Bloch, Ernest - Concerto Symphonique - Lin, Jenny (piano)
Ernest Bloch was born on 24 July 1880 in Geneva, Switzerland. He studied violin with Louis Rey and composition with Emile Jaques-Dalcroze and later studied under Eugene Ysaye and Francois Rasse in Brussels. Bloch's principal training, however, would be in Frankfurt with Iwan Knorr, who most influenced the composer's distinct musical personality. Bloch appropriated established and novel musical elements into highly dramatic scores, often influenced by philosophical, poetic, or religious themes. Bloch's works rank among the most distinguished achievements in the neo-classic and neo-romantic idiom of early 20th-century music. In 1917, the composer settled in the United States, where soon assumed the directorship of the Cleveland Institute of Music and later the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He also taught at the University of California at Berkeley.
Jenny Lin is one of the most respected young pianists today, admired for her adventurous programming and charismatic stage presence. She continues to receive accolades worldwide as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. The New York Times writes: "No one who has heard [her] will need to be told that Ms. Lin has a gift for melodic flow" and "remarkable technical command", the Washington Post praises "Lin's confident fingers [...] spectacular technique [...] " and Gramophone magazine has hailed her as "an exceptionally sensitive pianist". Her performances have taken her to venues such as Carnegie Recital Hall, Kennedy Center, Miller Theatre, Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum in New York, in addition to performing throughout Europe and Asia. She is the subject of the documentary, Zahara