Phillips Collection: Christine J. Lee & Henry Kramer
In person: $45 ($25 member)
Stream: $15 ($10 member)
- Christine J. Lee, cello
- Henry Kramer, piano
Frédéric Chopin — Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C major, Op. 3
Antonín Dvořák — "V. Silent Woods" from From the Bohemian Forest, Op. 68, B. 133
Leoš Janáček — Pohádka ("Fairy Tale")
Cellist Christine J. Lee and pianist Henry Kramer return to the Phillips as a duo performing works by Romantic-era composers.
While the majority of Frédéric Chopin's music is for piano solo, he wrote a handful of duos including a pair of works for cello and piano. Lee and Kramer perform both pieces, the Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C major, Op. 3, written at the beginning of Chopin's career; and the Sonata in G minor, Op. 65, written late in his life. Next, they turn to a pair of works by Czech composers: Antonín Dvořák's "Klid" ("Silent Woods") and Leoš Janáček's Pohádka ("Fairy Tale"). Lee and Kramer's collaboration is rooted in their prize-winning performances in the Queen Elisabeth Competition: Lee is a laureate of the 2017 competition and Kramer won second prize in 2016. They released their first album together in 2021, titled Voyage.
This event will be broadcast live from the Music Room on Sunday, October 29 at 4pm Eastern. All registered ticket holders will receive a link directing them to a livestream webpage where the performance can be accessed. Ticket holders will be able to watch this performance "On Demand" for 48 hours following the broadcast time.
About Christine J. Lee, cello
Motivated and hungry for new experiences, Korean-born, Philadelphia-made cellist and activist, Christine J. Lee, crosses cultural boundaries through music and aims to connect people around the world. She is the most recent winner of the Isang Yun international competition in Korea as well as a laureate of the first Queen Elisabeth International Cello Competition.
Some of her highlights for this season includes the American premiere of Andrea Tarrodi's Concerto, as well as her debut at the Berlin Philharmonie lunch series. In her previous seasons, she successfully made her debut with the Brussels Philharmonic playing the Brahms Double Concerto with Augustin Dumay on violin and under the baton of Giancarlo Guerrero. She has appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Monterey Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Symphony, Houston Symphony, as well as Young Belgian Strings, Orchestra of Mons, and the National Orchestra of Belgium as a soloist.
As a musician of versatility and diverse interest, Christine has worked with contemporary music ensembles like eighth blackbird and Juilliard AXIOM. She also enjoys playing Baroque, especially the Bach Cantatas, and has worked with Anner Bylsma and Roel Dieltiens. In addition to exploring and performing different styles of classical music, she is one of the original members of CelloPointe, whose performances combine classical ballet and music in an intimate setting with music encompassing from Baroque through contemporary works and genres.
In addition to her performances, Christine is an avid advocate for charitable and philanthropic causes. In January 2017, she organized a charity concert as well as coat and backpack drive for the refugee children in Brussels. In the 2023-24 season, she participated in community projects with Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth and Nativitas and organize concerts for homeless people in Brussels.
She plays on a Francesco Stradivarius on a generous loan from an anonymous sponsor.
https://www.christine-j-lee.com/About Henry Kramer, piano
Praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer as a "pianist of enormous talent" and The New York Times for “thrilling [and] triumphant” performances, pianist Henry Kramer is a musician of rare sensitivity who combines stylish programming with insightful and exuberant interpretations. An international prize winner, Mr. Kramer has been awarded the Avery Fisher Career Grant by Lincoln Center–one of the most coveted honors bestowed on young American soloists.
In addition to a thriving solo career, Kramer is a recording and performance collaborator with such musicians as Mathew Lipman and Jiyoon Lee and has appeared in recitals at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Mainly Mozart Festival, the Mostly Mozart Festival, and La Jolla Music Society’s Summerfest. His recording with violinist Lee on the Champs Hill label received four stars from BBC Music Magazine, and Gramophone UK praised Kramer's recording collaboration (Cedille Records) with violist Lipman for an "exemplary flexible partnership." Henry has also performed alongside Emmanuel Pahud, the Calidore and Pacifica Quartets, and Miriam Fried, as well as members of the Berlin Philharmonic and Orchestra of St. Luke’s.
Kramer, a Steinway Artist, graduated from the Juilliard School, where he worked with Julian Martin and Robert McDonald, and received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Yale School of Music under the guidance of Boris Berman. His teachers trace a pedagogical lineage extending back to Beethoven, Chopin, and Busoni.
http://www.henrykramerpiano.com/