Violinists Jennifer Koh & Jaime Laredo to perform Two X Four in New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC in March

The relationship between teacher and student can be life-long and rewarding and has frequently been portrayed on film and on stage. Now this bond will be celebrated in the concert hall with Two x Four, a project created by violinist Jennifer Koh that she performs with her former teacher Jaime Laredo. Named for four works for two violins, the program includes Bach's Concerto for two violins, strings, and continuo in D Minor, BWV 1043, Philip Glass's Echorus, and two new double concertos commissioned for the project: David Ludwig's Seasons Lost and Anna Clyne's Prince of Clouds.

Two x Four concerts will be performed with the Curtis Chamber Orchestra and take place in Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center on Monday, March 11 at 8:00 p.m. presented by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, in New York at Miller Theatre at Columbia University on Wednesday, March 13 at 8:00 p.m. and in Washington, DC at the Kennedy Center on Thursday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. presented by Fortas Chamber Music Concerts. The Curtis Chamber Orchestra will also play Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48.

Ms. Koh studied with Mr. Laredo at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music and the two have subsequently become friends and musical colleagues. Ms. Koh said the inspiration for the Two x Four project came from playing the Bach Double Concerto with Mr. Laredo when she was a student: "The idea that would become Two x Four began to take shape after that initial experience because the Bach became a conversation between two different generations of violinists. We were speaking the same language because Jaime was my teacher and mentor, but there was also the sense of transformation from one generation to the next. Two x Four is also about continuing the thread of musical conversation between different generations of composers and expanding that idea of time through this process. So basically Two x Four is about mentorship but also it is about transcending time through music."

Ms. Koh and Mr. Laredo performed the world premiere of David Ludwig's concerto, Seasons Lost with the Delaware Symphony in May 2012. Anna Clyne's concerto, Prince of Clouds received its premiere in Memphis with the IRIS Orchestra in November 2012, and was also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, marking Ms. Koh's CSO subscription debut, in December 2012.

In Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C. Ms. Koh and Mr. Laredo will perform with the Curtis Chamber Orchestra which is comprised of current Curtis students. Both Ms. Koh and Mr. Laredo are graduates of Curtis and Mr. Laredo served on the faculty for 35 years. Mr. Ludwig is also a Curtis graduate.

Ms. Koh and Mr. Laredo will record Two X Four with the Curtis Chamber Orchestra for future release by Cedille Records.

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