Music on the Hill Concert Series Begins Oct. 3
The Fairmont State University Department of Music is announces its 2015-2016 Music on the Hill concert season, featuring four performances on the Fairmont State campus and at First Presbyterian Church in Fairmont.
The season opens with the Athenia Chamber Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in Fairmont State’s Wallman Hall Theatre. The Athenia Chamber Ensemble is a faculty ensemble-in-residence at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Founding members Alison Brown Sincoff (flute), Michele Fiala (oboe) and Matthew Morris (bassoon) have collectively performed in the United States, Canada, Japan, Italy, Germany, England, France, Russia, Panama and Argentina. The group strives to break down the traditional formalities of the concert experience and create a more open and enriching experience that closes the gap between audience and performer.
The following week, oboist Dr. Richard Kravchak performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, in Fairmont State’s Wallman Hall Theatre. Internationally renowned as a woodwind artist, Kravchak has been heard as an oboe soloist, chamber and orchestral musician around the world, performing concerts throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. He has appeared as a soloist with ensembles as diverse as The Dubuque Symphony, The University of Hawaii Wind Ensemble, The Carson Symphony, Banda Espinia de Portugal and the Orquesta Symphonica de El Salvador. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald has written: “Kravchak's playing revealed a real beauty of tone, not monolithic, but always changing in color and intensity. He makes even the most difficult lines seem almost effortless.”
Kravchak has performed in Mexico, France, El Salvador, Germany, China and many other countries as well as across the United States and Canada. His debut solo album, “California Oboe,” has received critical acclaim and is available on iTunes. The title track on his album “New York Moments” was submitted for Grammy consideration.
In the spring, the string duo Bridging the Gap makes an appearance. Bridging the Gap is the highly acclaimed string duo featuring West Virginians violinist Peter Wilson and double bassist Aaron Clay. Hailed by The Washington Post for “… superior arrangements and uncommon musicianship,” Bridging the Gap is a unique duo that offers a new voice to many musical styles by uniting the sounds of two bowed and bridged instruments not often heard together. Bridging the Gap takes its audience on a musical journey without stylistic boundaries while expanding the traditional perspective of the violin and double bass. The duo further makes an effort to bring together different ethnic and musical backgrounds while presenting music that is both entertaining and educational. Their humor, sensitivity and diverse repertoire, have made a lasting impression on audiences of all ages.
Also in the spring, concert pianist Dr. Gerald Lee will perform a recital at First Presbyterian Church in Fairmont. Lee is an award winning professor of piano from West Liberty University. Lee was a winner in the 2009 Pittsburgh Concert Society Major Auditions. In addition, he won first place in the 2002 National Society of Arts and Letters Piano Competition (Lansing, Mich.), second place in the 2002 National Finals of the Music Teachers’ National Association Collegiate Artists’ Piano Competition (Cincinnati) and third place in the 2003 International Beethoven Piano Sonata Competition (Memphis). He enjoys maintaining an extensive schedule of solo and chamber music performances, the latter including recitals with such artistic luminaries as Faith Esham, soprano; John Rommel, trumpet; Jeremy Black, violin; and Erina Laraby-Goldwasser, viola.
Performances will take place on the campus of Fairmont State in Wallman Hall Auditorium, located at 1201 Locust Avenue, Fairmont. Tickets are $10 per concert or $30 for the series and may be purchased in advance through the Fairmont State Box Office (304) 367-4240 or at the event entrance. Dr. Gerald Lee’s concert is at First Presbyterian Church, 301 Jackson St., Fairmont. Additional information may be found online at www.fairmontstate.edu/schooloffinearts/.
School of Fine ArtsMusicMusic on the Hill SeriesRichard KravchakBridging the GapAthenia Chamber EnsembleGerald Lee
