Ithaca College

One of the most celebrated violinists in classical music, Christian Tetzlaff, will perform a free public concert on Tuesday, March 27, at 8:15 p.m. in Ford Hall in the James J. Whalen Center for Music at Ithaca College. Prior to the performance, Tetzlaff will give a public master class for student violinists at 1 p.m. in the Hockett Family Recital Hall.

Both the concert and master class are presented by the college’s Louis K. Thaler Concert Violinist Series, and are free and open to the public.

Tetzlaff will perform a program of Bach sonatas and partitas for solo violin. Pieces include the Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003; the Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004; the Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005; and the Partita No. 3 in E, BWV 1006.

Tetzlaff has been one of the most sought-after violinists and exciting musicians in the classical music scene for many years. From the outset of his career, he has performed and recorded a broad spectrum of the repertoire, ranging from Bach’s unaccompanied sonatas and partitas to 19th-century masterworks by Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Brahms; and from 20th-century concertos by Bartók, Berg and Shostakovich to world premieres of contemporary works.

Tetzlaff stands out as exceptional among violinists because he takes the musical text literally and narratively. He aims to follow the text as closely as possible and to “speak” clearly and expressively, without regard for customary “performance tradition.”

Also a dedicated chamber musician, Tetzlaff frequently collaborates with distinguished artists, including Leif Ove Andsnes and Lars Vogt. He is the founder of the Tetzlaff Quartet, which he formed in 1994 with violinists Elisabeth Kufferath and Hanna Weinmeister, and his sister, cellist Tanja Tetzlaff.

The performance is part of the Louis K. Thaler Concert Violinist Series, established at Ithaca College by the Thaler/Howell Foundation in memory of Louis Thaler and to honor his lifelong love of the violin. The impetus for this gift was provided by Louis Thaler’s son Manley and his immediate family.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Concerts and Facilities, School of Music, at 607-274-3717 or ekibelsbeck@ithaca.edu/akemp1@ithaca.edu. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.

Photo copyright Giorgia Bertazzi