Join us for the extraordinary music of composer Charlie Chaplin performed by Marta Aznavoorian and Philippe Quint.  We all know Charlie Chaplin as a silent film star, but what is little known is that Chaplin composed nearly all of the music accompanying his films. In honor of Charlie Chaplin’s 130^th birthday, a collection of Chaplin’s works has been carefully curated and newly arranged for piano and violin over three years by Philippe Quint, in collaboration with two arrangers.

You can now hear these beautiful and mostly forgotten pieces performed by internationally acclaimed and multi Grammy nominated artists Philippe Quint and Marta Aznavoorian, a Barrington native, including the touching song “Smile.” (You know the one—Smile, though your heart is breaking… .) “Almost Mozartian in its grace and charm,’ said Quint, “Chaplin’s music is deceptively simple yet speaks directly to your heart.”

Quint has recorded a selection of these pieces with frequent collaborator, violinist Joshua Bell and accompanied by pianist Marta Aznavoorian. Available on Warner Classic, the album is called Chaplin’s Smile.

Philippe Quint, Violin

Philippe Quint has established himself as one of the leading violinists of his generation. Multi Grammy nominated and constantly in demand, he regularly appears at venues ranging from the Gewandhaus in Leipzig to Carnegie Hall in New York and at the most prestigious music festivals such as Verbier, Colmar, Hollywood Bowl and Dresden Festspiele. “Truly phenomenal” is how BBC Music Magazine recently described him.

Quint has won worldwide acclaim playing with world’s leading orchestras and conductors. Quint’s recent appearances have taken him across the globe, including to the London Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, China National Symphony, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Berlin Komische Oper Orchestra. Named Artist-in-Association for 2018/1019 season by Utah Symphony, the season also included debut with Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, Moscow debut with the National Philharmonic of Russia and taking the Chaplin Project on tour.

Born in Leningrad, Soviet Union, Philippe Quint studied at Moscow’s Special Music School for the Gifted with the famed Russian violinist Andrei Korsakov. After moving to the United States, he earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Juilliard School. His distinguished pedagogues and mentors included Dorothy Delay, Cho-Liang Lin, Masao Kawasaki, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Arnold Steinhardt and Felix Galimir.

Marta Aznavoorian, Piano

Multi Grammy nominated artist Marta Aznavoorian has performed to critical acclaim throughout the world as orchestral soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and educator. A Chicago native, she has performed in her hometown’s most prestigious venues and tours extensively throughout the world.  She made her professional debut at the age of 13 performing Mozart Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor K.491 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center in four concerts of their series.  She has won over audiences appearing as soloist with orchestras internationally including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Conservatory Orchestra, San Angelo Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and the New World Symphony.

 Ms. Aznavoorian is founding member of the Lincoln Trio, which Fanfare Magazine has labeled as “one of the hottest young trios in the business”.  The Grammy Nominated trio tours regularly throughout the world and just celebrated their most resent CD release from Cedille Records called Trios from our Homelands which was also nominated for a Grammy in the best small ensemble/chamber music performance in 2017.

 A student of the renowned teacher, Menahem Pressler, Aznavoorian received her bachelor degree at Indiana University and her Master’s Degree from New England Conservatory where she studied with the late Patricia Zander.  A passionate teacher and educator, Aznavoorian has taught and given masterclasses at Universities throughout the United States and abroad, and is on faculty at the Music Institute of Chicago, and Piano and Chamber Music faculty at DePaul University School of Music.