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Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026Time: 8:00 pm
Place: Church of St. Mary the Virgin (145 W. 46th St.)
Admission: FREE*
Here's the full program:
• Henryk Wieniawski: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor
• Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major
Wen Qian, violin (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra)
David Leibowitz, conductor
* A $20 donation is suggested, but never required.
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ABOUT THE PROGRAM
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Henryk Wieniawski's Second Violin Concerto stands as one of the most beloved works in the Romantic solo violin repertoire. Composed in 1862, the concerto reflects the his brilliance as both a virtuoso performer and a composer, combining sweeping lyricism with dazzling technical display.
Rich orchestration supports the solo violin’s expressive melodies and sparkling passagework, creating a work that is both emotionally compelling and thrilling to hear.
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The Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius is among the most powerful and beloved symphonic works of the early twentieth century. Composed between 1901 and 1902, the symphony captures Sibelius’s distinctive musical voice—expansive, dramatic, and deeply connected to the Nordic landscape. Through rich orchestral color and gradually unfolding themes, the work creates an atmosphere of tension and transformation, drawing listeners into a sweeping musical journey.
Through its four movements, the work grows from quiet, mysterious beginnings to a triumphant and soaring conclusion. The final movement’s broad, heroic theme has made the work especially celebrated, often interpreted as a symbol of hope and resilience.
With its powerful emotional arc and radiant ending, it is one of Sibelius’s most enduring and inspiring achievements.
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ABOUT OUR SOLOIST
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Wen Qian was hailed by China Daily as “one of China’s most promising young violinists” and in a Strad magazine review following her Carnegie Hall recital, critic Dennis Rooney commented that she “performed with enough insight and panache to thrill a listener while at the same time raising the question of why such results are so rarely achieved.”
Ms. Qian has been a first violinist with the Metropolitan Orchestra since 1997, where she has also served as acting Assistant Concertmaster. In addition to her busy schedule at the Met, she also enjoys an active career as a soloist, chamber musician and educator throughout China, the US and Europe.
Wen first gained notice in 1994 at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, where her solos in “Scheherazade” brought her to the front page of the German newspaper “Kieler Nachrichten,” in a review that said “[her] tenderness was as much musically correct as it was sensual; as much technically perfect as it was expressive, Wen Qian, the young concertmistress demonstrated a true sensibility and self-confidence.”
Since then, she has been invited to be a guest concertmaster with the Philharmonia of the Nation of Germany, Jupiter Symphony of New York, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra, and the Shenzhen Symphony. As a soloist, Ms. Qian has performed with orchestras such as the Central Philharmonic of China, Beijing Symphony, Shanghai Symphony, Guangzhou Symphony, South Shore Symphony, Centre Symphony, the Met Orchestra Ensemble, and the Mannes Orchestra.
An avid chamber musician, Ms. Qian has has performed in many music festivals and concert series including Marlboro, Tanglewood, Sarasota, and the Met Chamber Music series at Carnegie Hall as well as the Young Concert Artist Series presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
She has collaborated with world-renowned musicians including Andras Schiff, Mitsuko Uchita, Leslie Parnas, Nobuko Imai, and the members of the Beaux Arts Trio, Guarneri Quartet, and Juilliard Quartet. In recent summers, she has performed and taught at the Talis Music Festival in Switzerland, and the Cadenza Festival in Beijing.
A Violin Professor at Mannes School of Music at The New School's College of Performing Arts, Ms. Qian has also taught master classes and coachings at the New World Symphony in Miami, New York Youth Symphony, NYU, the Central Conservatory of Beijing, Shanghai Conservatory, and various music schools in Taiwan. In great demand as a teacher, her students have won jobs at the Met Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Houston Symphony, Detroit Sym-phony and New Orleans Symphony.
Ms. Qian studied with Felix Galimir at the Mannes School of Music in New York City where she obtained her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees as well as her Professional Studies Diploma and was awarded the highest honor of the Excellence in Performance Award upon graduation. Ms. Qian has served as the vice president of the William Lincer Foundation, and been on the panel of the New York State Council of the Arts.
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Event Venue
The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, 143 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036-8502, United States, Manhattan
Tickets
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