Asi Matathias, violin and Matthew Graybil, piano

Still in his twenties, violinist Asi Matathias is already recognized as one of the most celebrated talents of his generation. He made his debut at the age of fourteen with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta, displaying a musical maturity and inspiration far beyond his years.

This success was immediately followed by another invitation from Maestro Mehta to play with him in the following season. Since then, Mr. Matathias has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras around the globe with many distinguished conductors including Zubin Mehta, Frederic Chaslin, Gunter Kahlert, Leon Botstein, Mendi Rodan and Yaron Traub.

He has recorded for BBC, WQXR,CBC, IBA and ORF (The Österreichischer Rundfunk). Mr. Matathias is a frequent recitalist and has performed extensively throughout Europe, USA, South America, Asia and Israel. As an enthusiastic chamber musician, he has collaborated with renowned international artists such as Yefim Bronfman, Kiril Gerstein, Nikolaj Znaider, Frans Helmerson, Nobuko Imai and Christian Altenburger. He has performed in Festivals such as the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival, The Con Anima Festival in Austria, Vienna Bezirk Wochen Festspiele, Israel Festival and Prussia Cove in England.

Mr. Matathias started playing the violin when he was 6. In Israel, he studied with Chaim Taub, and later on at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna as the youngest student to be enrolled at the University. He then continued his studies with violinist Aaron Rosand. Mr. Matathias was awarded a scholarship and a certificate of merit, and has been supported by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation since 1997. Mr. Matathias earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, where he was a long time student of the famed Pinchas Zukerman and his teaching associate Patinka Kopec.

Praised by The New Yorker as an “exceptional young artist” and by The Southampton Press as “hypnotic and compelling,” American pianist Matthew Graybil has performed as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Canada, France, Holland and Mexico. He made his orchestral debut at age 14 with Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and has subsequently performed with the Fort Worth Symphony and the National Chamber Players. Highlights of Graybil’s solo career include recitals in many of the world’s music capitals, including New York, Paris, Chicago, Baltimore, Mexico City, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington DC in venues such as Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Subculture, Le Poisson Rouge, Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center and Lincoln Center. In addition, Graybil is an avid chamber musician, with over 150 performances to his credit. As an exponent of music from the 20th and 21st century, he recently gave the New York premier of Walter Piston’s Concerto for Two Pianos Soli, along with Igor Lovchinsky. He has appeared on radio and television, including Vermont Public Radio, Connecticut Public Radio, WNYC’s The Leonard Lopate Show, WQXR’s Young Artist Showcase, WWFM’s The Piano Matters hosted by David Dubal, CBS Chicago and PBS, where he was featured in the documentary Beyond the Practice Room.

He has been a prize-winner in national and international competitions including the New York Piano Competition, the MTNA/Yamaha National Piano Competition, the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts competition, the Juilliard Gina Bachauer Competition, the Nina Wideman International Piano Competition and the Missouri Southern International Piano Competition. Mr. Graybil has performed in master classes for Leon Fleisher, Claude Frank, Pamela Frank, Robert Levin, Menaham Pressler, Susan Starr and Arie Vardi and has been invited to festivals including the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Pianofest in the Hamptons, the Ravinia Steans Institute, the Sarasota Music Festival and the American Academy in Fontainebleau, France.

Graybil began his piano studies at age 6 and presented his first recital the following year. He was a pupil of Harvey Wedeen for six years and in 2009, received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Jerome Lowenthal.  In 2011, he completed the Masters program at Juilliard where he continued to work with Mr. Lowenthal as well as Matti Raekallio. Graybil’s debut album, featuring works by Brahms and Schubert, was released in 2012 as part of the Victor Elmaleh Collection. In a review of the album, Fanfare Magazine wrote that “he becomes so at one with the [music] that the line between composer and performer vanishes. Matthew Graybil’s playing marks him … as one of the most sensitive, poetic young pianists to debut on record in recent memory.” A second disc of Chopin’s Etudes, Op. 10 will be released shortly as part of The Chopin Project. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1987, Matthew Graybil resides in New York City.

Both artists will partake in school visit, for GetClassical's initiative GetClassical In School, inspiring the next generation in the classroom.