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“Since Glenn Gould’s visit to Moscow and Van Cliburn’s victory at the Tchaikovsky Competition in the heat of the Cold War, never has a foreign pianist provoked such frenzy.” (The Huffington Post)

The incredible gift, artistic vision and creative freedom of Lucas Debargue was revealed by his performances at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow in 2015 and distinguished with the coveted Prize of the Moscow Music Critics’ Association.

Today, Lucas is invited to play solo and with leading orchestras in the most prestigious venues of the world. A performer of fierce integrity and dazzling communicative power, Lucas Debargue draws inspiration for his playing from literature, painting, cinema, jazz, and develops very personal interpretation of a carefully selected repertoire. 

The School of Music, Theatre, and Dance is thrilled to present Mr. Debargue for a concert of Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, and Medtner, as this year's guest for the Rachel S. Thaler Concert Pianist Series, on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in Hockett Family Recital Hall. Debargue will also hold a masterclass the previous evening, Tuesday Jan 30, at 7:00 p.m.

Up next will be the spring presentation of the Angela and William Haines Young Concert Artists Residency, which hosts recent winners of the Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. Acclaimed for her “staggering virtuosity,” 2017 First Prize Winner Hanzhi Wang is the only accordionist to ever win a place on the roster of Young Concert Artists in its 60-year history. She will perform at Ithaca College on Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in Hockett Family Recital Hall. Wang will also give a masterclass on Wednesday, February 14 at 7:00 p.m.

This year's  Shirley and Chas Hockett Chamber Music Series brings tenThing Brass Ensemble, formed in 2007 by Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth as a fun and exciting collaboration between musical friends. The ten-piece, all-female brass ensemble have firmly established themselves on the international scene to great acclaim. Celebrated for their commitment to outreach and access to music through a diverse repertoire that spans from Mozart to Weill, Grieg to Bernstein, and Lully to Bartok, tenThing will perform on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. in Ford Hall.

Also in March, The Manley and Doriseve Thaler Vocal Concert Series presents Grammy Award-winning baritone  Will Liverman on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 8:15 p.m. in Hockett Family Recital Hall. Mr. Liverman is fresh from his starring, title role in the Metropolitan Opera's recent production of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X. Described as “nothing short of extraordinary” (Opera News), and “a voice for this historic moment” (Washington Post), Liverman is the recipient of the 2022 Beverly Sills Artist Award by The Metropolitan Opera and is the co-creator of The Factotum – called “mic-drop fabulous good” (Opera News) – which premiered at the Lyric Opera Chicago in 2023.

The Louis K. Thaler Concert Violinist Series returns on  Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 8:15 p.m. in Ford Hall, with violinist Christian Tetzlaff,  joined by Kirill Gerstein on piano. Both performers will give separate masterclasses at 12:00 p.m. the same day.

Christian Tetzlaff is one of the most sought-after violinists and most exciting musicians on the classical music scene. Concerts with him often become an existential experience for the interpreter and audience alike, old familiar works suddenly appear in a completely new light.  "Tetzlaff delves further and further into the music, spans the very great Dvořák arc and thrills in a brilliant finale with so much violinistic superpower that one would like to propose him, Dvořák too of course, as the title character for one of those Hollywood blockbusters." (Der Tagesspiegel)

F rom Bach to Adès, pianist Kirill Gerstein’s playing is distinguished by a ferocious technique and discerning intelligence, matched with an energetic, imaginative musical presence that places him at the top of the international profession, with solo and concerto engagements taking him from Europe to the United States, East Asia and Australia. Gerstein's heritage combines the traditions of Russian, American and Central European music-making with an insatiable curiosity. These qualities and the relationships that he has developed with orchestras, conductors, instrumentalists, singers and composers, have led him to explore a huge spectrum of repertoire both new and old. The Observer described his work as " the kind of serious, intelligent and virtuosic music-making that keeps classical music alive."