Two of classical music’s leading instrumentalists have been to Athens before, but never as recital partners. Sunday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m., clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Emanuel Ax will play a varied recital in Hodgson Concert Hall. The program includes pieces by Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert, as well as works by three Back American composers, Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery and James Lee III.
In a solo turn, Ax will play Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata. McGill and Ax will conclude with Leonard Bernstein’s youthful, jazzy Clarinet Sonata.
ANTHONY MCGILL
Hailed for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” (New York Times), clarinetist Anthony McGill enjoys a dynamic international solo and chamber music career and is principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic — the first African American principal player in the organization’s history. He is the recipient of the 2020 Avery Fisher Prize, one of classical music’s most significant awards, and was named Musical America’s 2024 Instrumentalist of the Year.
McGill appears as a soloist with top orchestras, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras. He performed alongside Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Gabriela Montero at the first inauguration of President Barack Obama. American Stories, his album with the Pacifica Quartet, was nominated for a Grammy.
EMANUEL AX
Born to Polish parents in what is today Lviv, Ukraine, Emanuel Ax moved to Winnipeg, Canada, with his family when he was a young boy. Ax made his New York debut in the Young Concert Artists Series, and in 1974 won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv. In 1975 he won the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists, followed four years later by the Avery Fisher Prize.
The 2024/25 season begins with a continuation of the Beethoven For Three touring and recording project with partners Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo Ma, which takes them to European festivals including BBC Proms, Dresden, Hamburg, Vienna and Luxembourg. During the season he will return to the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras, National, San Diego, Nashville and Pittsburgh symphonies and the Rochester Philharmonic. For more information about Ax’s career, please visit EmanuelAx.com.
PROGRAM
SCHUMANN: Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73
JESSIE MONTGOMERY: Peace
SCHUBERT: Sonata in A Minor, D. 821, “Arpeggione”
BEETHOVEN: Moonlight Sonata (Ax solo)
FLORENCE PRICE: Adoration
JAMES LEE III: Ad anah?
BERNSTEIN: Clarinet Sonata
SUPPORTED BY
Julia Marlowe Swagler
BUYING TICKETS IS EASY
Securing tickets for UGA Presents performances couldn’t be easier. There are three ways to choose from:
- Purchase tickets online 24/7 at here.
- Call the Performing Arts Center Box Office at (706) 542-4400, Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Visit the UGA Performing Arts Center Box Office, Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (5 minute parking is available in the drop off circle at the Performing Arts Center for purchasing or picking up tickets.)
You may also create your own series of three or more performances (10% off). UGA Presents single tickets start at just $25 with promo code PAC25 and UGA student tickets are $10.