Assistant Professor of Piano Pedagogy & Performance Marika Bournaki, M.M., and Associate Professor of Cello Julian Schwarz, M.M., performed and participated in a number of professional engagements throughout the region during the summer season.
Bournaki premiered “Inextinguishable,” a new piano trio by Paul Frucht, with violinist Giora Schmidt and Schwarz on May 19. She also participated in Murray Sidlin’s Hours of Freedom presentation, performing works by Holocaust composers at American University in Washington, D.C., on June 24.
Bournaki spent five weeks at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she serves as one of three piano faculty members. She taught lessons, led masterclasses, coached chamber music, and performed more than a dozen concerts, culminating in a performance of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with violinist CheeYun and cellist Amanda Forsyth, with Gerard Schwarz conducting.
On July 17, the Schwarz-Bournaki duo performed at the Market Square Concerts Series’ SummerMusic, playing music by Frédéric Chopin.
Bournaki was also showcased at the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, performing Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, op. 49, with violinist Carmit Zori and cellist Schwarz. Her summer season ended with a concert with the Olmos Ensemble (based in San Antonio, Texas,) on Aug. 25 where she performed works by Schumann, Fruhling and Brahms.
