Flame of Resistance and Thirst for Liberation

Join us for a celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of France with four world class musicians, highlighting the power of art in transcending life’s trials.  The evening will feature three of France’s greatest composers Poulenc, Milhaud, and Messiaen. These compositions continue to resonate with us today as a tribute to regained freedom, capturing the resilience and aspiration for peace that we all share.

This event is just one of a series the Embassy is hosting to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. We look forward to honoring this special moment in the Franco-American alliance and to paying tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

This event is organized with the generous support of Saint-Gobain, Delta Air Lines, Airbus, Arianespace, BNP Paribas and Michelin.

Program

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) – Sonata for Violin and Piano (1943)

Allegro con fuoco

Intermezzo

Presto tragico

Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) – Sonata No. 2 for Viola and Piano (1944)

Champetre

Dramatique

Rude

Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) – Quatuor pour la fin du temps / Quartet for the End of Time (1941).

“Liturgie de cristal” (Crystal liturgy)

“Vocalise, pour l’Ange qui annonce la fin du temps”
(Vocalise, for the Angel who announces the end of time)

“Abîme des oiseaux” (Abyss of birds)

“Intermède” (Interlude)

“Louange à l’Éternité de Jésus” (Praise to the eternity of Jesus)

“Danse de la fureur, pour les sept trompettes” (Dance of fury, for the seven trumpets)

“Fouillis d’arcs-en-ciel, pour l’Ange qui annonce la fin du temps”
(Tangle of rainbows, for the Angel who announces the end of time)

“Louange à l’Immortalité de Jésus” (Praise to the immortality of Jesus)

About the Artists

Duo Judith Ingolfsson and Vladimir Stoupel

Individually, the violinist Judith Ingolfsson and the pianist Vladimir Stoupel are seasoned soloists, who have won acclaim for their performances around the globe. Together, they create connections, tell untold stories, and take audiences on journeys to the heart of chamber music.

The duo Ingolfsson-Stoupel regularly participates in renowned concert series and festivals throughout the world, including Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Brandenburgische Sommerkonzerte and Konzerthaus Berlin, Switzerland’s Festival Kammermusik Bodensee, and Paris’ Voix Etouffées. In the United States, the duo has appeared at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, New York’s Bargemusic, University of Colorado Boulder, New Mexico’s Music in Corrales, and Denver’s Englewood Cultural Arts Center.

For their Concert-Centenaire project, the duo received the official designation “Centenaire” from the French government, an honor bestowed to support innovative, creative, and exceptionally structured concepts focused on the centennial of the First World War.

The duo’s extensive discography comprises of five additional CDs. La Belle Époque: Works by Eugène Ysaÿe, Théodore Dubois, and César Franck, was unveiled in 2019, while their album, featuring violin sonatas of Rathaus, Tiessen, and Arma, was released in August 2021, earning a nomination for the 2022 ICMA Award. Individually, both artists received nominations for the 2021 ICMA Award and the 2021 Opus Klassik for their respective solo recordings.

In 2022, Vladimir Stoupel was honored by the French Government as Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.

Learn more

Alexander Fiterstein

Clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein is considered one of today’s most exceptional artists. He won first prize at the Carl Nielsen International Clarinet Competition and received the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant Award. The Washington Post has described his playing as “dazzling in its spectrum of colors, agility, and range. Every sound he makes is finely measured without inhibiting expressiveness” and The New York Times described him as “a clarinetist with a warm tone and powerful technique.”

As a soloist, he has appeared with the Czech, Israel, Vienna, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestras, Belgrade Philharmonic, Danish National Radio Symphony, Tokyo Philharmonic, China National Symphony Orchestra, KBS Orchestra of South Korea, Jerusalem Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Lincoln Center, Kansas City Symphony, and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. He has performed in concert at the Music at the Supreme Court Series, the Celebrity Series in Boston, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Kennedy Center.

He frequently collaborates with distinguished artists and ensembles and regularly performs with the prestigious Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He is currently co-artistic director of the Sedona Winter MusicFest in Arizona.

Daniel Levitov

Cellist and pedagogue Daniel Levitov maintains a vibrant career as a performer and educator. Levitov performs locally and nationally as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician.

Recognized by the Baltimore Sun for his “warmth of tone and phrasing” and “expressive force,” he is a founding member of the Clipper Mill String Quartet and serves as a substitute cellist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Levitov is Associate Chair of Strings, Lower Strings, and Director of Chamber Music at the Peabody Institute Preparatory of the Johns Hopkins University. He is the conductor of the Peabody Young Artists Orchestra (YAO). Levitov also directs the string ensembles at the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore. He has previously served as Assistant Professor of Cello at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College. His students have been accepted to major conservatories such as Juilliard, Oberlin, the Cleveland Institute, and the Manhattan School of Music.

Levitov gives masterclasses and workshops across the country; has published in Strings and Strad Magazine; and presents at the American String Teacher’s Association (ASTA) National Conferences. Levitov holds degrees from the City University of New York, the Oberlin Conservatory, and the Manhattan School of Music, where he received the Janet Schenk Award for Distinguished Service.

Sponsors

Security Rules: Each person attending the event must have a ticket registered in their name and a government-issued ID that matches the name on the reservation to enter the Embassy. No one will be admitted without a reservation and official ID. Due to strict security measures, please arrive on time, as doors will close at 7:30pm sharp. Please allow for extra time for security screenings.