FREE Courtroom Concert featuring Cerulean Fire, Charles Asch, and Irina Elkina
Thursday, February 15, 12:00PM
Landmark Center Courtroom 317
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Thursday, February 15, 2018, 12pm
Featuring Cerulean Fire: Margaret Humphrey, violin & Asako Hirabayashi, harpsichord; Charles Asch, cello; Irina Elkina, piano
Program:
I. Cerulean Fire: Margaret Humphrey, violin & Asako Hirabayashi, harpsichord
TBD
II. Charles Asch, cello; Irina Elkina , piano
Silhuotten, Op. 41—Karl Davydov
In the Morning
Waltz
Notturno
On Lake Lugano
About the Artists:
Violinist Margaret Humphrey maintains a vibrant freelance schedule based in St Paul, Minnesota, and performs with orchestras and chamber ensembles around the country. A featured concerto soloist with several local orchestras, Ms. Humphrey is also a member of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra. Early music being her special focus, she tours as with the Kingsbury Ensemble in St Louis, and in chamber ensembles in the Ancient Music Series of St. Savin France. A founding member of Belladonna, she has toured nationally and internationally for festivals and music series and was featured on the syndicated radio shows Harmonia and Performance Today with two CDs on the Dorian and Ten Thousand Lakes labels. Ms Humphrey has also recorded for Chandos and Naxos. Her newest chamber ensemble Cerulean Fire, performs Early Music combined with Jazz, Contemporary, and Latin repertoire in compelling programming concepts.
A harpsichordist and composer, Asako Hirabayashi’s first recording on Albany Label, whose program is entirely composed and played by herself, was selected as one of the 5 best classical CDs of the year 2010 by Minneapolis Star Tribune and received 7 favorable reviews internationally. She won numerous grants and awards including the 2009 -10 McKnight Fellowship for Performing Musicians and 2 Minnesota State Arts Board’s Artist Initiative grants as a soloist. As a composer, she has won 2016 McKnight Fellowship for Composers, several first prizes in competitions such as Alienor International Harpsichord Composition Competition (won the 6th, 7th and 8th consecutively) and NHK International Song Writing Competition in Japan and was awarded 2012 Jerome Fund for New Music by American Composers Forum to write an opera. She has appeared as a featured guest soloist in international festivals and concert series worldwide since her New York debut recital at Carnegie Hall. She holds a Doctoral degree from the Juilliard School.
Charles Asch completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Minnesota, after finishing his master’s degree at Juilliard. He performs solo and chamber music recitals of varied character and style, from Bach and Brahms to contemporary works. He owns a Baroque cello from c. 1710, a modern cello from 1996, and a Parisian bow from c. 1860. Within Minnesota, Dr. Asch also performs with Lyra Baroque Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera. His teachers included Jaap ter Linden, Tanya Remenikova, Fred Sherry, Richard Aaron, Hans Jorgen Jensen and Greg Mathews. His private teaching studio is an important part of his career, where he teaches absolute beginners through advanced cellists. He teaches both lessons and chamber music at MacPhail Center for Music and is currently faculty at UW-River Falls. Aside from cello playing, he enjoys singing, playing piano and tennis.
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[icon color=”Accent-Color” size=”small” image=”icon-info-sign”] Concert Info
October through April
Thursdays from 12pm – 1pm
Courtroom 317, Landmark Center
FREE ADMISSION
Hosted by Abbie Betinis.
View the Frequently Asked Questions about the Courtroom Concerts.
Seating is limited and first come first served. Doors open at 11:30. Please call if you are attending as a group of 10 or more (651.292.3267).
Schedule & Programs Subject to Change
About the Host:
Composer Abbie Betinis writes music called “inventive, richly melodic” (The New York Times), “superb, whirling, soaring” (Tacoma News Tribune), and “the highlight” of the program (Boston Globe). With over 50 commissioned works for ensembles such as Cantus, the New England Philharmonic, and The Rose Ensemble, Abbie has been awarded a McKnight Composer Fellowship, grants from the American Composers Forum, ASCAP, and Jerome Foundation, and was recently listed in NPR Music’s Top 100 Composers Under 40. A resident of Saint Paul, she is adjunct professor of composition at Concordia University, and was composer-in-residence with the Schubert Club from 2005-2017.
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