James Ehnes and Orion Weiss
James Ehnes, violin
Orion Weiss, piano
Event Attributes
Heralded for their chemistry and coordination, Ehnes and Weiss combine formidable technique with rich musical history.
Ehnes’s playing fully embodies the phrasing and tonal spectrum of a piece. “Simply mastering violin technique is not his first priority. Rather, his playing serves as a bridge between the past and the present, producing a unique sound that is both modern and traditional.” (OberlinReview.org). Weiss, just 32, “has an exceptionally clean technique with virtuosity to spare." (The Washington Post)
Their program at the Center will include Aaron Copland’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, Edvard Grieg’s Sonata No. 2 in G Major, op. 13, Johannes Brahms’ Scherzo in C Minor, op. WOO2, Sonatensatz F-A-E and Franz Schubert’s Fantasie in C Major, D.934.
Review by The Washington Post
That same vital chemistry between the two musicians made Brahms’s compact and intense C-minor Scherzo a wild ride indeed, animated by Weiss’s rumbling left hand, which kept percolating even in the sweeter trio section.
— CHARLES T. DOWNEY, The Washington Post, March 7, 2014