Roy Malan, concert director & violin
Loren Gigi, violin
Polly Malan, viola
Erin Wang, cello
Francisco Torres Velasco, piano
In earlier times, musicians did not specialize in either performance or composition—they did both! The ensuing “era of the virtuoso” produced a generation of instrumentalists who composed music purpose-built to show off their technical and expressive prowess. As the twentieth century rolled around performers emerged who needed to prove their creative side as well as their virtuosity. Fritz Kreisler and Sergei Rachmaninoff exemplify this trend—not only were they legendary performers of the established classic masterpieces but they became recognized as composers of the highest order as well.
