Join us in welcoming Dr. Indrek Laul, Concert Pianist and CEO of Estonia Piano Company for “The Art of Sound” Masterclass!
Lend a hand, save the band! During Hurricane Helene, the Avery High School Band lost all its instruments. The NCBach Festival and Bach and Beyond are playing a kickoff fundraiser for the Band at Ruggero Piano on Dec. 7, 2024 at 7 PM to raise money to get them back on their
feet.
This Fourth Friday Concert will unfortunately not be available on livestream. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Performer Bio
Click Here to learn more about Community Music School, Raleigh!
Founded in June, 2003, the Fourth Friday Concert Series, formerly know as the 4th Friday Mix, stands as one of our area’s longest-running concert series. We remain committed to providing free and inclusive concerts that welcome musicians with a passion for sharing their talents. All attendees, including children capable of listening attentively, are warmly welcomed. Fourth Friday Concerts typically feature 2-4 performers or performance groups, although special occasions may showcase a single performer or group for the entire concert.
Click here for YouTube Live Stream
Performer Bio
Ruben Alves – Pianist, Composer, and Educator
Ruben Alves is a distinguished Portuguese pianist and composer, known for his technical prowess and interpretative sensitivity. Born in 1976, he began his musical studies at the age of five and started learning piano at eight. By 21, he had completed his general studies in music in Lisbon and later refined his jazz training in Barcelona,Spain. His music demonstrates a fusion of jazz, classical, and Portuguese influences, creating an unique and expressive sound.
Throughout his career, Ruben has explored various musical styles, blending elements of jazz, classical, and experimental genres while maintaining his distinct artistic signature. His passion for innovation is reflected not only in his performances but also in his compositions, where he constantly seeks new sounds and creative expressions. He has released several jazz albums, including Clara Madrugada (2000), Súbito (2008), and in collaboration with Carlos Miguel and Miguel Amado, Kolme (2012), Kolme II (2016), and Kolme III (2022). Additionally, his work Lúmen (2007) revisits religious hymns, while O Mais Pequeno Espaço Apreciável de Tempo (2018) and Manto (2020) further showcase his compositional depth.
In addition to his solo career, Ruben Alves has collaborated with renowned Portuguese artists such as Mariza, Carminho, and Fausto. He currently performs with João Gil and Rui Veloso, bringing his rich musical expertise to diverse audiences. Beyond the concert stage, Ruben has contributed significantly to cinema and television, participating in Cinemateca Portuguesa film mute cycles with improvised interpretations and serving as a professor and pianist in television programs. His dedication to music education extends further through his recently published book of piano scores, 33 Compositions, in which he shares his artistic vision with aspiring musicians.
With his talent, versatility, and deep musical sensitivity, Ruben Alves continues to establish himself as one of Portugal’s most exciting and innovative pianists, admired by critics and audiences alike for his ability to create emotionally powerful experiences through music.
Founded in June, 2003, the Fourth Friday Concert Series, formerly know as the 4th Friday Mix, stands as one of our area’s longest-running concert series. We remain committed to providing free and inclusive concerts that welcome musicians with a passion for sharing their talents. All attendees, including children capable of listening attentively, are warmly welcomed. Fourth Friday Concerts typically feature 2-4 performers or performance groups, although special occasions may showcase a single performer or group for the entire concert.
Performer Bios
Jaeyoon Kim, a native of Seoul, Korea, earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance at the University of South Carolina, where he received the Carroll Taussig Opera Fellowship. Dr. Kim holds two master’s degrees, one in Choral Conducting from USC and a second in Vocal Performance from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He also earned an Artist Diploma in Vocal Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he apprenticed with the Lyric Opera Cleveland and was chosen to participate in the prestigious Cleveland Art Song Festival. Dr. Kim has been praised for his lyric tenor repertoire. His operatic credits include the principal tenor roles in The Tales of Hoffmann, La Bohème, Gianni Schicchi, Cosi fan tutte, Don Pasquale, The Merry Widow, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Magic Flute, The Consul, L’elisie d’amore, and many others in the United States, South Korea, Italy and Austria. As an active oratorio soloist, Dr. Kim has also performed in Messiah, Elijah, Creation, St. Paul, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem, Coronation Mass, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Verdi’s Requiem, Britten’s War Requiem, and many others. He made his debut on the European stage by performing the role of Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte at the Opera Theatre of Lucca, Italy and later was invited to perform Beethoven’s Mass in C and Bizet’s Te Deum as a tenor soloist in the 2004 International Conducting Workshop in Varna, Bulgaria. He also appeared at the South Carolina Education TV for the production of Mozart’s Requiem, which he performed again with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra. In the summer of 2011, he was invited to perform the tenor solo of Verdi’s Requiem with Dohnanyi Orchestra at the northern cities in Italy, hosted by Varna International. As an equally comfortable singer of art songs, he has been presenting art song recitals with his wife and concert pianist, Dr. Seung Ah Kim. In 2016, they released a CD, “Romantic Art Songs” featuring art songs by Donizetti, Bellini, Turina, Liszt, Duparc, Rachmaninoff and Tosti. He is a full Professor at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where he coordinates vocal studies and directs the UNCP Pembroke Singers. Dr. Kim is also the Music Director at Hay Street United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, NC.Jaeyoon Kim, tenor
Dr. Seung Ah Kim, a native of Busan, Korea, has received her doctorate in piano performance at the University of South Carolina. She holds two master’s degrees in piano performance, one from Yonsei University in Korea and the other from The Cleveland Institute of Music. While studying at CIM, she was awarded the Arthur Loesser Memorial Award in Piano, recognizing her outstanding achievement. She also received a prize at the prestigious Darius Milhaud Performance competition. At USC, she was applauded for the performance of Flights of Passage by Claude Baker, which was the South Carolina premiere at the Southern Exposure Concert. She was also on the piano faculty at the USC Community Music Program and served as the official pianist for the Concerto Competition at the Southeastern Piano Festival and Summer Conservatory at USC. Currently, she is teaching piano and accompanying UNCP Choirs as an adjunct faculty at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke where she also plays for faculty and guest artist recital series. In addition to her vigorous solo performances, she has actively performed as a collaborating artist. Recent accompanied recitals at UNCP include world-famous player, Øystein Baadsvik’s Tuba recital, New York City Opera Singers’ duo recital – Anna Vikre, soprano & Rod Nelman, bass, Dr. Terry Everson’s Trumpet recital, and Michele Gingras’s Clarinet recital. With her Husband and tenor, Jaeyoon Kim, she has been presenting art song recitals at various concerts in Ohio, Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Korea. Her teachers include Dr. Charles Fugo and Dr. Daniel Shapiro. She also studied chamber music with Carolyn Gadiel Warner and was chosen to play for the accompanying masterclass of Warren Jones and Dalton Baldwin. She was the Organist at Hay Street United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, NC from 2014-2024. She joined the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC as a Music Director since 2024.
Founded in June, 2003, the Fourth Friday Concert Series, formerly know as the 4th Friday Mix, stands as one of our area’s longest-running concert series. We remain committed to providing free and inclusive concerts that welcome musicians with a passion for sharing their talents. All attendees, including children capable of listening attentively, are warmly welcomed. Fourth Friday Concerts typically feature 2-4 performers or performance groups, although special occasions may showcase a single performer or group for the entire concert.
Click Here for Livestream!
Performer Bios
Alain Arvelo is an operatic lyric tenor born in New York City and based in Raleigh, North Carolina. He studied voice at Mars Hill University under the guidance of Dr. Joel Reed and currently studies with Raoul Simon Düsterhus. A passionate advocate for opera, He has appeared in a variety of staged productions, educational, community outreach and recitals both regionally across the United States and internationally. His operatic credits include roles in La Favorita, La Boheme, Werther L’italiana in Algeri, L’elisir d’amore, Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, I puritani, Manon, and Lucia di Lammermoor.
Chad Fothergill is a keyboardist and historian who serves the church as a musician, teacher, writer, and composer. He is author of Sing with All the People of God: A Handbook for Church Musicians and has contributed both writings and compositions to several worship resources. Chad presently serves as Chapel Organist at Duke University Chapel, assists with weekday liturgies at Duke Divinity School, and is cantor to the Lutheran Summer Music community. Prior to his appointment at Duke, he was interim co-director of the Institute of Liturgical Studies at Valparaiso University, past editor of the ALCM journal CrossAccent, and taught at Gustavus Adolphus College and the University of Delaware.
Dr. Carol Ann Barry holds degrees from Old Dominion University, the University of Louisville, and a DMA from James Madison University. A Rotary Fellow, she studied at the Göethe Institute and the Hochschule fur Musik in Hamburg, Germany. Her major teachers have included Lee Luvisi, Dr. Eric Ruple, Brian Ganz, Dr. James Litzelman, and Sophia Rosoff. She is the recipient of both the 2010 PTG Grant and the MTNA Foundation Teachers Grant. Dr. Barry has presented numerous lectures and pedagogy workshops and is passionate about the field of piano pedagogy. Her private studio is located in Cary, N.C, and she was a collaborative pianist for the vocal department at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 3 years prior to focusing on lecturing and writing. In 2017, Dr. Barry founded Piano Pedagogues Key International, an educational piano pedagogy video and teaching materials company. Dr. Barry has served as President of the Cary-Apex Piano Teachers Association. She also acted as coordinator of the Ruggero the Fourth Friday Concert Series until the fall of 2024. Her current project on behalf of NCMTA is as an archivist for the NCMTA historical archives housed at UNC Chapel Hill. Her current writing project documenting her work with pianist Sophia Rosoff has included continued study with John Kamitsuka, one of the longest former students of Sophia Rosff, in New York City.
Founded in June, 2003, the Fourth Friday Concert Series, formerly know as the 4th Friday Mix, stands as one of our area’s longest-running concert series. We remain committed to providing free and inclusive concerts that welcome musicians with a passion for sharing their talents. All attendees, including children capable of listening attentively, are warmly welcomed. Fourth Friday Concerts typically feature 2-4 performers or performance groups, although special occasions may showcase a single performer or group for the entire concert.
Click Here for Livestream!
Performer Bios
Ian Kayser is a local artist, teacher, and traveling musician. Having been raised around all forms of art such as painting, literature, and music, he founded “Musicolor Studios” to provide an environment where the focus is on creativity. Ian also teaches for School of Rock where he helps students share the joys of music within a band. Inspired by Ruggero Piano, Ian has also taken up the craft of piano tuning and regulation, studying the art with fellow Piano Technicians Guild members for the past two years. He also is a sound technician at the Holly Springs Cultural Center where he gets to meet and run sound for all sorts of musical acts, many of which have become good friends. Ian also plays at a variety of venues with a variety of bands. One day it’s 70’s hits in Wilmington, the next is indie rock at Carrboro Music Festival, or maybe jazz jams at the Niche Wine Lounge, all to return Sunday morning for worship where the purpose of music is most true. For this event, Ian will be showcasing a year-long study highlighting the music of his favorite classical composer – Claude Debussy. The project included learning some of his more prominent pieces, annotating a biography (“Painter in Sound” by Stephan Walsh), writing an essay titled “Composing with Colors”, and composing a piece inspired by the ideas he’s learned from this undertaking. He hopes you will enjoy the performance just as much as he has enjoyed learning about this very important artist and his influence on the world of music!
The Moonlighters Quintet Picture and Bio Coming Soon!
Founded in June, 2003, the Fourth Friday Concert Series, formerly know as the 4th Friday Mix, stands as one of our area’s longest-running concert series. We remain committed to providing free and inclusive concerts that welcome musicians with a passion for sharing their talents. All attendees, including children capable of listening attentively, are warmly welcomed. Fourth Friday Concerts typically feature 2-4 performers or performance groups, although special occasions may showcase a single performer or group for the entire concert.
Click Here For Livestream!
Performer Bios
Beideth Briceno, cello
Beideth Briceno is a Venezuelan cellist with an international career shaped by artistry and leadership. A graduate of Venezuela’s El Sistema, she became principal cellist of the Caracas Youth Symphony at just 16, a position she held for ten years. She toured extensively throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia with the Caracas Youth Symphony and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel. After completing her studies at the Simón Bolívar Conservatory, the Associated Board Royal Schools of music, and the Santa Maria University, she moved to the United States in 2019 to study with Adam Liu, assistant principal cellist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. She earned an Artist Diploma (2020) and a Master’s in Music (2023) from Duquesne University. During her time in Pittsburgh, she performed in many orchestras such as the Westmoreland Symphony, Johnstown Symphony, Canton Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, and Youngstown Symphony. In 2023, she was selected as the first cello fellow of The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, and she has since performed as a guest with the North Carolina Symphony, Carolina Ballet, and other orchestras in the area. In April 2025, she joined the section of the West Virginia Symphony. Now based in Raleigh, NC, Beideth maintains an active career as both performer and educator, teaching cello across the Research Triangle while inspiring the next generation of musicians with her artistry and dedication.
Dr. Anthony C. Lee, piano
Korean-American pianist Anthony C. Lee was a Fulbright recipient at the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary in 2021 and a grand prize winner at the 2018 Chicago International Music Competition. Lee’s performance career has taken him across the US and Europe including in Italy, Greece, Hungary, Prague, and Serbia.
Aside from organizing the Fourth Friday concerts at Ruggero piano, Lee has also initiated a new educational concert series project, The Classical Concerts, aimed at offering an experience of classical music to a broad audience in the Triangle. On radio, he was featured in My Life in Music on WCPE, the classical radio station of North Carolina. Dr. Lee holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, the University of Michigan, and the Interlochen Arts Academy. He completed his DMA studies at the University of Kansas under Steven Spooner who is now a professor at the Peabody School of Music, Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Jean Park, piano
Pianist Jean Park is an active performer and educator. Jean Park earned her Master of Music degree in piano performance from the Manhattan School of Music and completed her Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance from Stony Brook University under the tutelage of Gilbert Kalish. Dr. Jean Park previously taught as piano faculty for the University of Incarnate Word and San Antonio college. She currently serves as piano faculty for Duke University, Meredith College and North Carolina Chamber Music Institute.
Founded in June, 2003, the Fourth Friday Concert Series, formerly know as the 4th Friday Mix, stands as one of our area’s longest-running concert series. We remain committed to providing free and inclusive concerts that welcome musicians with a passion for sharing their talents. All attendees, including children capable of listening attentively, are warmly welcomed. Fourth Friday Concerts typically feature 2-4 performers or performance groups, although special occasions may showcase a single performer or group for the entire concert.
Click here for Livestream!
Performers
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Founded in June, 2003, the Fourth Friday Concert Series, formerly know as the 4th Friday Mix, stands as one of our area’s longest-running concert series. We remain committed to providing free and inclusive concerts that welcome musicians with a passion for sharing their talents. All attendees, including children capable of listening attentively, are warmly welcomed. Fourth Friday Concerts typically feature 2-4 performers or performance groups, although special occasions may showcase a single performer or group for the entire concert.
