Awakening Spring - Piano Trio Concert with Abi, Michal and Liane

Join us for an exhilarating journey through romantic-era expression at the intimate Grizzly Peak Winery Performance Center. Take a breath of passionate emotion with some of the period's more intriguing and dynamic composers. We'll share four masterworks of Edward Elgar, Anton Rubinstein, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Clara Schumann. Clara lived the oceanic rhapsody of her music, enduring the sorrow of her beloved husband and musical partner Robert Schumann's untimely death, while her deeply sympathetic friendship with Brahms continued through her long and acclaimed life as a concert performer.

About the musicians:

Michal Palzewicz

Michal Palzewicz has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe, both as a soloist and ensemble player. He has performed to great acclaim at prestigious venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in NYC and Wigmore Hall in England. Michal was the founding member of the Elsner String Quartet, which earned him the Saunderson Award at the 52nd Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition and was the winner of the Young Concert Artists Auditions in Leipzig. Michal attended Warsaw Conservatory of Music in Poland and then The Manhattan School of Music where his quartet received full scholarships as well as artist-in-residence status. His teachers and mentors include the members of the Amadeus String Quartet, David Soyer, Michael Tree, Hugh Maguire, Robert Mann, Pinchas Zuckerman, and Isidore Cohen. Presently Michal teaches cello at Southern Oregon University. Michal has performed as a soloist with several orchestras, including the Juneau Symphony Orchestra and the Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed in numerous productions at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and many other theatres throughout the United States. Michal was thrilled to participate in Mary Zimmerman’s production of The White Snake which originated at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and went on to tour the U.S. as well as China.

Currently, Michal performs both as a solo artist (cello, violin and viola da gamba) and with two ensemble projects: Michal Palzewicz Trio – with Daniel Sherrill (guitar) and Reed Bentley (percussion); and Duo Jetté – with Pat O’Scannell (viola da gamba). The Michal Palzewicz Trio is part of the new OSF production of Much Ado About Nothing, both as performers and collaborative composers. The show runs June 1st – Oct. 12, 2024 in Ashland. Michal’s recordings, featuring passionate, lyrical, soaring cello lines and relaxing harmonies, can be found at music.palzewicz.com, where they are available for download or as a subscription.

Liane Alitowski

Liane Alitowski, a native New Yorker, is a versatile soloist and chamber musician. After completing Bachelors and Masters degrees at Indiana University with Menahem Pressler z”l, and a Doctorate at Stony Brook University with Gil Kalish, she became the first resident orchestral pianist and chamber musician for Michael Tilson Thomas’ New World Symphony, in Miami Beach, Florida. Subsequently, Ms. Alitowski taught piano at Queens College (NY), and the University of Norte Dame (IN). Having developed an ethnomusicological interest in the history of Jewish music, Ms. Alitowski then designed and taught a series of related courses at Paideia Institute (Stockholm, Sweden 2002-2003), Tel Aviv University (Israel, 2004-2005), and McGill University (Montréal, Canada, 2009-2018). Her discography includes two CDs: Liane Alitowski Plays Haydn, Chopin and Ravel; and, Liane Alitowski - A Live Performance of Beethoven, Debussy and Messiaen.

Abigail Wilensky

Abigail Wilensky is a professional violinist local to the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon. She loves playing chamber music, and is excited to be part of a new strings project called the Fellowship of the Strings. She will be performing in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's production of Come From Away this year, and served as Concertmaster in their 2025 production of Into the Woods. She has served as Assistant Concertmaster and Principal Second Violin with the Rogue Valley Symphony, as well as Capellmeister and soloist with the Jefferson Baroque Orchestra. She enjoys collaborating with the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers on both violin and viola, and has served as concertmaster performing large Choral Masterworks with the Rogue Valley Chorale. She believes in the philosophy of Dr. Shin'Ichi Suzuki that all children can learn an instrument to a high level if given the proper environment, and works with kids and their families teaching violin with the Suzuki Method. She also enjoys playing many styles of music with local bands, including Tango, Romani and Bluegrass.