[music]

Lee Koonce: Hello, everyone. I'm Lee Koonce, and today I have the pleasure of featuring gifted young international musicians from the Los Angeles-based iPalpiti here on the Young Artists Showcase. Since 1978, The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation has generously supported the Young Artists Showcase. In this episode, I'm delighted to feature young professional artists of the Los Angeles-based iPalpiti, which is heartbeat in Italian.

iPalpiti's mission is, "Provide financial assistance to gifted classical musicians, promote their careers, and provide low or no cost performances of classical music to the public." iPalpiti recently held their 27th annual summer festival. The performances you'll hear tonight come from one of the festival concerts held last July at the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, California.

Plus, two of tonight's featured soloists will join us in the studio for a live performance and a brief conversation. First, we'll begin today's show with the performance of Felix Mendelssohn's String Symphony No.10 in B minor performed by the iPalpiti Orchestra, conducted by Eduard Schmieder and recorded in the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, California.

[MUSIC - Mendelssohn: String Symphony No.10 in B minor]

[applause]

Lee Koonce: That was Felix Mendelssohn's String Symphony No.10 in B minor with the iPalpiti Orchestra, conducted by Eduard Schmieder. Our next performance features violinist, Davide De Ascaniis, and pianist, Michael Davideman. We'll start this half of our show with a live performance from them recorded here in our studio at WQXR. They're performing La Ronde des Lutins or Dance of the Goblins, a Scherzo fantastique for Violin and Piano by Antonio Bazzini.

[MUSIC - Bazzini: La Ronde des Lutins (Dance of the Goblins)]

Lee Koonce: Welcome back, Davide and Michael. Wow, that was really some piece.

[laughter]

Lee Koonce: Thank you for your terrific performance and for taking a few moments to speak with us about your music, your life, and your career with our listeners. You both have mentioned the iPalpiti organization and your involvement with that organization. Can you tell us a little bit about that organization?

Davide: Yes, actually, Ipalpiti Music Festival is more than a common music festival. It's a true reality in the classical music world, I will say. It started many, many years ago, I think over 16 years ago and was founded by Eduard and Laura Schmieder. They had this great idea of putting together some incredible talents, like the best actually musician from all over the world, and form this amazing group of-- like a chamber of music, basically. Chamber orchestra.

Michael: Chamber orchestra.

Lee Koonce: Chamber orchestra. It's an international festival, so people are coming from everywhere. Is that right?

Davide: Yes.

Michael: Yes, many different countries. You know what I liked about it? It's a lovely atmosphere that they put everybody up in a hotel and they have these events and little concerts.

Lee Koonce: It's like a sense of community.

Michael: Yes, and really, it felt like you really got to know everybody and everybody had a common purpose to be there. I think it was just a nice atmosphere. Sometimes you go to festivals and it's kind of all business and you do what you have to do, but here, there was a lot of both. Everyone was just really amenable to working together and-

Lee Koonce: That's really special.

Michael: -rehearsing, things like that.

Lee Koonce: The orchestra sounded really terrific in the recording that we had. Really great. With them, you guys sounded amazing. I do have another question for you. We have heard about your musical life and your careers. What do you like to do outside of music?

Michael: Right now, just where I am in my life, there's not a lot of time to do a lot. I'm really focusing very hard on improving and being at the level I want to play, but I'd say when I'm not on the piano, I'm very into film, actually. I love watching old films, foreign films, and I love ones that are very-- I don't want to say-- yes, philosophical, but that make me really think about myself as a person, as a human being, and about the world and films that reflect back to me certain things.

Lee Koonce: Introspective in a way, yes?

Michael: Yes. When I'm not on the piano, I'm very much about that. [chuckles]

Lee Koonce: Wonderful.

Michael: Also because of traveling around a lot, I don't get to see the people that I know very often, but when I do, I love to go out. I love all that. To-

Lee Koonce: Hanging out with good friends? [chuckles]

Michael: -have a good time. Yes, like go to a restaurant, drink. [chuckles]

Lee Koonce: And good food too.

Michael: Do all that.

Lee Koonce: Good. Thanks, Michael. Davide, what about you?

Davide: Well, pretty much the same.

[laughter]

Davide: I'm a dog person, actually. At home, I have three German shepherds. [laughs]

Michael: Oh, three? Oh, my gosh. I love them.

Lee Koonce: That's my favorite dog, actually.

Davide: Ah, really?

Lee Koonce: Yes, it is.

[laughter]

Davide: They take lots of time.

Michael: They do.

Lee Koonce: Aww, and they're older or younger dogs?

Davide: It's mom and two puppies.

Lee Koonce: Aww.

Davide: Mom and puppies are like three years old. I love them.

Lee Koonce: That's a lot of work. Three dogs is a lot of work. Well, thank you both so much for being with us today, and thank you for sharing your amazing performances with us.

Michael: Thank you.

Davide: Thanks for having us.

Lee Koonce: Thanks so much.

Davide: It's such a pleasure.

Lee Koonce: To conclude this episode of the McGraw Family's Young Artists Showcase, we'll hear the final movement of Death and the Maiden, originally by Schubert, and arranged for string orchestra by Mahler. It's performed once again by the iPalpiti Orchestra, conducted by Eduard Schmieder.

[MUSIC - Schubert, Mahler: Death and the Maiden]

[cheers]

[applause]

Lee Koonce: That was the final movement of Death and the Maiden by Schubert, and arranged for string orchestra by Mahler. That performance was by iPalpiti Orchestra, conducted by Eduard Schmieder. Their performance comes from the final evening of their 2024 Summer Festival.

That's it for this edition of the Young Artists Showcase. Thank you to iPalpiti for providing these recordings. Also, thank you again to Davide and Michael for joining us here in the studio, and a big thank you, as always, to The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation for their generous support of the show. Here are a few words from Terry.

Terry: The arts don't know what borders are and talent doesn't know what borders are, and the world is rich. As we tap into these young people wherever they are, wherever they reside, the arts is such a beautiful way to get involved. It is so much fun being a part of Young Artists Showcase and being able to present these people wherever they are.

Lee Koonce: Thank you, Terry. Many thanks to WQXR program producer, Laura Boyman, and our engineer this evening, Irene Trudel. Our generous program underwriter is The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation. I'm Lee Koonce. Until next time.

 

Copyright © 2024 New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use at www.wnyc.org for further information.

New York Public Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline, often by contractors. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of New York Public Radio’s programming is the audio record.