Eileen Wingard

I first heard the Cesar Franck Sonata when I was sixteen and attended a recital of the great Polish-born Jewish violinist, Bronislaw Huberman. His closing work was the Franck Sonata, his signature piece. It became one of my favorites and I worked on it in my chamber music class at UCLA. That was before my youngest sister, Zina, was even born. Little did I dream that one day, I would have a sister who would play the Franck Sonata in this glorious recording. [Eileen Wingard]

Cecil Burleigh, Music for Violin and Piano features miniature pieces by the little-known American composer, Cecil Burleigh (1885-1980), performed by my sister, violinist Zina Schiff and pianist, Mary Barranger. Named Critic’s Choice Best of 2002 by the American Record Guide, the CD took its rightful place beside the music of other great American composers, such as Edward MacDowell, Paul Creston, Charles Ives, Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein, in Naxos’ epochal “American Classics” series—the most ambitious recording project of music by American Composers. [Eileen Wingard]

The Canadian-born pianist, Daniel Wnukowski, displayed his talents as an accomplished artist and an insightful teacher in a live-streamed program last Sunday afternoon, sponsored by the Amateur Pianists. He selected three works from three distinct musical periods, the Baroque, the Classical and the Romantic, which he analyzed and contrasted before treating us to beautiful renditions of each. His program consisted of Bach’s Prelude and Fugue #2 from the Well-Tempered Clavichord, the Theme and Variations from Mozart’s Piano Sonata in A major, and Chopin’s 3rd Ballade. [Eileen Wingard]

I was delighted when my sister, violinist Zina Schiff, and Cameron Grant, solo pianist with the New York City Ballet, recorded the three Brahms Sonatas for Violin and Piano, released by MSR Classics, because Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) is my all-time favorite composer. The bittersweet nature of his music, the Hungarian Gypsy tunes, the waltz-like rhythms, the syncopations, all spoke to me and touched my heart. [Eileen Wingard]

Editor’s note: Eileen Wingard continues her series on the discography of her sister, concert violinist Zina Schiff, with embedded examples. By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — Joseph Nagyvary, the brilliant Hungarian-born Professor of Biochemistry from Texas A & M, had just finished delivering a lecture at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. His topic was his

My sister, violinist Zina Schiff, has championed the works of many contemporary composers, as illustrated by her recordings.  The 1998 release of the Peter Jona Korn (1922-1998) Violin Concerto was a result of my friendship with the composer. At it US premiere with the Baton Rouge Symphony. Korn’s friend, Peter Paul Fuchs, was the conductor; the country’s foremost music magazine, Musical America, came to review the concert; and the composer himself, was in the audience. [Eileen Wingard]

The Zoom Jewish Poets-Jewish Voices Program turned out to be an overwhelming success! The May 5th evening, normally scheduled for the Astor Judaica Library, took place in the homes of some 50 participants and listeners. Joy Heitzmann, who has served as Master of Ceremonies for the series, managed to carry out that role by phone. Thanks to the expert staff facilitators, Melanie Rubin and her assistant, Sarah Mattis, all went smoothly. [Eileen Wingard]