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Artist Guide » Classical » Traditional » VIOLETA SMAILOVIC-HUART, VIOLIN, SERGIO DE SIMONE, PIANO: Franck, Prokofiev

Violeta Smailovic-Huart, violin; Sergio De Simone, piano

Violeta and Sergio have been playing together since their student days at Meadows School of Music in Dallas (1996). Playing a large repertory of chamber music, they are winners of the Special Prize INCE at the International Chamber Music Competition "Trio di Trieste", as well as the 2nd Prize winners at the International Chamber Music Competition in Caltanisseta.

Violeta Smailovic-Huart, violinist, was born in Sarajevo. She comes from a family of eminent musicians (father composer, two sisters violinists, another sister pianist, and brother violoncellist). She began her violin studies at the age of three, and while living in Bosnia was guided by Dino Sagrestano, a distinguished violin Professor at the Musical Academy of Sarajevo. At five years old she appeared in her first television performance, and by age eleven, she had played her Debut with the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Continuing her studies, Violeta was a student of internationally recognized violin pedagogues such as Evgenia Tchugaeva, Pavel Vernikov, Emanuel Borok, Tamara Smirnova-Sajfar, Ilya Grubert. When she was only 18, Violeta graduated from the Academy of the Arts in Novi Sad (former Yugoslavia). Between 1993 and 1997 Violeta obtained several postgraduate diplomas: Diplome de Cycle de Perfectionnement at the Conservatoire National de la Musique de Paris,1993; Diploma di Concertista at the Academia Internationale di Musica a Portogruaro-Venezia,1993; the Artist Certificate Diploma from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University (Dallas-U.S.A.),1995; Master's Degree of Music at the same institution,1997. She also attended the Master Classes of Viktor Tretjakov, Grigorij Zislin, Sergej Kravcenko, Aaron Rosand, and Boris Garlitski.

Violeta Smailovic-Huart distinguished herself from the very beginning of her career with high level performances. She has played a number of recitals and concerts as a soloist with prestigious orchestras (Concertgebow Symphony Orchestra, Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de CNCMP, Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra, Zagreb Radio Television Orchestra, Skopje Philharmonic Orchestra, JNA Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonic d'Avignon, Orchestra Internationale di Giovani Musicisti, Chamber Orchestra "Tartini", Garland Symphony Orchestra...) in Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, England, Japan, France, and the USA. Her poetic interpretation and expressive qualities have been appreciated in several major music halls such as Concertgebow (Amsterdam), Salle Gavot (Paris), Morton Meyerson Symphony Center (Dallas), Theatre Royale (Brussels), Rachmaninov Hall (Moscow), Lisinski Hall (Zagreb)...

Violeta is a laureate of the Sir Y. Menuhin Foundation "LIVE MUSIC NOW"(France) and of The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (Japan), as well as a prizewinner of The CNSMP Violin Competition in Avignon (France, 1993). While obtaining many first and special prizes at various music competitions in the SFRJ, she was chosen as "The Best Young Musician of Yugoslavia" in 1988.

Smailovic-Huart also recorded a Compact Disc (FNAC label, Paris) including David Wilde's Suite for Violin and Piano "CRY, Bosnia-Herzegovina" which was dedicated to her and inspired by the war in her country. Violeta is fluent in English, French, Italian, Russian, as well as in her native language.

SERGIO DE SIMONE, pianist, was born in Florence (Italy). He studied piano at the Scuola di Musica di Sesto Fiorentino with Giuseppe Tanzini and chamber music with Franco Rossi, cellist of the famous Quartetto Italiano. In 1995 he graduated with the highest marks, Laude and Honorable Mention, from the Arrigo Boito Conservatory of Music of Parma.

Sergio attended master classes with Murray Perahia, Aldo Ciccolini, Philippe Cassard, Bruno Canino, Alessandro Specchi e Pier Narciso Masi. In 1995, 96 and 98 he was part of Joaquin Achucarro's Summer Festival in the Chigiana Academy in Siena where he was awarded the Diploma di Merito, the Guido Agosti, the SIAE and the E. Contestabile scholarships.

In January 1996 De Simone began studying with Joaquin Achucarro at Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX) as an Artist Certificate student, recipient of the Joel Estes Tate Scholarship. In 1996-97 he won the Don Nobles Award for accompanying and in 1998 the Von Mickwitz Prize for the piano.

Sergio is a laureat of several international piano competitions ("V. Bellini", International Beethoven Piano Sonata Competition in Memphis (TN), the Pausilypon-Denza National Piano Competition). He has performed as a soloist and chamber pianist for prestigious music societies in Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Hungary and the USA (La SocietÃ dei Concerti in Milan, Amici della Musica in Florence, Pisa Theater, Metastasio Theater of Prato, Amici del Teatro Comunale of Florence, Amici del Conservatorio of Parma, Harris Auditorium in Memphis, International Music Festival in Torroella de MontgrÃ¬-Barcelona, Mills College Hall in Oakland, Chigiana Academy in Siena, "Valli" Theatre in Reggio Emilia, "Bellini" Theatre in Catania etc.). He has also played with the Romanian State Orchestra, the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, the Meadows Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Strumentale-CittÃ di Prato, Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, and the "Solisti di CittÃ Lirica Orchestra" of Pisa etc., conducted by Anton Nanut, Paul Philips, Alessandro Pinzauti.

Sergio has been piano assistant in many master classes given by musicians such as S.Mintz, Y.Bashmet, V.Tretiakov, E.Chugaeva, M.Larrieu, K.Leister, M.Stokhausen, I.Gavris, etc.

Check out the artist's website:
http://www.huart.com

Track List:
1. C.Franck/Sonata in A major/Allegro ben moderato
2. C.Franck/Sonata in A major/Allegro
3. C.Franck/Sonata in A major/Recitativo Fantasia.Ben moderato
4. C.Franck/Ssonata in A major/Allegro poco mosso
5. S.Prokofiev/Sonata no.2 in D major, op.94/Moderato
6. S.Prokofiev/Sonata no.2 in D major, op.94/Presto
7. S.Prokofiev/Sonata no.2 in D major, op.94/Andante
8. S.Prokofiev/Sonata no.2 in D major, op.94/Allegro con brio

Suggested CDs:

Scott Slapin

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