Piano Duo
Concert program
Ensemble Dimensions
Symphonische Tänze
S.Rachmaninov.
Symphonische Tänze, op. 45
W.-A.Schultz.
„Totentanz-Ritual“
R.Anderson.
Dance macabre
(nach C.Saint-Saëns) (arr. von B.Frolyak)
Piano Duo Chipak-Kushnir
Mozart und Beethoven in Variationszyklen
W.A.Mozart.
Andante mit Variationen, G-Dur, KV 501
L.v.Beethoven.
Acht Variationen über ein Thema des Grafes von Waldstein C-Dur WoO 67
L.Liebermann.
Variationen über ein Thema von Mozart, op.42
M.Reger.
Variationen und Fuge über ein Thema von Beethoven, B-Dur, op.86
J.Brahms.
Haydn-Variationen, op 56b
J.Brahms.
Ausgewählte Choralvorspiele, op.122
J.Brahms.
Sonate f-moll, op.34bis
J.Brahms.
Schumann-Variationen, op.23
L.van Beethoven / F.Liszt.
Sinfonie N.9
F.Schubert. Allegro “Lebensstürme”, a-moll, D 947
F.Mendelssohn B.
Andante mit Variationen B-Dur, op.83a
F.Mendelssohn B.
Allegro brillante, op.92
F.Liszt.
Ungarische Rhapsodie n.2
C.Saint-Saens.
Karneval der Tiere
2 pianos - 2 percussionists
B.Bartok.
Sonate für zwei Klaviere und Schlagzeug
K.Abe.
Variationen über die Themen aus japanischen Kinderliedern
L.Bernstein.
Sinfonische Tänze aus „West Side Story“
I.Stravinsky / V.Babin.
Drei Sätze aus „Petruschka“
Concerts
About The Duo
Biography
When Olha Chipak and Oleksiy Kushnir first met in 1998 while studying at the Lviv Music Academy in Ukraine, they could not have imagined where their musical partnership would take them. What they certainly knew, however, was that from that point on they would not only pursue a career as solo artists but also devote themselves to an equal degree to performing chamber music.
They soon won their first international competition together (“Roma 98”), but the piano duo—like Emil Gilels and Sviatoslav Richter she is from the legendary music metropolis Odessa on the Black Sea, he from the cultural melting pot of Lviv, where the first music conservatory in the Ukraine was founded as early as 1786—sought more than recognition by juries.
Thus their path as a duo took them to the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Rostock where they majored in piano duo performance with Hans-Peter and Volker Stenzl and in 2006 completed their degree in piano ensemble performance (concert exam – Konzertexamen).
The two have since begun to work at the institution as docents for piano and piano duo.
Success at these competitions led to concert performances at important venues in many European countries, the U.S., and China as well as guest performances at festivals such as the Festival “Virtuosi”(Ukraine), the Piano Festival in Trieste (Italy), the “Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern”. The artistry of the duo is documented in recordings for NDR (North German Radio), BR-Classic (Bayern Radio) and television and radio recordings in the Ukraine, Poland and San Marino.
OLHA CHIPAK
Olha Chipak was born in Odessa (Ukraine). Her first musical education she got in the Ukraine at the music school (class of I.Zhukovska) and at the music college in Uzhgorod (class of – Doz. V.Pastelyak). At the National M. Lyssenko Music Academy (Lviv, Ukraine) she studied in the classes of Prof. M. Krushelnytska as well as Doz. N. Pastelyak and finished with a graduate recital in the principal subject piano.
Already in her student time her successful stage career began. She gave a lot of concerts in the Ukraine and Poland and became the prize winner of the international M. Lyssenko piano competition in 1997 as well as of “Premio Seiler“ in 2003 in Italy. Notably intense and accompanied by a lot of concerts was her collaboration with the “Ukrainian National Symphonic Orchestra” as well as the “National Philharmonic Orchestra” and the “Symphonic Orchestras of Lviv”.
There were a lot of solo shows at several festivals, e.g. at “Virtuosi-Festival“ in Lviv and during the anniversary of the “National Philharmonic Orchestra” in Kyiv. Her concerts were added to the Ukrainian National Music Stock. In 2007 the chamber musical collaboration with the violinist Mo Yi and the cellist Prof. Gert von Bülow was induced – the trio called “Trio Quintilian“ was created. In the following period they gave a lot of performances in Germany, Denmark, Ukraine and China. Their interpretations of the musical works of L. v. Beethoven and J. Brahms were awarded with appreciative criticisms.
Presently she is an assistant lecturer at the “Hochschule für Musik und Theater” in Rostock.
Oleksiy Kushnir
Oleksiy Kushnir was born in Lviv (Ukraine) and got his first education at the music school S. Krushelnytska (class of J. Moysyak). During 1993 and 1999 he studied at the National M. Lyssenko Music Academy (Lviv, Ukraine) in the classes of Prof. M. Krushelnytska and Doz. J. Örmeny. He attended master classes of international acknowledged artists like Eric Lesage, Katja Koleva, Alberto Lisio and Bogodar Kotorovych. In 2006 he completed his studies with a graduate recital in the principal subject piano.
During his study time he began to give concerts in the Ukraine and Poland, e.g. with the “Symphonic Orchestras of Lviv”. His activities according to chamber music were also very intense. Eminently fruitful was the collaboration with the violinist Ostap Shutko, which led them to combined appearances in Ukraine, Poland and France. In 1996 they became prizewinners of the international “M. Canals Chamber music contest” in Barcelona.
From 2004 to 2006 he went on with his studies in the subject opera correpetition at the “Hochschule für Musik und Theater” in Rostock at the classes of Prof. Chr. Göckeritz and Chr. Hammer.
Since 2013 he’s an assistant lecturer at the “Hochschule für Musik und Theater” in Rostock.
Discography
Beethoven / Liszt Symphony No. 9
The piano Duo Chipak-Kushnir brings a CD of Beethoven’s 9th to GENUIN. Symphony out, in the version for two pianos by Franz Liszt.
The two are reinforced by Francisco Manuel Anguas Rodriguez with Beethoven’s original timpani part of the piece. In his work Beethoven blows up all previously known symphonic forms, Franz Liszt traces the border crossers, the darkness, but also the cheers sharply. Like his other Beethoven transcriptions, the “Ninth” is less editing than artistic re-creation.
The three musicians: create a listening experience with their recording that re-illuminates symphonic structures and dynamic arcs of suspense.
Theatrical Reminiscences
Love, lust and passion – betrayal and deception, masks and distorting mirrors: who says one has to go to the theatre for these? Long evenings during which one hardly knows what one will see anyway … It’s a great deal more compact and passionate on the new GENUIN CD by the piano duo Chipak-Kushnir: after their highly praised debut with works of Brahms, they now scale the heights that mean the world with their instruments: transcriptions of Stravinsky’s Petrushka, of Rigoletto, Faust and more and more – including several world premiere recordings! And all this without creaking theatre seats and coughing neighbours … Highly virtuoso and demonically sensuous, hellish and heavenly!
Works for Piano Duo
You want to glance over the shoulder of a famous composer? The piano duo Olha Chipak und Oleksiy Kushnir makes it possible on their new GENUIN-CD: Johannes Brahms later changed his sonata for two pianos into the famous piano quintet. This sonata, more than just a preparatory work, is presented by the two pianists with all its passion in a virtuoso manner, so that strings aren’t missing at all – exactly like that the orchestra colors of the Haydn-Variations shine from 2 times 88 piano keys! The seldom played Variations on a Theme by Schumann eventually are a melancholic homage to a deceased friend of Schumann and Brahms.
Johannes Brahms, Max Reger & Sergei Rachmaninov
The first CD of the piano duo Olha Chipak & Oleksiy Kushnir contains works by Johannes Brahms, Max Reger and Sergei Rachmaninov.
“Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op.56b” is a tribute to love from Brahms to classical art. Its topic is the pilgrim’s song, “St. Anthony Chorale”, which became known as second part of Haydn’s composed divertissement for winds. The eight Variations are like eight profound pictures, in which Brahms shows the abundance of his romantic feelings. The cycle is crowned by the finale in the form of a passacaglia with coda; the thereby achieved monumental completion is equal to the majestic finale of Brahms’ Fourth Symphony.
Beethoven / Liszt Symphony No. 9
The piano Duo Chipak-Kushnir brings a CD of Beethoven’s 9th to GENUIN. Symphony out, in the version for two pianos by Franz Liszt.
The two are reinforced by Francisco Manuel Anguas Rodriguez with Beethoven’s original timpani part of the piece. In his work Beethoven blows up all previously known symphonic forms, Franz Liszt traces the border crossers, the darkness, but also the cheers sharply. Like his other Beethoven transcriptions, the “Ninth” is less editing than artistic re-creation.
The three musicians: create a listening experience with their recording that re-illuminates symphonic structures and dynamic arcs of suspense.
Theatrical Reminiscences
Love, lust and passion – betrayal and deception, masks and distorting mirrors: who says one has to go to the theatre for these? Long evenings during which one hardly knows what one will see anyway … It’s a great deal more compact and passionate on the new GENUIN CD by the piano duo Chipak-Kushnir: after their highly praised debut with works of Brahms, they now scale the heights that mean the world with their instruments: transcriptions of Stravinsky’s Petrushka, of Rigoletto, Faust and more and more – including several world premiere recordings! And all this without creaking theatre seats and coughing neighbours … Highly virtuoso and demonically sensuous, hellish and heavenly!
Works for Piano Duo
You want to glance over the shoulder of a famous composer? The piano duo Olha Chipak und Oleksiy Kushnir makes it possible on their new GENUIN-CD: Johannes Brahms later changed his sonata for two pianos into the famous piano quintet. This sonata, more than just a preparatory work, is presented by the two pianists with all its passion in a virtuoso manner, so that strings aren’t missing at all – exactly like that the orchestra colors of the Haydn-Variations shine from 2 times 88 piano keys! The seldom played Variations on a Theme by Schumann eventually are a melancholic homage to a deceased friend of Schumann and Brahms.
Johannes Brahms, Max Reger & Sergei Rachmaninov
The first CD of the piano duo Olha Chipak & Oleksiy Kushnir contains works by Johannes Brahms, Max Reger and Sergei Rachmaninov.
“Variations on a Theme by Haydn, op.56b” is a tribute to love from Brahms to classical art. Its topic is the pilgrim’s song, “St. Anthony Chorale”, which became known as second part of Haydn’s composed divertissement for winds. The eight Variations are like eight profound pictures, in which Brahms shows the abundance of his romantic feelings. The cycle is crowned by the finale in the form of a passacaglia with coda; the thereby achieved monumental completion is equal to the majestic finale of Brahms’ Fourth Symphony.
Reviews
- Stralsunder Zeitung
… full of temperament and facettes with differentiated tonal tuning the piano couple presented works of W.A. Mozart …
- Neue Würtembergische Zeitung
rousing and lively, full of great intensity and unusual drama the piano couple impressed …
- NTWK - Trieste
…The duo’s impeccable performances paid the audience with intense intention and received as an encore of two excerpts of dazzling virtuosity from works by Lutoslawski and Katchaturian…
- NTWK-Trieste
…Pianists of the highest order, a duo of the “long-lasting” kind with remarkable results in terms of emphasis, scope of dynamics, precision in pedalization and technical efficiency. They played by heart, and one suspects the persistent work and never suffering control, which is necessary to achieve the longed-in uniform sound…
Gallery
* For use only in connection with journalistic and editorial reports about Piano Duo Chipak/Kushnir and with credit to the respective photographer.
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