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Violinist, Darwin Shen has been performing as a soloist in concert halls and with ensembles and orchestras all over the United States for over twenty years. Although he continues to perform much of the standard violin repertoire of concertos, sonatas and short pieces, in recent years he has specialized in resurrecting lost or rarely performed works of the late 19thand early 20th centuries. He has been sought after by other artists and musicians as an expert in these works, and his most recent projects in this area have been published online.
Most recently, Darwin reconstructed the 1940’s Heifetz arrangement of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and rare pieces by Leopold Auer and John Crowther, and published his work online in video format. All were highlighted by violinist.com. Darwin is currently working on a number of similar projects.
In addition to his performance schedule, Darwin maintains a teaching studio for pre-college students in the New York metropolitan area. His students have gone on to study at many of the major music conservatories and colleges in the United States. Darwin is also the founder and executive director of the Violin Audition Prep Program, an annual, intensive program which is designed to teach young musicians how to approach and perform in auditions of all types, including for college and conservatory admissions and orchestra placements. He also works with student orchestras and school music programs as a guest teacher, helping students work through intensive rehearsals or difficult pieces.
Darwin performs on various instruments depending on the genre and instrumentation of the performance. His main concert instrument is a Honore Derazey circa 1870. An ardent supporter of modern instrument makers, Darwin also performs on instruments by Robert Isley and Kenneth Beckman amongst others.
Darwin studied violin with Paul Kantor, Kyung Yu and Yuval Waldman. He also has a BA degree in History from Manhattanville College.
REPERTOIRE LIST
Unaccompanied works
Bach Six Sonatas and Partitas
Bartok Solo Sonata
Ernst Last Rose of Summer
Paganini 24 Caprices
Paganini Duo Merveille
Paganini Nel Cor Piu Non Mi sento
Schubert Ernst Erlkonig
Ysaye Sonatas Ballade and Obsession
Works with orchestra
Bach Concerto A minor, no. 1, BWV 1041
Concerto E major, no. 2, BWV 1042
Double Concerto D minor, BWV 1043
Barber Violin Concerto
Bartok Violin Concerto No 2
Beethoven Violin Concerto D major, op. 61
Brahms Violin Concerto D major, Op. 77
Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in g minor Op. 26
Chausson Poeme, Op 25
Dvorak Violin Concerto
Dvorak Romance
Glazunov Concerto in a minor, Op. 82
Kreisler Concerto in the Style of Vivaldi
Lalo Symphonie Espagnole, Op. 21
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in e minor
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in d minor
Mozart Violin Concerto 1-5
Paganini Violin Concerto No 1 and 2
Prokofiev Violin Concerto No 1 and 2
Ravel Tzigane
Saint Saens Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
Saint Saens Havanaise
Sarasate Carmen Fantasy
Sarasate Zigeunerweisen
Sibelius Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No 5
Vieuxtemps Yankee Doodle Variations
Vivaldi Four Seasons
Wieniawski Violin Concerto No. 1 and 2
Wieniawski Polonaise in D
Wieniawski Faust Fantasy
Wieniawski Legende
Sonatas
Bach 1-6
Beethoven 1 - 10
Brahms 1 -3
Debussy Sonata
Dvorak Sonatina
Faure Violin Sonata No 1
Franck Violin Sonata
Grieg 3rd Violin sonata
Handel Violin Sonata 1 -6
Mendelsohn Violin Sonata (rediscovered by Menuhin)
Mozart various
Paganini Sonata No 12
Prokofiev Sonata Op 94a
Ravel Sonata
Schubert Sonatinas
Schubert Duo
Schubert Fantasie
Schumann 1 and 2
Strauss Sonata