Tuesday, September 29, 2020

1742 Guarneri del Gesu Exceptional Violins



Say hello to a whole new way of experiencing and enjoying violin music! This streaming project is the result of my dream of recording on one of the top violins in the world, an exquisite late period Guarneri del Gesu violin from 1742 also know as the "Sloan" Del Gesu.


It’s nice to be able to make a living doing something you care about especially these days when Concert Halls are closed and there are so few opportunities to share our music with live audiences. The selections you will hear are my favorite pieces from the violin solo repertoire.


We live in the age of great technological achievements. So great in fact, that a large majority of the releases we see and hear these days are spliced, edited, digitally manipulated to such a degree that often times it resembles very little of the original track. It’s really the standard of the day and it shouldn’t surprise anyone. 

I decided to do the opposite and what you’ll hear on these recordings are straight out of the microphone takes, with no sound editing on our part. Flying without a net, as close to a live performance as it gets. It’s not a  technically perfect recording and at times you might see on my face the anxiety of having to surf between the noise coming from the construction site next door, and other unexpected noises that came up particularly at the end of important or difficult takes that could have been a keeper. 


Making this recording has been a memorable journey of discovery and I’m so thankful to Dr. William & Judy Sloan for allowing me to visit for many weeks and borrow the wonderful violins and bows.

Thanks for looking and for supporting my work!


Repertoire List:


Fritz Kreisler - Recitativo and Scherzo Caprice

Eugène Ysaÿe - Sonata No. 3 "Ballade"

J. S. Bach - Chaccone, Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004

J.S. Bach - Sarabande, Partita No.1 in B minor, BWV 1002

George Enescu - Impressions D'enfance, Le Ménétrier 

Niccolò Paganini - Caprices Nos. 1, 5, 9, 14, 21 & 24

Astor Piazzola - Tango Etude #3

Ion Voicu - The Morning After the Wedding


Friday, September 18, 2020

1714 Stradivari "Jackson" Exceptional Violins

 Rent Here on Vimeo!

Say hello to a whole new way of experiencing and enjoying violin music! This streaming project is the result of my dream of recording on one of the top violins in the world, an exquisite golden age period Stradivari violin from 1714 also know as the “Jackson” Strad. 


It’s nice to be able to make a living doing something you care about especially these days when Concert Halls are closed and there are so few opportunities to share our music with live audiences. The selections you will hear are my favorite pieces from the violin solo repertoire.


We live in the age of great technological achievements. So great in fact, that a large majority of the releases we see and hear these days are spliced, edited, digitally manipulated to such a degree that often times it resembles very little of the original track. It’s really the standard of the day and it shouldn’t surprise anyone. 

I decided to do the opposite and what you’ll hear on these recordings are straight out of the microphone takes, with no sound editing on our part. Flying without a net, as close to a live performance as it gets. It’s not a  technically perfect recording and at times you might see on my face the anxiety of having to surf between the noise coming from the construction site next door, and other unexpected noises that came up particularly at the end of important or difficult takes that could have been a keeper. 


Making this recording has been a memorable journey of discovery and I’m so thankful to Dr. William & Judy Sloan for allowing me to visit for many weeks and borrow the wonderful violins and bows.


Join us in couple weeks on October 3 for the release of the second episode of the Exceptional Violins Series featuring another great violin, the 1742 Guarneri Del Gesu “Sloan”


Repertoire List:


Fritz Kreisler - Recitativo and Scherzo Caprice

Eugène Ysaÿe - Sonata No. 3 "Ballade"

J. S. Bach - Chaccone, Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004

J.S. Bach - Sarabande, Partita No.1 in B minor, BWV 1002

George Enescu - Impressions D'enfance, Le Ménétrier 

Niccolò Paganini - Caprices Nos. 1, 5, 9, 14, 21 & 24

Astor Piazzola - Tango Etude #3

Ion Voicu - The Morning After the Wedding



Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Exceptional Violins Series - Stradivari 1714 "Jackson"

Please join us Saturday 9/19 for the launch of the first episode of the Exceptional Violins Series stream featuring selections of solo violin repertoire by Bach, Paganini, Ysaÿe, Kreisler, Enescu & Piazzola performed on the 1714 "Jackson" Stradivari violin kindly on loan from Dr. William Sloan.



Friday, July 17, 2020

Romanian Cultural Institute New York Recital

Very excited to have been invited to present a recital in the prestigious Enescu Soirees Online Recital Series!





Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Advice on Having a Successful VSA Competition

Strings Magazine asked me to share few thoughts about my experience as a tone judge for the 2018 Violin Society of America International Instrument and Bow Making Competition.

Here is an article with some useful information for violin and bow makers which appeared in the May 2019 issue.

https://stringsmagazine.com/instrument-bow-makers-judges-offer-advice-on-having-a-successful-vsa-competition/