The soul of Spanish music resonates in the playing of violinist Eva León. A native of Spain’s Canary Islands, Eva has won praise across Europe and the Americas for performances that are as charismatic as they are profound. Her “unabashed flair and passion” (The Strad) have positioned her among Spain’s most celebrated violinists. In this concert, Eva teams up with internationally acclaimed pianist Olga Vinokur, who has been described by BBC magazine as “superlative” to take us on a musical journey across her native land, exploring its many traditions, cultures, and colors. In her most recent album (Naxos), Eva once again gives voice to the Spanish idiom through the timeless compositions of Joaquín Rodrigo supported by Olga Vinokur, who contributes with “the strength and consistency of her artistry” as noted by The New York Times.

Eva León, Violin

Hailed by critics as a violinist who “has the power to captivate the five senses of her audience” La Vanguardia (Spain), and described as a “charismatic violinist who possesses, along with her musical talent and tremendous aura, a gift for expression” Neue Press (Germany), Eva León has become one of the most successful Spanish violinists of her generation. She has won all the major Spanish violin competitions and several international competitions, including top prize at the Michelangelo Abbado International Violin Competition and Laureate at the Maria Canals International Violin Competition. She was the winner of the 33rd Artists International Début Award in New York, which led to her début at Carnegie Hall. Eva León has successfully appeared on tour in some of the most prestigious concert halls and festivals throughout the world, both as a chamber musician and as a soloist with numerous orchestras. She has recorded three critically acclaimed albums for Naxos, with music by Joaquín Turina, Xavier Montsalvatge and Joaquín Rodrigo. She currently lives in New York City.

Olga Vinokur, Piano

Olga Vinokur has been described by the The New York Times as “exquisite” and by the BBC magazine as “superlative.” She is an acclaimed pianist and a dynamic performer on the classical and contemporary music scene. Olga has appeared in the United States and internationally as recitalist, with orchestra and chamber musicians, in major venues including Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall, New York, the Rudolfinum, Prague, King’s Place, London, and the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre. She appears in the film documentary Women of Music, a classical music series on the Bravo TV station, which features interviews and performances with today’s top classical performers from around the world. She has been heard on WNYC’s Soundcheck in New York, the BBC, the Israeli Voice of Music radio station, and Russian National Public Radio, among others. She is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, and has appeared as a soloist with many orchestras, and has toured China with the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra where she performed in the major concert halls of eleven different cities.