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Dmitri Berlinsky with International Chamber Soloists

Concert details

Program

Johannes Brahms - Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115
Djakhangir Khaydarov, clarinet
Dmitri Berlinsky, violin
Alirna Korieva, violin
Meagan Turner, viola
Tung-An Chien, cello

Performers

International Chamber Soloists is a unique group of extraordinary young string players from all over the world. Founded in 2004 by violinist Dmitri Berlinsky, the group has received high praise for its performances at home and abroad. This season, the Toronto Globe & Mail wrote: "In the best of today’s chamber orchestras, there’s no room for wimpy playing: These ensembles are muscular, agile, flexible, and out to make an impression. That’s a pretty good description of the International Chamber Soloists -- These musicians approach everything they play with an infectious alacrity…" Berlinsky’s intention was to develop a new ensemble for advanced MSU students to have an exposure to variety of string repertoire and close collaboration with experienced professional performers including some of the MSU faculty. Since then ICS developed into the professional group of musicians, which engage not only MSU graduate students. In recent years members of the major orchestras including New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Cincinnati Orchestra, and also advanced players from Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music, Curtis Institute, University of Michigan and Yale University went on tours with ICS.

International Chamber Soloists has performed numerous concerts and outreaches in Michigan, New York, Florida, Maryland, and Kansas, and has also participated at prestigious international festivals in Costa Rica and Mexico. They performed at the Fontana Arts Festival in Kalamazoo, Michigan; the San Francisco Conservatory as part of MSU Gala concert; and the Collage Concert at the Wharton Center. ICS was the ensemble in residence at the 2010 and 2013 Southampton Arts Festival in Long Island, New York. Other performances include Los Angeles; Washington D.C.; Toronto; Danbury, Connecticut; and an eight-concert Midwest tour.

Performer Bios

Dmitri Berlinsky is professor of violin and artist teacher at the MSU College of Music. He has performed in major venues such as Carnegie and Avery Fisher Halls in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, and Mariinsky Concert Hall. Berlinsky initiated the Dorothy DeLay MasterClass Series, launched in fall 2020 at MSU, featuring high-profile artists who studied with the famed pedagogue to provide a space for musicians, students, and music aficionados to learn, engage, and stay connected despite the constraints on performance and instruction during the pandemic. The 2020 slate of virtual master classes featured nearly 20 DeLay alumni including Itzhak Perlman and Midori, who came back for an in-person session in fall 2023. Berlinsky is the artistic director of International Chamber Soloists. He is the co-founder of the Juventus ProMusica concert series in New York City, providing chamber music experiences for young students alongside distinguished guest artists. Recent highlights include appearances as a soloist in Berlin Philharmonie Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus, Frankfurt Alte Opera House, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Munich Philharmonic, among others on a European concert tour “Paganini Night” with the Russian Philharmonic of St. Petersburg. In high demand as a teacher, Berlinsky has given Master Classes at numerous institutions, including: the University of South California in Los Angeles; Menuhin School in London; Manhattan School; Cleveland Institute; Temple University in Philadelphia; DePaul and Roosevelt Universities in Chicago; the Royal Conservatory and Glen Gould School in Toronto; Tel Aviv University; Eastman School of Music; China Conservatory in Beijing; and the National University of Singapore. He has served on the jury of the Paganini International Competition, Washington International Competition, Seoul International Competition, as well as the Young Concert Artists and Astral Auditions.

Alirna Korieva, originally from Uzbekistan, is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in violin performance at MSU under the guidance of the internationally acclaimed violinist Professor Berlinsky. She earned her bachelor's degree at the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan, followed by a master's degree at MSU. Korieva is a successful violin teacher at the Okemos Music Academy and Marshall Music Company. Additionally, she has performed with the Midland Symphony Orchestra, Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, and Flint Symphony Orchestra.

Korieva’s accomplishments include winning first prize in the International Competition of Young Performers in Kazakhstan and earning the grand prix in the International Competition of Young Performers in France. She has studied under renowned violinists and worked as a violinist with the prominent central Asian ensemble for contemporary music, "Omnibus." Korieva’s artistic journey has taken her to various music festivals and theatrical productions worldwide, including Germany, Russia, Turkey, and the U.S.

Djakhangir Khaydarov won first prize in the Henri Selmer International Summer Academy and has performed in numerous national and international solo and chamber music competitions and festivals around the world, such as the FOOSA festival in California. A seasoned solo, chamber, and orchestra performer, Khaydarov has performed with several orchestras in Uzbekistan and has shared the stage with a multitude of well-known artists. Khaydarov has participated in masterclasses and studied with renowned clarinetists such as James Campbell, Guy Yehuda, Tasha Warren, Georgiy Borisov and John Holden. Khaydarov is currently pursuing a bachelor degree in clarinet performance at MSU under the tutelage of Guy Yehuda. In his free time, Khaydarov enjoys arranging music, playing piano, saxophone, and singing.

Canadian violist Meagan Turner is in demand throughout North America and Australia. Turner has served as principal violist of the New York String Orchestra Seminar, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Tanglewood Music Centre Orchestra, and Juilliard Orchestras, and regularly performs with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. An active chamber musician, she has attended the Ravinia Steans Music Institute and has been a guest artist at Tippet Rise, the Mackay Chamber Music Festival, and has served as a guest principal violist with Sydney’s Omega Ensemble. Turner is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Pine and Virtu Foundation career grants, and was recently named one of Canada’s “Hottest Musicians Under 30” by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. From 2018-2020, she held a young artists’ residency at Carnegie Hall. Turner completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto and her master’s degree at The Juilliard School as a full scholarship student. She is currently pursuing a doctor of musical arts degree with Eric Nowlin at MSU.

Tung-An Chien studied at Taipei National University of the Arts with Victor Coo and has previously studied in masterclasses with Gary Hoffman, Wen-Sinn Yang, Alan Rafferty, Thomas Landshoot, Andrew Mark, Claus Kanngiesser, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Kangho Lee and Henri Demarquette. As a chamber musician, she had masterclasses with Yung-Hsin Chang, Benny Kim, Lydian String Quartet, Formosa Quartet, Artemis Quartet, Miami String Quartet, Ciompi Quartet, Borodin Quartet, Marc Danel, Paul Huang and Telegraph Quartet, and won first prize at the National Student Competition of String Quartet. In the summers of 2018 and 2019, Chien took part in Formosa Chamber Music Festival, and has been an invited performer in Eslite Performance Hall.