FEATURE CONCERT - DUO OSTINATO
Melba Hall
8:00pm - 9:00pm, Saturday 28 July, 2018

FEATURE CONCERT -'Galaxsax' DUO OSTINATO (France)

'Galaxsax'

Croquembouches, Claude Delvincourt  

Akashia, Philippe Geiss

Berceuse, Frédéric Chopin

Galaxsax, Laszlo Sary / Arr. P.Geiss

Basso Ostinato, Rodion Schedrin / Arr. P.Geiss

Dos Caras, Guillermo Lago – World premiere

B Book, K.Babic / B.Bartok / P.Geiss

Country Sax, Philippe Geiss, Duo Ostinato / Guest : Cliff Leaman, saxophone soprano

Foxy Music, Philippe Geiss, Duo Ostinato / Guest : Joseph Lallo, saxophone Alto

Duo Ostinato is a collaboration in which the demands of interpretation rub shoulders with the freedom of improvisation. Created in 2015, the group has quickly developed an important reputation internationally, performing in France, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Japan and Taïwan. Marija Aupy (piano) and Philippe Geiss (saxophone), both passionate about chamber music, enrich their playing by seeking out new repertoires and creating a dialogue between musical styles. Step by step, through original works and arrangements by Philippe Geiss, they have developed a “crossover” language of their own.

PHILIPPE GEISS
A musician of international fame, Philippe Geiss gives concerts and master classes all over the world. Exceling in very diverse disciplines, he has mastered a repertoire that extends from classical to improvised music. He has been awarded prizes for Best Music for Drama at the Festival d’Avignon and the Académie du disque français, as well as the Music Prize of the Académie Rhénane. Besides his performance skills, he is also in great demand as a composer, with a catalogue ranging from solo to symphonic repertoire and published by Billaudot, Robert Martin and Leduc. He is Professor at the Strasbourg Conservatory and the Strasbourg Superior Music Academy / Haute École des Arts du Rhin, as well as a Guest Professor at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Tokyo and a member of the scientific committee of LabEx-GREAM at Strasbourg University. Philippe Geiss is Vice-President of the International Saxophone Committee, in which role he masterminded the artistic direction of SaxOpen – the 17th Congress and World Festival of the Saxophone – in Strasbourg in 2015. Philippe Geiss is a Selmer & D’Addario artist.

MARIJA AUPY
A pianist of Serbian origin, she was unanimously awarded rst prize from the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest and the Mokranjac school in Belgrade. She is also the holder of several international Grand Prizes. Marija Aupy now lives in France and divides her time between performing and teaching. A versatile musician, she has performed as a soloist and an accompanist in numerous countries in Europe, notably with Eva Marton, Jean-Pierre Blivet, Marianne Mateos de Havilland, Hubert Humeau, the Paris quartet, the European Choir of Paris, the Armenian mixed Choir of Paris, the Leó Weiner Symphony orchestra, the MAV Symphony orchestra and the instrumental ensemble “Texture” in Milan. Since February 2015, she has collaborated on a regular basis with the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra. e variety and extent of her repertoire are a testament to her knowledge of the classical repertoire and her awareness of contemporary composition: Aleksandar Vujic dedicated his Suite op. 30 for piano to her, Avy Schönfeld his Cantilena and Garbis Aprikian his Pieces for piano. Her interest in other art forms also allows her to collaborate with actors, painters, sommeliers, chefs, etc. Her discography includes several albums with works by Scriabin, Shchedrin, Simic, Chopin, Ravel, Haydn, Beethoven, Bartók and Aprikian. She has also participated in numerous recordings for German, Serbian, Hungarian and French television and radio programs. Recognized as an experienced and accomplished teacher, she has been invited to teach at the Académie Internationale de Paris, the Conservatoire de Neuilly, and other Parisian establishments, as well to give master classes in Japan and Taïwan. In 2009, she created her own piano school in Strasbourg.