March 1, 2026
Spivey Hall
Morrow, Georgia – USA
David Coucheron, violin; Julie Coucheron, piano; Efe Baltacıgil, cello; Zhenwei Shi, viola.
Edvard GRIEG: Violin Sonata No. 1, Op. 8
Felix MENDELSSOHN: Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 49
Zoltán KODÁLY: Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7
Robert SCHUMANN: Piano Quartet, Op. 47
Mark Gresham | 3 MAR 2026
Sunday afternoon at Spivey Hall brought together four accomplished orchestral principals for a program that balanced Romantic breadth with classical proportion. Violinist David Coucheron, concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and his sister, pianist Julie Coucheron, appeared alongside violist Zhenwei Shi, the new principal viola of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (formerly principal of Atlanta Symphony), and Efe Baltacigil, principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony. The collaboration of these colleagues lent a national dimension to the chamber concert.
The program opened with Edvard Grieg’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in F major, Op. 8, a work whose youthful lyricism can sometimes obscure its structural backbone, and the Norwegian-born Coucheron siblings were an ideal conduit for their fellow countryman’s music, performing with an intuitive fluency. David’s tone was lean and singing, each phrase shaped with a natural ebb and flow that felt unforced, while Julie’s piano lines sparkled with clarity and rhythmic poise, supporting without weighing the music down. The slow movement that begins “Allegretto quasi Andantino” unfolded with unpretentious lyricism, and the finale’s dance-like gestures felt spirited yet effortless, and the rhythmic pulse instinctual, conveying the music’s inherent grace and momentum.
The addition of Baltacigil for Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49 marked a full-bodied expansion of texture. Baltacigil anchored the ensemble with a dark, centered tone, while David Coucheron spun the first movement’s soaring lines with tensile control. Julie Coucheron’s passagework remained pearly and articulate, never overwhelming the strings. The “Scherzo” was particularly fleet, its quicksilver exchanges articulated with precision. In the “Allegro assai appassionato” finale, cumulative energy was built through calibrated dynamic growth rather than sheer velocity, producing a persuasive structural and emotional arc.
In Zoltán Kodály’s Adagio for Viola and Piano, Zhenwei Shi and Julie Coucheron offered a study in inward concentration. Kodály’s spare, searching writing places unusual expressive weight on the viola’s middle register. Shi responded with a warmly burnished tone, sustaining long lines without exaggeration, while Julie Coucheron provided a firm but transparent harmonic framework. The central climactic swell grew organically, with dynamics carefully moderated so that the return to stillness felt inevitable. The reading drew attention to the work’s emotional poise rather than its national color, underscoring Kodály’s disciplined craftsmanship.
The concert concluded with Robert Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47, bringing all four musicians together. Shi’s viola provided a mellow inner resonance that bound the ensemble’s sonority, particularly in the “Andante cantabile,” where the interplay of voices was shaped with great effect. The quick exchanges of the “Scherzo” were cleanly etched, and the finale’s contrapuntal passages exhibited the players’ instincts for ensemble: entrances were clear, balances disciplined, and climaxes earned rather than imposed.
Spivey Hall’s intimacy rewards clarity, blend, and proportion. Across four substantial works, the concert showcased the artists’ lively, responsive interplay, refined balance, and polished musicianship — sheer joy for an audience that revels in attentive listening. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- David & Julie Coucheron: davidandjuliecoucheron.com
- Spivey Hall: spiveyhall.org
Read more by Mark Gresham.
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