Rosanne Philippens, the violinist on this album, explores various musical worlds beyond classical repertoire, including bluegrass and gypsy music.
Performer Biography
Xian Zhang, the conductor, was the first holder of the Arturo Toscanini Chair as Associate Conductor of the New York Philharmonic.
Composer Biography
Karol Szymanowski, the composer, grew up in an aristocratic, art-loving Polish family who owned the estate of Tymoszówka near Kiev.
Performer Biography
Rosanne Philippens, a Dutch violinist, won first prizes at the Dutch National Violin Competition (2009) and the Freiburg International Violin Competition (2014).
Instruments
Rosanne Philippens plays a violin made by Bergonzi in 1741, which is on loan from the Dutch National Musical Instrument Foundation and was previously played by Herman Krebbers.
Performer Biography
Xian Zhang, the conductor, made her professional debut conducting Le nozze di Figaro at the Central Opera House in Beijing at the age of 20.
Historical Context
Szymanowski's family was forced to abandon their estate in Ukraine and return to Poland due to the October Revolution of 1917.
