Music, Masquerade and Magic
This program frolics with fairies, capers with clowns, and dances with the devil. Khachaturian draws inspiration from the masquerade, Schumann from the colorful characters of commedia dell’arte, and Prokofiev from the feuding families of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The ball ends with Liszt's devilish waltz. Join us for an evening at the magical, musical masquerade.
Program:
Robert Schumann, selections from Carnaval, Op. 9: Pierrot, Arlequin, Pantalone et Colombine, Valse Noble
Aram Khatchaturian, Waltz from Masquerade
Robert Schumann, Papillons, Op. 2
Sergei Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet, Capulets vs. Montagues
Claude Debussy, Clair de Lune from Suite Bergamasque
Franz Liszt - Mephisto Waltz No. 1
About the Performer:
Sara Leila Sherman is an accomplished pianist whose playing has been described as “deeply satisfying, fresh, and insightful…evidencing both poetry and emotion” (Epoch Times). An expressive solo and chamber pianist, Sara is rapidly becoming a familiar face on the New York classical music scene.
Honors and achievements include first prize in the Shining Debut Series, NJMTA, Young Artists’ Competition, Heritage Music Festival, and Leschetizky Young Gifted Artists Concert in New York City. She has been awarded scholarships at Casalmaggiore International Festival in Italy, International Music Festival in Ukraine, and Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina. Other honors include participating in the Académie Internationale de Courchevel in France and winning the Sylvia Denbo Memorial Scholarship.
Sara received a Master of Music degree and Professional Studies certificate in piano performance at the Manhattan School of Music and completed undergraduate studies from Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University. Her teachers include Jeffrey Cohen, Veda Zuponcic, Luba Edlina-Dubinsky, David Kraukauer, and Wolfram Koessel.As a performer, Sara has been seen on stage in New York at Lincoln Center, Yamaha Artist Salon, Alexandria Performing Arts Society, Center for Fiction, The Living Room, and she was recently invited to play as a guest soloist for the German Ambassador in Washington, D.C. Internationally, she has performed in Castle of San Lorenzo Picenardi, Capella di Santa Chiari, San Secondo Parmense, France, and Ukraine.
Sara’s performances have also been featured at the Franklin Institute in the national museum exhibit “Dead Sea Scrolls.” Her work has been featured around the world on her solo album of original compositions and arrangements entitled Sounds of the Scrolls. She is an active accompanist, educator, and arranger for various artists and groups in New York City. A highly sought-after teacher, Sara’s students have performed at Lincoln Center as well as other major venues.
Sara has been featured in the New York Times, BUST Magazine, Epoch Times and Linked OnLine. After a master class performance by Sara, Grammy award winner Peter Nero was quoted in the Courier Post as saying her playing left him “speechless.”