Musicians of Lenox Hill 2024 Chamber Music Concert
Musicians of Lenox Hill
Join us for an unforgettable evening of chamber music! The Annual Chamber Music Concert of the Musicians of Lenox Hill will take place on Tuesday, April 15th, at 7:30 PM at Temple Israel of the City of New York. This year’s program showcases exquisite works by Bloch, Dvořák, Fiorillo, Ravel, and Prokofiev—a celebration of timeless artistry and musical brilliance.
Experience the magic of live music in the newly revitalized sanctuary, where tradition and elegance come together in perfect harmony. Mark your calendars and join us for an unforgettable evening of chamber music.
Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | 7:30pm
Main Sanctuary
Temple Israel of the City of New York
117 East 75th St. NYC
Program
Fiorillo – Trio in F Major for flute, violin and viola
Bloch – Prayer for cello and piano
Achron – Elegy for String Quartet op. 62
Ravel – Alborado del gracioso for solo piano
Dvořák – Bagatelles for 2 violins, cello and piano
Prokofiev – Overture on a Hebrew Theme for alto flute, string quartet and piano
This program commemorates the lives of Dr. Hyman Levy and Jerrold Levy, and their love of music.
In endowing this annual concert in memory of Dr. Hyman and Jerrold Levy, the late Mrs. Muriel Levy sought to promote the outstanding talents of the Musicians of Lenox Hill. Soo-Kyung Park, artistic director and founding member of the Musicians of Lenox Hill, has led the ensemble for more than two decades.
Renowned as a cardiologist, scientist, and teacher at Mount Sinai Hospitals, Dr. Hyman Levy was admired for his kind spirit and diligent work ethic. Alongside his contributions to medicine, he shared a passion for the arts and played the violin. Dr. Levy often organized chamber music sessions at the hospital, and his collection of selected chamber music has been generously donated to the Musicians of Lenox Hill. His son, Jerrold Levy, a devoted flutist, cherished his time at the Hebrew School of Temple Israel and in musical services. Dr. Levy’s legacy, spanning medicine, research, and music, is fondly remembered.
The Musicians of Lenox Hill, praised by the New York Concert Review as ‘exemplary’ and ‘impressive,’ form a unique ensemble of flute, violin, viola, cello, and piano. This blend allows them to explore different genres of literature with imaginative programming. This year’s musicians – Soo-Kyung Park (flute), Emilie-Anne Gendron and Anna Elashivili (violins), Andy Lin (viola), Sean Katsuyama (cello), and Yeontaek Oh (piano) – have multifaceted international solo, chamber music, and teaching careers, have won many of the world’s most prestigious music competitions, and regularly perform with leading major ensembles. They hold faculty positions at world-renowned institutions and summer festivals, have produced critically acclaimed albums with prominent record labels, and are deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of young artists.
Anna Elashvili
Anna Elashvili, violin, hailed as “riveting” by the New York Times and “maintaining ferocious accuracy into the upper register” by the New Yorker has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician and concertmaster around the world. She has collaborated with renowned artists such as Maxim Vengerov, Lynn Harrell, Daniel Hope and Dawn Upshaw.
Ms. Elashvili is currently a violinist in Decoda, an Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall, and the Musicians of Lenox Hill. She is a former first violinist of the Bryant Park Quartet and has performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, East Coast Chamber Orchestra, NOVUS NY and many others. Her international travels include concerts in England, Mexico, Germany, Canada, Israel, Iceland and Abu Dhabi.
Ms. Elashvili has written arrangements for several ensembles which have been performed around the country and in Europe. Anna commissioned and premiered works by prominent composers including, Valerie Coleman, Brad Balliett, Du Yun, Jane Antonia Cornish, Christopher Theofanidis, and Nico Muhly. She also enjoys collaborating with dance companies and has worked with Lar Lubovitch, Mark Morris and Wendy Whelan.
Ms. Elashvili is currently violin faculty the Special Music School and Yellow Barn’s Young Artist Program. Anna received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from The Juilliard School and completed a fellowship at Carnegie’s program “Ensemble Connect”. She has attended summer festivals including Yellow Barn, Perlman Music Program, Tanglewood and the Verbier Music Festival, where she served as concertmaster for several European tours.
Ms. Elashvili performs on a Sam Zygmuntowicz violin on a generous extended loan.
Emilie-Anne Gendron
Lauded by the New York Times as a “brilliant soloist” and by The Strad for her “marvelous and lyrical playing,” violinist Emilie-Anne Gendron enjoys a versatile career based in New York City. She is a member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; the Momenta Quartet, quartet-in-residence at Binghamton University; and has been on the roster of the Marlboro Music Festival and the touring Musicians from Marlboro since 2011. Ms. Gendron also appears with Talea Ensemble, A Far Cry, INTERWOVEN, New Asia Chamber Music Society, Sejong, Toomai String Quintet, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. In addition to frequently leading Orpheus, Ms. Gendron has served as concertmaster of the Iris Collective, Sejong, and Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, among others. She is a founding member of Ensemble Échappé, a new-music sinfonietta, and the Gamut Bach Ensemble, in residence at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.
Born in the U.S. to Japanese and French-Canadian parents, and a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, Ms. Gendron was trained at the Juilliard School where her teachers were Won Bin Yim, Dorothy DeLay, David Chan, and Hyo Kang. She holds a B.A. in Classics from Columbia University (magna cum laude and with Phi Beta Kappa honors), and a Master of Music degree and the coveted Artist Diploma from Juilliard.
Ms. Gendron plays on a 2016 Samuel Zygmuntowicz violin on loan from the Five Partners Foundation, and a 1673 Jacob Stainer violin on loan from the Englewood Chamber Players.
Sean Katsuyama
A versatile and accomplished cellist, Sean Katsuyama is a frequent performer on New York’s concert stages and Broadway theaters and has performed solo and chamber music in many of its most noted venues. He is a founding member of the Iris Quartet, which is now entering its eleventh year of concerts. Following 9/11, he had the honor to play for workers at the World Trade Center site.
As an orchestral player he was a member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic and Pacific Music Festival Orchestras, touring Europe, Japan, and Korea. He also toured the North American continent with “Star Wars in Concert”.
Mr. Katsuyama is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he studied with Channing Robbins and Harvey Shapiro. His early teachers include Lee Fiser in Cincinnati and Orlando Cole in Philadelphia. He is on the faculty of Bard College’s Preparatory Division and teaches classes at the Globe Institute and the Collegiate School and is regularly invited to adjudicate at the Hong Kong Schools of Music Festival.
His hobbies include the Chinese, Japanese, and Western versions of chess, photography, and golf. His instrument is a modern reproduction of the “Sleeping Beauty” Montagnana cello, formerly owned by Orlando Cole.
Dr. Andy Lin
Taiwanese-American violist and erhuist (Chinese violin), Dr. Andy Lin is a versatile and acclaimed performer of both Western and Eastern instruments. Praised by The Strad “The great Molto adagio… elicited some of the night’s most sensitive work, especially from Andy Lin on viola.” and The New York Times “Taiwanese-born violist Andy Lin… is also a virtuoso on the erhu, and he gave a brilliant performance.”
His recent appearances have included an erhu solo collaboration with world renowned pianist Lang Lang and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Lang Lang’s “The Disney Book” live in concert at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, a Triple Concerto by Paquito D’Rivera at the Festival PAAX GNP in Mexico, as well as a recital at the Metropolitan Museum. This year marks his fourth consecutive National Anthem performance for the New York Knicks’ Lunar New Year game night.
Andy is a member of the Musicians of Lenox Hill, the INTERWOVEN Ensemble, and serves as principal violist for both the New York Classical Players and Solisti Ensemble. He has won numerous competitions, including First Prize in the 2008 Juilliard Viola Concerto Competition, leading to his Lincoln Center solo debut with the Juilliard Orchestra.
As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as the Yonkers Philharmonic, Orford Academy Orchestra, Incheon Philharmonic, and the New York Classical Players.
A distinguished erhu virtuoso, Andy has appeared as a soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony, Grant Park Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and Busan Metropolitan Traditional Music Orchestra. In 2018, he performed Wenjing Guo’s “Wild Grass” with the Juilliard Orchestra, making him the only musician in Juilliard’s history to solo on both Western and Eastern instruments. (www.andylin6strings.com)
Yeontaek Oh
Praised by critics for his “millimeter precision of touch,” “full of contrasts and nuances” (Arts-Chipels, France), “rare sensitivity and dazzling virtuosity” (Le Progrès), “finesse of touch and technical mastery,” and “brave administration of silence” (El Norte de Castilla, Spain)
Pianist Yeontaek Oh completed his musical education across four countries: Seoul National University, New England Conservatory of Music (Master’s degree with honors and a Gilbert Foundation scholarship), Hochschule für Musik Freiburg (Konzertexamen degree as a recipient of DAAD and a German Government Scholarship), Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris (Concertiste degree with a full scholarship), and Manhattan School of Music (Doctor of Musical Arts, Teaching Assistantship).
Additionally, he has won over ten international competitions, including first prize at the Rio de Janeiro International Piano Competition in Brazil and second prize at Prix de Bern (Interlaken Classics). After making his debut with the Wonju Philharmonic Orchestra, he has extensively performed worldwide, including in South America and Africa. Yeontaek Oh, a Young Steinway Artist, has joined the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music (Chamber and Collaborative Department) since January 2025.
Soo-Kyung Park
Flutist Soo-Kyung Park enjoys a multi-faceted career as an international soloist, chamber musician, artistic director, producer, and teacher. At the age of 11, she was accepted into The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division, becoming the youngest flutist admitted at the time. She studied with Bonnie Lichter before continuing her education at The Juilliard School, earning both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees under the tutelage of Julius Baker and Jeanne Baxtresser.
Ms. Park has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, appearing in many of the world’s major concert halls. She has been featured at the National Flute Association Convention in San Antonio, giving a masterclass, as well as a guest artist at Youngstown Flute Day in Ohio and in the New York Flute Center Salon Series. Her solo engagements include a performance with the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra at IBK Hall in Seoul and double concerto appearances with Keith Underwood and Carol Wincenc in NYC. In 2013, she released her debut album, Reminiscing, under the SONY Korea label.
A sought-after educator, Ms. Park is on the faculty of New York University and Manhattan School of Music Pre-College. She also teaches at The Consummate Flutist summer masterclass series at Carnegie Mellon University. Beyond teaching, she has produced and presented masterclasses and recitals featuring world-renowned flutists, including Jeanne Baxtresser, Julien Beaudiment, Linda Chesis, Mathieu Dufour, and Karl-Heinz Schütz.
An avid chamber musician, Ms. Park is the artistic director and founding member of the Musicians of Lenox Hill, leading its annual performances at Temple Israel in NYC for over two decades. She is also the co-founder of NY Flutists, a professional flute ensemble based in NYC. (www.skpmusicians.com)
For Tickets
General Admission: $30
Support MOLH
Please consider making a donation to support the Musicians of Lenox Hill’s mission to bring the best of chamber music to life at the Temple Israel of the City of New York.
For more information
www.facebook.com/molhnyc
Instagram: @molhnyc
molhnyc@gmail.com
212-249-5000
Videos
J. Williams – Theme from “Schindler’s List” for Violin and Piano
R. Schumann – Piano Quartet in Eb Major for Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano, Op. 47
Bloch – Nigun (Improvisation) from Baal Shem: Three Pictures of Hassidic Life for Violin and Piano
W. A. Mozart – String Quartet No.14 in G Major K387 “Spring”
A. Rolla Little Duo for Violin and Viola, Op. 13
Philippe Gaubert – Piece Romantique for Flute, Cello and Piano
Shulz-Evler – Concert Arabesque on “By the Beautiful Blue Danube” for Solo Piano