Award-winning Shea-Kim duo's new album: intimate works for violin and piano by Dvorak, Grieg, and Janacek
"The Sound and the Fury" is released November 12 on Blue Griffin Recording
The award-winning Shea-Kim duo - violinist Brendan Shea and pianist Yerin Kim - have been performing together for over a decade. They have toured across North America, Europe and South Korea, and have won gold medals at the Manhattan International Music Competition and the Ackerman Chamber Music Competition. On November 12, 2021 their new album, The Sound and the Fury, is released on Blue Griffin Recording (BGR593).
All of the works on The Sound and the Fury - Dvorak's Mazurek Op. 49 B.89, Grieg's Sonata for piano and violin No. 3, and Janacek's Sonata for violin and piano - are infused with folk melodies from each of the composers' home countries, and allow both instrumentalists to display their virtuosity.
Dvorak was inspired by Pablo Sarasate's the incredible technique, and dedicated the Mazurek to him, which has become a favorite concert showpiece. Grieg's third violin sonata stands out as one of his few works in the German Romantic style, and much larger in scale than his other sonatas. The piece was one of the composer's favorite works, and he often performed the piano part himself when the opportunity arose. Janacek composed his only violin sonata on the eve of World War I. The composer later wrote that he “could just about hear the sound of steel clashing in [his] troubled head.”
Yerin Kim and Brendan Shea wrote in the liner notes of the album that these selections reflect their personalities. "Between the deep, majestic fjords of Edvard Grieg, the emotional turbulence of Leos Janacek, and the joy and love of Antonin Dvorak, we found a program that reflects the full spectrum we see in ourselves, and our stories."
Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of this recording.
The Sound and Fury
Shea-Kim duo
Brendan Shea, violin
Yerin Kim, piano
Blue Griffin Recording (BGR593)
Release date: November 12, 2021
View Shea-Kim Duo's Digital Press Kit
TRACKS
ANTONIN DVORAK
[01] Mazurek, Op. 49 B.89
Allegro [6:44]
EDVARD GRIEG
Sonata for piano and violin No. 3 in C minor, Op.45
[02] I. Allegro molto ed appasionato [8:46]
[03] II. Allegretto espressivo alla Romanza [6:20]
[04] III. Allegro animato - Prestissimo [7:41]
LEOS JANACEK
Sonata for violin and piano
[05] I. Con moto [5:16]
[06] II. Ballada [4:50]
[07] III. Allegretto [2:39]
[08] IV. Adagio [4:45]
Total playing time: 47:07
About the Artists
Violinist Brendan Shea and pianist Yerin Kim formed the award winning Shea-Kim duo in 2014. The pair has toured across North America, Europe, and South Korea, and regularly appears at music festivals from Annapolis to Anchorage.
The duo are founders and directors of a sensory-friendly concert series that brings high quality chamber music to children and adults with autism in New York, St. Louis, and South Bend, Indiana. They are also co-founders of the Chamber Orchestra Intensive at Indiana University. In addition to “The Sound and the Fury”, Shea-Kim duo released a live concert album from a performance in Seoul, South Korea in 2016 on the Ark Studio label.
Shea-Kim duo was awarded gold medals at the Manhattan International Music Competition and the Ackerman Chamber Music Competition. In addition to their performance activities, Ms. Kim is Assistant Professor of Piano at the Central Washington University and Mr. Shea is concertmaster of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. Previously, Shea was the violinist of the Euclid quartet and Professor at Indiana University, and both Kim and Shea served on the faculty at the University of Notre Dame.