Shmuel Ashkenasi has toured the former Soviet Union twice and concertized extensively in Europe, Israel, the Far East, and the United States, and he has collaborated with Rudolf Serkin, Thomas Hampson, Murray Perahia, Peter Serkin, and Menahem Pressler. As first violin of the famed Vermeer Quartet, he has gained a reputation as one of the world's outstanding chamber musicians. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Shmuel Ashkenasi attended the Musical Academy of Tel Aviv and gave his first public performance at the age of eight. After studying with Ilona Feher, he came to the United States to study with Efrem Zimbalist at the Curtis Institute of Music. He won the Merriweather Post Competition, was a finalist in the Queen Elisabeth Competition, and received second prize in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
The program will include the Busoni Violin Sonata No.2 in e minor, Op.36a and the Suite for 2 Violins and Piano, Op. 71 by Moritz Moszkowski featuring violinist Ben Sayevich in collaboration with pianist Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich.