Romanenko-Yoshikawa Duo
Alexei Romanenko, cello
Christine Yoshikawa, piano
Katzin Concert Hall | Saturday, October 29, 2011 | 7:30 PM

Program
Sonata No. 10 in E Major for Cello and Piano, Op. 8
I.
Grave
II. Allegro
III. Allegro (Tempo di Gavotta)
IV. Largo
V. Allegro
Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1
I.
Largo
II. Presto
III. Largo

Giuseppe Valentini
(1681-1753)

Alfred Schnittke
(1934- 1998)

Après un rêve, Op. 7, No 1

Gabrielle Fauré
(1845-1924)
*****Intermission*****

Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8
Allegro maestoso rna appassionato
Six Aphoriss for Solo Piano
I.
Liberamente
II. Con fuoco
III. Scherzando
IV. Dramatico
V. Adagio Mesto
VI. Notturno; Mollo lento
Suite Italienne for Cello and Piano
I.
lntroduzione
II. Serenata
III. Aria
IV. Tarantella
V. Minuetto
VI. Finale

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Zoltán Kodály
(1882-1967)
Alfred Fisher
b. 1942

Igor Stravinsky
(1882- 1971)

Biographies
Alexei Romanenko - Cellist
An artist of classical refinement, sterling musicianship, and blazing virtuosity, Russian-born cellist
Alexei Romanenko has graced the international stages as one of the most compelling and electrifying artists of
today. T.J. Medrek of the Boston Herald hailed his performance stating, "The times when music and musician
and musical instrument combine to form an almost mystical union are rare. One such occasion came when
Alexei Romanenko dazzled with his playing of Zoltan Kodaly's Sonata for solo cello."
Beginning his cello studies at the age of six, he won First Prize in the Far-Eastern Competition when he
was twelve. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory with professor Valentin Feygin and in 1993 became a
Laureate of “New Names,” an international program with extensive touring throughout Russia, and was
awarded top prize in the Gnesina College Cello Competition. Upon coming to the United States in 1998, Mr.
Romanenko completed an Artist Diploma at the New England Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of
Bernard Greenhouse and Laurence Lesser. In 1999, he won First Prize at the 8th International Music
Competition in Vienna, Austria and in 2000, he was awarded First Prize at the 2nd Web Concert Hall
International Auditions. Mr. Romanenko has authored cadenzas for numerous cello concerti and
unaccompanied cello compositions and arrangements. His arrangement of J.S. Bach's Chaconne from Partita
No. 2 for violin was featured in his recital at the 2003 Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series. In 2009, he
appeared in Vivaldi's Double Concerto with cellist Matt Haimovitz in the “Cellobration” concert presented by
the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. In recent seasons, he has performed in such venues as Boston's Jordan
Hall, Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. and has been heard on
the "Voice of America" in Russia, Atlanta's WABE, and Boston's WGBH Radio “Classical Performances” and
WFMT Chicago. In 2005, he was the featured soloist in a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations
during the “Greenhouse Celebration” dedicated to the 90th birthday of legendary American cellist, Bernard
Greenhouse.
Mr. Romanenko’s versatile international performing career as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician
have led to appearances as concerto soloist with major orchestras and recital engagements worldwide. This
upcoming season, concerts include tours of the United States and Canada performing in major cities such as
New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Pasadena, Montreal, Vancouver,
Edmonton, and London among others. In addition to his busy performing schedule, Mr. Romanenko currently
serves as the principal cellist of the Jacksonville Symphony, organist at Grace Episcopal Church, and holds
artistic residencies leading master classes and seminars in colleges and universities across North America and
abroad.
Christine Yoshikawa, Pianist
Canadian pianist Christine Yoshikawa has established herself as one of Canada’s exciting young pianists
of her generation. Her performances have garnered international acclaim and critics have praised her as a pianist
of "pure power” (South Bend Tribune), "remarkable endurance, refinement, precision and authority", and
"radiant lyricism, elegance and warmth". (The Observer). In recent seasons her wide ranging recital and
concerto repertoire from Beethoven to Xenakis has been applauded throughout, and her international career
includes performances in major cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Madrid,
Paris, Munich, Prague, Sofia, and Tokyo. After making her concerto debut with Beethoven’s First Piano
Concerto with the London Westminster Philharmonic at the age of 9, she has since appeared as soloist with

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major orchestras including the Orchestre Philharmonie d'Avignon France, Kammerorchester Dusseldorf
(Germany), Pazardjik National Symphony of Bulgaria, Olympia Symphony, Elkhart Symphony, Sydney
Chamber Orchestra, Tokyo Youth Symphony, and Nagoya Gakuen Philharmonic (Japan) among others.
Winner of many national and international competitions including the Canadian Music Competitions,
Young Concert Artist Guild, Grand Prize Laureate of the 1998 Kromeriz International Piano Festival
Competition (Czech Republic), Ehrhart Chamber International Competition, and Second-Prize Winner of the
Yakov Flier International Piano Competition among others, solo highlights in past seasons include a recital
debut in Spain, the Olomouc Philharmonic Hall (Czech Republic), Grand Théâtre de Québec, Steinway Festival
(FL), and performances of concerti by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Chausson, Mendelssohn, and Rachmaninoff
with orchestras in Chicago, London, Richmond, Fort Nelson, Penticton, and in Indiana and Florida, and a world
premiere in Glasgow, Scotland in a performance of Andrew Albright's Six Vignettes for Piano and Chamber
Strings with the Kensington Concertante.
Beginning her piano studies at age 2 with her mother, and later with Jocelyn Pritchard and Jean-Luc
Pelletier in Paris, she won first place in the Canadian Music Competitions at the age of 6, and by the age of 10,
she had earned diplomas with first class honors and top medals from the Western Board and the Royal School
of Music in London. Additionally, she was awarded a full scholarship to study with distinguished pianist
Gyorgy Sebok of Indiana University Bloomington, at the Banff Centre of the Performing Arts, and was a
Charter Fellow of the prestigious Toradze Institute at Indiana University South Bend under the tutelage of
Martin Professor of Piano, Alexander Toradze. She received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano
performance from Arizona State University as a pupil of renowned American pianist Robert Hamilton. Dr.
Yoshikawa was named the Mary Louise Remy Endowed Scholar, a recognition reserved for the top two of just
85 Research Scholars across North America selected from over 6000 nation-wide nominations. She is also the
winner of the prestigious Kieckhefer Doctoral Dissertation Award, for her research on the music of Sergei
Rachmaninoff, the Aiken-Rockfeller Concert Artist Career Grant and Medallion, British Columbia Arts Council
Grant from the Government of Canada, Regent Scholar, and the President's Scholar Award. She holds
additional performance degrees with distinction honours from the University of Victoria and the University of
British Columbia where her former teachers include Arthur Rowe and Jane Coop.
A committed educator, she conducts clinics and masterclasses internationally and has held teaching
positions at the University of British Columbia and Arizona State University. Currently, Dr. Yoshikawa serves
on the faculties of Chipola College and Gulf Coast Community College and has been recently selected for
publication in Madison's Who's Who and the International Who’s Who of Professional Artists, she is on the
roster of Recording Artists for Eroica Classical Recordings. Her performances are archived at the Canadian
Music Centres across Canada and at Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw, and her concerts are broadcast on national
radio across North America and abroad.

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