|
|
Born in Detroit, and of Armernian descent, studied
viola at the Peabody Conservatory of Music with Walter Trampler and Karen
Tuttle. Her international career began after winning prizes in the ard
Competition in Munich and the Lionel Tertis Competition. These successes
led to engagement with leading orchestras in Paris, London, New York,
Vienna and Berlin, under such renowned conductors as Charles Dutoit,
Riccardo Chailly, Dennis Russell Davies, Christoph Eschenbach and Riccardo
Muti.
Her quest to new directions and forms, which she obtains through intense
and continuous work with composers, is an active part of her musical life.
As a result of those relationships, for example with Gubaidulina, Bouchard,
Penderecki, Kancheli, Kurtág, Mansurian, Pärt, and Eötvös, she has
extensively enlarged the repertoire for the viola. Her commitment to
chamber music, which began during years of participation at the Marlboro
Music Festival where she was strongly influenced by Felix Galimir,
continues through appearances at the Salzburg, Lockenhaus and Stavanger
Festivals. Current partnerships include duos with the pianist Robert Levin,
the percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky and the harpsichordist Robert Hill.
Kim Kashkashian1s recordings also give an index of the range of her
activities. After earlier recordings of Mozart1s Sinfonia concertante and
Divertimento kv 563 for dgg and Sony, her extensive discography with ecm
comprises the complete sonatas of Hindemith, Shostakovich1s Sonata Op. 147
(with Robert Levin), the viola concertos by Britten, Penderecki, Kancheli
and Schnittke, works by Linda Bouchard and Paula Chihara for viola and
percussion (with Robyn Schulkowsky), the Bach Sonatas for viola da gamba
and harpsichord (with Keith Jarrett), Eleni Karaindrou1s music for the
film Le regard d1Ulysse (dir. Theo Ange-lopoulos) as well as chamber works
by Kurtág and Schumann (with Eduard Brunner, clarinet and Robert Levin).
Kim Kaskashian1s recording of the Brahms Sonatas (with Levin) won the
Edison Prize in 1999. Her recording of concertos by Bartók, Kurtág and Eötvös,
released in 2002, won the Cannes Prize for chamber music. Her cd Voci with
music by Luciano Berio received the Diapason d1Or (2002) and was OEditor1s
Choice1 of the Gramo-phone monthly (2002).
The artist1s teaching activities have included professorships at the
University of Indiana in Bloom-ington and at Conservatories in Freiburg
and Berlin. In September 2000 she took a teaching position (viola and
chamber music) at New England Conservatory in Boston.
Highlights of Kim Kashkashian1s previous season included a European tour
with Robert Levin, concerts with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra,
the Gewandhaus of Lepizig and
the Deutsche Kammerphil-
harmonie Bremen. In February
she gave the first performance of Thomas Larcher1a work for viola and
chamber orchestra (with the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester under Dennis
Russell Davis). She also gave concerts within the framework of the
Kronberg Academy.
|
