$65.00

PLEASE NOTE

The price of your ticket includes hors d’oeuvres and drinks from the open wine and beer bar at receptions before and after the concert and during intermission.

Arts Club of Washington

2017 I Street Northwest,
Washington, DC, 20006

Thursday, May 13, 2027

First Reception begins at 6:30pm
Concert begins at 7:15pm

EVENT DETAILS

Like his musical output, Robert Schumann’s inner life was characterized by intense contrasting emotions. He used fictional alter-egos to express these in literary contexts, which found expression in the dynamism of his compositions. Florestan represented a dramatic, intense, and passionate character, impulsive and rash, whereas Eusebius portrayed a dreamy introvert, deeply sensitive, contemplative, and internally expressive.

Born a generation later, Antonín Dvorák studied and admired Schumann’s German vocal music extensively, which deeply influenced his melodic style. Furthermore, Dvorák’s mentor and professional advocate was the famous Johannes Brahms, who had been discovered and catapulted to success by Robert Schumann. Dvorák’s music thus represents a synthesis of Germanic structures and harmonies flavored with a Czech sensibility; paying homage to his musical idols and his cultural background.

PROGRAM

Schumann Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47

Sostenuto assai – Allegro ma non troppo

Scherzo: Molto vivace

Andante cantabile

Finale: Vivace

Intermission

Dvorák Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 87

Allegro con fuoco

Lento

Allegro moderato, grazioso

Finale. Allegro ma non troppo

FEATURED ARTISTS

Featured

Christopher Schmitt, Piano

Described as "carefully colored" and "sensitive" by The Washington Post, pianist Christopher Schmitt was also hailed as a “formidable talent” and “mature beyond his years” by The Santa Barbara News-Press, regarding his performance of Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Having completed his doctorate at The Juilliard School in 2016, he has been sponsored for concerts by The Chopin Foundation of the United States, The Stecher and Horowitz Foundation, and The Embassy Series. He performs at the festival Málaga Clasica in Spain, as well as in July of 2016 in his own concert series in Barcelona, Classics in Catalan. A collaborator with cellist Kian Soltani on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts in March 2019. Dr. Schmitt currently resides in Washington DC, and as pianist of “The President's Own" US Marine Chamber Orchestra, performs regularly in the White House and in concert halls across the Washington DC metropolitan area, leading a multifaceted career as chamber musician, pedagogue, and soloist. In 2024, he founded the Classical Arts Society of Washington, where he hopes to share the Beauty of classical music with the world through engaging public concerts, educational outreach initiatives, and the cultivation of a core community of classical music lovers.

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Zino Bogachek, Violin

Ukrainian-born American violinist, Zino Bogachek, known for his uncompromising individuality and wide-ranging musical interests, has performed extensively as a soloist, recitalist and chamber music collaborator throughout the former USSR, Poland, Austria, Italy, Mexico and the U.S. His appearances as soloist have included performances with Lviv Philharmonic, Lviv Chamber Orchestra, Centennial Philharmonic, Acton Chamber Orchestra, Cape Ann Symphony, Eclipse Chamber Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony, Triptych Chamber Orchestra and Summer Music from Greensboro Festival Orchestra, inspiring the leading US press to remark "Mr. Bogachek displayed a soundness technique with meticulous care lavished on every detail,” "expert technique, emotional expressiveness and a firm sense of partnership,” and “a superb violinist with a great sense of style." Zino was a recipient of the Boston University Director's Award, received Honorary Diplomas from several international competitions and was elected to Pi Kappa Lambda Chapter of the National Music Honor Society. Mr. Bogachek has participated in the National Virtuosi Festival in Ukraine, the Haydn Festival in Austria, Orfeo Festival in Italy, and Summer Music from Greensboro Festival, where he has served as concertmaster and leader from 1995 to 2010. A passionate and dedicated teacher, Zino served on the faculty at Columbia Union College (2003-2008) and George Mason University (2008-2011). Since 1999, Mr. Bogachek has been a member of the Washington National Opera/Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. A graduate of Lvov Conservatory, he continued his studies at the Vienna Academy of Music and Boston University. His teachers have included M. Veitzner, Y. Mazurkevich, E. Lehner and B. Senofsky.

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Loewi Lin, Cello

Cellist Loewi Lin discovered his passion for the cello at the age of eleven in Calgary, Alberta, after moving with his family from Taiwan. Initially on a path towards a medical career, he switched gears during his junior year of high school, committing wholeheartedly to music. Mr. Lin is a member of the National Symphony in Washington, D.C.

For over a decade, Mr. Lin was a pivotal figure in Boston's music scene, co-founding the chamber orchestra A Far Cry, known for its conductor-less performances and now a staple of the city's musical landscape. As a founding member, he curated concerts and collaborated with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Philip Glass, and Simone Dinnerstein. Mr. Lin's dedication to innovative programming and artistic excellence significantly contributed to A Far Cry's rise as an esteemed, GRAMMY Award-winning ensemble. He also performed extensively as a guest musician with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Modern Orchestra Project and served as principal cellist of the Boston Lyric Opera. Mr. Lin also performed regularly with other orchestras, such as the Toronto Symphony, Canadian Opera Company, and the Rhode Island Philharmonic. He has performed at the Mainly Mozart, Halcyon, Taos, Tanglewood and Ravinia music festivals.

Mr. Lin pursued his musical studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the University of Ottawa, and the New England Conservatory, where he earned his Master of Music in Cello Performance. Beyond his musical accomplishments, Mr. Lin is passionate about nurturing the next generation of musicians. He shares his expertise and love for music with aspiring talents through teaching roles at the University of Maryland and the National Symphony Youth Fellowship Program. He was previously on the faculty of Phillips Exeter Academy.

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Erika Gray, Viola

Violist Erika Gray has performed internationally in venues such as the Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall, Moscow Conservatory, Wiener Konzerthaus, and the Helsinki Music Centre. and joined the National Symphony Orchestra in May 2019 for their performances of Liszt’s Dante Symphony and Rossini’s Stabat Mater in Carnegie Hall. She has appeared at the BBC Proms on the Royal Albert Hall stage with Maestro Valery Gergiev, and performed at the Pacific Music Festival in Japan and the New York String Orchestra Seminar in Carnegie Hall. She frequently substitutes with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, and traveled to Cambodia in December 2019 as a part of Midori’s International Community Engagement Program. Erika is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Roberto Díaz and Hsin-Yun Huang.

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Florestan’s Reverie

Arts Club of Washington

Thursday, May 13, 2027

Poets and Peasants