Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu HanEExperience classical music up close as cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han perform “The Passionate Cello” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11.
The performance is presented by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.
On the program are Beethoven’s 12 Variations in G-Major on “See the conqu’ring hero comes” from Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus, WoO 45; Schumann’s Adagio and Allegro for Cello and Piano, Op. 70; Mendelssohn’s Sonata No. 2 for Cello and Piano in D major, Op. 58; and Grieg’s Sonata in A-Minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 36.
Tickets are $35 with a post-show VIP reception. ASC members receive $10 off tickets. UAB student tickets are $10, with a limited availability. UAB faculty may purchase $25 tickets; a limited number of $25 tickets are available for each show. All UAB students, faculty and staff may receive a 20 percent discount on single tickets. For tickets, call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
Finckel and Han rank among the most dynamic and influential forces in classical music today, according to the pair’s artist statement. Their virtuosity and insightful musicianship are matched by their artistic versatility, which finds them equally at home as recitalists, chamber musicians and orchestral soloists. The duo are recipients of Musical America’s Musicians of the Year award, one of the highest honors granted by the music industry. The talent, energy, imagination and dedication they bring to their endeavors as concert performers, recording artists, educators and cultural entrepreneurs go unmatched. Their duo performances have garnered superlatives from the press, public and presenters alike, and inspired audiences around the world.
The New York Times praised the pair: “Mr. Finckel and Wu Han gave eloquent and deeply committed performances. He played with a deep and burnished tone and she with a sparkling virtuosity. Best of all was how keenly they listened to each other.” The San Francisco Chronicle declared their performance “Superb … a musical experience that was at once vibrant, beautiful and intellectually stimulating.”