Free | No ticket required

Xinzhe Ning DMA Violin Recital

Xinzhe Ning, violin
Anton Wachmann, cello
Alexandra Flint, piano

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Program

Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004     Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
I. Allemande
II. Courante
III. Sarabande
IV. Gigue
V. Chaconne

Dissolve, O My Heart      Missy Mazzoli (b. 1980)

Intermission 

Piano Trio No. 4 in E Minor “Dumky”, Op. 90        Antonín Leopold Dvořák (1841-1904)
I. Lento maestoso – Allegro quasi doppio movimento
II. Poco Adagio – Vivace non troppo
III. Andante – Vivace non troppo
IV. Andante moderato – Allegretto scherzando – Meno mosso
IV. Allegro
V. Lento maestoso – Vivace

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Currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in violin performance at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, violinist Xinzhe Ning has been passionate and devoted to music throughout her career. Starting her violin training at the age of five, Ms. Ning studied with Professor Xiong Da, Jiang for ten years. She was a member of the Beijing Sun Youth Orchestra for a decade from 2005. Being a member of the orchestra, she won the first prize in The Hong Kong International Chamber Music Competition in 2015. As a violinist who is enthusiastic about symphonic and chamber music, she has performed chamber and orchestral works throughout China and the United States.

Studies with Professor. Dawn Wohn at the Mead Witter School of Music, Ms. Ning has been working as the graduate teaching assistant in the doctoral program. She has actively performed with the University Symphony Orchestra for two years and was also selected to produce the opera La Traviata with musicians and vocalists of the School of Music. In 2025, Ms. Ning was appointed as the concertmaster of the Madison Community Orchestra. By participating in the music community, she continues to contribute her love of classical music.

When pursuing the Master of Music at the University of Nevada, Reno, as the graduate teaching assistant of Professor Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio, she served as assistant concertmaster of the university symphony in the completion of the degree. As a violinist, Ms. Ning has worked with Keith Lockhart, Timothy Lees, Carolin Chin, Benjamin Sung, Martin Chalifour, Ronald Patterson, Rachel Barton Pine, Si Yan Darren Li, Katie Kadarauch, and Barbara Bogatin. She was a recipient of the Lieber Violin Scholarship, Evert B. Person Scholarship, and Roxy Roth Scholarship. Outside of performing and teaching, she actively participated in musical festivals to enrich her experience as a performer and educator. Ms. Ning has attended the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina, the Emerald Coast Chamber Music Festival in Florida, and the Rocky Ridge Music Festival in Colorado.

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Matthew Driver DMA Piano Recital

Matthew Driver, piano
Carmen Lemos Gonzalez, piano
Megan Angriawan, piano

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Program

Mozart K.448 Two Piano Sonata      Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Allegro Con Spirito
Andante
Molto Allegro

Piano Suite No. 2 Op. 17 for Two Piano    Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Introduction (Alla Marcia, in C major)
Valse (Presto, in G major)
Romance (Andantino, in A-Flat Major)
Tarantelle (Presto, in C minor)

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Matthew Driver, born in Chesterfield, Virginia, has established a distinguished career as a pianist, educator, and researcher. His extensive performance experience spans numerous festivals, competitions, and collaborative projects with various artists across the United States.

Driver commenced his piano studies at the age of nine, demonstrating exceptional talent and dedication. Under the careful guidance and unwavering support of his family, he continued his musical education through the collegiate level. At the age of nine, Driver gave his first public performance, marking the beginning of a lifelong commitment to music.

Throughout his career, Driver has performed at prestigious festivals, including the Green Mountain Music Festival and Dance West Virginia. In addition to his performances, he has served as a faculty member at the Dance West Virginia festival, where he taught music, adjudicated the scholarship competition, and accompanied dance classes.

In his role as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), Driver has mentored numerous students who have gone on to achieve success in competitions throughout North Carolina and have received full scholarships to universities. His dedication to music education is further exemplified by his passion for community engagement. Driver was invited to participate in an Alzheimer’s research study conducted by Wake Forest University, where he will use music to investigate the effects of Alzheimer’s disease on the brain.

Driver’s academic accomplishments include graduating with honors from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) degree. He also earned a Master of Music degree and a Performance Diploma with highest honors from UNCSA. Currently, Driver is pursuing a Doctorate in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he serves as a teaching assistant, instructing undergraduate piano lab courses and accompanying a diverse range of musicians.

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$20 general admission
Students free (ticket required)
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Mead Witter School of Music Faculty Artist Series

Dan Cavanagh Faculty Composition Recital

Benjamin Davies Hudson, violin
Christopher Bolduc, violin
Sage Eckard-Lee, viola
Timothy Mullins, flute
Deirdre Brenner, piano
Sarah Brailey, soprano
David Perry, violin
Suzanne Beia, violin
Sally Chisholm, viola
Parry Karp, cello
James Waldo, cello
Max Feng, cello
Martha Fischer, piano
Eleni Katz, bassoon
Dan Cavanagh, piano

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Program

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Dr. Dan Cavanagh is a composer and pianist who has garnered numerous awards in both areas. He has been commissioned by a wide range of jazz and classical artists throughout North America and Europe, and his music continues to be performed across the globe. Cavanagh has released five jazz CDs as a leader. His music can be heard on many other recordings both classical and jazz.

Cavanagh has performed extensively in North America and internationally. He has been a finalist in the EuropaFest Jazz Contest in Bucharest, and in the Jacksonville Jazz Festival Piano Competition.

He is Professor of Composition and Jazz Studies and the Pamela O. Hamel/Board of Advisors of the Mead Witter School of Music at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Prior to his time at UW–Madison, he held appointments at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he served for 18 years.