Steinhardt-Gearhart Duo
Fritz Gearhart, violin
Victor Steinhardt, piano
Photo: Cliff Coles (2001)
Other photos see Bio/Pic page
The Steinhardt/Gearhart duo is featured on a recently released disc by Koch International Classics recorded in 2001. This disc contains seldom heard works by African-American composer William Grant Still including the Lyric Quartet, Danzas De Panama, Prince and the Mermaid Suite, Summerland, and Selections from Little Folk Suites (1968) performed by the Oregon String Quartet. Victor Steinhardt and Fritz Gearhart perform three works for violin and piano: Pastorela, Blues and Quit Dat Fool'nish. This disc was listed in the August/September 2002 issue of Strings Magazine in the New and Noteworthy column.
"The Oregon String Quartet, Victor Steinhardt, and Fritz Gearhart all bring to their performances a loving dedication and a spirit of discovery...A worthy and engaging sampling of Still's work."
Classics Today, December, 2002
"The Oregon String Quartet...captures all the facets of this music, enriching it with tonal warmth and rhythmic vitality...Gearhart and Steinhardt are all heart...this disc is irresistible." Fanfare, September/October 2002
"...the nine-minute Pastorela, the first of three pieces for violin and piano [was] played with the utmost seductive cool by the sweet-toned and tonally beguiling Fritz Gearhart..."
The Strad, August 2002
"Still is not as well known as the others, but with any luck, this collection might spread the word to new generations. The music here, for string quartet and piano/violin is tonal and rich in elegant, classy melody...Still's music is remarkable for its dirarming simplicty, emotional directness and humanity...."
JazzReview.com, June 28, 2002
Since his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at age 15, pianist VICTOR STEINHARDT has impressed audiences throughout the United States with his warmth, virtuosity, sensitivity and style. He has performed extensively as soloist with orchestras, in solo recitals, and in chamber ensembles. He has been a featured artist at the Oregon Bach Festival, the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Mohawk Trails Concerts in Massachusetts, the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival in California, Chamber Music Northwest in Oregon, and Bargemusic in New York.
As a chamber musician he has collaborated with many outstanding musicians, among whom are cellists Leonard Rose and Ronald Leonard; violinists Arnold Steinhardt, Josef Suk, Ida Kavafian, Stephanie Chase, and Pamela Frank, violists Michael Tree and Paul Neubauer, clarinetist David Shifrin, flutist Ransom Wilson, and the Penderecki, Peterson, Angeles, LaFayette, and Guarneri String Quartets. He has been performing with Trio Pacifica since 1993.Mr. Steinhardt's has several recordings currently available including releases on Mercury, Delos, Olympic, Vox-Turabout, Biddulph, and CRI.
As a composer Mr. Steinhardt has received wide acclaim for several of his works. His appreciation of various American popular styles, such as jazz, early rock-and-roll, blue-grass, and country-western, has carried over into some of his recent "classical art-music" compositions. Sonata Boogie for violin and piano, Running Blue for clarinet, violin and piano, and Ein Heldenboogie for piano solo are large-scale works of both serious and entertaining character and have been enthusiastically received by audiences all over the U.S.A. The Oregon Arts Commission awarded him a fellowship to assist in the production of a recording of his compositions. The album entitled Sonata Boogie is available from TownHall Records (THCD 52). Under a commission from the Schubert Ensemble's Chamber Music 2000 program, he recently had a premier of a one movement piano quartet written for young musicians.
Mr. Steinhardt teaches at the University of Oregon School of Music as a professor of piano and chamber music.
FRITZ GEARHART has performed for audiences from coast to coast. January 2002 will mark his 5th appearance at Carnegie Recital hall since 1998. Several compact discs featuring Mr. Gearhart have been released in the last few years to rave reviews. A recent sampling from the press: "...a sizzling performance..."(The Wall Street Journal), "...supple and imaginative..."(The New York Times), "...a superlative evening of musicmaking..."(New York Concert Review),"Gearhart is a bold assertive player... a powerful exponent..." (Strad), and "...a magnificent young violinist..." (American Record Guide). Mr. Gearhart has been heard frequently on National Public Radio including serveral live broadcast performances, one recently featured on the nationally broadcast program,Performance Today.
Exploring unique and seldom-heard music, Mr. Gearhart has championed the music of American composer Quincy Porter with his 1998 release on Koch International and has most recently completed The Complete Works for Violin by Robert Casadesus, which has just been released (August 2001) also on Koch. In 2002, Gearhart will premiere a work written especially for him by American composer David Crumb.
In the early 90's, Gearhart was a member of the Chester String Quartet which performed extensively throughout the United States. Gearhart has appeared as soloist with several orchestras, including a recent performance with the Oregon Festival of American Music, where he performed Berstein's Serenade: "...[Gearhart] gave a stunning performance...he was in full command of Bernstein's elaborate solo part..." (Eugene Register-Guard). Mr. Gearhart is currently on the faculty of the University of Oregon School of Music.