Martina Filjak, pianist

News archive

June 2011

Recitals in Barcelona and Hannover

Martina's recital at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona, of works by Soler, Berio, Bartók, Prokofiev and Balakirev, was well received by audience and critics alike. One reviewer wrote that “The elegant and subtly sophisticated pianist displays a prodigious technique and tremendous power combined with profound sensitivity and expressive musicality, qualities rarely savoured in artists performing today, including many big names being promoted by the most prestigious record labels.”Martina’s matinée recital for the Chopin Gesellschaft Hannover won equally warm and positive feedback.

Barcelona review

www.chopin-hannover.de

 
Recitals in Croatia 
 
Martina gave recitals at the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb and at the Festival Kvarner  in Opatija, performing works by Mozart, Liszt and Schumann. The enthusiastic audiences demanded numerous encores. 
 
Liszt Ballade
 
Recital in Zagreb

May 2011

A Recital in California 

Following Martina Filjak’s recital of works by Brahms, Chopin, Bartók, Prokofiev, Scriabin and Balakirev at the Ventura (California) Music Festival on May 3, the Ventura County Star wrote that she 'elegantly merged fire and finesse' and predicted that Filjak was ‘clearly an artist destined for a long and fruitful career.' Martina’s interview prior to the recital on KUSC Classical Radio is available at

kusc.podbean.com

Martina Performs Grieg Concerto in Massachusetts and Delaware 

Martina received standing ovations for her performances of the Grieg Piano Concerto with the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra/David MacKenzie and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra/David Amado. The Delaware Online  pqasb.pqarchiver.com described her performance as “the evening’s highlight .” 

Martina Appears on WBGH’s Live from Fraser

Martina visited WGBH's Fraser Studio in Boston this month for a performance (Mozart’s Sonata in B-flat, KV 333, Scriabin’s Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op. 9 and Balakirev’s Islamey) and conversation with host Cathy Fuller. The program can be streamed through

www.wgbh.org

April 2011

Martina’s First CD for Naxos is Released

Martina Filjak's first album for Naxos, featuring 15 sonatas of Padre Antonio Soler, has been released!  

www.naxos.com
 
www.amazon.com
 
itunes.apple.com
 
Three Recitals in Italy and a Munich Recital Debut
 
After performing three recitals in Italy in the beginning of the month , on April 13th Martina Filjak gave her Munich recital debut in works by Soler, Berio, Bartók, Prokofiev, Scriabin and Balakirev at the Allerheiligen Hofkirche . The Süddeutsche Zeitung review, entitled The Witches Sabbath said, “In her performances of Soler, Filjak demonstrated her ability to bring the harpsichord calligraphy onto a Steinway piano. ... She kidnapped us into many areas of her pianistic artistry. With Scriabin she served us a rarity and a special attraction ... She succeeded in creating a perfect illusion of a fully written piano score by a very refined division between the melody and the base line. In her performance of Prokofiev's Fourth Sonata Op. 29, her massively virtuosic temperament blended in with a classical sonata feeling and Brahmsian flow. She achieved an arousal to a titanic pianistic witches Sabbath with her performance of Balakirev's 'Islamey'. Martina Filjak distinguished herself as a Premium class Pianist “. 
 
Chamber Music in Croatia and the Grieg Concerto in Florida
 
After performing the Brahms Piano Quintet with the Tartini Quartet in Croatia, Martina flew to the US to appear with the Tallahassee [Florida] Symphony Orchestra and its Music Director Miriam Burns in the Grieg Concerto. Her performance earned a standing ovation. 
 

March 2011

Rachmaninov concerto with the Akron Symphony and Christopher Wilkins

After Martina 's  performance of Rachmaninov's  2nd piano concerto with the Akron Symphony and their Music Director Christopher Wilkins on March 5th  , the  Cleveland Classical brought a rave review  : ' As  she softly began the Moderato, she instantly captured the audience's attention not only by what she played but also by the grace with which she performed. It is obvious that Filjak has complete mastery of her instrument....What Filjak pulled from the keys was a sensual performance and her stage presence was mesmerizing ' . The entire review can be read here : 

www.clevelandclassical.com

Performances in Vermont and Idaho

As a preview of her recital in Burlington , Vermont , Martina Filjak gave a live performance  and an interview on the Vermont Public Radio which can be streamed on the following link : 

www.vpr.net

Described by the Idaho Statesman as ' one of the fastest rising piano stars ' at the end of her US tour in March Martina Filjak gave 3 performances of Brahms' 1st Piano concerto inside 24 hours accompanied by the Boise Philharmonic Orchestra and their Music Director Robert Franz . 

February 2011

Debut and Premiere with the  Deutsche Radio Philharmonie and Christoph Poppen

After two recitals in South Tyrol in Italy in the beginning of February , with works by Mozart , Liszt , Schumann and Balakiriew , the press reported on Filjak 's 'strong stage presence ' . The reviewer noted on that occassion : ' The audience could not resist the magnetic influence of this pianist and witnessed a complete symbiosis of a musician and her instrument ... ' .

On 17th  and 18th of February Martina performed the Mozart Rondo K 382 and the world premiere of Milko Kelemen's 'Madrigal Rouge ' with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie and the conductor Christoph Poppen . The concerts were transmitted live on the SWR Radio and reviewers commented of Filjak's 'cultivated simplicity ' in Mozart as well as   ' the pianist demonstrating  from pianissimo through the brutal hammering everything that a piano can stand ' . 
 
Performance at the Al Bustan Festival in Lebanon
 
On February 26th  , Martina performed at the Al Bustan Festival in  Beirut , Lebanon . Her rendition of Franz Liszt´s  No.1 in E flat major under the baton of music director Gianluca Marciano was met with tremendous acclaim calling for a total of four encores in which the artist once more pulled off the full range of her technical and musical skills.