Marian Miner Cook
Athenaeum

A distinctive
feature of social and
cultural life at CMC

 

Athenaeum Concert Series: Renewal from Ashes (War)

Thu, October 19, 2023
Dinner Program
Bijoux Saxophone Duo (Aiwen Zhang and Valentin Kovalev)

The Athenaeum Concert Series presents Renewal from Ashes – War, Destruction, Remembrance, Peace in its inaugural 2023-24 season, inviting five celebrated guest artists to speak about and perform music composed at times of war.

In our opening concert for the series, "War," we present a program of music featuring works by composers whose lives were profoundly touched by war and political unrest in the 20th and 21st centuries. These compositions serve as a sonic history, capturing the emotional zeitgeist of the eras they represent and transforming into anthems of resilience or symbols of peace.

The Bijoux Saxophone Duo invites the audience to explore with them the fascinating ways in which composers react to periods of conflict and change, and how their works continue to resonate with us today.

The Bijoux Saxophone Duo started their journey at the prestigious Paris Conservatory, where Aiwen Zhang and Valentin Kovalev were the only two saxophonists admitted in 2018. In 2020, Aiwen and Valentin moved from France to the US to pursue their education at the Universiy of Michigan as the most historical classical saxophone program in the country. Natives of Shanghai and Siberia, both of them had launched their solo careers as concert artists since their childhood, and together they had received over 50 prizes and awards internationally, as well as performed across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Since their first collaboration, their musical connection led to a strong romantic relationship. During the pandemic, the couple decided to stay in touch with the listeners and colleagues through the making of creative content. That was the time they developed their passion for filming and editing. Aiwen and Valentin grew out of their love for musical exploration, thanks to the versatility of the saxophone and their cultural diversity, they are able to fuse different music genres with their classical background to present audience boundary-pushing performances.

Since 2022 they are located in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square, where they share a home with their newborn daughter (born June 7, 2023) and the furry audience of three cats and one dog.

The Athenaeum Concert Series has been organized by founder and director Sheena Hui '19.

Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum

Claremont McKenna College
385 E. Eighth Street
Claremont, CA 91711

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