Classical Arts Society of Washington 

presents

The Devil’s Trill

Friday, October 30th, 2026,  6:30 pm

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Members $60 (use RSVP button for discount)

Non-Members $65 BUY TICKETS!

Violinist Siwoo Kim returns from New York to dazzle our audience with dozens of diabolical works of virtuosity and emotional intensity, commemorating All Hallows’ Eve in “classical” style.

Tartini dreamed that the Devil himself serenaded him with an enticing violin solo, which he promptly penned the next morning for us all to enjoy, called the “Devil’s Trill” Sonata.

Eugene Ysaÿe’s bard-like virtuoso solo sonata draws inspiration from Bach’s violin partitas, as well as from the Gregorian Chant “Dies Irae,” used as song of for the dead in Requiem masses. Schubert’s Erlkönig is based on Goethe's poem about a father frantically riding through a stormy night to save his sick, hallucinating son from a malevolent supernatural Elf-King.

Paganini was allegedly the best violinist ever to have lived, reputedly because he had sold his soul to Satan in exchange for his abilities, explicitly demonstrated in his composition “La Campanella.”

Program

Tartini “Devil’s Trill” Sonata, arranged by Fritz Kriesler (13 min)

Schuman Sonata No 1 in A minor, Op. 105 (18 min)

Intermission

Ysaÿe Sonata Op 27 No 2 for solo violin (13 min)

Schubert/Ernst Der Erlkonig (5 min)

Gluck Danse of the Blessed Spirits (5 min)

Paganini “La Campanella” (5 min)

 

Siwoo Kim, violin

6:30 pm - Reception with wine and hors d'oeuvres

7:15 pm - Concert start

9:30 pm - Event ends

PLEASE NOTE

The price of your ticket includes hors d’oeuvres and drinks from the open wine and beer bar.

Classical Arts Society of Washington:https://classicalartssociety.org/