A Big Beethoven Birthday Bash: The Complete Sonatas for Cello and Piano

Join Alison and Isaac in a full-blown celebration of Beethoven's birthday, 250 years to the day he was baptized! Beethoven's Sonatas for Cello and Piano are among the earliest examples of music written for the two instruments as an ensemble. Spanning a period of time that encompasses most of Beethoven's life, the five sonatas traverse through Haydnesque playfulness (the Op.5 Sonatas), beautiful lyricism (Op.69), and mature contemplation (the Op.102 Sonatas). Purposefully titled "Sonatas for Cello and Piano" rather than "Cello Sonatas", these works constantly challenge and showcase both instruments. Put all five of them on one program, and you've got a monumental undertaking for any cellist or pianist. Come celebrate Beethoven's 250th and ring in the holidays by joining us for this EPIC program! Can't make the live performance? After the broadcast, the performance will remain available on-demand until December 20 at 11:59 PM PST. http://happy250beethoven.eventbrite.com TICKETS $40 General, $25 Students and Seniors. A link to the broadcast will be provided upon your ticket purchase. ARTISTS Isaac Pastor-Chermak, cello Alison Lee, piano PROGRAM Sonata No.1 in F Major, Op.5 No.1 Sonata No.2 in G Minor, Op.5 No.2 Sonata No.3 in A Major, Op.69 Sonata No.4 in C Major, Op.102 No.1 Sonata No.5 in D Major, Op.102 No.2 ABOUT THE ARTISTS Isaac Pastor-Chermak is Principal Cellist of Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony; Associate Principal Cellist of Stockton Symphony; Assistant Principal Cellist of Opera San Jose and Fresno Philharmonic; and a member of Berkeley Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Monterey Symphony, Santa Cruz Symphony, and Dayton Philharmonic. He spends his summers at the Eisenstadt Classical Music Festival in Austria, where he is Assistant Principal Cellist, and the Lake Tahoe Music Festival, as Principal Cellist. Mr. Pastor-Chermak is the cellist of Black Cedar Trio, the only professional flute-cello-guitar ensemble in the country, and Ensemble 1828, a piano trio, as well as a frequent sonata collaborator with pianists Miles Graber and Alison Lee. He holds degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. www.isaacpastorchermak.com A native of Fremont, California, pianist Alison Lee is a top prize winner of several competitions such as the Midwest International Piano Competition, Thursday Musical’s Scholarship Competition, and the Dorothy Van Waynen Piano Competition. She has been a soloist with orchestras around the country including Coeur d'Alene Symphony and Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony. In addition to her enthusiasm for the solo piano repertoire, Alison loves playing chamber music and is a founding member of a piano trio called Ensemble 1828. She frequently collaborates with her sister, pianist Katherine Lee, as well as with cellist Isaac Pastor-Chermak, with whom she has presented recitals featuring the complete Beethoven Sonatas for Cello and Piano. Other collaborative performances include appearances with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and violinist Charles Castleman. Alison received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of Minnesota, where she was a student of Lydia Artymiw. Prior to studying in Minneapolis, Alison studied with Jon Kimura Parker at Rice University and Angela Cheng at Oberlin Conservatory. In her free time, Alison loves swimming, visiting national parks, cooking, and learning languages. www.alisonthepianist.com