed in venues such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Konzerthaus Berlin, Wigmore Hall London, Tchaikovsky Conservatory Moscow, Oriental Arts Center Shanghai, Konzerthaus Vienna or Tonhalle Zurich. Benjamin comes from a family of musicians and started his musical education on various instruments at an early age. Only when he was fifteen did he decide to take his first regular piano lessons, studying with Adrian Oetiker with whom he

Orchestra as well as appearing with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. Recently he was responsible for the Live-Soundtrack of a dance production commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art New York and directed by reknowned choreographer Alexandra Bachzetsis. He was the pianist of the ECHO-award winning ensemble Spark from 2011 until 2015 and took part in extensive concert tours and numerous radio, tv and cd productions including recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and Berlin Classics. Mischa Cheung teaches piano and improvisation at the Zurich University of the Arts and has also been appointed assistant to the masterclass of Prof. Konstantin Scherbakov.

to work for 7 years. He later also studied with Homero Francesch, Lazar Berman, Andrzej Jasinski, Maurizio Pollini and András Schiff. Since many years he is also teaching up-and-coming musicians and holds teaching positions at Musikhochschule Basel (Switzerland) and at Landeskonservatorium Feldkirch (Austria).

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4 p i a n i s t s

Stefan Wirthis one of the most versatile Swiss musicians of his generation. As a soloist he has performed with the Czech Chamber Orchestra, the Bernese Chamber Orchestra and the Malaysian National Philharmonic Orchestra amongst others. He is especially dedicated to contemporary music, both as a composer and as a performer with the Collegium Novum, Zurich and the Ensemble Contrechamps, Geneva. Finally, he has also worked in theatre with directors such as Christoph Marthaler and Frank Castorf as composer, arranger and performer. Stefan Wirth received his training as a pianist at the Konservatorium Zurich with Hadassa Schwimmer and Irwin Gage. He pursued his studies in the USA at the New England Conservatory, Boston and at Indiana University Bloomington, where he

André Despondsis one of the few pianists who feel equally at home in a Bach fugue, a Chopin Ballade and Gershwin’s „I Got Rhythm“. At the early age of 16 he was admitted to the class of Sava Savoff at the Musikhochschule Zürich and has since been awarded numerous prizes in national and international competitions. André Desponds has performed in many international venues, including the Gasteig, Munich, the St. Petersburg Philharmony and the UN Headquarters in New York. He has made recordings for Swiss television and radio as well as a number of CD-productions and collaborates regularly with many noted artists, such as Noëmi Nadelmann, Thomas Dobler, Simon Estes, Andreas Vollenweider and Bettina Boller. In addition, André Desponds has developed a wide spectrum of musical

activities as a jazz improviser, silent film accompanist and as a composer for theatre and film. Some of his projects have included the founding of the Gershwin Piano Quartet (1996), the theatrical project „L’homme orchestre“ with the Clown Dimitri at the Lucerne Festival as well as numerous educational orchestra presentations. In 2006, together with the dancer Andrea Herdeg, he created „Zal“, a play based on the life and music of Frédéric Chopin that combines elements of music, dance and theatre. Desponds is a professor for improvisation and chamber music at the Zurich University of the Arts.

studied with Leonard Hokanson and received his Master’s Degree in 2001. He has won numerous prizes: at the Swiss National Youth Competition, from the American Society of Arts and Letters, or, together with the violinist Jakub Dzialak at the International Chamber Music Competition Thessaloniki. Additionally, he has participated in masterclasses with Homero Francesch and Bruno Leonardo Gelber.

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Performances of the Gershwin Piano Quartet to Date (Selection)National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing, ChinaOriental Art Center Shanghai, ChinaConcert Hall Shenzhen, ChinaOpera House Guangzhou, ChinaCulture Centre Suzhou, ChinaBaalbek International Festival, LebanonSchwetzinger SWR Jubiläums-Festspiele 2012, GermanySchleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, GermanyRheingau Music Festival, Wiesbaden, GermanyRuhr Piano Festival, GermanyMusikfest Stuttgart, GermanyFestival „Winterzauber“, Bad Kissingen, GermanyFestival „JazzClassics Pianissimo“, Schloss Elmau, GermanyAthens International Festival, Athen, Greece

As well as numerous concerts for occasions such as anniversaries and commemorations, openings, and business events. For example, on behalf of Credit Suisse, UBS, Zürcher Kantonalbank, Allreal AG, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Verband der Chemischen Industrie (Germany), The Dolder Grand Zurich, IFP World Congress of Psychotherapy etc.

TV- und RadioproductionsRádio TV Cultura Brazil Tele TicinoSchweizer Fernsehen SRF 1 TV5 Monde Schweizer Radio SRF 2 Mezzo.TVTV Moskau SWRShanghai Symphony Orchestra Deutschlandfunk

c o n c e r t s

Concert series „Mozarteum Brasileiro“, Sala São Paulo, BrazilTeatro Municipal Rio de Janeiro, BrazilHet Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, NetherlandsNational Palace of Culture, Sofia, BulgariaFestival International de Musique, Menton, FranceSwiss Chamber Circle, KKL Luzern, SwitzerlandTonhalle Zürich, SwitzerlandFestival „Live at Sunset“, Zürich, Switzerland„Das Zelt“, SwitzerlandMenuhin Festival, Gstaad, SwitzerlandFestival da Jazz, St. Moritz, SwitzerlandTeatro Sannazaro, Napoli, ItalySwiss Days Dubai, UAEPhilharmonie St. Petersburg, Russia

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s u g g e s t e d p r o g r a m I„ s o n g s a n d d a n c e s “

S e r g e j R a c h m a n i n o v F r o m „ S y m p h o n i c D a n c e s “ O p . 4 5 :( 1 8 7 3 - 1 9 4 3 ) I . ( N o n ) A l l e g r o ( a r r . M i s c h a C h e u n g )

S o l o S t e f a n W i r t h :S e r g e j R a c h m a n i n o v M é l o d i e O p . 3 N r . 3( 1 8 7 3 - 1 9 4 3 )

R i c h a r d S t r a u s s „ D a n c e o f t h e S e v e n V e i l s “ ( F r o m „ S a l o m e “ )( 1 8 6 4 - 1 9 4 9 ) ( a r r . S t e f a n W i r t h )

S o l o B e n j a m i n E n g e l i :F r a n z S c h u b e r t S t ä n d c h e n D . 9 5 7( 1 7 9 7 - 1 8 2 8 ) ( a r r . F r a n z L i s z t )

J o h a n n e s B r a h m s H u n g a r i a n R h a p s o d i e( 1 8 3 3 - 1 8 9 7 ) ( a r r . B e n j a m i n E n g e l i )

- - - - - - P a u s e - - - - - -

C a m i l l e S a i n t - S a ë n s D a n s e m a c a b r e O p . 4 0( 1 8 3 5 - 1 9 2 1 ) ( a r r . B e n j a m i n E n g e l i )

S o l o M i s c h a C h e u n g :A s t o r P i a z z o l l a L i b e r t a n g o( 1 9 2 1 - 1 9 9 2 ) ( a r r . M i s c h a C h e u n g )

S t e f a n W i r t h T a n g o - F u g u e o n a T h e m e b y A s t o r P i a z z o l l a( * 1 9 7 5 )

G e o r g e G e r s h w i n O h , L a d y B e G o o d ( 1 8 9 8 - 1 9 3 7 ) ( S o l o A n d r é D e s p o n d s )

L e o n a r d B e r n s t e i n S o n g s a n d D a n c e s f r o m " W e s t S i d e S t o r y "( 1 9 1 8 - 1 9 9 0 ) - P r o l o g u e / S c h e r z o ( a r r . M i s c h a C h e u n g ) - A B o y L i k e T h a t / I H a v e L o v e ( a r r . B e n j a m i n E n g e l i ) - C h a - C h a / M a r i a ( a r r . B e n j a m i n E n g e l i ) - T o n i g h t ( a r r . G e r s h w i n P i a n o Q u a r t e t ) - M a m b o ( a r r . M i s c h a C h e u n g )

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s u g g e s t e d p r o g r a m I I

P y o t r I l y i c h T s c h a i k o v s k y N u s s k n a c k e r - S u i t e( 1 8 4 0 - 1 8 9 3 ) - O u v e r t u r e ( a r r . S t e f a n W i r t h ) - I n t h e P i n e F o r e s t ; D a n c e o f t h e S u g a r P l u m F a i r y ( a r r . B e n j a m i n E n g e l i ) - D a n c e o f t h e M i r i l i t o n s ( a r r . B e n j a m i n E n g e l i ) - W a l t z o f t h e F l o w e r s ( a r r . A n d r é D e s p o n d s ) - M i n i m a l M a r c h ( a r r . M i s c h a C h e u n g ) - T r e p a k ( a r r . M i s c h a C h e u n g )

S o l o S t e f a n W i r t h :F r a n z L i s z t I s o l d e ‘ s „ L o v e D e a t h “ ( F r o m W a g n e r s „ T r i s t a n u n d I s o l d e “ )( 1 8 1 1 - 1 8 8 6 )

R i c h a r d W a g n e r T h e R i d e o f t h e V a l k y i r e s( 1 8 1 3 - 1 8 8 3 ) ( a r r . B e n j a m i n E n g e l i )

S o l o B e n j a m i n E n g e l i :G e o r g e G e r s h w i n E m b r a c e a b l e Y o u( 1 8 9 8 - 1 9 3 7 ) ( a r r . E a r l W i l d )

G e o r g e G e r s h w i n F a n t a s y o n P o r g y a n d B e s s ( a r r . B e n j a m i n E n g e l i , S t e f a n W i r t h )( 1 8 9 8 - 1 9 3 7 ) - I n t r o d u c t i o n - I t A i n ‘ t N e c e s s a r i l y S o - R u m b l e - M y M a n ‘ s G o n e N o w - I n t e r l u d e - I C a n ‘ t S i t D o w n - I L o v e s Y o u P o r g y - O h , T h e T r a i n I s A t T h e S t a t i o n

S o l o A n d r é D e s p o n d s :J o s e p h K o s m a A u t u m n L e a v e s( 1 9 0 5 - 1 9 6 9 ) ( I m p r o v i s a t i o n )

C o l e P o r t e r N i g h t ‘ n ‘ D a y( 1 8 9 1 - 1 9 6 4 ) ( a r r . G e r s h w i n P i a n o Q u a r t e t )

S o l o M i s c h a C h e u n g :M i c h a e l J a c k s o n B a d( 1 9 5 8 - 2 0 0 9 ) ( a r r . P e t e r B e n c e )

G e o r g e G e r s h w i n I G o t R h y t h m( 1 8 9 8 - 1 9 3 7 ) ( a r r . A n d r é D e s p o n d s )

„ g p q g o e s o p e r a “

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„This was a sensational concert-hall discovery! (…) Each of the pianists has an impressive solo-career and, notwithstanding the individual profile of each artist, as a quartet they form an orchestral unity of immense precision, homogenity and imaginative phrasing.“

(Vorarlberg Online)

„Sheer listening pleasure, with such a wealth of sonic delicacy, rhythmic precision and joyfully exuberant musicianship!"

(DRS 2 Kulturtipp)

„The four pianists did full justice to the American wanderer between classical and popular music. They were bursting with innovative ideas and esprit.“

(Lübecker Nachrichten)

„In the ever-young pieces of George Gershwin, the art of improvisation was apparent in all its ramifications as well as in the sensitive musical communication through eye-contact.“

(Oberösterreichische Nachrichten)

„What the Gershwin Piano Quartet presented to us was unique (…) It set new standards, not only optically, but the performance of these 4 exceptionally talented pianists was entirely convincing in its blend of extreme precision and boundless musical zest."

(Liechtensteiner Vaterland)

„The performance turned out to be an explosively exuberant display of pyrotechnics: four brilliant pianists, four excellent instruments and an overwhelming wealth of ideas how to adapt the great classics of music history for this unique ensemble."

(Wiesbadener Kurier)

„Even though each performer in the quartet has his own characteristics, one should praise the ensemble work that goes beyond any individual taste and sounds like a true community of souls.“

(Jornal do Tarde, São Paulo)

„Gershwin appears in new, colourful and, at times, magical guises.“

(Neue Zürcher Zeitung)

„Virtuosity, dynamics, poetry, movement, but also musical intimacy - such qualities were to be experienced and enjoyed by the audience.“

(Nice Matin)

„André Desponds, Mischa Cheung, Benjamin Engeli and Stefan Wirth, all soloists and multiple prize-winners, manage to bridge the gap between classical music and jazz with creativity and charm (…) The different personalities, which could not have been better casted as a "Boygroup", engage in a playful tossing of notes and phrases from one to another and deliver an impressive "quadrophonic" interpretation."

(Der Landbote)

p r e s s r e v i e w s

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Any concert organizer wishing to book the Gershwin Piano Quartet must be able to provide four concert grand pianos of equal quality. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding this matter:

How do I get 4 concert grand pianos?

In the 15 years of the Gershwin Piano Quartet’s existence this has never presented an unsurmountable problem, not even in countries such as Lebanon and China. Usually an organizer is able to provide one or two instruments. The remaining instruments can be rented at local piano dealers. For concerts in Switzerland and the adjacent countries the Gershwin Piano Quartet often collaborates with the piano firm Bachmann in Wetzikon/Zurich. For further information please see www.ursbachmann-pianos.ch. The piano firm will usually cover transportation, installation and removal, as well as the professional tuning and intonation of the instruments. It is especially important to provide four easily adjustable piano benches for the pianists.

How much does it cost to rent the instruments?

In Switzerland, expenses usually lie between 3000.- and 6000.- Swiss Francs. This includes transportation, installation and removal as well as tuning and intonation. The costs vary depending on number and size oft the pianos rented. In large halls from 700 seats upward the Gershwin Piano Quartet plays on Steinway D pianos (2.74 m = 8 ft 12 in) or on instruments of equal quality of other brands such as Fazioli, Yamaha, Kawai or Bösendorfer. In smaller halls Steinway B (2.11 m = 6 ft 11 in) or even A models (1.88 m = 6 ft 2 in) may be used, somtimes also mixing different types (for instance, 2 Steinway D and two B models). It is advantageous for the hall to have an entrance at ground level but not absolutely necessary.The rental cost can often be reduced through sponsoring contracts with local piano firms.

How much space is needed on the podium?With four Steinway D pianos the stage must be at least 6.00 m x 4.50 m (19 ft 8 in x 14 ft 9 in), with the smallest models the minimal space requirements are 4.20 m x 3.50 ( 13 ft 9 in x 11 ft 6 in). In rare cases the Gershwin Piano Quartet also performs in a star–shaped set-up. If the auditorium does not have ascending seat rows the stage should be higher than the audience, if possible.

If you happen to have any more specific questions or problems concerning the logistics of the four pianos, the Gershwin Piano Quartet will be happy to provide you with further advice and assistance.

Courtyard of the Two Temples,Baalbek International Festival, Libanon

Dracula Club St. Moritz: Festival da Jazz The Dolder Grand Zürich

r e q u i r e m e n t s

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Booking

Müller & Pavlik artistic management GmbHByfangweg 22CH-4051 BaselSwitzerlandP: +41 61 273 70 10F: +41 61 273 70 20info@artisticmanagement.euwww.artisticmanagement.eu

More information and videos:

www.gershwinpianoquartet.comwww.youtube.com/gershwinpianoquartet

www.facebook.com/gershwinpianoquartet

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