SEASON 16: CURRENTS
Clarinet & Piano Masterworks: Shterenberg & Cuellar in Dialogue
Saturday
Nov. 15, 2025 7:30pm
Uptown Blanco Ballroom
Blanco Performing Arts welcomes Ukrainian-born clarinetist Ilya Shterenberg, Principal Clarinet of the San Antonio Philharmonic, joined by pianist Scott Cuellar, for a program that shines a spotlight on the clarinet at its most expressive. From the tender warmth of Brahms’s final sonata to the mercurial charm of Schumann’s Fantasy Pieces, the evening traces the instrument’s journey through Romantic passion, French wit, and dazzling virtuosity, culminating in Weber’s Grand Duo Concertant, a true showpiece of flair and fire.
Enjoy complimentary wine at intermission, provided by Rivière Blanc Wines, rooted in Texas, inspired by France.
About the Artists
Artist Bios
Ilya Shterenberg
Ilya Shterenberg is the principal clarinet of both the San Antonio Philharmonic and the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in Columbus, Ohio. With a career spanning major symphony orchestras and intimate chamber settings, he’s known for his expressive, melodic sound and deep musical insight. Critical praise has highlighted his “miraculous gift of an innate musical sense… music seemed to flow toward the infinite, as if divinely ordained”
He performs a wide-ranging repertoire—from foundational works by Mozart, Weber, Rossini, and Debussy to rare clarinet concertos by composers like Krommer and Kurpinsky, and even the American premiere of Richard Strauss’s Serenade for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra.
In addition to orchestral work, Ilya is active in chamber music through ensembles such as Olmos Ensemble (San Antonio), and as a soloist at prestigious summer festivals including the Colorado Music Festival, Britt Festival, Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and the Cactus Pear Music Festival. As an educator, he has taught at the University of Texas at San Antonio, UT Austin, and the College of Charleston
Scott Cuellar
Scott Cuellar is an award‑winning American pianist and Assistant Professor of Piano at Syracuse University's Setnor School of Music. A Juilliard-trained musician and gold medalist of the 2016 San Antonio International Piano Competition, Scott combines technical brilliance with refined emotional expressiveness—a voice praised by critics for illuminating both structure and heart in his performances.
He has graced the stages of world-renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Vienna’s Konzerthaus, and major festivals across North America, China, and Europe. Known for his collaborations with leading chamber musicians and ensembles, including the Rodin Trio and others, Scott is equally at home in solo recitals and ensemble settings He also appears on the 2022 BIS Records album The Strange Highway by composer Gity Razaz, performing with violinist Francesca DePasquale.
Most recently at Blanco Performing Arts, Scott appeared in a heartfelt duo performance with cellist Jonah Kim on June 3, 2018, bringing Chopin, Franck, and other lyrical favorites to a captivated local audience
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