“Friendship: Connections in New Lands” Recital with Lily Arbisser and Dimitri Malignan at the German American Heritage Center -- March 9.
Sunday, March 9, 2 p.m.
German American Heritage Center, 712 West Second Street, Davenport IA
A special musical presentation in the Davenport venue's popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series, the German American Heritage Center's Friendship: Connections in New Lands will, on March 9, find gifted soprano Lily Arbisser and esteemed French pianist Dimitri Malignan performing a special recital inspired by Oranit Ben Zimra’s photography exhibition Mit dir bin ich ich / With You, I Am Myself.
With the exhibit currently on view at the German American Heritage Center, the Friendship: Connections in New Lands recital similarly investigates friendship, how it strengthens us and knows no borders. Audiences will be treated to a program featuring the music of Arnold Schoenberg and his friend George Gershwin, as well as Dmitri Shostakovich and dear friend Mieczysław Weinberg. These friendships developed after Weinberg and Schoenberg were forced to emigrate (the former from Poland to Minsk; the latter from Austria to Los Angeles) due to the anti semitic atmosphere in their respective countries before and during World War II.
Lily Arbisser is an “individual-timbred soprano” (Opera News) whose voice “floats effortlessly” (Feast of Music) over the orchestra. Highlights of recent seasons include joining Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute in Chicago as a vocal fellow, winning first prize in the National Federation of Music Clubs’ Biennial Young Artist Competition, being a semifinalist in the Kurt Weill Foundation’s prestigious Lotte Lenya Competition, and debuting at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall as Suzu in Riyoichi Saito’s chamber opera Dojoji. Arbisser frequents oratorio and operatic stages, and she has consistently demonstrated an affinity for art song performance in both salon-style house concerts and traditional recitals. A snapshot of her broad repertoire includes Spanish, German, French, Italian, Russian, Yiddish, and Hebrew songs, music of contemporary American composers, and dodecaphonic compositions.
Brilliant young French pianist Dimitri Malignan impresses juries, critics, and the public by his level of maturity, his musical intelligence and great sensibility. Winner at only 19 years of age of the Prix Cortot 2017, he was recently awarded in 2021 the 3rd Prize as well as the Audience Award and the Bach Award at the Concours Musical International de Montréal. Born in Paris in 1998 to architect parents in a music-loving family of Romanian origins, he is the grandson of composer Henry Mălineanu (1920-2000). Malignan began his piano studies at the age of five with Nicolas Horvath, and his musical upbringing is rich from the teachings of several masters of diverse backgrounds. Laureate of more than 20 international competitions, Malignan notably won third prize, as well as the Audience Award and the J.S. Bach Award, at the Concours International Musical de Montréal, and received first prize at the 2016 Mihail Jora Music Competition in Bucharest.
The Friendship: Connections in New Lands recital with Lily Arbisser and Dimitri Malignan will take place at Davenport's German American Heritage Center on March 9, the "Kaffee und Kuchen" program beginning with the refreshments at 1:30 p.m. and the music starting at 2 p.m. Admission is free, and more information is available by calling (563)322-8844 and visiting GAHC.org.
