Concert
Week of June 8, 2019
Keisuke Nakagoshi, Martha Aarons and Lev Polyakin invite you to a concert covering a broad spectrum of music featuring piano, flute and violin. Their programs will include works by composers of several countries and eras, and the music ranges from charming to extremely virtuosic. Join us in Oaktree, where the acoustics are perfect and the atmosphere is casual!
Keisuke Nakagoshi began his piano studies at the age of ten, arriving in the United States from Japan at the age of 18. Mr. Nakagoshi earned his Bachelor’s degree in Composition and Master’s degree in Chamber Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Graduating as the recipient of multiple top awards, Keisuke was selected to represent the SFCM for the Kennedy Center’s Conservatory Project, a program featuring the most promising young musicians from major conservatories across the United States. Mr. Nakagoshi has performed to acclaim on prestigious concert stages across the United States, including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. He has received training from some of the most celebrated musicians of our time – Emanuel Ax, Gilbert Kalish, Menahem Pressler, Robert Mann, Paul Hersh, David Zinman – and enjoys collaborating with other accomplished musicians such as Lucy Shelton, Ian Swensen, Jodi Levitz, Robin Sutherland, Lev Polyakin, Axel Strauss, Mark Kosower, Gary Schocker and also conductors such as Alasdair Neale, George Daugherty, Nicole Paiement, Michael Tilson Thomas and Herbert Blomstedt. Mr. Nakagoshi is Pianist-in-Residence at The San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the award-winning Opera Parallele. He resides in San Francisco.
Martha Aaron’s professional career began with her appointment as principal flute of the North Carolina Symphony, after which she played with the Cleveland Orchestra for 25 years. After becoming a freelancer in 2006, she performed often with the Philadelphia Orchestra. During this time she also appeared as guest principal flute with the Metropolitan Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Mostly Mozart Festival, Jakarta Sinfonia, and the World Orchestra for Peace. Ms. Aarons served as Artist Faculty with the Aspen Music Festival for 19 years and has played in the Grand Teton Festival as well. In May of 2015, she participated in the Cubadisco music festival in Havana, Cuba. She has been soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Aspen Chamber Symphony, and Ohio Chamber Orchestra. In 2003 Ms. Aarons performed the Aspen Music Festival premiere of the Flute Concerto by Christopher Rouse. Her CD, The History of the Tango, is recorded on the Azica label. It additionally features pianist Frances Renzi and Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux.
At age 21 Lev Polyakin, violin, was appointed co-concertmaster of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. In that position he was regularly featured as soloist, with many of his performances recorded by Melodia. In the U.S. he served as assistant concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, as well as concertmaster of the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen Music Festival. In 1984 Lev won several prizes in two international violin competitions, Carl Flesch in London and Romanini in Brescia, Italy. In addition to his solo performances with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Polyakin has appeared as soloist with the London Mozart Players, Royal Philharmonic, and Cleveland Orchestra. Recording credits include Melodia, BBC, National Public Radio, and Decca. He is prominently featured on a CD of the chamber music of Paul Schoenfield, which was nominated for a Grammy. Mr. Polyakin has a special interest in jazz and has recorded three CDs with his group “Russian Blue.” The albums are entitled Russian Blue, The Other Side of the Road, and Christmas Kaleidoscope.