American violist Matthew Lipman has been lauded by The New York Times for his “rich tone and elegant phrasing” and by The Chicago Tribune for his “splendid technique and musical sensitivity.” A recipient of the 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Lipman has secured top prizes at prestigious competitions, including the Primrose, Tertis, Washington, Johansen, and Stulberg International Viola Competitions. He performs on a 1700 Matteo Goffriller viola, generously loaned through the Pine Foundation.
Lipman has graced stages worldwide, appearing with ensembles such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. His debut album, Ascent, released on Cedille Records, features world-premiere recordings and has been praised for its expressive depth. A dedicated chamber musician, he holds the Wallach Chair at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and collaborates regularly with artists like Itzhak Perlman and Sir András Schiff. Lipman studied at The Juilliard School under Heidi Castleman and furthered his training with Tabea Zimmermann at the Kronberg Academy
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Filipino-American pianist Victor Santiago Asunción has earned international acclaim for his “poised and imaginative playing” (The Washington Post). A Steinway Artist, he has graced concert halls across the globe, including Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, France, Italy,
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Back by popular demand after their 2024 performance at the NC Governor's Mansion gala, cellist Gabriel Martins and pianist Victor Santiago Asunción are bringing violinist Kevin Zhu and violist Matthew Lipman for a quartet program that includes the lush lyricism of Joaquín Turina, the elegant American voice of Arthur Foote, and the passionate intensity of Brahms’.
American-Brazilian cellist Gabriel Martins(b. 1998) has garnered international acclaim for his profound artistry and technical mastery. A recipient of numerous prestigious awards, he won the 2020 Concert Artists Guild–Young Classical Artists Trust Grand Prize, the Gold Medal at the 2020 Sphinx Competition, and top honors at the David Popper International Cello Competition, the Prague Spring International Music Competition, and the Schadt String Competition. Martins has performed at esteemed venues including Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, London's Wigmore Hall, and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. He plays on a composite Francesco Ruggieri cello crafted in Cremona circa 1690.
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Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Spain, Turkey, and the United States. Asunción made his orchestral debut at 18 with the Manila Chamber Orchestra and his New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 1999.
A passionate chamber musician, Asunción has collaborated with renowned artists such as Lynn Harrell, Zuill Bailey, Andres Diaz, James Dunham, Antonio Meneses, Joshua Roman, Cho-Liang Lin, and the Dover, Emerson, Serafin, São Paulo, and Vega String Quartets. He served on the chamber music faculty at the Aspen Music Festival and the Garth Newel Summer Music Festival and was the pianist for the Garth Newel Piano Quartet for three seasons.
His discography includes the complete Beethoven cello sonatas with Tobias Werner, sonatas by Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff with Joseph Johnson, and the Chopin and Grieg sonatas with Evan Drachman. He is also featured in the award-winning recording Songs My Father Taught Me with Lynn Harrell, produced by Louise Frank and WFMT-Chicago.
SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE MAY 16
INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES START JUNE 1
Matthew
Kevin
Gabriel
Sunday, April 26, 2026
2:00 p.m.
SECU Auditorium - NC Museum of Art
2110 Blue Ridge Rd. Raleigh, NC 27607
American violinist Kevin Zhu has garnered international acclaim for his exceptional artistry and technical mastery. At just 17, he won First Prize at the 2018 Paganini International Violin Competition, also earning special awards for Best Performance of a Paganini Caprice and being the youngest finalist. Earlier, he claimed First Prize in the Junior Division of the 2012 Yehudi Menuhin International Competition, along with the Composer's Prize. Zhu is a recipient of the 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant and a Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant. He has performed with esteemed orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and has graced stages from Carnegie Hall to London's Royal Festival Hall. A graduate of The Juilliard School, he studied under Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin as a Kovner Fellow. Zhu performs on the c.1722 "Lord Wandsworth" Antonio Stradivari violin, generously loaned by the Ryuji Ueno Foundation and Rare Violins In Consortium.
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Victor
$31 ADULTS
$28 NCMA MEMBERS
$20 STUDENTS