Janelle Phinney and Maira Liliestedt present a lecture-recital of Brahms’s emotionally-charged Hungarian Dances. Dr. Maira Liliestedt presents a lecture exploring the style hongrois featured in the dances and how Brahms’ musical construction represents the fictionalized gypsy “other.” The pair will then perform ten of the twenty-one dances.

The Appassionata Piano Duo has been a successful musical partnership since 1996. Critic Tom Wachunas described the duo’s playing as “a warm and deft joining of palpable grace with flawless, often fiery technique,” displaying a “riveting, lucid finesse alternately muscular and delicate.” The ensemble has also garnered praise for its “wonderful ensemble, balance, and unity of purpose,” and its “terrific collaboration full of grace and passion.” (Eugene and Elisabeth Pridonoff, Cincinnati Conservatory Professors of Piano Emeriti.)

A live stream of this concert will be available to watch for free on our website at https://www.nmmusd.org/nmm-live-video