Biographies

Igor Yuzefovich | violin
Dariusz Skoraczewski | cello
Michael Sheppard | piano

www.monumentpianotrio.com
 

Founded in 2004 by three friends and musicians who love and embrace chamber music, the Monument Piano Trio has quickly proven itself as a talented and promising ensemble.  After a critically acclaimed debut, the Trio was invited to be the first Artists-in-Residence at An die Musik - a cozy chamber music venue in the heart of Baltimore's cultural district.  Coming from different musical backgrounds, each member of the trio brings something unique in their style of playing. Together, the styles and genres unify into one distinctive sound.  Critics have called the trio "Excellent" and "Breathtaking", and their concerts have been consistently well received by the public.

Entering its third season, the Trio presented a six-concert series as part of their continued residency at An die Musik Live. 

In 2007, the Trio joined musical and creative forces with the Analog Arts Ensemble, a cutting-edge arts collective.  As members of this group of artists, the Trio aims to present concerts in a new and exciting way, while retaining the highest level of artistry and musicianship.  Also in 2007, the Trio established a Composition Competition. 

Yet one more project is in the works for the Monument Piano Trio.  The group plans to release their debut recording by the end of the 2007-08 season.  The CD will include the winning composition from the Composition Competition. 

Born in Moscow, Russia, critically acclaimed violinist Igor Yuzefovich is the Assistant Concertmaster of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.  Mr. Yuzefovich began his violin studies at the age of 5, and was soon accepted into the Gnessin Music School where he studied with Irina Svetlova.  In 1990, while on a musical exchange with the Rubin Academy in Tel Aviv, Igor Yuzefovich performed on Israel's national television. Since 1991, Mr. Yuzefovich has resided in the United States, where he studied with Jody Gatwood, Leri Slutsky and Victor Danchenko. 

A winner of numerous competitions, Mr. Yuzefovich has performed in many countries around the world: his concerts have taken him from Carnegie Hall in New York to the Cairo Opera House in Egypt. He has also performed in cities across the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, Russia, Italy, France, Austria, Israel, Jordan and South Africa. 

An active chamber musician, Igor Yuzefovich was a prizewinner at the 1996 Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition as a member of the Russia Quartet. In 2004 he co-founded the Monument Piano Trio, which debuted to critical acclaim in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Mr. Yuzefovich has been invited to lead numerous masterclasses and is in high demand as guest concertmaster.  In addition to a busy schedule with the Baltimore Symphony and the Trio, Mr. Yuzefovich is also the Concertmaster of the Lancaster Symphony, a position he has held since 2004.  You can visit www.igory.net to learn more.

Cellist Dariusz Skoraczewski has delighted audiences of many concert halls in America and Europe with his great artistic and technical command of the instrument. As a soloist he performed with numerous orchestras in the US including the Montgomery Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Dariusz appeared in many chamber music concert series including the Candlelight Series, Music at the Great Hall in Baltimore and the Barge Music Festival in New York City. In November of 2005 he gave his Carnegie Hall debut which was sponsored by the La Gesse Foundation. The cellist is also a member of a critically acclaimed ensemble – the Monument Piano Trio who are the artists-in-residence at a concerts series An Die Musik Live in Baltimore.

Dariusz is a laureate of various international competitions such as the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the Leonard Rose Competition in Washington D.C. and the Rostropovich Competition in Paris. He was a first prize winner in the following contests: the Young Artist Competition in Santa Barbara, Concerto Competition of the Alexandria Symphony and the Baltimore Music Club Competition. Artist’s recordings have been broadcasted by the radio stations in New York and in Maryland.

Dariusz began his musical education at the age of six and spent his school years in Warsaw, Poland where his teachers were Professor Z. Liebig and Professor A. Zielinski. He completed his higher education as a scholarship recipient at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore and perfected his art under the supervision of world-renowned cellist Stephen Kates.

The soloist’s repertoire is extremely diverse and includes compositions from Baroque to the 21^st century. Besides his solo and chamber music career Dariusz is also the Assistant Principal Cellist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra with which he performs regularly.  You can visit www.dskora.com to learn more.

Already a rising star of his generation of artists, Michael Sheppard is a pianist of dazzling virtuosity and penetrating musicianship. Trained at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, he studied with the great Leon Fleisher and Ann Schein. As one of two 2003 Classical Fellows of the American Pianists Association he toured Southern Asia and the Middle East in the fall of 2003 in collaboration with the Cultural Programs Division of the United States Department of State. Throughout the tour he played concerti with national orchestras, was guest soloist with resident chamber music groups, played public solo recitals as well as private recitals for the diplomatic community, gave masterclasses at higher institutes of music and conducted informal presentations in secondary schools and universities. Upon his return he made his Kennedy Center debut. This season he makes his debuts with orchestras in the Midwest, Southeast and Pacific Northwest in addition to solo recitals throughout the nation and Europe. In November 2004 he was featured on the in-flight audio channel of ATA Airlines.

Sheppard has received critical acclaim as a grand interpreter of transcriptions of operatic tunes as well as American musical theatre in addition to the traditional piano repertory. Deeply committed to new music, he has worked closely with composers Nicholas Maw, Michael Hersch, Robert Sirota and John Corigliano. Sheppard is a composer in his own right and often programs his original compositions.

In addition to being a Classical Fellow of the American Pianists Association, Sheppard has also been a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and the La Gesse Foundation and a prizewinner in the National Federation of Music Clubs National Competition. A native of Philadelphia, he resides in Baltimore.