Duo Arpeggione will bring a beautiful blend of piano and cello to the Lancaster Cultural Arts Center at 307 W. Gay St. at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, April 14. The performance will feature internationally acclaimed musicians – pianist Catherine Lan and cellist Claudio Jaffe.
Concert organizer John Craig looking forward to the duo’s talent and charm.
“Catherine Lan never fails to enchant the CAC audience, and Claudio Jaffe is both a superb cellist and explicator of the program pieces and their composers,” he said. “Together, they are quite a duo, and this is going to be a concert well worth attending. We are looking forward to a strong turnout.”
Lan, who just performed at the CAC last month in a piano duo concert with her husband is delighted for what the cello brings.
“The concert will explore the brilliance, power and versatility of the piano with the lyrical singing voice of the cello,” she said.
Attendees will enjoy being both entertained and informed. Each Duo Arpeggione concert includes commentary on the composers and their work. Lan and Jaffe will play music by Camille Saint-Saëns and Edward Elgar.
“These are two excellent artists who are less known, but deserve to be heard,” Lan said.
Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) was a French romantic composer and pianist. He was a child prodigy who was able to read and write music at the age of two. By the age of 16, he had composed his first symphony. The duo will play Saint-Saëns’ Allegro appassionato.
Elgar (1857-1934) was an English composer who was taking piano and violin lessons at the age of eight. The program will include Elgar’s Salut d’amour, which translates as “love letter” or “love’s greeting” and was an engagement gift to his wife.
Duo Arpeggione will also play compositions by the great cellist-composers Gaspar Cassado, Alfrdo Piatti and David Popper.
“Each of these pieces holds a significant place in the repertoire for cello and piano, as well as important moments in the artistic lives of these composers,” Lan said. “That will all be explained during the recital.”
Also on the program is Laura Netzel’s Sonata Op. 66. Netzel (1839-1927) was Finnish pianist, conductor and concert organizer that often used the pseudonym N. Largo. She was also a social advocate for women and children.
Duo Arpeggione Bios
Drs. Lan and Jaffe formed Duo Arpeggione in 2017. Both musicians bring life-long international performance experience. They have played in London, Tokyo, and Buenes Aires. Both award-winning musicians have been featured as soloists with orchestras.
Jaffe made his orchestral debut at the age of 11, performing a concerto written for him by Brazilian composer Radames Gnattali. He has won many international awards as a cellist. The New York Times described him as “an elegant and accomplished artist” of “taste, technique, musicianship and a contagious youthful enthusiasm.”
Jaffe earned four degrees from Yale University including the Doctor of Musical Arts.
Lan is a world-touring classical concert pianist. She has been praised by critics as a pianist with “fluent technique, sensitive musicianship and a probing intellect.” Lan is a founding member of several duos including Duo Beaux Arts, Delray Piano Trio, Duo Formosa and Atlantic Piano Trio. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University (Bloomington) and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Miami.
The Venue
The Cultural Arts Center is housed in the Old Presbyterian Church, at 307 West Gay Street. Built in 1862, it was the first brick Church building in Lancaster County. The French Gothic Revival style architecture features an arch in the pulpit, a three-sided balcony, and breathtaking stained glass windows, some reaching nearly 20 feet high.
For future concerts, Craig encourages those interested to purchase their tickets early, $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at the user-friendly website http://www.lcshp.org. Patrons are encouraged to call 803-287-6826 if they have any difficulties on the website.
For more information on Duo Arpeggione, visit their Facebook pages (Catherine Lan, Claudio Jaffe) and websites: https://catherinelan.com/duo-arpeggione and http://www.claudiojaffe.com.
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