A native of Tucson, Joseph Rousos-Hammond began playing the violin in his elementary school orchestra program, and also participated in Tucson Junior Strings and the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra. He attended Indiana University where he received a Bachelor of Music with Distinction as a student of Koichiro Harada, Paul Biss, and Mark Kaplan. Upon graduation, he completed a Master of Music degree at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, where
he was a student of Chicago Symphony Concertmaster Robert Chen. Currently he is Principal 2nd Violin of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. He also performs with Tucson Chamber Artists, St. Andrew’s Bach Society, and as a recitalist.

Born in Amman, Jordan, Yasmin Alami started playing the piano at an early age and at 18 moved to France to continue her musical education. In 2005, she was awarded the First Prize at the Regional Piano Competition held in Orléans, and in 2004 she was awarded the First Prize as a soloist and chamber musician from the Conservatoire National de Tours. She holds a Master of Music degree in piano performance from the Manhattan School of Music, a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance and chamber music from the Conservatoire National de Région de Tours, and a Bachelor of Arts in musicology from the Université François Rabelais de Tours. Currently, Ms. Alami is the only Jordanian pianist performing in North America.

Program Notes

Brahms’s Sonatensatz was written for his friend, violinist Joseph Joachim. Its intense opening and tight form are reminiscent of Beethoven, and it ends quickly after a dramatic coda. Chopin’s Scherzo No. 2 is more expansive, with intense lyricism and virtuosity. Though it is in the same form as the Brahms, each section develops more gradually, with initially simple ideas transforming into dramatic climaxes over the course of the piece. Unlike the famous works of Bach, Paganini, and Ysaÿe for solo violin, Prokofiev’s Sonata for Solo Violin does not rely upon counterpoint and complex double-stops. Instead, it is more reminiscent of fiddle music, and is full of the chromatic twists and turns that are characteristic of Prokofiev. In his Sonata Op. 30, No. 1, Beethoven is a composer who has already developed a unique identity, with his distinctive rhythmic style apparent in the opening Allegro. After a serene Adagio molto espressivo, Beethoven concludes with a set of virtuosic and brilliant variations on a theme.

Food and drinks to follow concert.