Shanshan Yao and Noah Bendix-Balgley. Photo by Nikolaj Lund
The Asheville Symphony’s Masterworks 5: Violin Virtuosi will offer audiences the familiar—performances by Asheville native Noah Bendix-Balgley—and a rarity—a program made up of three violin concertos, uncommon because of the challenges a performer must meet and overcome in order to execute the pieces well. Bendix-Balgley, Concertmaster for the Berlin Philharmonic, will be joined by his wife Shanshan Yao, formerly of the New York Philharmonic and winner of numerous international violin competitions. The performances take place Saturday, March 16, at 2 p.m. and at 8 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Asheville.
Bendix-Balgley says that he and Yao perform together fairly often. “We enjoy playing violin duos together, and we are both members of the Rosamunde String Quartet,” he says. “It is always an inspiring musical conversation, and we are very excited to play the Bach Double with the Asheville Symphony, actually the first time we will play it as a duo.”
A Baroque masterpiece, Bach’s Double Violin Concerto will be preceded in the program by Butterfly Lovers’ Concerto, “an iconic Chinese work for violin and orchestra that features virtuosic and intertwining melodies,” says Asheville Symphony music director Darko Butorac. For a grand finale, Bendix-Balgley will perform the challenging but beautiful Brahms Violin Concerto.
“Programming an all-concerto performance is almost unheard of because of the technical demands that it puts on a single artist,” says Asheville Symphony executive director Daniel Crupi. “However, Noah and Shanshan are both at the pinnacle of their fields. Together, they will tackle a program that would be impossible for many violinists.”
To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit AshevilleSymphony.org or call the Asheville Symphony box office at 828.254.7046. The First Baptist Church of Asheville is located at 5 Oak Street, Asheville.
