Kaffee und Kuchen: Friendship Recital

The German American Heritage Center & Museum and The Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities are pleased to present soprano Lily Arbisser and esteemed French pianist Dimitri Malignan in the recital “Friendship: Connections in New Lands.” 

Inspired by Oranit Ben Zimra’s photography exhibition Mit dir bin ich ich/With You, I Am Myself currently on view at the GAHC+M, the recital similarly investigates friendship, how it strengthens us and knows no borders. Audiences will be treated to a program featuring the music of: Arnold Schoenberg and his friend George Gershwin; and Dmitri Shostakovich and dear friend Mieczysław Weinberg. These friendships developed after Weinberg and Schoenberg were forced to emigrate (the former from Poland to Minsk; the latter from Austria to Los Angeles) due to the anti semitic atmosphere in their respective countries before and during World War II. Please join us for this celebration of friendship.

1:30 refreshments
2:00 program

FREE and open to the public. Donations appreciated.

Photo: Arielle Doneson

A native Quad Citizen and frequent soloist in the area, Lily Arbisser is an “individual-timbred soprano” (Opera News) whose voice “floats effortlessly” (www.feastofmusic.com) over the orchestra. Highlights of recent seasons include joining Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute in Chicago as a vocal fellow, being a semi-finalist in the Kurt Weill Foundation’s prestigious Lotte Lenya Competition, and winning first prize in the National Federation of Music Clubs’ Biennial Young Artist Competition. In addition to frequent appearances as a soloist on oratorio and operatic stages, Lily is dedicated to the art of the recital, performing beloved songs from the traditional canon alongside lesser-known
works. In 2025, she is thrilled to be on stage with friend and collaborator Dimitri Malignan and his “Missing Voices” project, and she also appears as Amour in Gluck’s “Orphée et Eurydice” in New York City, as well as sings the soprano solo in Fauré’s “Requiem” with The Choral Society of the Hamptons. Lily’s artistry is grounded in the understanding gained from studying in the Libero Canto TM  School of Singing with her teachers Deborah Carmichael and Kinga Cserjési. Libero Canto is a process-oriented approach which holds that the body instinctually knows how to sing but is frequently blocked by psycho- social factors that inhibit freer singing. Lily graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton University with a Bachelor of the Arts in Art and Archaeology and a Certificate in Vocal Performance. She holds a Master of Music degree from Mannes College. When not singing, she can be found outdoors cultivating her passion for ecological restoration and native plant gardening.
www.lilyarbisser.com

Photo: Julien Hanck

Brilliant young French pianist Dimitri Malignan impresses juries, critics, and the public with his level of maturity, his musical intelligence, and great sensibility. Winner at only 19 years of age of the Prix Cortot 2017, he was awarded in 2021 the 3rd Prize as well as the Audience Award and the Bach Award at the Concours Musical International de Montréal. Dimitri performs in concert venues around the world and has also recorded multiple CDs as both a soloist and a chamber musician, including two new releases in 2024: one dedicated to Pál Hermann (Toccata Classics), and another entitled “Elegies and Echoes” with soprano Elizaveta Agrafenina (Sheva Collection). Two new albums will be published in 2025, with music by Henriëtte Bosmans and Dan Belinfante (Editions Hortus). Dimitri is passionate about promoting unknown music. In 2020, he initiated the “Missing Voices” project, dedicated to Jewish composers who were murdered in the Shoah and curates concerts, CD recordings, and exhibitions. Dimitri began his piano studies at the age of 5 with Nicolas Horvath. He has since studied with several masters of diverse backgrounds and in multiple countries and holds degrees from The École Normale de Musique de Paris "Alfred Cortot,” where he studied under Ludmila Berlinskaya, and the Conservatory of Amsterdam (the Netherlands), where he studied with Naum Grubert. He is currently in the prestigious class of Benedetto Lupo at the Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome (Italy). His 2025 concert season includes performances at the European Parliament in Brussels, the Goethe-Institut in Paris, the Museum of Musical Instruments in Rome, and a South-East Asian Tour in the Fall.  Dimitri has been regularly practicing Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Feldenkrais for many years. He is convinced of their beneficial aspects for a healthy musicianship. He is also passionate about tennis and aviation and is often to be found training on flight simulators.