LMM Artists 2009-2012

 

Violinists Agata Szymczewska from Poland, Elena Urioste from the US and Jennifer Pike from the UK have been awarded the first ever LMM Awards for 2009-2012.

To launch their three-year tenure, each performed individual afternoon recitals at London's premiere chamber music venue, Wigmore Hall, in October 2009. Following the recitals, one of the LMM Artists will also have the opportunity to perform a concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Osmo Vanska at the Royal Festival Hall in the autumn of 2010.

 

LMM Artist Profiles


Jennifer Pike (UK)


Since becoming the youngest winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2002 at the age of 12, Jennifer Pike has emerged in recent seasons as one of the most gifted of the younger generation of British artists. Despite early recognition and critical acclaim for high-profile appearances such as her BBC Proms debut at the age of 15, Jennifer has maintained a carefully balanced programme of education and development, which has seen her mature steadily, growing into a wonderfully communicative musician and technically assured violinist. Jennifer has recently signed a three-year contract with Chandos, with whom she will record the Rozsa Violin Concerto in summer 2009. Jennifer plays a Matteo Goffriller violin of 1708; it is currently made available to her by the Jennifer Pike Violin Trust, which is being established by Nigel Brown to raise the funds needed to secure the instrument. More information on how to contribute to the Trust can be found at www.jenniferpike.com

'...with phenomenal tuning, pace, control of timbre and range of dynamics, she brought the house down...'
Independent


Agata Szymczewska (PL)

Born in Gdansk, Poland in 1985, Agata Szymczewska has been establishing herself as a promising young violinist. She became the winner of the 2006 Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition and a laureate of the International A. Yampolsky Violin Competition in Moscow in 2006. She has performed with orchestras such as the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Vilnius State Symphony Orchestra and collaborated with conductors and musicians such as Krzysztof Penderecki and Krystian Zimerman. Earlier in 2009, she performed and recorded Grazyna Bacewicz's Piano Quintets on Deutsche Grammophon, to commemorate the centenary of the composer's birth. Agata plays a Stradivarius violin, c.1680, on loan from Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.

'...as the finale, young violinist Agata Szymczewska paid homage to Yehudi Menuhin. The rarest thing happened as she performed Bach's two partitas beneath the dome of the French Academy...rays of sun lit up the visibly moved face of Henri Dutilleux's bust.'
Nicolas D'Estienne D'Orves, Le Figaro


Elena Urioste (USA)


Elena Urioste, recently selected by Symphony magazine as an emerging artist to watch, has been hailed by critics and audiences alike for her rich tone, nuanced lyricism and commanding stage presence. Since making her debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra as a winner of the Greenfield Competition at the age of 13, she has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras throughout the United States including the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Pops and National Symphony Orchestra. She is a first-place laureate in both the Junior and Senior divisions of the Sphinx Competition, which resulted in her Carnegie Hall debut in 2004. The Alessandro Gagliano violin, Naples, c. 1706, and Pierre Simon bow being used by Elena are on extended loan from the private collection of Dr. Charles E. King.

'Elena Urioste gave a richly toned, passionate account of the solo violin part in Leonid Desyatnikov's orchestral arrangement of the sultry 'Invierno Porteno' from Piazzolla's Quatro Estaciones Portenas.'
Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times

 

 

 

 

 


LMM Artists at Wigmore Hall:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Elena performed at 'A Celebration of Christmas' at St. John's, Smith Square, on December 4th 2009: