This article by Jeffrey Charles Palmer was published by Australian classical and new music magazine CutCommon on 18 March 2020. To see the article in full, and read the entirety of print issue #3 of the magazine digitally, click here. A good thing to do whilst self-isolating!
Jeffrey Palmer, Irena Portenko and Zachary Hoffman at Carnegie Hall, photographed by Geraldine Petrovic
On a frigid January night in New York, pianist Irena Portenko and I stepped onto the stage of the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall to wrap our audience in the spirit of hygge – a Nordic term for the feeling of cosiness, conviviality and contentment. Featuring arias and songs by the likes of Handel, Debussy, Schubert, Sondheim and (in true Nordic fashion) Björk, the idea for this program originally stemmed from the planning of concerts that Irena and I will be giving together this February in Ukraine and at the winter session of her Music in the Alps Festival in Austria. As temperatures tend to plummet to Alpine depths in New York during this time of year, we thought a concert at Carnegie Hall would be an auspicious way to premiere this concept, and leapt at the opportunity when it was presented to us.
In addition to the eclectic countertenor and piano fare we performed together, Irena graced the packed house with a few solo works, including Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 and the New York premiere of Nine Portraits for Piano Solo by her incredibly accomplished student, 17-year old Benjamin Araujo. The audience was enraptured by these poignant sonic portraits of important figures in the young composer’s life, and ecstatic to find out that he was present amongst them that evening.
We were also honoured to have Irena’s former student Zachary Hoffman join us onstage at a second piano to treat the audience to some Rachmaninoff and Piazzolla for four hands, followed by his glorious solo rendition of Chaminade’s Arabesque No. 1, Op. 61. Along with being an exceptional pianist, Zach has continued his passion for music education through his work as Board Chair of the Inez S. Bull Foundation, which graciously sponsored our performance.
“I have always been passionate about music, as both a musician and an advocate. As a friend to the late Dr. Bull, my involvement with the Inez S. Bull Foundation provides me with the opportunity to support performing arts throughout central Pennsylvania and beyond.” – Zachary Hoffman
As this performance served as my Carnegie Hall debut, it will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable evenings of my life. However, what really made the evening magical had less to do with the propitiousness of the venue and more to do with my fellow artists. Having the chance to perform with Irena and witness her teacher-student relationships with Zach and Benjamin come full circle was an experience truly humbling, heartwarming and undeniably hygge.