The Sun Valley Summer Symphony season begins with the Edgar M. Bronfman Chamber Music series. This year, symphony principal violist Adam Smyla takes the helm as the chamber series director. Founded 16 years ago by philanthropist Edgar M. Bronfman, this eclectic chamber music series highlights the principal string players of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony and will feature special guest pianist Shai Wosner.
The members of the Sun Valley String Quartet who are featured throughout the series are Jeremy Constant and Paul Brancato on violins and Smyla and Amos Yang on viola.
Smyla first received recognition at the age of 17 when he won first prize at the National Viola Competition in his native Poland. Within six months, he became the youngest member of the Polish National Radio and Television Orchestra and was invited to join the Penderecki String Quartet. As a member of the Penderecki Quartet, Adam toured throughout the world for nearly a decade, averaging from 50 to 80 concerts a year, with major performances in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and New York, among other cities. Since 2000, Smyla has been a member of the San Francisco Symphony and has held the position of associate principal violist for the past four seasons.
Wosner is a pianist who continues to attract international recognition for his exceptional artistry, musical integrity and creative insight. With imaginative programming that communicates his intellectual curiosity, Wosner performs a wide-ranging repertoire from Mozart and Beethoven to Ligeti and composers of his own generation. Hailed by the Financial Times as "an artist to follow keenly," Wosner's virtuosity and perceptiveness have increasingly made him a favorite among audiences and critics alike.
Wosner first performed for the Edgar M. Bronfman Chamber Music Series in 2006, and he was a student of Emanuel Ax, who will perform with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony on Saturday, Aug. 7. In addition, Wosner has performed in recital with violinist Jennifer Koh, who will perform with the Summer Symphony on Thursday, Aug. 5.
The Edgar M. Bronfman Chamber Music concerts will take place at the Sun Valley Pavilion. All performances begin at 6:30 p.m. and are free to the public. Seating begins at 5:30 p.m. For details, visit www.svsummersymphony.org.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Edgar M. Bronfman Chamber Music series schedule
( Monday, July 26
Schubert's String Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D. 471.
Brahms' Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Opus 25.
Shai Wosner will play piano.
( Wednesday, July 28
Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp Minor, Opus 108
Schubert's Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667, "The Trout."
Shai Wosner will play piano and Stephen Tramontozzi will play double bass
( Friday, July 30
Mozart's String Quartet No. 17 in B-flat Major, K. 458, "The Hunt."
Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No. 3 in E-flat Minor, Opus 30.
Adam Smyla is the Sun Valley Summer Symphony principal violist and director of the Edgar M. Bronfman Chamber Music series.
