Cellist Jonah Kim
and
Pianist Alon Goldstein
Sunday, October 11, 2026, 4:00 pm
Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz
PROGRAM
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)
Partita no. 4 in D major
Ouvertüre
Allemande
Courante
Aria
Sarabande
Menuet
Gigue
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Sonata no. 3 in A major, Op. 69 for cello and piano
Allegro ma non tanto
Scherzo: Allegro molto
Adagio cantabile – Allegro vivace
INTERMISSION
Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
Ständchen D. 957, No. 4 arranged for cello and piano
Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856)
Fantasiestücke Op. 73 for cello and piano
Zart und mit Ausdruck (Tender and with expression)
Lebhaft, leicht (Lively, light)
Rasch und mit Feuer (Quick and with fire)
Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)
Wie Melodien Op. 105 No. 1 arranged for cello and piano
Antonín Leopold Dvořák (1841 - 1904)
Rondo in G minor Op. 94 for cello and piano
About Jonah
Jonah Kim is an artist of great charisma and originality. His tone is immediately distinguishable by its signature sweetness. His work is praised by critics and fellow musicians alike for his “flawless delivery of Herculean technical demands” (The Strad) and his thorough understanding and insight into the minds of composers. Aside from his cellistic prowess, he is widely regarded as one of the finest musicians in the world today. The Korean International Arts Review called him “Pablo Casals reincarnate”.
From a young age, legendary cellist Janos Starker placed him at the “top of his generation”. At only 12 years of age, Jonah made his solo debut with Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Washington Post hailed him as “the next Yo-Yo Ma” at his National Symphony debut. He has since performed on the world’s most prestigious stages.
Jonah’s new album Approaching Autumn, is his second for the Delos label. It is titled after the new American work by Mark Abel, bridging behemoths, the Kodály Solo and the Grieg sonatas. Kim is joined by Robert Koenig on the piano.
In 2020, Jonah founded Trio Barclay with childhood friends Sean Kennard and Dennis Kim, ensemble-in-residence at the Barclay Theatre in Orange County. In 2024, Jonah was named artistic director of the Music Society of San Miguel, and he is founder and director of the San Francisco Music Festival.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Jonah trained at The Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music. He makes his home in San Francisco with his wife, American ballerina Julia Rowe.
Alon Goldstein is one of the most original and sensitive pianists of his generation, admired for his musical intelligence, dynamic personality, artistic vision and innovative programming. He has played with the Philadelphia orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the San Francisco, Baltimore, St. Louis, Dallas, Houston, Toronto and Vancouver symphonies as well as the Israel Philharmonic, London Philharmonic , Los Angeles and Radio France Orchestra. He played under the baton of such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Herbert Blomstedt, Vladimir Jurowski, Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, Peter Oundjian, Yoel Levi, Yoav Talmi, Leon Fleisher and others.
This season Mr. Goldstein will be performing in cities across the world. A few highlights include a return to the Muskiverein performing Mozart Concerto for 2 pianos with the Mährische Philharmonie and Theo Lieven, as well as a return to the prestigious Gilmore International Keyboard Festival performing two Mozart Concerti with the award winner Balourdet Quartet. Additionally a return to the Filarmónica de Bogotá with Brahms concerto no. 2 as well as the Filarmónica de Montevideo with Avner Dorman Concerto no. 2. Other concerts include solo recitals in Washington DC, Baltimore, San Francisco, Hamburg, Tel Aviv, and more.
Mr. Goldstein continues his highly acclaimed recording project for the Naxos label of all piano concerti by Mozart, with the Fine Arts Quartet. Vol. 6 featuring Concerti nos. 16 and 26 will be issued in December 2026. Previous releases included Concerti Nos. 9 & 17, 20 & 21 and 23 & 24, 18 & 22 and 19 & 25. He also recorded for Naxos a Scarlatti CD of 19 Piano Sonatas as well as well as the complete Dvorak Trios.
In recent seasons Mr. Goldstein performed with the Orquesta Filarmônica de Minas Gerais Brahms 2nd concerto, the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogota Mozart 25 and the Beijing Symphony "Mew Year's" concert Beethoven’s "Emperor” Concerto. He returned to play with the Kansas City, Ann Arbor, Illinois, Spokane, Bangor, Augusta, and Pensacola Symphony Orchestras, as well as a performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto on fortepiano with Mercury Houston. He played Bernstein's "Age of Anxiety" with the Jerusalem symphony as well with the Xalapa Symphony in Mexico to celebrate the composer’s centennial. . He gave recitals and chamber music, including tours with the Goldstein-Peled-Fiterstein Trio, the Tempest Trio, and the Fine Arts Quartet at the Mendelssohn International festival in Hamburg Germany, as well as in Cleveland, Washington DC, New York, Burlington, Key West, Sarasota, Melbourne, Duluth, and other cities.
Other recent highlights include appearances with the Indianapolis Symphony as part of a Prokofiev Festival performing the composer's Piano concerti nos.1&4, as well as a 17-concert Latin American tour with the Israel Chamber Orchestra including concerts at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Teatro de Bellas Arts in Mexico city, Teatro Nacional in San Jose, Teatro Solis in Montevideo etc.
He also played with the Chicago Symphony at Ravinia, and at the prestigious Ruhr Piano Festival in Germany performing Mozart, Britten and Poulenc in one evening with Leon Fleisher, his former teacher, conducting. He gave the premiere Avner Dorman Concerto no. 2 "Lost Souls” with the Kansas City Symphony and Michael Stern and debuted with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski.
A passionate advocate for music education, his recent teaching engagements have included the Steans Institute of the Ravinia Festival, International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York, Music@Menlo, The Gilmore Festival, Piano Texas, PYPA in Philadelphia, International Piano Festival in Gijon Spain, and "Tel Hai” masterclasses in Israel.
Mr. Goldstein was recently honored with the "Society of Scholars" award given to him by his alma mater - the Johns Hopkins University. This was given in recognition of his accomplishments and contributions over the years. Mr. Goldstein is the first Peabody alumni to receive this award. He serves as the Artistic Director of the "Lieven Piano Foundation” summer and winter festival in Vienna, as well as the Artistic Director of the Mt. Angel Abbey Bach Festival in Oregon, and Co-Director of The Distinguished Artists Concert & Lecture Series in Santa Cruz, CA. He created the Emerald Coast Music Alliance, whose annual festival in Florida is devoted to sharing the beauty of classical music to under-served communities, at no charge. Last year the festival featured 12 musicians performing 63 concerts.
Mr. Goldstein received his undergraduate degree from the Tel Aviv University where he studied under Prof. Victor Derevianko and Prof. Arie Vardi. He went on to study at the Peabody Conservatory of Music with Leon Fleisher and was his teaching assistant. He received scholarships from the America Israel Cultural Foundation. Following his graduation he became a "Performer Fellow” at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where he initiated chamber music concerts involving staff and students, as well as an annual festival dedicated to the piano duet repertoire. He was an artist in residence at the "Theo Lieven” piano academy in Como Italy.