CLARA SCHUBILSKE EGSMN 2021 String Competition Winner - VIOLIN - Norway House
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May 22, 2022
EGSMN 2021 String Competition Winner
CLARA SCHUBILSKE
VIOLIN
Edvard Grieg
Society of Minnesota
A PROGRAM OF NORWAY HOUSEThe Edvard Grieg Society of Minnesota celebrates and promotes the music of Edvard Grieg as well as other Nordic composers through an annual concert series that features both local and international musicians. Each curated series offers unique opportunities to experience all types of music, including vocal, string, piano, and chamber music, in varied and often intimate settings.
Edvard Grieg Society of Minnesota presents
the 2021 String Competition Winner
Clara Schubilske, Violin
Ivan Konev, Piano
Catherine Schubilske, violin | guest
Sunday | May 22, 2022 | 2:00pm
Mindekirken, the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church
924 East 21st St | Minneapolis, MN
Violinist Clara Schubilske performs in this
concert as the winner of the second quadrennial
Edvard Grieg Society of Minnesota String
Competition. Schubilske is a first-year master's
student at the San Francisco Conservatory of
Music studying violin performance with Professor
Simon James. She received her bachelor's from
Northwestern University in violin performance
and social policy. She has participated in
numberous programs and festivals including the
New York String Orchestra Seminar Center
Semi oxford
Stage for Strings, and Orford Music Academy, as well as the Pienza Music Festival in
Italy and the Zodiac Music Festival in France, where her clarinet trio won the chamber
music award. She also enjoys freelancing in commercial and jazz music and has
performed with the Eagles and SFJazz and has played on the Leo Sowerby recordings
for Cedille Records and in Bryan Eng's debut jazz album "20." She hopes to continue
teaching and currently volunteers as a violin teacher through the Evanston Young
Artists program and the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative. Clara grew up in
Shoreview, Minnesota where her teachers included Lucia May, Elizabeth Ericksen,
and Sally O'Reilly.
2program
Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) Five Pieces for Violin and Piano
Op. 81
1. Mazurka
2. Rondino
3. Valse
4. Aubade
5. Menuetto
Carl Nielsen (1865–1931) Romance in B-Minor
Op. 20
Kaajia Saariaho (1952- ) Tocar
Johan Halvorsen (1864-1935) Concert Caprice on Norwegian Tunes
for two violins
in collaboration with Catherine Schubilske, violin
- intermission -
Franz Liszt (1811-1888) Consolation No. 3 in D-Flat Major
arr. Nathan Milstein
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) Sonata No. 2 for Piano and Violin in G Major
Op. 13
1. Lento doloroso, Poco allegro, Allegro vivace, Presto
2. Allegretto tranquillo
3. Allegro animato
3Performance Notes
from Clara Schubilske
Five Pieces for Violin and Piano
Op. 81, by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)
This is the third set of short pieces for violin and piano written by Sibelius around
1915. He had previously been conducting and composing in Oslo, Berlin, and the U.S.
to predominant success and acclaim. He received substantial funding for a piece to be
written for the Norfolk Music Festival in America, but as World War 1 began, his
funds were disrupted and he wrote these short pieces for publication in Finland to
maintain a source of income and support his family. The first piece, Mazurka, is often
performed on its own as a piece for salon concerts. The fourth, Aubade, means
morning music. They can and do all stand on their own, but complement each other
well when performed as a set.
I think that the variety and length of these pieces make them perfect for a recital. When
I first saw the violin part I thought it seemed fairly simple and straightforward, but the
piano part always manages to subvert my expectations and offer more exciting
textures, especially in the Aubade.
Romance in B Minor
Op. 20, by Carl Nielsen (1865–1931)
Carl Nielsen has composed works in a variety of styles, but many of them carry an
underlying vocal theme. That is especially true of the Romance in B Minor with its
soaring melody. It was originally written for orchestra and solo violin. The lush strings
in the orchestra create a warm, rich texture. Nielsen was a violinist in the Royal Danish
Orchestra under the baton of Johan Svendsen. At the Royal Academy in Copenhagen,
he studied composition with Niels Gade, who was also a teacher of Grieg.
4Tocar
by Kaajia Saariaho (1952- )
Tocar, meaning “to touch” or “to play” in Spanish, was written by Finnish composer
Kaija Saariaho in 2010. The title refers to the interplay between the piano and violin.
As the piece progresses, the texture of the two parts becomes more and more similar
until they both are bursting in a cacophony of 32nd notes. Tocar is an excellent
example of the complex polyphony that Saariaho masterfully weaves into her
compositions. She attended the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and has since been
recognized throughout Finland and the world for her compositions, receiving
numerous awards.
I love the trill effects that she uses (alternating between a harmonic and a non-
harmonic note in quick succession) and I think it is very effective in adding an element
of mystery that captivates the audience. It can be challenging to line up the fast notes
and polyrhythms with the piano, but that makes it even more rewarding when
everything works.
Concert Caprice on Norwegian Tunes for Two Violins
by Johan Halvorsen (1864-1935)
Johan Halvorsen is perhaps most famous for his “Passacaglia” based on a Handel suite
for harpsichord, but he also pays homage to his native Norway with his Concert
Caprice for two violins. Much like the Grieg Sonata, this piece is inspired by
Norwegian folk melodies.
I am so excited to play this with my mom. Of course, it is always a privilege to play
with a professional of her caliber and I am so lucky to have her guidance and support
whenever I have questions or need an ear. I also have many wonderful memories of
playing duets with my mom at senior centers and hospitals.
5Consolation No. 3 in D-flat Major
by Franz Liszt (1811-88), arr. Nathan Milstein
The great American violinist Nathan Milstein arranged this piece by Liszt in 1936. It
was originally the third movement (Lento Placido) of a six-movement work composed
in 1848 by Franz Liszt. The melody and accompaniment from the original piece are
mostly maintained in the Milstein arrangement but further chords and embellishments
are added to the melody and played by the violin. This piece unfolds as a friend
consoling someone who has experienced great loss and includes both empathetic
tragedy and hopeful encouragement. Liszt was a great friend and mentor to Edvard
Grieg. They first met in Rome in 1870 and Liszt expressed great satisfaction with
Grieg’s first violin sonata. Liszt performed his piano concerto later that year.
Sonata for Piano and Violin
No. 2 in G Major, Op. 13, by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Grieg’s second sonata embodies the hallmarks of great Norwegian music. He was
inspired by Ole Bull, a well-known Norwegian violinist and a great supporter of Grieg,
but he dedicated the piece to Johan Svendson, another Norwegian composer and peer.
One of Grieg’s teachers, Niels Gade, even said the work was “too Norwegian.” The
open string drones you can hear in the Allegro Vivace in the first movement invoke the
style of tunes played on the Hardanger fiddle, a traditional Norwegian instrument that
is similar to a violin but has 4 extra strings that ring sympathetically. This piece has a
generally joyful character as it was written after Grieg’s wedding. The third Sonata is
the most commonly played Grieg Sonata, but I think that the second sonata is highly
underrated.
This program is a bit ambitious as far as piano parts and I am extremely grateful to
Ivan Konev for playing with me. He is an amazing pianist and super easy to work
with, and this would not be possible without him.
6Personnel
Ivan Konev, Piano
Pianist Ivan Konev was born in Ukraine and educated in Moscow where he completed
his Bachelor's degree in Piano performance from the Music College affiliated with the
Moscow Conservatory and Master's degree in Piano Performance from Gnessin’s
Music Academy. Upon his graduation, he came to study piano and Liberal Arts at
Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In 2010 Ivan finished his Doctoral
degree in Piano Performance from the University of Minnesota.
As a soloist, Mr. Konev has won prizes in a number of international and local piano
competitions, including the Andorra International Piano Competition, Corpus Christi
International Piano Competition, Schubert Club Scholarship Competition, University
of Minnesota School of Music Concerto Competition, and the Bell Scholarship
Competition. An active performer in the United States and abroad, Ivan has appeared
numerous times in solo and chamber music concerts in such venues as the Embassy of
the United States in Moscow, Great, Small, and Rachmaninoff Halls of the Moscow
Conservatory, Sundin Music Hall, Ordway and Ted Mann Concert Hall in Minneapolis
among others.
As a chamber music collaborator, Dr. Konev performs regularly with faculty members
of the University of Minnesota School of Music and members of the Minnesota
Orchestra and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Dr. Konev is a Founder and Artistic
Director of the UWRF Piano Fest and UWRF Piano&Strings summer camp in River
Falls, WI where he is a member of the UWRF piano faculty.
7Catherine Schubilske, Violin
Catherine Schubilske joined the Minnesota Orchestra in 2000. Prior to that she
performed, recorded, and toured with the Chicago Symphony as an extra musician. She
was also a tenured member of the Milwaukee Symphony, Honolulu Symphony, and
Santa Fe Opera. She is fortunate to have played in all of the Minnesota Orchestra's
complete recording cycles of the symphonies of Beethoven, Sibelius, and Mahler with
Music Director Osmo Vänskä. As a soloist, she has appeared several times with the
Milwaukee Symphony and Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra.
A frequent participant in the Minnesota Orchestra’s chamber music series, she also
enjoys playing chamber music with the Hill House Chamber Players, on the Joya
series in Anoka, and at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul. She has performed at
the Bach Aria Festival, Strings in the Mountains Festival in Steamboat Springs, and in
a Dame Myra Hess concert broadcast in Chicago.
Schubilske studied pedagogy with Mimi Zweig at I.U. Bloomington, and enjoys
teaching privately at her home in Shoreview. Together with violinist Pamela Arnstein,
she taught an El Sistema class of young violinists at Nellie Stone Johnson School in
North Minneapolis for five years. Schubilske completed undergraduate studies at the
University of Cincinnati, studying with Jens Ellerman and winning the Hermann
Violin Scholarship competition. She earned a master’s degree in violin performance
from Indiana University; while there she studied with Franco Gulli and won the
Indianapolis Young Artist award. Post-graduate violin studies were with Vartan
Manoogian, Burton Kaplan, and Lea Foli.
8Upcoming Events
ONLINE: KRISTIN HARILA
June 2, 2022 | 11:00am
Conversation with the record-breaking Norwegian mountain climber
FREE with online Zoom registration
Presented by the Honorary Norwegian Consul General, Minnesota
PAPIRKLIP: A GLOBAL + TIMELESS ART
June 10 - August 14, 2022
In the Galleri at Norway House
Presented in partnership with the Museum of Danish America
MIDTSOMMER GALA 2022
June 13, 2022 | 5:00pm
Omni Viking Lakes Hotel | Eagan, MN
NORDIC MIDSUMMER FEST AT BUCK HILL
June 18, 2022
At the Buck Hill Ski Resort in Burnsville, MN
EGSMN Advisory Board
Stacy Baehman, Christina Carleton, Sharon Carlson, Rolf Erdahl, Joseph Grøhdahl, Bill
Halverson, Melissa Holm-Johansen, Jim Lewis, Nancy Olson, Margy Sather Peterson, Erik
Pratt, Shirley Santoro, Ellen Schmitt, Peter Skjervold, Sonja Thompson
9THANK YOU TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS CONCERTMASTER ENCORE $2500 + $1000 - $2499 William Halverson Evelyn Sonnack Halverson Norland Family Michael and Shirley Santoro Robert Baird & Co Ertugrul and Karen Tuzcu STANDING OVATION $500-$999 Sharon Carlson Sylvia Eckes Nancy Sand Olson Arlene Wilson Susan Carlson James Lewis and William Bloedow Rebecca Jorgenson Sundquist Sponsoring $100 - $499 Brad Althoff and Greg Scanlon, Pearl Almquist, Sonja Anderson, Ethan Bjelland, Carolyn Bliss, Gary and Jean Blosberg, Philip and Carolyn Brunelle, Ernest Caltvedt, Christina Carleton, Sarah Blain Chaplin, Anne Dinapoli, David Distad, Gordon and Donna Ditmanson, Paul and Diane Ditmanson, Ruth Donhowe, Al and Sylvia Eckes, Edvard Grieg Society of America, Edvard Grieg Society of the Dakotas, Edvard Grieg Society of the Northwest, Jim Eidsvold, Rolf Erdahl, Myrtle Grette, Ruth Hagander, Roger Haugo, Timothy and Carol Hearn, Finn and Jorunn Henrikssen, Anna Hersey, Mary Kay Hicks, Orville (Joe) Hognander, Melissa Holm-Johansen and Doug Rohde, Susan Holm-Johansen, Signe Ilstrup, Cathy Jacobson, Ulf Johansen, Karen Johnson, Nancy Johnson, Sonia Johnson, Patricia Jones, Inez Jukulen, Catrina Koenig, Jill Kuschel, Al Kvaal, Mark Larson, Rianne Leaf, Laura Loge, Britt Lundgren, Dave and Linda Mona, Ivanell Monson, Dianne Moore, Herb Morgenthaler, Norway Art (Dr. Mary Jo Thorsheim), Donald Notvik, Dennis and Turid Ormseth, Gary Osberg, Philip and Eve Overby, Mark Pearson, Jon Pederson, Eric and Lynndelle Pratt, Lori Ann Reinhall, John Sandgren, Pauline Sateren, Mary Shackelford, Carol Skaar, Peter Skjervold, Paula and Jeffrey Soholt, Marilyn Sorensen, Allan & Eunice Sortland, Marie Sortland, Paul and Carolyn Sortland, Diane Steen-Hinderlie, Peter Storvick, Glenn Talbot, Esther Tatley, Andrea Thaden, Paul and Karen Thissen, Sonja Thompson and Steven Benson, Betty Vandersteen, Emily Wallace, Maxine Wallin, Rita Warner, Eunice Anderson Webb Friends Up to $99 Mary Bang, Kai Bjerkness, Susan Chaplin, Joan Davig, Marcia Fuglestad, Kirsti Grodahl, Paul Hauge, Kenneth and Linda Holmen, Mark and Thelma Johnson, Patricia Jones, Katheren Koehn, Rianne Leaf, Liv Norderhaug, Luke Norell, Paul and Margy Peterson, Kathy Rice, Eileen Ronning, Linda Schwartz, R. Carsten Smaby, Angeline Sorenson, Rebecca Thompson, Margaret Trautwein, William Wangensteen, Susan Phipps-Yonus, Joyce Young 10
TAKK.
The Edvard Grieg Society of Minnesota is a program of Norway
House, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to building a
bridge between the United States and Contemporary Norwegian
arts, business, and culture. If you would like to make a donation
to support this initiative, you can write a check to Norway House
today, and mark "EGSMN" in the Memo. You can also donate
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indicate your donation is intended for the Edvard Grieg Society of
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