Violinist Stephen Tavani

Violinist Stephen Tavani is the concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Mr. Tavani graduated with an Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2017.

Bartók: Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra
Stephen Tavani, violin; Yoni Levyatov, piano
Béla Bartók is well known for his folk music elements in his music. It is in two sections, the first marked Lassu and the second Friss without a break. It starts with the slower movement and gets faster and faster.

Sibelius: Danses champêtres, Op. 106
Stephen Tavani, violin; Michelle Cann, piano
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer and violinist of the late Romantic and early modern periods. Mr. Tavani never heard the Sibelius Danses champêtres, Op.106 performed live and wanted them apart of his graduation recital. He describes them as rustic and fun. The five dances:
No. 1: Largamente assai—Vivace
No. 2: Alla polacca
No. 3: Tempo moderato
No. 4: Tempo di menuetto
No. 5: Poco moderato—Allegretto

Britten: Suite for Violin and Piano, Op. 6
Stephen Tavani, violin; Michelle Cann, piano
British composer Benjamin Britten was 22 years old when he composed Suite for Violin and Piano, Op. 6. This piece grabs your attention right from the beginning and never let you go. The movements are marked: Introduction; March; Lullaby and Waltz.

Toru Takemitsu: Toward the Sea
Lydia Roth, alto flute; Hao Yang, guitar
Self-taught Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu composed Toward the Sea in response to the “Save the Whales” Greenpeace campaign. He found inspiration from Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick. The movements are: The Night; Moby Dick and Cape Cod.