[photo credit: CALTECH]
New England Conservatory faculty member Ayano Ninomiya will explore these overlooked works on Monday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m., according to the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. The event at the Pasadena Conservatory will feature student performers Olivia Hsu and Florence Lau presenting selected movements from Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E major, while Ninomiya herself will perform the complete Partita in B minor.
The program extends beyond performance to include commentary on historical context, interpretive choices, and what makes these pieces compelling for both players and audiences.
Ninomiya brings impressive credentials. A graduate of Harvard University (magna cum laude) and The Juilliard School who also studied at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, she has earned praise from The New York Times for her “deeply communicative and engrossing” performances. Her festival appearances include Marlboro, Ravinia and Prussia Cove.
“In history, the violin has imitated the voice,” Ninomiya explained in a recent New England Conservatory interview. “The voice has always been the ultimate expression vehicle, and so on the violin, we can learn so much about breath and phrasing and articulation.”
The participating students bring distinguished backgrounds. Olivia Hsu attended the Heifetz International Music Institute in summer 2025, and both she and Florence Lau have been featured in multiple PCM student recitals and honors performances from 2023 to 2025.
Beyond the Chaconne: A Closer Look at the E Major and B minor Partitas will run on Monday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m. Barrett Hall, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, 100 North Hill Avenue, in Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 683-3355 or visit https://pasadenaconservatory.org/event/lecture-recital-beyond-the-chaconne-a-closer-look-at-the-e-major-and-b-minor-partitas/. Ticket price: Free
