Amit Peled (Cello), Eli Kalman (Piano June 19, 2010

Downtown Piano Works is deeply honored to welcome International Concert Artists, Amit Peled, and Eli Kalman to our Fine Artist Concert Series for an evening of works by (to be determined) As always, there is no charge for admission to our series, but space is limited to 65. Please RSVP (301) 631-1234 to guarantee a seat for this performance.

From the United States to Europe to the Middle East to Asia, Israeli cellist Amit Peled, a musician of profound artistry and charismatic stage presence, is acclaimed as one of the most exciting instrumentalists on the concert stage today.

Mr. Peled has performed as soloist with orchestra and in the world's major concert halls, such as: Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall, New York, Salle Gaveau, Paris, Wigmore Hall, London, Konzerthaus, Berlin, and Tel Aviv's Mann Auditorium. Peled is also a frequent guest artist, performing and giving master classes at prestigious summer music festivals such as the Marlboro Music Festival, Newport Music Festival, Seattle Chamber Music Festival, Heifetz International Music Institute, Schleswig Holstein Festival and Euro Arts Festival in Germany, Gotland Festival in Sweden, Prussia Cove Festival in England, The Violoncello Congress in Spain, and the Kfar Blum Music Festival in Israel.

As a recording artist, Mr. Peled has just released two critically acclaimed CDs: "The Jewish Soul" and "Cellobration" under the Centaur Records Label. In 2009/10 Mr. Peled will make his debut with the Baltimore Symphony, and the Columbus Symphony, return to Taiwan for the Brahms Double concerto with the National Symphony, to Israel for performances with the Jerusalem Symphony and Maestro Botstein, and will appear with about twenty more orchestras worldwide.

Amit Peled has been featured on television and radio stations throughout the world, including NPR's "Performance Today", WGBH Boston, WQXR New York, WFMT Chicago, Deutschland Radio Berlin, Radio France, Swedish National Radio & TV, and Israeli National Radio & TV.

One of the most sought after cello pedagogues in the world, Mr. Peled is a Professor at the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University and plays a rare Andrea Guarneri cello ca. 1689.

Eli Kalman has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician in Romania, Israel, Germany, Hungary, United States and Canada. Hailing from Israel, he was the recipient of the Paul Collins Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship for Excellence at UW-Madison. He was an enthusiastic artist in-residence at the Chamber Music Festival at Banff, Canada where he has performed for three consecutive years in the Art of the Ensemble concert series. Dr. Kalman performed at the Token Creek Festival, the Emmanuel Music-Schumann Chamber Series in Boston, the Connoisseur Series at Wichita State University and as a part of the acclaimed Myra Hess Memorial concerts in Chicago, with cellist Amit Peled. He also performed repeatedly on the Faculty Concert Series at UW-Madison with inspiring cellist Parry Karp. His main research interests include neglected repertoire for strings and piano and the compositions of Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti and Israeli composer Erwin Junger. In 2001, he recorded on CD the works for solo piano and cello and piano by Erwin Junger and in 2006 Robert Schumann’s Sonatas for Violin and Piano with violinist Rose Mary Harbison. Other recordings of his recitals have been heard on Jerusalem Radio and for the most part on Wisconsin National Public Radio. In 2005, Dr. Kalman joined the piano faculty at the Young Artist Seminars at Rocky Ridge Music Center, CO. and he is also on the piano faculty at the association “Maestro“, which is a non-profit organization in Israel that provides a home base for accomplished Israeli musicians living abroad. He currently serves as Professor of Piano on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh where he collaborates intensely with his colleagues in various faculty recitals and concert series such as “Infusion” and “Searl Pickett Classical Concert Series” at Windhover.

Dr. Kalman earned the Diploma in Piano Performance at the Academy of Music “G. Dima” in Cluj, Romania, the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.