Press Release
Contacts:
Susan Barbash, Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition, info@jsbachcompetition.org 516-639-8575
Naomi Morse, GEMS Media@gemsny.org 212-866-0468
The Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition will celebrate its Fifth Anniversary with a Gala Concert featuring Grand-Prize Winners violinist, Rachell Ellen Wong, double bassist, Nina Bernat, and joint Grand-Prize Winners violinists, Lun Li and Tianyou Ma.
Gotham Early Music Scene (GEMS) will present the concert on Friday, December 1, 2023, 7:00pm at The Church of St. Luke in the Fields, 487 Hudson Street, New York. The program will include the J.S. Bach Suite No. 6 in D major, BWV1012, performed by Nina Bernat; Heinrich Biber’s Partita VI performed by Lun Li and Tianyou Ma; and the J.S. Bach Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052R, performed by Rachell Ellen Wong and members of Twelfth Night.
Tickets are now available for purchase.
About our featured artists:
Rachell Ellen Wong: Inaugural Grand-Prize Winner
Rachell Ellen Wong is a trailblazing violinist who made history as the first baroque artist to receive the 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant. Her exceptional talent on both modern and historical instruments has led to collaborations with renowned ensembles around the world such as the Seattle Symphony and Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Panamá, among others. Alongside keyboardist David Belkovski, Ms. Wong co-founded Twelfth Night in 2021, a New York City-based ensemble set to make its Carnegie Hall debut in 2024.
Nina Bernat: 2022 Grand-Prize Winner
Double bassist, Nina Bernat is acclaimed for her interpretive maturity, expressive depth and technical clarity. In 2023, Ms. Bernat was honored as a recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and as a winner of the Concert Artist Guild Elmaleh Competition. She was also named a Bowers Program Artist by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for its 2023-2027 seasons.
Lun Li: 2021 joint Grand -Prize Winner
Li is a violinist committed to creating thought-provoking, boundary-pushing concert experiences for contemporary audiences around the world. He won first place at the 2021 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions as well as Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition. Recently, he was named a Bowers Program Artist at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for its 2024-2027 seasons.
Tianyou Ma: 2021 joint Grand -Prize Winner
Tianyou Ma has been a top prize winner in numerous international competitions, including the Singapore and the Menuhin International Violin Competitions. He is described by Barbash Bach Competition juror, cellist Colin Carr as, “A masterful performer with vision, virtuosity, and exquisite taste. His playing makes me smile.” Mr. Ma will pursue his Masters’ degree starting this fall at the Juilliard School with Catherine Cho.
Established in 2019, the Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition was founded by siblings Cathy, Susan, and Shepard Barbash to honor their parents for their lifelong support of the arts. The annual competition is for string players ages 16-30 who perform any piece composed by J. S. Bach for unaccompanied string instrument. The annual Competition Finals are hosted by Stony Brook University at the Staller Center Recital Hall.
Please join us in supporting the next generation of great musicians with your tax- deductible donation or consider becoming a sponsor of our Fifth Anniversary Gala Consort. Visit https://jsbachcompetition.org/support/ to become a supporter.
“Since its inception five years ago the Barbash Competition has steadily grown in stature. It is with pleasure, and pride, that we at Stony Brook University host what has now become a major event attracting well over a hundred applicants from all over the world. For me personally it is astonishing to listen to young people, at the beginning of their careers, playing Bach with such mastery and maturity, and credit is due to the Barbash Competition for playing its part in the growth of such exciting artists.”
Juror and Cellist, Colin Carr
“GEMS is thrilled to partner with the Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition to present this special event.”
John Thiessen, Executive Director
Gotham Early Music Scene