By Eileen Wingard
LA JOLLA, California — Israeli concert violinist, Asi Matathias will be performing a recital this coming Thursday, September 11, at 7 p.m. in the Garfield Theater of the Lawrence Family Community Center. The sponsoring San Diego Center for Jewish Culture is offering this special musical evening as a complimentary gift to the community!
The native Israeli has traveled the globe performing to great acclaim. The Beijing Music Weekly wrote, “his audience was enraptured;” the Kolner Stadt Anzeiger reported that he “created magic with an immense richness of sound and color;” and Ha’aretz called his performance, “wonderous playing.”
Asi’s piano collaborator will be the prize-winning Juilliard graduate, Matthew Graybil. Their program will open with the Chaconne by the Baroque composer, Tomaso Antonio Vitali, followed by one of the most beloved of the Romantic sonatas by French composer Cesar Franck. Next will be three Romances by Clara Schumann, a composer with gifts equal to her more famous husband, Robert. Asi and Matthew will conclude with the Saint-Saens Sonata, which has become one the violinist’s signature pieces.
I have heard Asi numerous times in San Diego and have been thrilled by his playing. As an America-Israel Foundation recipient, he was brought here by the impresario efforts of July Galper. His most recent local appearance was a sold-out recital under the auspices of the Salk Institute.
I also saw Asi in New York, while he was studying with Pinchas Zukerman, and he kindly arranged for me to witness Zukerman giving a distance learning lesson via Zoom to students in Germany.
The young Israeli violinist made his successful debut at age 14 with the Israel Philharmonic under the direction of Zubin Mehta with whom he performed again the following year. Since then, he has played with many other recognized conductors such as Joel Levi and Eliyahu Inbal.
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Eileen Wingard, a retired violinist with the San Diego Symphony, is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.