Schubert Salon Programma

Isabelle Seula Lee, viool, en Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya, pianoforte, brengen intieme en warme sonates van de jonge Franz Schubert.

Although Franz Schubert’s life was short (1797-1828), he left behind numerous masterworks, particularly in the genres of lieder, chamber music, piano music, and orchestral compositions. His early violin sonatas, composed in 1816, when he was just 19 years old, offer a glimpse into his mastery of melody and expression from a young age. These sonatas are more compact in size compared to his later, larger-scale instrumental works, yet they are equally captivating. Each sonata showcases Schubert’s distinctive gift for creating simple yet beautiful melodies that flow seamlessly between the violin and piano, offering moments of intimate dialogue, warmth, and tension. Come and experience the charm of Schubert’s lyricism, where every phrase sings with elegance and expression.

PROGRAMMA

Sonata in D major (D.384, Op.137 no.1)

Allegro molto

Andante

Allegro vivace

Sonata in A minor (D.385, Op.137 no.2)

Allegro moderato

Andante

Menuetto (Allegro) & Trio

Allegro

Sonata in G minor (D.408, Op.137 no.3)

Allegro giusto

Andante

Menuetto & Trio

Allegro moderato

Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya

Russian-born pianist and harpsichordist Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya is in great demand both as a soloist and as a chamber musician.

Alexandra graduated from the Faculty of Historical and Contemporary Performance at the Moscow Conservatory from the class of Olga Martynova in 2009, where she studied piano, harpsichord, and fortepiano.  Alexandra continued her studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Richard Egarr and Menno van Delft, gaining a Master’s degree.

In July 2015 Alexandra graduated with the Zertifikatstudium Meisterklasse Degree from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in München under Christine Schornsheim.

Alexandra has won top prizes at competitions including the Prague Spring International Competition in 2012, and the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition Leipzig in 2014.

Her love for chamber music and solo performance has brought her to premier venues and festivals all over Europe, Russia, and Asia. She has appeared at Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Barbican Centre in London, as well as in the Utrecht Early Music Festival, Prague Spring International Festival, Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival among others.  She also appeared in Lapland with The Lapland Chamber orchestra playing harpsichord and modern piano in repertoire spanning four centuries. She works regularly with the Residentie Orkest in Den Haag and the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra.

Alexandra also works at the Royal Conservatory in Den Haag as a keyboard repetiteur and coach.

Alexandra’s debut recording on fortepiano was released in 2009, featuring Mozart sonatas for piano and violin with violinist Sergei Filchenko. 

She and her husband Richard Egarr formed Duo Pleyel in 2017 to explore the exciting world of 4-hand keyboard repertoire that is so often unjustly ignored.  Their repertoire includes J.C.Bach, Dussek, Czerny, Hummel and Liszt, alongside Mozart, Schubert and later 19^th and 20^th century composers.

Duo Pleyel records for LINN Records, and their releases of Schubert ,Dussek, Mozart & J.C.Bach have received excellent reviews. Their latest album ‘Yuletide Treats’ has had huge success.  It was BBC Music Magazine’s Instrumental Recording of the Month in December 2024 and recording of the month for radio stations across Europe.

For Brilliant Classics label Alexandra has recorded music by F. Geminiani (released in 2022) and L.Boccherini (released in 2023) with violinist Igor Ruhadze, which received warm critical praise.

Alexandra’s first keyboard solo recording for LINN of Gottlieb Muffat’s extraordinary set of harpsichord suites ‘Componimenti Musicali’ was released in March 2024 and received excellent reviews.

Isabelle Seula Lee

NYC-based violinist, Isabelle performs as a soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician and orchestral player throughout the US, Europe, Asia, and has established a reputation for her versatility and fluency across many musical styles.
Isabelle was born in South Korea and moved to Russia at the age of six, where she studied at the Special Music School of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory for ten years. At age eleven, she made her debut as a concerto soloist with the Tele-Radio Symphony Orchestra in Saint Petersburg, and since then appeared soloist with the Saint Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Petersburg Conservatory Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Estonia, and Lynn Philharmonia.
As a baroque violin soloist, she has appeared with the Voices of Music, New York Baroque Incorporated, the Sebastians, Philharmonia Baroque Chamber Players, and Juilliard415 in their tour to New Zealand under Masaaki Suzuki.
Isabelle is currently one of the leading members of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in San Francisco, where she has performed as a concertmaster under Richard Egarr, and performs with other ensembles including Voices of Music, Bach Collegium Japan, New York Baroque Incorporated, the Sebastians, and Trinity Baroque Orchestra.
Her performances have been broadcast on live radio and television by WQXR in NYC, MediciTV, Estonian Cultural TV, WPBI, and Radio New Zealand.
Isabelle holds degrees and graduated with full scholarship awards from the Juilliard School (two Master’s degrees in violin and historical performance), Yale School of Music (Artist Diploma), and Lynn University (Bachelor’s degree). Her major teachers include Elmar Oliveira, Hyo Kang, Naoko Tanaka, Monica Huggett, Cynthia Roberts, and Elizabeth Blumenstock