These staples of the romantic repertory for violin and piano are often called lovesongs; indeed, two of them are based on Brahms Lieder. Rarely done in a single concert, this trio of masterpieces will feature members of the violin faculty of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, partnered by pianist, Martin Katz.

“The gold standard of accompanying.”  New York Times

"Martin Katz must surely be considered the dean of collaborative pianists," said the Los Angeles Times. As one of the world's busiest collaborators, he has been in constant demand by the world's most celebrated vocal soloists for four decades. In addition to Mr. Blumberg, he has appeared and recorded regularly with Marilyn Horne, Frederica von Stade, Samuel Ramey, Karita Mattila,, Piotr Beczala, Jose Carreras, Cecilia Bartoli, Kiri Te Kanawa, Soile Isokoski, Kathleen Battle, and Lawrence Brownlee, just to name a few. Season after season, the world's musical capitals figure prominently in his schedule.

Mr. Katz is a native of Los Angeles, where he began piano studies at the age of five. He attended the University of Southern California and studied the field of accompanying with its pioneer teacher, Gwendolyn Koldofsky. While yet a student, he was given the unique opportunity of accompanying the master classes and lessons of such luminaries as Lotte Lehmann, Pierre Bernac, and Gregor Piatigorsky. It was in his two-year appointment as pianist for the Jascha Heifetz classes that he first grew to know and love this afternoon’s sonatas.

The professional profile of Martin Katz is completed with his commitment to teaching. For three decades, the University of Michigan has been his home, where he has been chair for the School of Music's program in collaborative piano. He has been a pivotal figure in the training of countless young artists, both singers and pianists, who are working all over the world. In addition to his work there, he is a regular guest at innumerable music schools and institutes throughout North America, Canada and Europe. For many years he enjoyed being a regular guest at the Training Program of the New National Theatre in Shinjuku.

Mr. Katz is the author of a comprehensive guide to accompanying, “The Complete Collaborator,” published by Oxford University Press, which is widely regarded as the seminal textbook on this specialized subject.