Friday, April 25, 2025
7:00 PM
Sords-Walz-Durkovic Trio
with special guests Esther Kim, violin, and Erik Rynearson, viola
PROGRAM:
J. Brahm (1833-1857) - Sonatensatz (Scherzo from F.A.E. Sonata)
S. Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) - Vocalise (arr. Jules Conus for trio)
J. Brahms (1833-1857) - Hungarian Dance No. 6
A.Dvorak (1841-1904) - Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major, Op. 81
Sords-Walz-Durkovic piano trio has dazzled audiences with their mesmerizing sound for over ten years. Three brilliant performers, all with long lists of solo accomplishments, they effortlessly blend their talents to create an enchanting experience that leaves the audience spellbound. Two other musicians, Esther Kim and Erik Rynearson, frequently join Andrew Sords, John Walz, and Timothy Durkovic in creating the unique artistic synergy for some unforgetable performances.
Timothy Durkovic, piano
Los Angeles based pianist Timothy Durkovic is an active soloist and chamber musician, collaborating regularly with some of world’s finest instrumentalists and vocalists including Lynn Harrell, Martin Chalifour, Helen Callus, Movses Pogossian, Timothy Landauer, Richard O’Neil, Jonathan Mack, the Calder Quartet, the Miró Quartet, and the Casals Quartet among others.
Timothy is the Grand Prize Winner of the 1996 Los Angeles Liszt Competition as well as a winner of the Beverly Hills Auditions, the Carmel Music Society Competition, the 2001 San Diego Duo Piano Competition and the 2001 IBLA Grand Prize Duo Award (Sicily, Italy) with his duo partner Chie Nagatani, as well as the recipient of the prestigious Outstanding Master’s Graduate Award from the USC Thornton School of Music. Born and raised in Guatemala, Mr. Durkovic studied at the National Conservatory of Guatemala, the Juilliard School, Salem College and the USC Thornton School of Music.
Andrew Sords, violin
American violinist Andrew Sords maintains a heavy schedule of touring with his piano trio and as soloist with orchestras. His performances have been cited for combining visceral virtuosity and ravishing tone, while international critics have endorsed Sords as “a fully formed artist” (Kalisz-Poland News), “utterly radiant” (Canada’s Arts Forum), and “exceptionally heartfelt and soulful” (St. Maarten’s Daily Herald).
In 2018, an appearance in Guatemala was heralded by the Prensa Libre: "Sords demonstrated what it means to be an artist. He paired maximum delicacy with fire and brilliance, and had a subtle handling of sonority - clearly audible even in his softest and sweetest moments." In 2023/24, Sords appeared in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, West Palm Beach, Reno, and numerous other venues with concerti by Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Sibelius, Wieniawski, and others.
John Walz, cello
John Walz is a celebrated soloist and chamber music artist, known for his dazzling virtuosity and elegant musicianship. A student of the legendary French cellist, Pierre Fournier, he has appeared as soloist with more than 150 symphony orchestras on four continents. His performances of 25 different concertos include both standard showcases and rarities like Martinu’s Concerto #1 and William Schuman’s Song of Orfeus. In 1979, Mr. Walz, along with pianist Edith Orloff, founded the Pacific Trio. Now performing with violinist Roger Wilkie, this renowned ensemble has played over 900 concerts throughout North America and Europe.
Hailed by the LA Times as “combining singing warmth and clean virtuosity…there was plenty of dash and just enough nuance”, Walz is currently the principal cellist with the Los Angeles Opera, a position he previously held for 20 years with the Long Beach Symphony.
His ever expanding discography includes recordings of the concertos by Dvorak, Haydn, Shostakovich, Bloch, Martinu, Vivaldi, and trios by Brahms, Dvorak, Smetana, and the newly released Pacific Trio CD featuring Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and Archduke Trio.
He is on the faculty of the Idyllwild Arts summer program and Academy.
Esther Kim, violin
Violinist Esther Kim has performed as a soloist and recitalist across the United States, Europe, and Asia. She has received numerous accolades and prizes, including at the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition, and the International Violin Competition in Bled, Slovenia. She was also awarded the Art for Music Award from the European Union of Music Competitions.
Esther has appeared as a soloist with the Nagoya Philharmonic, Sejong Soloists, Busan Philharmonic, Seoul Sinfonietta, and the New Hampshire Symphony. Her notable performances include a 10-day summer tour with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and a six-week recital tour in Japan, sponsored by Asahi Newspaper, Sony Electronics, and Shiseido, with broadcasts on NHK television.
Following the release of her debut encore album with King Records in 2010, Esther performed in 12 concert halls across the Tokyo metropolitan area. Esther studied at the Juilliard School of Music, the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria, and Indiana University. Following her musical training, she later went to medical school and recently completed her residency at UCLA in 2024. In addition to her work as both a musician and physician, Esther is a certified yoga instructor and is deeply dedicated to musical outreach in hospitals and memory care centers, believing firmly in the transformative and healing role of music in medicine.
Erik Rynearson
Native to southern California and dual citizen of France, Erik Rynearson, viola, has enjoyed performing across the Americas and Europe. Having earned a Master’s degree with Performer’s Certificate from Indiana University as the teaching assistant of Alan deVeritch, he spent four years in Miami Beach as a fellow of the New World Symphony.
In his eleven years of professional orchestral experience, Erik has performed with the Charleston and Kansas City Symphonies, as well as serving as first-call substitute in the Phoenix and Detroit Symphonies, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
International tours include those with the New World Symphony and entertaining close to one million ecstatic audience members playing Star Wars in Concert.
When not wielding his 1970 Alfio Batelli viola, made for then Principal of the Philharmonic Jan Hlinka, Erik employs his Nikon to professionally capture life one frame at a time.
He is a founding member of the Firebird Orchestra in Miami, plays with the IRIS Chamber Orchestra of Memphis, has been a member of the Pacific Symphony since 2010 and the Long Beach Symphony since 2011.