Acclaimed violinist Miranda Cuckson and pianist Blair McMillen join us for a late Sunday afternoon that weaves worlds together. Playing a selection by composers Eleonor Alberga, Lili Boulanger, Ross Lee Finney, Beethoven, and Prokofiev, the duo invites audiences on a sonic journey. Hailed by New York Times as “brilliant artists,” the two have received rave reviews for their performances and recordings. The Guardian said their “playing is frank and urgent, with powerfully stripped-back quiet passages and gritted-teeth ecstatic climaxes.” Come hear what all the raves are about!
Cuckson and McMillen’s musical partnership spans well over a decade. As a duo, they have played many recitals of music both old and new, including recently at San Francisco Performances, the Isabella Gardner Museum, and Detroit Institute of Art. They have given numerous world-premiere performances and have recorded recent violin-piano music by composers Harold Meltzer, Michael Hersch, Jason Eckardt, Donald Martino, and Elliott Carter, to name a few. Their 2016 ECM release of music by Béla Bartók, Witold Lutoslawski, and Alfred Schnittke, was highly critically acclaimed. Active as performers and pedagogues, they serve on the faculty at Mannes at The New School in New York City.