Enjoy this performance from almost anywhere in the world viaLIVE@jacobs!Repertoire Bax: Sonata in D Major (1934)Ireland: Fantasy-Sonata in E-Flat Major (1943)Hurlstone: Four Character Pieces (1899)Bowen: Sonata in F Minor, Op. 109 (1943)About the Artists Hungarian-born clarinetist Gábor Varga is associate professor of music in clarinet at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He earned diplomas from the University of Szeged and the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and a postgraduate degree from the Paris Conservatory. He has held principal clarinet positions with with the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, Concerto Budapest, and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He has been principal in the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra since 1997. He has also worked regularly with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra since 2001. Winner of numerous national and international prizes, he has performed in more than 25 countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and has appeared as a soloist in such concert halls as the Musikverein in Vienna and the Gewandhaus in Lepzig, participating in various music festivals and appearing at prestigious clarinet festivals. A keen advocate of new music, he has premiered chamber music and commissioned numerous concertos from such leading Hungarian composers as Kovács, Durkó, Fekete, Szentpáli, and Vajda, and he seeks opportunities to introduce new works to audiences. His recordings include chamber works and concertos by Weber and Mozart for Hungarian Radio and CD recordings of the Nielsen Concerto, Dreamdances by Kovács, chamber music by Druschetzky, and Vajda's clarinet works. He regularly gives master classes at major universities in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and for the International Clarinet Association and European Clarinet Association clarinet festivals. Before joining the Jacobs School, he held teaching positions at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore, University of Debrecen, and Tibor Varga Faculty of Musical Arts at the University of Győr, and the Royal Northern College of Music, where he was International Chair of Clarinet. Known for her verve and sensitivity, Japanese pianist Futaba Niekawa pushes the boundaries of her artistry as a soloist and collaborative pianist across genres and disciplines. She has performed throughout the United States, Canada, England, Spain, Taiwan, and Japan. To date, she has released five recordings (PARMA Recordings, Petrichor Records), and her live performances have been recorded for radio broadcast. In demand as a collaborative pianist, Niekawa has performed with Atar Arad, James Campbell, and Charles Castleman, as well as members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, among others. She has been engaged as a collaborative pianist at the Banff Centre, New England Conservatory, Meadowmount School of Music, the IU Jacobs Summer String Academy, and the Perlman Music Program. Praised as 'a beautifully balanced duo' by Gramophone Magazine, Niekawa's long-term duo partnership with violinist Kerry DuWors, duo526, has led to numerous performances, recordings, and artist residencies at the Banff Centre and Avaloch Farm Music Institute. Her dedication to pedagogy, mentoring, and performance practice is shown through workshops at duo526's annual Sonata Seminar. Niekawa is currently lecturer in music in chamber and collaborative music at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Visit www.futabaniekawa.com for more information.