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International Chamber Soloists led by violinist Dmitri Berlinsky

International Chamber Soloists

The International Chamber Soloists. 

Concert details

Program

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Octet for Strings in E-Flat Major Op. 20
I. Allegro moderato ma con fuoco
II. Andante 
III. Scherzo: Allegro leggierissimo
IV. Presto

Performers

International Chamber Soloists
International Chamber Soloists (ICS) 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 the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, as well as advanced players from The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music, the Curtis Institute, the University of Michigan, and Yale University went on tours with ICS.

ICS 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. Recently, ICS performed at the Fontana Arts Festival in Kalamazoo, at the San Francisco Conservatory as part of MSU Gala concert, and at the Collage Concert at the Wharton Center. ICS was also the ensemble in residence at the 2010 and 2013 Southampton Arts Festival in Long Island, New York. Recent performances include Los Angeles; Washington D.C.; Toronto; Danbury, Connecticut; and an eight-concert Midwest tour.

Concert Performers
Dmitri Berlinsky, violin
Yu Xin, violin
Yuanmiao Li, violin
Stefan Hubenov, violin
Gafur Nartajiev, viola
Yi-Pei Lin, viola
Sandro Sidamonidze, cello
Mira Cheng, cello

Dmitri Berlinsky
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. He is founder of Dorothy DeLay MasterClass Series, launched in the fall of 2020. Mr. Berlinsky initiated the new series 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 slate of virtual master classes in 2020 featured nearly 20 DeLay alumni including Itzhak Perlman and Midori, who came back for an in-person session last fall. Mr. Berlinsky is the artistic director of the “International Chamber Soloists.” He is also 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 the Berlin Philharmonie Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus, Frankfurt Alte Opera House, Leipzig Gewandhaus, and Munich Philharmonic, among others on the European concert tour “Paganini Night” with the Russian Philharmonic of St. Petersburg. In high demand as a teacher, Mr. Berlinsky has given master classes at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Menuhin School in London, Manhattan School, Cleveland Institute, Temple University in Philadelphia, DePaul and Roosevelt Universities in Chicago, and served on the jury of the Paganini International Competition, Washington International Competition, Seoul International Competition, and Young Concert Artists and Astral Auditions.