Ines Irawati, piano; Photo by Weston Bennett
Sophie Webber, cello
Monday, April 25, 2022
12 PM
About the Musicians:
Ines Irawati
Indonesian-born pianist, Ines Irawati is in demand as a solo recitalist, a collaborative pianist, and a vocal coach. At a young age, she was accepted to the Junior Original Concert, a prestigious music program where young musicians compose original works and perform them around the world. She was invited to the International UNICEF Benefit in Japan, where she performed her concerto with the NHK Symphony Orchestra. Her work for solo flute, “Flirting Belugas”, was published by the Manduca Music Publication.
Her recent engagements include performances for TEDxSan Diego at Copley Symphony Hall, the Art of Élan, Musikamar chamber concerts, concerts in Centro Cultural Tijuana, and performances all over Southern California. She is Ms. Irawati has served as the musical and artistic director of San Diego Opera Young Artist Training Program, where she directed the company’s outreach concert series, Opera Exposed!, and its production of Little Red Riding Hood, a children’s opera by Seymour Barab. She was the vocal coach and collaborative piano faculty at Point Loma Nazarene University as well as for the prestigious Institute for Young Dramatic Voices. With singers Josh Arky and Alex Rodrick, Ms. Irawati is involved in La Cena è Pronta, a project which explores the nourishing ways of food and music enrich our lives through intimate vocal performances. She is a founding member of the acclaimed Aviara Trio, a piano trio described as the “highest level of instrumental perfection, intensity, passion, and expression.” She has collaborated with many other esteemed chamber musicians such as violinist Cindy Tien-Hsin Wu, cellist Sophie Webber, and double-bassist Jeremy Kurtz-Harris. She is a member of Hidden Valley Virtuosi.
Ms. Irawati founded MusiKamar, a music series which brings exquisite chamber music performances into smaller and intimate spaces.
Ms. Irawati studied at Cleveland Institute of Music with Olga Radoslavjevich and at Yale University where she studied with Claude Frank, Peter Frankl and Kikuei Ikeda of the Tokyo String Quartet. She lives in San Diego with her husband and their two children To know more about Ms. Irawati, visit www.inesirawati.com
Sophie Webber
British Cellist Dr. Sophie Webber is an internationally accomplished soloist, chamber musician, arts activist, and educator, currently residing in San Diego. A former DM student of Janos Starker and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, she previously studied with Richard Markson at Trinity College of Music, London, from where she graduated with a First Class Honors degree, as well as the Sir John Barbirolli memorial prize for cello. She has been the recipient of many awards for her playing, including the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Graduate Strings Prize, Zumaia International Chamber Music Festival First and Public Prize, the Leonard Smith Strings and Piano Award, and she was finalist for the Oxfordshire Young Musician of the Year.
In 2018, Dr. Webber released her debut double album, "ESCAPE: BACH’S SIX SUITES FOR SOLO CELLO”, recorded by multi grammy-winning audio engineer, Chris Willis. The album received critical acclaim and ongoing radio coverage throughout the USA and UK.
In 2020, Sophie released her second album, “B2C: BACH CELLO SUITES TO CHOIR”, featuring Bach Cello Suites Nos. 1 and 3, accompanied by her own original choral arrangement, performed by members of Chicago’s Choir of Ascension. The lyrics (or “vocables”) were provided by former King’s Singer baritone and arranger, Philip Lawson. The album was chosen by Rik Malone, Music Director of Los Angeles KUSC 91.5FM, as one of his favorite albums of 2020.
Sophie is excited to now turn her attention to duo work with the highly esteemed pianist, Ines Irawati. Their 2022 performance tour will include the recording and release of a duo album.
A dedicated educator, Sophie has been faculty at Lake Forest College, Southeast Missouri State University, Oxford Cello School, Trinity College of Music Junior Department, and the Jacobs School of Music Summer Clinic. She also held a position as Music Theory Instructor at Indiana University for four years. In 2009, she founded Fused Muse Ensemble, an IL npo with a mission to amplify voices too often left unheard through music and mixed media.
Program:
“ROOTS”
A Duo Recital
Sophie Webber, cello
Ines Irawati, piano
C. Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
“The Swan” from Carnival of the Animals
R. Schumann (1810-1856)
Fantasiestücke, Op.73
N. Paganini (1782-1840)
Variations on One String on Theme by Rossini
R. Schumann (1810-1856)
transc. by F. Liszt (1811-1886)
“Widmung”
G. Fauré (1810-1885)
Après un rêve
M. de Falla (1876-1946)
Suite Populaire Espagnole
El paño moruno
Nana
Jota
Asturiana
Canción
Polo
J. Massenet (1842-1912)
Meditation from ‘Thaïs’
Free concerts at noon every other Monday from fall through spring . . . no wonder the Mini-Concerts are the longest-running and one of the most popular classical music series at the library! This series was founded by Glenna Hazleton in 1970 at the Athenaeum, and has been going strong ever since. The concerts feature both local and touring musicians, prize-winning students, university music faculty members, local chamber ensembles. . . and the repertoire also includes jazz, folk and world music. There are no reservations, no tickets . . . just line up at the side door of the Athenaeum before noon. (Donations are always welcome!) Mini-Concerts take place every other Monday at noon and last about an hour.
The concerts will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for these events. Doors open at 11:50 a.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert. Face coverings are required for attendees, regardless of vaccination status. Proof of vaccination or negative test within 48 hours of the event is required. Event capacity is limited to 70% for now.