In the month of December, a series of recitals was presented by violist Morgan O’Shaughnessey and pianist Jakub Tchorzewski in California and Oregon. The duo celebrated the recent release of their debut album, “Elegie,” featuring works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Carter, and Tertis, recorded at the Castle Rohrsdorf in Dresden, Germany. The two have previously performed together on several occasions in Italy, including a solo recital for the President of the Italian Republic, which was broadcast live on RAI Radio 3. The concert, highlighting the duo’s dedication to rare works by 20th-century Italian composer Gino Gorini, is also available on the Tactus label.
O’Shaughnessey, a Los Angeles-based freelance violist, graduated with honors from the Interlochen Arts Academy and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He met Polish pianist Tchorzewski (who lives in Venice, Italy) in 2012 when a former teacher recommended him for collaboration on Tchorzewski’s concert series at Teatro la Fenice. Tchorzewski, also an alum of SFCM, specializes in collaborative chamber music repertory. He worked as a collaborative pianist at Latina, Udine and Venice Conservatories and has been a member of the European Chamber Music Teachers Association since 2014.
[Source: press release]