Steinhardt-Gearhart Duo
Fritz Gearhart, violin
Victor Steinhardt, piano
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.
Violinist FRITZ GEARHART has performed for audiences from coast to coast. He has appeared in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie six times since 1998. Several compact discs featuring Gearhart have been released in the last few years to rave reviews. A 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..."(Strad), and "...a magnificent young violinist..."(American Record Guide). Mr. Gearhart has been heard frequently on National Public Radio including several live broadcast performances. He has also been featured on the nationally syndicated program Performance Today.
Exploring unique and seldom-heard music, Mr. Gearhart has championed the music of American composer Quincy Porter with his 1998 release (Quincy Porter: The Unpublished Manuscripts) for Koch Entertainment. In 2001 he released The Complete Works for Violin by Robert Casadesus (also on Koch) featuring wonderful yet unknown works by this French pianist/composer. Gearhart has premiered several contemporary works written especially for him, including works by award-winning American composers David Crumb and Robert Kyr.
First violinist of the Chester String Quartet in the early 90s, Gearhart continues to be very active in chamber music and now performs regularly with the Oregon String Quartet, which has released two discs on Koch Entertainment: The OSQ and All That Jazz, featuring jazz violinist Diane Monroe, and a disc containing music by African-American composer William Grant Still which Strad Magazine called "Musical Heaven: Oregon String Quartet". In January 2001 Gearhart appeared as soloist with the Oregon Festival of American Music performing Bernstein's Serenade, and in 2004 he performed Corigliano's Red Violin Chaconne to a sold out audience of over 2000: "Gearhart gave a stunning performance. His warm tone sang out above the orchestra...the technical challenges of the piece did not faze him in the least..." (Eugene Register-Guard). Gearhart received his Master's Degree and Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music where he studied with Donald Weilerstein. Earlier studies at the Hartt School included work with Charles Treger and members of the Emerson Quartet. Mr. Gearhart is currently on the faculty of the University of Oregon School of Music.