Two University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno School of the Arts faculty members, Dmitri Atapine and Adela Hyeyeon Park, are receiving an international chorus of approval for their world-premiere recording of composer Lowell Liebermann's Sonatas for Cello and Piano.
Atapine and Park's production of four Liebermann sonatas, written over the past 30 years, has garnered the attention and praise of two high-profile classical music magazines, Gramophone and The Strad.
Atapine and Park were "shocked and thrilled" to have been recognized by both publications within months of the release of their first CD and they both feel that years of hard work, some bold strokes, and a certain amount of serendipity have come to fruition in their classical music careers.
"Lieberman is a living legend of a classical music composer, an idol of ours" said Atapine. "It was a great honor that he agreed to let us be the first musicians to record his complete works for cello and piano on one album."
To be the first to produce this music for Liebermann was a dream come true for both music professors. With Atapine on cello, Park playing piano, and Liebermann personally available for direction, interpretation and feedback, the results were extraordinary.
"In the world of classical music, filled with masterpieces of the past, whose authors are long departed, it is a truly unique and captivating experience to work with a living composer, who can shape the interpretation and directly influence the performance," said Park.
Gramophone, the classical music industry's No. 1 magazine, reviewed the production by saying, "Cellist Dmitri Atapine identifies so closely with the music's mostly tonal flow and 2012 sense of portamento that the result is 'outright seduction.'" While praising Atapine's "brilliant technical chops" the publication also hailed the "precision, power and tremendous glee" Park contributed to the session.
The duo's write up in The Strad was equally flattering, noting, "these two multi-award-winning musicians prove to be highly persuasive advocates (of Liebermann)."
This international acclaim and an upcoming invitation for Atapine and Park to perform at New York's famed Carnegie Hall showcases ÁùºÏ±¦µä's talented Department of Music faculty and the University overall.
Congratulations to Dmitri and Adela.
