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Forte International Music Festival 2026
Saturday, November 14, 2026, 3:00 PM
Easton Congregational Church, Easton, CT
The Lillibridge Ensemble (violinist Raphael Ryger, cellist Karen Emery Ryger, and pianist Madeleine Forte) joins five pianist colleagues from the US, Hungary, and Poland for an afternoon of trio, piano solos, duets, and duos. The program spans Bach, Schumann/Liszt, Handel, Falla, Kodály, Liszt, Poulenc, Paderewski, and works by Natalia Janotha, Poldowski, and Olen Hsu. The pianists are Ildikó Bartha, Daniel Immel, János Kéry, Anna Kijanowska, and Sara Opposits, all former scholarship students of Madeleine Forte. One intermission.
Meet the Musicians
Forte International Music Festival 2026
Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 3:00 PM
Congregational Church of Easton, Connecticut
The Forte International Music Festival brings together accomplished musicians from the United States and Europe for an afternoon of classical music, featuring the Lillibridge Ensemble and five distinguished guest pianists.
The Lillibridge Ensemble
Raphael Ryger — Violin
Born in Israel and raised in New York City, Raphael Ryger trained with leading violin teachers in both countries and pursued graduate studies in philosophy at Yale University. An accomplished soloist and concertmaster, he has performed with numerous orchestras in Israel and Connecticut, including Orchestra New England, with which he has been associated since 1988.
Karen Emery Ryger — Cello
Karen Emery Ryger studied at The Juilliard School, SUNY Stony Brook with renowned cellist Bernard Greenhouse, and in Tel Aviv. She has performed with the Israel Chamber Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony, and Jerusalem String Quartet. A founding member of the Lillibridge Ensemble, she also performs regularly with Orchestra New England and other Connecticut ensembles.
Madeleine Forte — Piano
Internationally acclaimed pianist Madeleine Forte is a recipient of The Juilliard School’s Josef Lhevinne Memorial Award. She has performed on five continents and taught for 26 years at Boise State University, where she established scholarships supporting American and international piano students. Praised by The New Yorker for her gorgeous tone and expressive artistry, Forte has inspired generations of pianists through her teaching and performances.
Guest Pianists
Dr. Ildikó Bartha — Hungary
A graduate of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Dr. Ildikó Bartha studied with Madeleine Forte at Boise State University, winning two Northwest piano competitions. She teaches at the Zoltán Kodály High School of Music in Debrecen and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Nyíregyháza. An active performer throughout Europe, she also researches Hungarian piano music.
Daniel Immel — United States
Daniel Immel is Professor of Music at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. A former scholarship student of Madeleine Forte, he holds degrees from Boise State University, Indiana University, and the University of Texas at Austin, as well as a diploma from the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau, France. His concert career has taken him throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, and Russia.
Dr. János Kéry — Hungary
Dr. János Kéry was the first scholarship recipient in Madeleine Forte’s international piano program at Boise State University. He continued his studies in Germany and Hungary, earning his doctorate at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he has taught piano since 2004. An internationally active performer and educator, he has presented masterclasses across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Dr. Anna Kijanowska — Poland
Praised by The New York Times as “an excellent young Polish pianist,” Dr. Anna Kijanowska has performed, taught, and collaborated on six continents. She came to the United States in 1996 as a scholarship student of Madeleine Forte and earned degrees from Boise State University and the Manhattan School of Music. She is an associate professor at the University of Silesia in Poland.
Sara Opposits — Hungary
Born in Debrecen, Hungary, Sara Opposits began studying piano at age five and later studied with Madeleine Forte at Boise State University on scholarship. A prizewinning pianist and acclaimed interpreter of J. S. Bach, she has received national honors for her musical achievements. She performs widely in Hungary while maintaining an active teaching career.
An International Musical Reunion
Many of the festival’s guest pianists share a special connection: they studied with Madeleine Forte through her international scholarship program at Boise State University. Their reunion in Easton celebrates not only exceptional musicianship but also the enduring relationships between teacher and student, spanning countries, cultures, and generations.