Glasperlenspiel Music Festival 2027
Mon, July 12th at 9.30
ANTIPODES 1685
Indrek Leivategija (cello), Elena Klionsky (piano, USA)
Bach, Scarlatti
Two decades ago, the concert Phenomenal 1953 took place within the frames of the Glasperlenspiel Festival. The year 1953 was truly phenomenal, because then were born Estonia’s top musicians as Andres Mustonen, Rein Rannap, René Eespere, Tõnu Kaljuste, Paul Mägi… to name just a few. On the scale of European music history, 1685 was an extraordinary year, when three great figures of Baroque music were born, who, despite a common cultural space-time, were antipodes both as musicians and as people.
Johann Sebastian Bach – a profound composer of sacred music, a brilliant master of polyphony, known during his lifetime primarily only as an organist, wrote music first and foremost “for the glory of God”, remained faithful to the old strict German spirit and love of beer, and never left Germany. Georg Friedrich Handel, on the other hand, was an international superstar, enjoyed attention and red wine. Born in Germany, travelled in Italy and stayed more settled in England, he conquered the hearts of wide audiences with his attractive operas, sometimes entertaining opuses and grandiose oratorios. Domenico Scarlatti, who was of Italian origin, was the opposite of both Bach and Handel. Earning his living as a harpsichord virtuoso valued at the royal courts, he composed more than 550 (!) sonatas for this instrument. Scarlatti’s work is characterised by unexpected technical techniques, occasional Spanish rhythms, harmonic experiments and the abandonment of the chains of strict rules.
Indrek Leivategija is an active soloist, chamber musician, teacher and concertmaster of the cello section of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra since 2021. He has participated successfully in numerous master classes and competitions both in Estonia and abroad. Leivategija has worked at the Bavarian Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra and Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and has been a frequent guest as concertmaster of the cello section with many top German orchestras, such as Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig and Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart. He has also recorded for Estonian National Broadcasting, Bavarian Broadcasting and German Radio. Leivategija coaches cellists in the German National Youth Orchestra and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra Academy and works at Heino Eller Music School in Tartu. Indrek Leivategija has studied at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Henry-David Varema and has graduated from Munich University of Music and Drama in the cello class of Prof Wen-Sinn Yang. In addition, he has been a student of Natalia Gutman at the Fiesole School of Music in Italy.
Elena Klionsky began playing piano at the age of five in her native St. Petersburg and performed in public for the first time at the age of six. Upon her family’s emigration to the US, Elena met her life-long mentor, legendary violinist Isaac Stern, and continued her studies at the Juilliard School of Music – first at the pre-college division for seven and a half years, and later in college and graduate school. After receiving her Master’s degree, she continued her studies with Vladimir Viardo.
As a student, Elena performed weekly for many years on the “Science of Mind” programs in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, made an appearance on ABC TV, often performed on WNYC radio, and made her orchestral debut at Lincoln Center.
Elena Klionsky had a very impressive list of performance credits. She performed her recital debuts in New York (Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall), and made her professional orchestral debut performing in front of 15,000 people with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra. She has returned to Chattanooga many times to sold-out audiences. Her solo recitals, orchestral appearances, and TV and radio performances have taken her across the USA to Canada and Mexico, through Europe to Southeast Asia.
Elena has a vast repertoire, including music by Scarlatti, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff… One of her Juilliard teachers introduced Elena to to the music of Vincent Persichetti. Now, Elena pioneers Persichetti’s music and enjoys performing music written especially for her by composers from the United States, Argentina, and as far away as Iran. Today, Elena works closely with composer Martin Matalon. The New York Times described the US premiere of Matalon’s Trame IV (for piano and 11 instruments) in Lincoln Center as “… intricately woven and brilliantly eventful performance… by the assured soloist Elena Klionsky…” She is currently working on a recording of Matalon’s piano music for Naxos.
Always enthusiastic to perform with friends, she toured often in Canada, Holland, Belgium and Italy with a violinist performing violin-piano sonatas. She now performs regularly with her Juilliard friend, Taiwanese pianist Virginia Wei-Tsen Shiao. They perform 4-hand repertoire as well as concertos for two pianos and orchestra, which were recorded for Solaris Classics.
Elena Klionsky has played numerous concerts in support of different charities including Elizabeth Taylor’s Concert For AIDS, Isaac Stern’s birthday celebration for the Ben Gurion University, Operation Exodus for the United Jewish Appeal, Alzheimer’s Association, Jerusalem’s Keren Or Centre for the Blind Children, and many others.
Ms. Klionsky holds the coveted title of Steinway Artist since 2008.
Nicknamed “The Piano Phoenix” because she has risen above serious physical trauma to her right hand in 2002 and another trauma to both hands in 2016 to once again grace the world’s concert stages with her artistry, Elena is back after eleven hand and shoulder surgeries, years of continuous physical therapy and dedicated practicing.
See the full festival program
Organizers:
Peeter Vähi – artistic director
Tiina Jokinen – executive director
Kadri Kiis – producer, accountant
Mart Kivisild – design
Olavi Sööt – co-producer, video, logistics
Reno Hekkonens – marketing director, PR
Johannes Vähi – co-producer, webmaster, sound engineering, logistics
Rebeca Birk – social media
Special thanks: Tartu City Government, Urmas Klaas, Triin Käpp, Jana Raud, Ministry of Culture of Estonia, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Heino Eller Music College, Kadri Leivategija, Tõnis Tamm, Canon and Overall, St John’s church, Kaupo Kiis, Kristel Leppik, volunteers
