Matthew Kasper, conductor
Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, piano

This thrilling program begins with Richard Strauss’ popular Don Juan, based on a play about the legendary figure of Renaissance Spain, represents his conversion to a Wagnerian style. Schumann’s piano concerto, his only such work, is one of the most widely admired and performed works from the Romantic period. The rising star soloist is Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, the 2022 Concert Artists Guild Competition winner. The program closes with perhaps Beethoven’s most ebullient work, his 7th symphony.

About Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner

“Mesmerizing artistry and extraordinary ability to communicate” (The Post-Standard), “Poetic, electrifying” (Michigan Live), “a gifted virtuoso” (San Francisco Chronicle), “masterful technique and a veritable deluge of sonorities” (La Presse Montreal), describe 25-year-old Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner for performances that have stirred the intellect and humanity of his audiences on five continents. He was selected as a winner of the Concert Artists Guild 2022 Victor Elmaleh Competition and has been distinguished as Gilmore Young Artist, an honor awarded to the most promising American pianists of the new generation, his multi-faceted artistry has been featured on NPR, PBS, CNN International, the Wall Street Journal, and WDR-Arte. 

Mr. Sanchez-Werner’s recent international performances include The Royal Concertgebouw in the Netherlands, CultureSummit in Abu Dhabi, the Louvre and Grenoble Museums in France, Smetana Hall in the Czech Republic, State Philharmonic Hall in Slovakia, Ashford Castle in Ireland, Gijon International Piano Festival in Spain, and Verbier Festival in Switzerland. Since making his concerto debut at age 6, he has performed under the batons of conductors including Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Peter Oundjian, Karina Canellakis, Michael Morgan, Tito Muñoz, Boris Brott, Anna Rakitina, David Lockington, William Noll, Burns Taft, Robert Lawson, and Karim Wasfi. 

Mr. Sanchez-Werner performed at the Kennedy Center and the White House for President Obama and President Biden, for President Peña Nieto of Mexico, Prime Minister Peres of Israel, and President Kagame of Rwanda. Committed to public service, he received the Atlantic Council Young Global Citizen Award recognizing his dedication to social action through music in such countries as Iraq, Rwanda, France, Canada, and the United States. General Petraeus commended his “courageous humanitarian contributions through the arts…strengthening the ties that unite our nations.” 

Principal teachers have included Ilya Itin, Boris Berman, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Robert Durso, composition with Lowell Liebermann, and improvisation with Noam Sivan. Mr. Sanchez-Werner holds Master and Bachelor of Music degrees from Juilliard, where he was awarded the Kovner Fellowship, and an Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music, where he was awarded the Charles S. Miller Prize. 

Note: Programs, dates, times, and prices are subject to change.