The Expressive Violin: Masterpieces of Passion & Virtuosity

Join Kinga Augustyn & Joseph Liccardo for an unforgettable evening of violin masterpieces, from Tartini’s Devil’s Trill to Ravel’s Tzigane! Experience an evening of virtuosic artistry as violinist Kinga Augustyn and pianist Joseph Liccardo present a captivating program exploring the full expressive spectrum of the violin. PROGRAM • Giuseppe Tartini (arr. Fritz Kreisler): Devil’s Trill Sonata — A legendary, fiery masterpiece born from a mythical dream. • John Williams: Theme from Schindler’s List — Haunting, deeply moving music of remembrance and quiet intensity. • Camille Saint-Saëns: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Minor — A swept-away journey of soaring lyricism and Romantic passion. • Maurice Ravel: Tzigane — A dazzling, showstopping finale inspired by the improvisatory spirit of Romani violin traditions. From spectral mystery to breathless brilliance, this performance highlights the violin at its most powerful and poetic. Following the concert, Observatory staff will provide guided tours of the night sky (weather permitting) through our many telescopes on site, including the apochromatic Zerochromat telescope in our historic observation dome. $25 Adult, $20 Observatory Members, Children Uner 16 FREE. Due to limited space, registration is strongly encouraged. ABOUT THE ARTISTS Kinga Augustyn is a New York City–based concert violinist and recording artist praised by The Strad for her “stylish, vibrant” musicianship and by Fanfare Magazine as “one hell of a violinist!” She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia, including the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Queens Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra, MAV Symphony Orchestra of Budapest, and the Orquesta Sinfónica in Santiago, Chile. As a recitalist and chamber musician, Augustyn has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Aspen Music Festival, the Chicago Cultural Center, Teatro Ristori in Verona, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, and Teatro dal Verme in Milan. She has also toured China extensively, appearing in major venues including Beijing’s Poly Theater and the Shanghai Oriental Art Center. Her wide-ranging discography reflects an artistic repertoire extending from Baroque music to contemporary works. Her most recent release, Balm for the Soul: Romantic Violin Recital, Vol. 2 (Centaur Records, 2026), explores the lyrical and expressive heart of the violin repertoire. A dedicated champion of Polish music, Augustyn has recorded three albums devoted to Polish repertoire, including Grażyna Bacewicz: A Portrait and two Naxos releases featuring world-premiere recordings. She has also premiered and recorded numerous contemporary works, including compositions written especially for her. Augustyn has received numerous international honors, including First Prizes at the Alexander & Buono International String Competition, Artist International Presentations, and the J.S. Bach Competition in Poland. She was also recognized as “The Outstanding Pole in the USA.” She earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School as a full-scholarship recipient and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University, where she studied on full scholarship and assistantship. Joseph Liccardo maintains an active career as a chamber musician, music educator, and arts administrator. He has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Bargemusic, the Chicago Cultural Center, Rockefeller University, Union College, Jordan Hall, and has toured extensively in China. He is an alumnus of the Yellow Barn Chamber Music Festival (2013-2016), and has worked as a collaborative pianist at the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Institute since 2017. Joseph is on faculty at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, as well as the Eisman Center for Preparatory Studies in Music, the school's precollege program. He is the co-founder of Presto Arts, a China-based organization that promotes cross-cultural musical exchange between China and the West. From 2023-2025, Presto Arts organized The Art of Voice, a series of summer and winter vocal masterclasses in Salzburg, Austria, in collaboration with renowned sopranos Barbara Bonney, Lisette Oropesa, and other international artists. In August 2026, in collaboration with Operastudio Molise, Presto Arts launched its first fully international program, the Molise Vocal Academy, in Campobasso, Italy. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School. His principal teachers include Donald Pirone, Douglas Humpherys, and Robert McDonald.