Original idea by Ahmed Alom (BM student), Administrative Director and Coordinator
Joseph Patrych, Technical Supervisor
Long-time MSM Piano faculty member Solomon Mikowsky teams with 47 pianists, including MSM alumni, faculty members, and current students, for multiple journeys through Mozart’s “Twinkle” variations, the great composer’s 12 piano variations on the French folk song, “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman.”
In Honor of Manhattan School of Music
When my gifted piano student, Ahmed Alom (BM ’21), alerted me to his idea of a video-recording of Mozart’s “Twinkle” variations performed in collaboration with 11 of his classmates, I immediately realized that this project would be an ideal vehicle for an expression of gratitude to the school to which we all owe so much: MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC!
Shortly afterwards, I decided to expand it to also encompass many alumni, including the seven current members of MSM’s piano faculty. This has allowed me to renew contacts with students who studied with me from as far back as 51 years ago: more than 5 decades!
The famous “Twinkle” variations themselves comprise Mozart’s 12 piano variations on the French folk song, “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” (published in 1785), which would over half a century later provide the melody to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” The most rewarding aspect of this MSM multi-pianist collaboration is the inspiration provided by the great composer, making the participants realize anew Mozart’s genius and the artistic challenge that performing 16 measures of his music entails.
When one pianist performs the entire work, he/she is responsible for all the interpretive decisions that balance the unifying element (the Theme) and the imaginative devices used by Mozart to do justice to the Variation style. Could anyone imagine the results when each of the participants interprets only one variation, without any sense as to how the previous one sounded? Can both unity and variety be established with this number of performers — a total of 48 pianists interpreting the full set of 12 variations five times through — each one with a different background, age, temperament, sense of style, and instrument, ranging from at-home electronic keyboards, uprights and grands, all the way to concert hall pianos, all the result of stay-at-home requirements during the coronavirus 2020 pandemic?
I have done my best to encourage each performer to project his/her vision. Participants include only current students, full-time teachers, and teachers who also maintain a performing career. I am proud that so many of these teachers committed themselves to the task, knowing how difficult it can be after not having performed in years and with almost non-existent practice time.
We humbly present our effort. Enjoy!
Warm regards,
Solomon Mikowsky www.msmnyc.edu/faculty/solomon-mikowsky
Review of The Twinkle Project
THEME: Solomon MIKOWSKY
VARIATION 1: Jennifer CHU (USA), MM ’08 Director of Secondary Piano, The Juilliard School Keyboard Skills Faculty, The Juilliard School
VARIATION 2: Kookhee HONG (Republic of Korea), BM ’01, MM ’03, PS ’04, DMA ’11 Adjunct Professor, Irvine Valley College, CA
VARIATION 3: Yoon LEE (Republic of Korea), BM ’09, MM ’11, DMA ’18 Faculty, SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music Faculty, Heifetz International Music Institute Teaching Assistant, The Juilliard School Artistic Director, Noree Chamber Soloists
VARIATION 4: Erica GUO (China), Precollege ’11, BM ’15
VARIATION 5: Chi-Ying HUNG (Taiwan), Precollege ’92, BM ’96, MM ’98, DMA ’03
VARIATION 6: Julian YU (China), BM ’99, MM ’01 Director, Joyous School of Music Conductor, New York International Youth Philharmonic
VARIATION 7: Aaron SHORR (USA), Precollege ’79, BM ’83, MM ’84
Head of Keyboard, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Artistic Director, Scottish International Competition Associate Royal Academy of Music Recording Artist
VARIATION 8: Bai YANG (China), BM ’15
VARIATION 9: Yoni LEVYATOV (Israel), MM ’05, PS ’06, AD ’07
VARIATION 10: Edward NEEMAN (Australia), MM ’11
Piano Lecturer, Australian National University, Canberra
VARIATION 11: Charis DIMARAS (Greece), DMA ’98
Professor, Piano & Collaborative Studies Keyboard Area Coordinator – Ithaca College
VARIATION 12: Peter FANCOVIC (Slovakia), BM ’12, MM ’14
Faculty, Riverside Music Studios
ENCORE: Aaron SHORR (USA)
Inspired by Beethoven’s Diabelli Variation No.22 “Alla Diabelli e Leporello” Dedicated to Dr. Mikowsky
The Twinkle Project: Set Two
VARIATION 1: Gloria LIN (Taiwan), MM ’95 Pianist, Cliburn in the Classroom Artistic Administrator, Fort Worth Country Day Conservatory
VARIATION 2: Olga VINOKUR (Russia), MM ’00, DMA ’07 Faculty, Crestwood Music Education Center Recording Artist
VARIATION 3: Mijung LEE (Republic of Korea), Precollege ’08, BM ’11, MM ’13, DMA ’19 Faculty, Opus One Music
VARIATION 4: Chun WANG (China), DMA ’20
VARIATION 5: Kyriakos SOUROULLAS (Cyprus), PS ’11, DMA ’19
Faculty, Opus One Music
VARIATION 6: Emily WHITE (USA), DMA ’95 Associate Royal Academy of Music Faculty, Special Music School Recording Artist
VARIATION 7: Kyu Yeon KIM (Republic of Korea), DMA ’20 Assistant Professor, Seoul National University Recording Artist
VARIATION 8: José Ramón MENDEZ (Spain), BM ’91, MM ’93, DMA ’02 Associate Professor, Northwestern University Faculty, Gijón International Piano Festival
VARIATION 9: Willanny DARIAS (Cuba), BM ’14, MM ’16 Recorded at the Franz Liszt Musikhochschule in Weimar Accompanist and vocal coach at the Deutsches National Theater in Weimar
VARIATION 10: Elina CHRISTOVA (Bulgaria), MM ’98, DMA ’06 Fulbright Scholar Recording Artist
VARIATION 11: Audrey AXINN (USA), Precollege ’82, BM ’86 Associate Dean, The Tianjin Juilliard School Faculty, The Juilliard School Faculty, Mannes School
VARIATION 12: Yungwook YOO (Republic of Korea), MM ’04 Recording Artist Professor of Piano, Yonsei University,
ENCORE: Jennifer CHU “Mozart in Havana” Dedicated to Dr. Mikowsky’s city of birth
The Twinkle Project: Set Three
VARIATION 1: Tzu-Wei KANG (Taiwan), Precollege ’18, BM anticipated ’22
VARIATION 2: Daniel HART (Cuba), MM anticipated ’22
VARIATION 3: Weiwei ZHAI (China), BM ’13, MM ’15, DMA anticipated ‘21
Faculty, Bloomingdale School of Music
VARIATION 4: Sining LIU (China), Precollege ’15, BM ’19, MM anticipated ’21
VARIATION 5: Zoe PIAN-CHOWDHURY (USA), Precollege anticipated ’21
VARIATION 6: Tatuka KUTSNASHVILI (Georgia), MM anticipated ’21
VARIATION 7: Jiayin LI (China), DMA anticipated ’22
VARIATION 8: Jojo YAN (China), MM ’20
VARIATION 9: Ruiqi FANG (China), MM ’13, PS ’14, DMA ’20
Piano Faculty, Long Island Conservatory
VARIATION 10: Hangli WU (China), BM ’20, MM anticipated ’22
VARIATION 11: Sophiko SIMSIVE (Georgia), DMA anticipated ’24
VARIATION 12: Ahmed ALOM (Cuba), BM anticipated ’21
ENCORE: MOJITO – Jiayin LI (China), DMA anticipated ’22,
Cuban song sang in Chinese, honoring Dr. Mikowsky’s country of birth
The Twinkle Project: Set Four
VARIATION 1: Elena BELLI (USA), Precollege ’73, BM ’77, MM ’82 Piano Faculty, Manhattan School of Music Precollege Faculty Hoff-Barthelson Music School Pianist & Assistant Conductor, West Village Chorale
VARIATION 2: Alexandre Moutouzkine (Russia), MM ’04, PS ’05, AD ’06 Piano Faculty, Manhattan School of Music Steinway & Sons Recording Artist
VARIATION 3: Daniela BRACCHI (USA), MM ’06, DMA ’12 Piano Faculty, Manhattan School of Music Precollege
VARIATION 4: Inesa SINKEVYCH (Ukraine), PS ’06, DMA ’11 Piano faculty, Manhattan School of Music Recording Artist
VARIATION 5: Daniela BRACCHI
VARIATION 6: Inesa SINKEVYCH
VARIATION 7: Robin FREUND-EPSTEIN (USA), BM ’85, MM ’87 Piano Faculty, Manhattan School of Music Precollege
VARIATION 8: Robin FREUND-EPSTEIN
VARIATION 9: Jiayin LI (China), DMA anticipated ’22 Piano Faculty, Manhattan School of Music Precollege
VARIATION 10: Adam “Adameus” KENT (USA, Precollege ’82, BM ’86, MM ’87 Piano faculty, Manhattan School of Music Precollege Associate Professor, State University of New York at Oneonta Recording Artist
VARIATION 11: Adam “Adameus” KENT
VARIATION 12: Alexandre MOUTOUZKINE
The Twinkle Project: Set Five
THEME: Solomon MIKOWSKY VARIATION 1: Jie YUAN (China), PS ’13 Chair of Piano, Harbin Conservatory of Music Chair of Piano, JiLin University of the Arts Artistic Director, Lanzhou International Piano festival Artistic Director, China BOYA International Piano festival
VARIATION 2: Wael FAROUK (Egypt), PS ’07 Director, Keyboard Studies Program, Carthage College Faculty, Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University Recording Artist
VARIATION 3: Po-Wei GER (Taiwan), BM ’18
VARIATION 4: Yuan SHENG (China), BM ’95, MM ’97 Professor, Central Conservatory, Beijing Recording Artist
VARIATION 5: Eleni MOON (USA), Precollege Also studying with Jiayin Li, Dr. Mikowsky’s Precollege Assistant
VARIATION 6: Simone DINNERSTEIN (USA), Precollege ’89 Faculty, Mannes College SONY Recording Artist
VARIATION 7: Simone DINNERSTEIN
VARIATION 8: Simone DINNERSTEIN
VARIATION 9: Ren ZHANG (China), Precollege ’90, BM ’94, MM ’96 Recording Artist
VARIATION 10: Wael FAROUK
VARIATION 11: Yuan SHENG
VARIATION 12: Wael FAROUK
ENCORE: Simone DINNERSTEIN
“Mozart Dreaming in Havana”
Rehearsing “El Manisero” (The Peanut Vendor”) With Havana’s Lyceum Orchestra José Antonio Méndez, Conductor
The Twinkle Project: Set Six
130 Claremont Avenue New York, New York 10027 212-749-2802
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