VIOLIN FUTURA

Piotr Szewczyk

OVERVIEW

In 2005, violinist and composer Piotr Szewczyk developed the Violin Futura Project, a collection of commissioned miniatures for solo violin that highlights over thirty international contemporary composers and how they are re-imagining the solo violin. “The purpose of the Violin Futura Project,” says Szewczyk, “is to sample the creative environment of our times by showcasing the wide variety of styles present in the 21st century, and to create a body of new solo violin repertoire.” Navona Records presents the album release of Szewczyk’s project, VIOLIN FUTURA.

The miniature format acts as a foundation for a self-contained concert program, in a way crafting a larger meta-piece comprised of movements written by different composers. Each piece in this collection stands on its own, yet as a group, an enthralling musical landscape of the 21st century emerges. The project’s focus on the solo violin miniature gives insight into how composers are implementing the aesthetic eclecticism of today, incorporating material from popular music, using extended techniques, and including written materials such as tabloid articles and poetry. With a group of international composers that crosses multiple generations, the listener is offered a variety of approaches to style and diction that are evolving concurrently.

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HIGHLIGHTS

All pieces on this recording were written for Szewczyk within a 5-year period, between 2006-2010

The composers represent multiple countries and cultures, including the United States, United Kingdom, Poland, Mexico, Hong-Kong, Finland, China, Japan, Germany, and Canada

Composers included on this release include Jason Bahr, Mason Bates, Richard Belcastro, Clifton Callender, Tyler Capp, Patrick Castillo, Lan Chee-Lam, Carson P. Cooman, Lisa R. Coons, Lawrence Dillon, Moritz Eggert, Aaron Einbond, Mark Grey, Jeffrey Harrington, Jianjun He, Kari Henrik Juusela, Sydney Hodkinson, Daniel Kellogg, John Kennedy, Marc Mellits, Hiro Morozumi, John Oliver, Carl Schimmel, Adam Schoenberg, Laurence Sherr, Gary Smart, Suzanne Sorkin, Jorge Sosa, Piotr Szewczyk, Ng Wah-Hei, Ethan Wickman, Nathan Williamson

Since 2007, Polish-born violinist Piotr Szewczyk has been a member of the Jacksonville Symphony first violin section

Szewczyk completed a three-year fellowship with the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas where he served as a rotating concertmaster

Szewczyk is the winner of FSU Doctoral Concerto Competition, the New World Symphony Concerto Competition, Young Artist String Competition in Lima OH, CCM Chamber Music Competition, and Interlochen Concerto Competition, among other awards

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Biography

Polish-born violinist Piotr Szewczyk has been hailed for his “stellar technique and constantly ringing tone” (Charleston Post and Courier) and has been a member of the Jacksonville Symphony’s first violin section since 2007. He is also an active composer, whose work has been called “magical” (Gramophone Magazine).

Szewczyk has also appeared as guest concertmaster with the Orlando Chamber Soloists and has completed a three-year fellowship at the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas, where he served as rotating concertmaster. He is the winner of FSU Doctoral Concerto Competition, the New World Symphony Concerto Competition, and other awards. As a soloist and chamber musician, he performed at the Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Spoleto Festival USA, Colorado Music Festival, Santa Fe New Music, and others.

As a composer, Szewczyk has received awards from The American Prize, Project Trio Competition, Flute Consortium Competition, Shuffle Concert Competition, American Modern Ensemble, Rapido! Composition Contest, Third Millennium Ensemble, and others. His music was featured on NPR Performance Today, the CBS Early Show, and has been performed by Atlanta Chamber Players, Trio Solis, Alias Ensemble, Dover Quartet, Carpe Diem String Quartet, Vega Quartet, Sybarite 5, Juventas Ensemble, New Music Raleigh, New World Symphony and at Eastern Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Colorado Music Festival, St. Augustine Music Festival, and others.

Dr. Szewczyk holds the degrees of D.M. from Florida State University, B.M. and double M.M. in violin and composition from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He studied violin with Piotr Milewski, Kurt Sassmannshaus, Dorothy DeLay, and Corinne Stillwell, and composition with Joel Hoffman, Michael Fiday, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, Henry Gwiazda, and Darrel Handel.

Full biography and more information are available at www.VeryNewMusic.com