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Jonathon Glonek
When: Saturday 30th July 2022, 3PM
Where: Ledger Gallery
Price: $30 members / $40 non-members
Bookings: Numbers are strictly limited. Payment and registration essential. To secure your place, visit the Gallery, call on 5760 2619, or email the gallery on gallery@benalla.vic.gov.au
Internationally renowned Violin virtuoso Jonathan Glonek presents the complete collection of 24 Caprices by Paganini. The rarely performed works are the latest in Glonek’s project to bring Australia’s finest musicians, playing the world’s most important classical music, to rural and regional audiences who otherwise would not have the opportunity to hear it.
“The Paganini 24 Caprices is part of the repertoire you practice your whole life just to stay on top of the instrument,” says Glonek.
“Paganini himself was a fascinating character and a huge sensation in his own time.”
Part of the reason Paganini’s music is so hard to play is due to a medical condition which gave him very large hands and hyper flexible joints. As a result it’s not uncommon for performers to damage a tendon attempting to play some of his music.
“It is truly spectacular music that moves all over the violin and something that had never been done before. I recall spending hours being defeated by only a handful of notes chosen from these works. But somehow they have come into focus for me and I am now I able to present the complete opus as concert pieces.”
About Jonathon Glonek
Jonathon began touring internationally at the age of 12, and has since developed as a gifted violinist and serious performer. He has presented many challenging programs in solo performances throughout Europe, The United States, Southeast Asia and in Australia.
He has also worked extensively organising and promoting serious classical repertoire to novice audiences in the belief that this can be accessed as a valuable experience by any person. In particular Glonek has been strongly committed in bringing performance of classical music to rural communities in Australia.
“Classical music is a great gift to everyone, but there are not that many opportunities to hear it in the Bush,” says Glonek. “I am trying to change that by bringing work that is not often played even in the cities to rural and regional audiences.”
He set up a group known as the Bendoc Philharmonic, named after the Victorian town where he owns a farm, and he and his colleagues have so far performed in the Naracoorte Caves in South Australia, Broken Hill and Delegate in NSW, and Bendoc in Victoria.
Glonek moved to Los Angeles in his youth at the invitation of Russian-born American violinist and teacher Jascha Heifetz, to pursue serious musical studies while at UCLA on scholarship. He went on to study in the US and Europe with Alexander Treger, Tibor Varga, and Raymond Montoni, which gave Glonek a unique perspective encompassing the philosophies of the great figures in 20th century string playing; Auer, Flesch, Casals and Ysaye.
As a performer Jonathon Glonek enjoys an unusually broad and flexible repertoire. He is recognised for his intense personal style in presenting dramatic and impactful accounts of these works. In the course of his performances he has attracted strong critical acclaim for live performances across the range of this repertoire from J.S. Bach, classical sonatas, the romantic virtuoso medium and 20th century works.