The fifth annual Water Island Classical Music Festival will be held on Feb. 12, 13 and 14. Pianist Julian Gargiulo returns for his fifth year with a program he played in January at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Joining him will be six world-class musicians, including the winner of this year’s Paganini Competition, violinist Dmitri Berlinsky, jazz pianist Wells Hanley, jazz singer Patrice Perry, Russian pianist Maria Yefimova, operatic soprano Roza Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan and soprano Olga Shyp. Seven musicians are set to perform three concerts; each evening will feature a totally different program of music.
There will be ferry service from St. Thomas from Crown Bay Marina and return ferry boats to bring concert-goers back. All three concerts will take place from 7-10 p.m., at Providence Point, Water Island. They are free, but music lovers will be asked to bring a donation to cover the artists’ expenses. The ferry from Crown Bay Marina will be available at 6:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. to meet the concert and a return at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Julian Lawrence Gargiulo is a dynamic classical pianist, who plays the masters with extraordinary passion and precision, and fills the concert hall with his personal brand of charm, humor and charisma. He has performed in the United States, Italy, France, Germany, England, Russia, Singapore and Australia.
Dmitri Berlinsky is a soloist and chamber musician bringing music’s spirit to his audience, reaching levels above mere entertainment. Berlinsky arrived on the international scene as the youngest winner in the history of the Paganini International Violin Competition in Genoa, Italy. This victory led to his performance on Nicolo Paganini’s own Guarneri del Gesú instrument, a privilege shared by only a handful of artists in history. Subsequent triumphs at the Montreal International Violin Competition (Grand Prize), the International Tchaikovsky Competition and the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels, led to appearances with major orchestras in Europe, Russia, the Far East, and North and South America. He has performed in such major venues as Carnegie and Avery Fisher Halls in New York, The Kennedy Center in Washington, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, the Munich Herkulessaal, the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, the Bonn Beethoven Hall, Le Place des Arts in Montreal, and the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires among others. Born in Petersburg into a family of musicians, he began studying the violin with his father. At a very early age he appeared as soloist with the St. Petersburg Symphony and the Moscow Philharmonic.
Russian-born pianist Maria Yefimova has performed solo and chamber music recitals in Italy, Spain, England, Slovakia, Croatia, Russia and the United States. She made her orchestral debut with the Slovak Philharmonic in Bratislava, which was broadcast live on National Television. Her recent orchestral performances include Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto and Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto with the Tambov Philharmonic in Russia.
Soprano Olga Shyp is a native of Odessa, Ukraine, where she graduated from the Odessa State Conservatory. She has committed herself to oratorio singing and has been featured as a soprano soloist with the Odessa Philharmonic Society, German Cultural Society Chorus "The Bayern House" and Odessa State Conservatory Chorus. Shyp has performed in concert tours throughout Germany, Italy and Ukraine, and appeared in a number of recitals and ensemble concerts in her home region. Her concert repertoire includes Handel’s "Messiah," Mozart’s "Requiem," Brahms’ "Requiem" J.S. Bach’s "Magnificat," "Johannes Passion" and "Matteus Passion" as well as Haydn’s "Lord Nelson Mass" and other works.
Roza Tulyaganova is a native of Uzbekistan. She has appeared as a featured artist in concerts with Las Vegas Opera, singing scenes from “Lucia di Lammermoor” (Lucia), “Lakmé” (Lakmé), “Carmen” (Frasquita), “La Bohème” (Musetta), and “Die Zauberflöte” (Papagena). She has also appeared as a featured soloist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Tulyaganova is a first-place winner of the Texas Music Teachers Association, two-time district winner of Metropolitan Opera Audition, district winner of the National Association of Teachers of Singing award, winner of UNLV concerto competition and a finalist of the Meistersinger competition in Graz, Austria.
Wells Hanley is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. His musical influences range from the Beatles and Led Zeppelin to Bach and Brahms. Hanley’s professional experience covers an equally diverse terrain, from performances with jazz greats like Betty Carter and Wynton Marsalis to recordings with folk/rock icon Dave Matthews. Current projects include a full length recording as singer and songwriter as well as a movie soundtrack with Boyd Tinsley of the Dave Matthews Band.
Patrice Perry is a singer, actress and filmmaker. Growing up in Toronto, Canada, she started singing in church at the age of 6, where she was influenced by gospel music. Born to Antiguan parents, she was also surrounded by the sounds and rhythms of the Caribbean – all of which are reflected in her singing. Rounding out her musical interests, she studied classical piano for 10 years at the Royal Conservatory of music in Canada. In addition, Perry studied theatre at York University and film at the International Academy of Design and Technology. Her love affair with the stage developed in later years, performing musical theatre in Toronto. In 2009, she spread wings with the production of several Web series and an appearance in a music video for pop/folk singer Seth Breitman. Perry can be seen performing in various clubs and venues around New York. This year, she returns for the third time to the Water Island Music Festival.
The concerts are sponsored by the Randall family of Water Island, who utilize their home as the concert venue. For more information, call 774-2635 in the evening.
