Calendar

RALEIGH, N.C. (September 17, 2018) — Ruggero Piano will host “A Night in Vienna,” a unique and tasteful blend of classical music and conversation to be held on September 17, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

This first-time event will feature international concert pianist Jan Jiracek von Arnim, who is touring the United States this September on behalf of Ruggero Piano and Bösendorfer, one of the world’s finest piano manufacturers.

Hailed by BBC Magazine for his “formidable technique and playing of emotional depth,” the award-winning virtuoso invites all music lovers to join him for a program of short pieces, followed by stories about his life performing on the concert stage, teaching at the prestigious piano department at the Vienna School of Music and serving as Artistic Director of the International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna.

“I look forward to returning to the United States, this time getting to share with my audiences my love for Vienna, the City of Music,” said Mr. Jiracek. “I plan to present piano works that are especially close to my heart.”

“When it comes to classical music, there is simply no other city quite like Vienna,” he added. “To me, it seems like it is alive with the sound of music. And there are references to the great classical composers at almost every corner, which I find extremely inspiring.”

His instrument of choice for the evening will be the legendary Bosendorfer grand piano. “I am impressed by the new Bösendorfer pianos,” he says. “Each instrument carries in itself the memory of a wonderful Viennese music tradition and is particularly responsive to my ideas as an artist.”

Born to a musical family in Hanover, Germany, Jiracek von Arnim has achieved numerous career milestones. Following his debut at age 11, he has performed throughout the world with many of the world’s top ensembles, including the Berlin and St. Petersburg Philharmonics, the Cologne Chamber Orchestra and the Northern Sinfonia of England. He has served on juries for many major competitions, including the London International Competition, the Lev Vlassenko Competition Brisbane, the International Edvard Grieg Piano Competition and many others, and is currently Artistic Director and Jury Chairman of the International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna.

Jiracek von Arnim’s ascension as an artist inspired widespread acclaim and an especially heartfelt appreciation from Van Cliburn, who noted “the marvelous Jan Jiracek von Arnim thrilled the world so greatly when we first heard him and he is continuing his brilliant career both in the United States and abroad.”

A distinguished pedagogue, Jiracek von Arnim is the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna’s youngest-ever tenured professor. He is also an Honorary Professor at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China. He conducts frequent lecture concerts at the Vienna Musikverein on the great composers and delivers talks on a variety of musical topics throughout the world.

Ruggero Piano is located at 4720 Hargrove Road, #120 in Raleigh. To RSVP for “A Night in Vienna” or to learn more about this unique event, please contact [Ruggero Piano at [919-839-2040]. For more information about Jan Jiracek von Arnim, please visit https://www.jjpianist.com/#vita

Special Concert: The Free Spirits Ensemble of the Raleigh Symphony

Welcome students of Lanette Lind!

Equally at home with solo, chamber and concerto performances, American pianist Solomon Eichner has established himself as an exciting versatile young artist known for his commanding interpretations of the romantic keyboard repertoire.

Declared by the American Liszt Society as “A sensitive pianist, Solomon’s playing is poetic, beautiful and moving with deep feeling.”

Sponsored by the March of the Living Foundation, Solomon performed for the 75^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in April 2018 alongside Cellist Amit Peled and Violinist Yevgeny Kutik at the Krakow Philharmonic Hall in addition to a solo recital at the Krakow Jewish Cultural Center.

Solomon will debut this season on the Chamber Music Raleigh Series with North Carolina Symphony Concertmaster Brian Reagin and Principal Cellist Bonnie Thron hosted at the NC Museum of Art, as well as a solo recital on the Paderewski Raleigh Festival in October 2018 and recital on the Cherry Hill Plantation Concert Series in April 2020, among other recitals throughout North Carolina. Solomon will be performing Chopin 2^nd Concerto with the Wilson Symphony, Conductor Mark Peterson in November 2018 and Mendelssohn 1^st with the Salisbury Symphony, Conductor David Hagy in March 2019.

Solomon will be presented twice this season in his hometown of Baltimore with solo recitals by the Yale Gordon Trust and the Music in the Great Hall Series. Additional concerts include a November 2018 recital on the Trinity by the Cove Church Concert Series in Naples, Fl as well as recitals in Boca Raton.

During the 2016 season, Solomon performed multiple concertos with orchestras including the Western Piedmont Symphony under Conductor John Gordon Ross performing Rachmaninoff 3^rd and Wilson Symphony with Conductor Mark Peterson, Liszt 1^st.

In 2015, Solomon made his New Jersey debut with Conductor George Mariner Maull and the Discovery Orchestra.

Solomon debuted at Carnegie Hall in April 2016 after winning the “GoldenKey Debut” International Competition in New York City.

Solomon won 2nd prize in the 2016 Miami Music Festival’s Concerto Competition resulting in his Miami debut recital at the Steinway Piano Gallery Coral Gables.

Solomon participated in the 2017 Hastings International Piano Competition in England as well as the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition in Palm Springs, California.

Solomon won 2nd prize at the 2013 Liszt-Garrison International Piano Competition and 2nd prize and Chinese Award in the 2013 International Young Artists Competition at Catholic University in D.C.

Solomon made his D.C. debut recital at the Polish Embassy sponsored by the Paderewski Scholarship Foundation and General Edward Rowny in April 2015 and returned for his re-engagement this past September 2017.

Solomon has performed at Steinway Hall and Merkin Concert Hall, New York City.  Concert series include Bluthner Concert Series in Adamstown, MD, “Our Lady of the Chapel Concerts at Charlestown” in Catonsville, MD; Steinway Piano Gallery, Charlotte NC, Greensboro NC, Atlanta GA; “The Lives of the Piano” Chopin Marathon Concert New York City and “Afternoon Concert Series” at the State Department in Washington DC; Music in the Great Hall Concert Series, MD; Hendersonville Chamber Music Concert Series, NC; Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Charleston, SC; Rogers Memorial Library Concert Series, Southampton, NY; Parrish Museum Salon Concert Series, Water Mill, NY, among others.

The summer of 2015 Solomon traveled to Italy to perform in the Perugia Music Festival.  In addition to solo performances in the famous Salla Notari Hall, Solomon performed the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Universidad de Alicante under the baton of Israeli Conductor, Uriel Segal.

Before Italy, Solomon performed at the prestigious PianoFest in the Hamptons, NY.

Past music festivals Solomon has performed in include Montecito Summer Music Festival in Santa Barbara, CA; Atlantic Music Festival, Waterville, Maine; Vladimir Feltsman’s SUNY New Paltz Piano Program; Mannes International Keyboard Festival, NYC; American Fine Arts Festival in Weimar, Germany.

Originally from Baltimore, Solomon studied privately in Maryland with Irene Kreymer, Reynaldo Reyes and Virginia Reinecke.  Solomon graduated with his Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music having studied with Arkady Aronov and Master of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory studying with Alexander Shtarkman.

Solomon received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of South Carolina in May 2017.  He held a position as staff accompanist with a full-scholarship. Solomon studied with Dr. Marina Lomazov and Dr. Joseph Rackers. Solomon’s dissertation is on the Jewish Soviet repressed pianist/composer Samuil Feinberg.

Solomon and his wife Becky recently relocated to Raleigh where he is on staff at Campbell University and Wake Tech Community College.

Website: www.solomoneichnerpianist.com

Welcome students of Carol Ann Barry!

Welcome students of Dowell Idol!

Welcome students of Dottie Buster!

Featuring NC Bach Festival Ensemble, Dr. Roman Placzek, Artistic Director. The ensemble is composed of the finest musicians Triangle has to offer and four talented young musicians representing Festivals’ mission of supporting, inspiring and rewarding young, dedicated musicians.

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            Click here. The concert program will open in a new tab.

The final event of the NC Bach Festival Year ONE season!

Young Artists Concerto & Aria Competition – Florence Peacock Awards Winners Concert with our final Featured Artists and The NC Bach Festival Ensemble will conclude this year’s festival on a truly celebratory note. We will present the winners of the inaugural year of our newly developed competition aimed at young artists playing and singing music by Johann Sebastian Bach, his family, and contemporaries. For more information about the competition, please visit – http://www.ncbachfestival.org/concerto-aria-competition.html.

This most anticipated concert of our new existence will open with the appearance of two excellent pianists – our very own Elena Nezhdanova and her mentor and friend Ida Tili-Trebicka from Syracuse University in New York. Their performance is not only the manifestation of excellence and unique musicianship but also the real reflection of NC Bach Festival’s mission of sharing and inspiring young generations when the former student and the teacher meet on one stage to share their love for piano and music by sharing with us the magnificent Concerto for Two Pianos in C Major, BWV 1061 by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The afternoon will also include a formal award ceremony and a festive reception at which we will acknowledge our patron, all participants, judges, and all NC Bach Festival 2019 featured artists.

This event, as many others are free, but we need your help and support in form of any kind of contribution. All proceeds go to benefit our excellent Youth Programs.

Henry Hsieh Individual Recital. This individual recital is free and open to the public.

MDM Trio

Myra Michot* – vocals, Mark Underwood – bass, David McAllister – piano

Program

Song list:

1. Struttin’ with some Barbeque – Louis Armstrong, Lil Armstrong
2. Darktown Strutters Ball – Shelton Brooks
3. I Got Rhythm* –  George Gershwin
4. Do You Know What it Means – Eddie DeLange, Louis Alter
5. I Can’t Give You Anything* – Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields
6. Some of These Days – Shelton Brooks
7. Georgia on my Mind* – Hoagy Charmichael, Stuart Gorrell
8. On the Sunny Side of the Street* – Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields
9. Moonglow – G Will Hudson, Irving Mills, Eddie DeLange
10. Someone To Watch Over Me* – George and Ira Gershwin
11. Sweet Georgia Brown – Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard, Kenneth Casey
12. Pennies From Heaven – Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke
13. Here’s That Rainy Day* – Jimmy Van Hensen, Johnny Burke
14. Take the A-Train – Billy Strayhorn
15. Girl from Ipanema – Antonio Carlos Jobim, Norman Gimbel
16. Stormy Weather* – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
17. Satin Doll – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
18. Don’t Blame Me – Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields
19. A Foggy Day – George and Ira Gershwin
20. Honeysuckle Rose* – Fats Waller, Andy Razaf

Concert Program

Sea Pieces for clarinet and piano

Richard Faith

The Peaceable Kingdom or The Ugly Duckling

Lanette Lind

Dog Tales for flute, clarinet and piano

Adrienne Albert

Three Dog Night, The Artful Dodger, Mutt and Jeff

Program coming soon!

You’re Invited to a very special Fourth Friday Concert at Bosendorfer Hall in honor and celebration of Eric Hale for 16 years of dedicated service as emcee, booking agent, performer, and friend! Don’t miss Eric’s final performance!

Fourth Friday Concert Program

• Pink Fish by Alan Menken

• Vissi d’arte from Tosca by Giacomo Puccini
• Lucy’s Aria from The Three Penny Opera by Kurt Weill
• To This We’ve Come from The Consul by Gian Carlo Menotti

• Prelude in B flat major, Op. 23, Number 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff
• Etude-Tableaux in a minor, Op. 39, Number 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff
• Etude-Tableaux in b minor, Op. 39, Number 4 by Sergei Rachmaninoff
• Prelude in g sharp minor, Op. 33, Number 12 by Sergei Rachmaninoff
• Liebesfreud by Fritz Kreisler (arr. Sergei Rachmaninoff)

• The Net
• A Mother to the War Makers
• The Old Suffragist
• The Modern Woman to Her Lover
• The Women’s Litany

Nezhdanova-Placzek Duo

Sunday, July 21st, at 3:00PM

Doors open at 2:30PM

Bösendorfer Hall, Ruggero Piano

Program

Three For All

Sunday, August 11th, at 3:00PM

Doors open at 2:30PM

Bösendorfer Hall, Ruggero Piano

Program coming soon!

Special Edition Fourth Friday Concert featuring The North Carolina Chamber Music Institute

Now celebrating its 6th year, NCCMI has been recently awarded its first government grants from the City of Raleigh and the United Arts Council of Wake County. The September concert will include many favorite works from the classical repertoire performed by NCCMI’s leading String Quartets and Piano/String mixed ensembles. Students will introduce their music and share their learning experiences with NCCMI in an enjoyable and entertaining program.

The North Carolina Chamber Music Institute-NCCMI was founded by NC Symphony musicians Elizabeth Beilman and Jimmy Gilmore with the mission of inspiring young artists of the future through the medium of great chamber music. Chamber Music as an art form for small ensembles like string quartets and piano trios that teaches musical and technical skills as well as leadership and confidence in a unique way. Based in Raleigh with events spread throughout the Triangle area, this comprehensive program operates during the academic year.  In partnership with Chamber Music Raleigh and the North Carolina Symphony, NCCMI offers students (primarily aged 7-19) the benefits of weekly sessions, master classes, workshops and programming with world-class musician/ teachers including members of the NC Symphony and visiting artists. Financial aid is available to those in need.

This program will explore Latin music from different points of view including American composer Adrienne Albert’s Ode to Piazzolla and Cuban Stories; John Williams’s interpretation of Por Una Cabeza by the famous Argentine composer, Carlos Gardel; two trios by Astor Piazzolla; and Pacific Serenade, inspired by an evening on the West Coast by Miguel del Aguila from Uruguay. Teresa Fernandez will round out the program with a selection of Latin songs.

Por Una Cabeza   for Violin & Piano

Carlos Gardel/John Williams (arranger)

Ode to Piazzolla   for Violin, Cello & Piano

Adrienne Albert

Invierno Porteno   for Violin, Cello & Piano

Astor Piazzolla

Primavera Portena   for Violin, Cello & Piano

Astor Piazzolla

Pacific Serenade   for Clarinet & Piano

Miguel del Aguila

Latin Songs

Teresa Fernandez (vocalist)

Cuban Stories   for Flute, Cello, Violin & Piano

Adrienne Albert

Program coming soon!

Program coming soon!

More information coming soon!

Program coming soon!

Dr. Carol Ann Barry is a Nationally Certified member of MTNA. Her piano training has included several degree programs as well as study abroad. Sel​ected to serve as a Rotary International Fellow, she studied at the Goethe Institute in Munich, and the Hochschule für Musik und Darsteleende Kunst in Hamburg, Germany. Dr. Barry is interested in the pedagogical work of internationally renowned pedagogue Abby Whiteside. Her doctoral work included extensive studies in New York City with pianist Sophia Rosoff.

Dr. Savage will demonstrate stylistically correct performance practice of music in the Baroque and Classical periods using commonly-known intermediate, advanced-intermediate, and advanced level repertoire representing a wide range of composers. Playing numerous examples, Dr. Savage will cover: articulation, phrasing, dynamics, pedaling, ornamentation, tone quality, tempo markings, Urtext versus edited scores, expanded practices, and the reasons (musical logic) behind each. Additionally, he will demonstrate specific techniques for how to develop and practice different levels of articulation with a simple, easy-to-remember system. Known for his clear, fun, informal delivery which is jam-packed with information and helpful tips, Dr. Savage will welcome questions and audience interaction throughout the presentation.

About the Presenter 

Dylan Savage is a Bösendorfer Concert Artist, a Capstone Records Recording Artist, and a winner of the Rome Festival Orchestra Competition. He is author of the book The Transposed Musician: Teaching Universal Skills to Improve Performance and Benefit Life, GIA Publications. It is the first book to present a comprehensive and systematic method for teaching universal skills within the context of the music lesson. Dr. Savage is co-author of the piano pedagogy book A Symposium for Pianists and Teachers: Strategies to Develop the Mind and Body for Optimal Performance, Heritage Music Press. He is the author of numerous articles found in Clavier, Clavier Companion, American Music Teacher, and Pianoforte magazines.

Dr. Savage pioneered the use of slow-motion video analysis to help pianists improve performance and minimize injury. His research in biomechanics, wellness, and entrepreneurship has resulted in numerous master-classes at top music schools and national / international conferences. For decades, Savage has used live music performance to teach in-depth practices of universal skills and continuous improvement to people in non-music disciplines. Applying universal skills to the study of music and to life is the foundation of his studio teaching at UNCC. His work has been featured in television spots on NBC and PBS affiliates.

Dr. Savage is Professor of Piano at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He has degrees in piano from the Oberlin Conservatory and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Drawing inspiration from the outdoors, he can often be found skiing, hiking, biking, or canoeing.

About the Series – Creating Young Artists, Teaching Style for Students in Early Intermediate through Early Advanced Levels

We value the commitment of piano teachers to serve our students with professionalism and teaching expertise.  Committed to education, we proudly present this complimentary three lecture series on wellness. To ensure the health and safety of our clinicians and participants, this year’s programs will be available to attend in-person and via live stream.

Students who are available to participate due to flexible remote learning schedules are also welcome to attend! The live stream link will be available on our website at ruggeropiano.com  prior to each presentation. These workshops are complimentary – we invite you to join us in-person or via Live Stream!

The Romantic Era was an inevitable result of developments in the Classical era. In this presentation I will discuss, with examples, works by Beethoven, Clementi, and others that foreshadowed the era. This will be followed by a look at the specific stylistic traits of the era, as well as the boundaries of it. Pushing the boundaries would eventually lead to new styles. Another important part of the presentation will deal with the era’s developments in piano technique, piano schools (French, Russian), and how we can apply this to teaching intermediate to (early) advanced works to our students.

About the Presenter 

Dr. Vincent van Gelder was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

He has won top prizes in many national and international piano competitions, including the Liszt-Garrison International Piano Competition, New York Artist International Competition, and St. Louis Artist Presentation competition. He has performed in several countries in Europe, and in many states in the US, including a well-reviewed solo recital at Carnegie Hall. In 2008 he nearly lost the index finger to his left hand but thanks to a successful surgery he made a near full recovery. He has been a soloist with several orchestras. As a chamber pianist he performed with musicians like Dmitri Sitkovetski, members of the Ciompi Quartet, Red Clay Quartet, and his wife, Inara Zandmane. He has collaborated with several composers including the Argentinean composer Alejandro Rutty, who wrote a piano concerto for him that he premiered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Symphony orchestra.

Recent highly acclaimed performances were in London, England and at the Van Cliburn Festival. Upcoming concerts include Harpa Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland where he will play the world premiere of one of his own works, a large multi movement piece based on Icelandic legends, this will be accompanied by art work from his 13 year old daughter, Natalie van Gelder.

Their new project “Ardenuir-The Stone in the Sword” will begin its world premiere later this year.

Vincent’s recordings have been played on radio and tv stations in the US as well as The Netherlands.

Dr. van Gelder studied in Holland, Latvia, and the US, receiving two masters and subsequently a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance, from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. His most influential teachers were Leslie Howard, Czerny-Stefanska, Teofils Bikis, Arnis Zandmanis, Wilfred Delphin, and Richard Cass.

He has been a member of the piano faculty at Duke University. He is founder and president of the Triad Institute for Young Musicians.

About the Series – Creating Young Artists, Teaching Style for Students in Early Intermediate through Early Advanced Levels

We value the commitment of piano teachers to serve our students with professionalism and teaching expertise.  Committed to education, we proudly present this complimentary three lecture series on wellness. To ensure the health and safety of our clinicians and participants, this year’s programs will be available to attend in-person and via live stream.

Students who are available to participate due to flexible remote learning schedules are also welcome to attend! The live stream link will be available on our website at ruggeropiano.com  prior to each presentation. These workshops are complimentary – we invite you to join us in-person or via Live Stream!

Sometimes younger piano students have a difficult time relating to musical styles of the 20th and 21st centuries. This workshop will present an array of “modern” compositions that might be appropriate and attractive to students in early intermediate through early advanced levels. An enormous variety of compositional idioms were used between 1900 and 2021: neoromantic, impressionistic, atonal, neoclassical, aleatoric, jazzy, and on and on. This workshop will cover an assortment of works from this time period, organized according to three difficulty levels—early/mid intermediate, mid intermediate/late intermediate, and early advanced. Composers of the canon, such as Bartók and Prokofiev, will be juxtaposed against lesser-known composers such as Nikolai Rakov (1908-1990) and distinguished composers of a younger generation such as Lera Auerbach (b. 1973). Piano music from Africa and the African diaspora, China, and the Americas will be covered as well. Of course, there is no way to cover 120 years of worthwhile music in a two-hour workshop. But, hopefully, this event will ignite curiosity and spark further exploration of this gigantic topic.

About the Presenter 

Pianist John Salmon (johnsalmon.com), on the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has distinguished himself on four continents, as both a classical and jazz artist. His performances have been heard on many radio stations in the U.S., including National Public Radio, WNYC in New York, WFMT in Chicago, and KUSC in Los Angeles; and on the national radio stations of Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Ukraine. Salmon is a frequent guest performer at festivals in the U.S. and Europe, having appeared at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival (Charleston, South Carolina), Piano Festival Northwest (Portland, Oregon), Interlochen Piano Festival (Interlochen, Michigan), Festival for Creative Pianists (Denver, Colorado), Festival Internacional de Música del Mediterráneo (Cartagena, Spain), and the International Bartók Festival (Szombathely, Hungary). He has toured China six times, with concerts in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Hangzhou. Other special appearances include an all-Liszt recital in Mexico City for the American Liszt Society and an all-Brubeck recital in Washington, DC for the Music Teachers National Association, after which he jammed at two pianos with Dave Brubeck in a spontaneous version of Duke Ellington’s “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be.” He has also been the featured artist for the Music Teachers National Association state conferences in California (CAPMT), Virginia (VMTA), and Minnesota (MMTA). He has recorded four compact discs of Dave Brubeck’s classical piano music, on the Phoenix, Naxos, and Albany labels. Brubeck dedicated two compositions to Salmon—“The Salmon Strikes” and “Bach Again.” Salmon’s CD of piano pieces by Nikolai Kapustin is also on the Naxos label, and his CD of his own jazz compositions, Salmon Is A Jumpin’, was released by Albany Records in November 2010. As guest lecturer, Salmon has spoken on a wide array of topics including “Beethoven’s Shadow” (The Juilliard School), “September 1828: Schubert’s Last Three Piano Sonatas” (Boston Conservatory), and “Adding Notes to Classical Scores” (Conservatorio de Música, Morelia, Mexico). As author, he has covered such subjects as “What Brubeck Got From Milhaud” and “Urtext, que me veux tu?” and his articles have appeared in American Music Teacher, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Clavier, College Music Society Newsletter, Piano & Keyboard, and Piano Today. His book The Piano Sonatas of Carl Loewe is published by Peter Lang. Add On Bach (addonbach.com), called “playful, creative, and unique” by Clavier Companion, contains Salmon’s added lines, varied reprises, and cadenzas to keyboard works of J.S. Bach. Jazz Up the Inventions (jazzuptheinventions.com) and Jazz Up the Sinfonias (jazzupthesinfonias.com) have Salmon’s jazzy accompaniments to J.S. Bach’s Two-Part Inventions and Three-Part Inventions. Jazz Standards (salmonstandards.com) has his arrangements of twelve classic pieces from the American songbook, including “All of Me,” “Blue Moon,” and “Over the Rainbow.”

About the Series – Creating Young Artists, Teaching Style for Students in Early Intermediate through Early Advanced Levels

We value the commitment of piano teachers to serve our students with professionalism and teaching expertise.  Committed to education, we proudly present this complimentary three lecture series on wellness. To ensure the health and safety of our clinicians and participants, this year’s programs will be available to attend in-person and via live stream.

Students who are available to participate due to flexible remote learning schedules are also welcome to attend! The live stream link will be available on our website at ruggeropiano.com  prior to each presentation. These workshops are complimentary – we invite you to join us in-person or via Live Stream!

After almost two years, the Free Spirits Ensemble is back in Bosendorfer Hall at Ruggero Piano – and ready to dance! Our concert begins with Michele Mangani’s “Tre Danza Latine”. Next is featured “Four Unknown Dances” by Lanette Lind. We then shift to South American with four selections from Jobim and Piazzolla, arranged by Jim Williams – all designed to warm an early spring evening with Terpsichore.

MICHELE MANGANI

Tre Danza Latine for clarinet and piano

LANETTE LIND

Four Unknown Dances for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano

ASTOR PIAZZOLLA

Inveirno Porteno for violin, cello and piano

Oblivion for violin, cello and piano

FOUR LATIN SELECTIONS (ARRANGED BY JIM WILLIAMS)

FOR CLARINET, VIOLIN, CELLO AND PIANO

Girl from Ipanema | Antonio Carlos Jobim

Shadow of Your Smile | Johnny Mandel

Ausensias | Astor Piazzolla

Street Tango | Astor Piazzolla

About the Series

Developing the Total Musician – Teaching Essential Skills: Improvisation, Accompanying, and Sight Reading

We value the commitment of piano teachers to serve our students with professionalism and teaching expertise.  Committed to education, we proudly present this complimentary three-part lecture series. To ensure the health and safety of our clinicians and participants, this year’s programs will be available to attend in-person and via live stream.

Students who are available to participate due to flexible remote learning schedules are also welcome to attend! The live stream link will be available on our website at ruggeropiano.com prior to each presentation. These workshops are complimentary – we invite you to join us in-person or via Live Stream!

About This Presentation

Developing the skills to teach Improvisation can seem mysterious. The necessary skills to encourage a love of improvisation can be enhanced with learning the scale and chord work to open up possibilities at the piano. Altering melodies with rhythm or re-phrasing the musical line will be demonstrated. Written harmonies can be embellished with scales! Teacher participation is encouraged for hands-on learning during the presentation.

About the Presenter 

Pianist Ed Paolantonio has been described as an “all consuming musician…(whose) solo struck sparks all around the room.” — Owen Cardle (News & Observer, Raleigh, NC) “He’s outstanding, …talented and prolific”, said R. C. Smith (Durham Morning Herald). Joe Vanderford (Spectator, Raleigh, NC) wrote of “Paolantonio’s sound … full of arpeggios, utilizing every one of the eighty-eights”.

Paolantonio hails from New York City, but lives now in Durham, NC. Besides earning a BS in Music Ed. from Suny Potsdam, and an MM. in Performance from UNC Chapel Hill, he studied 3½ years with world famous jazz pianist, teacher, and composer Lennie Tristano. He has been composing, arranging and performing jazz professionally since 1971, and has accompanied many jazz giants, including Dizzy Gillespie, Slide Hampton, Clark Terry, Lee Konitz, Curtis Fuller, Jimmy Heath, Claudio Roditi, Tom Harrell, Woody Shaw and Emily Remler.

Paolantonio has toured North Carolina with jazz drummer Max Roach. As an artist on the NC Touring Program, he performed with his much-acclaimed jazz vocal group, String of Pearls. He toured the Middle East for USIA with vibraphonist Jon Metzger, and has been the recipient of two North Carolina Jazz Fellowship Awards and the Durham Emerging Artist Grant.

An excellent clinician, Paolantonio has served in schools and colleges in and out of state. He was a NC Artist in Residence for three years, and has taught jazz improvisation and history at North Carolina Central University, UNC Chapel Hill, Duke University, North Carolina State University, and Elon College. As an accompanist, Paolantonio’s recording credits include Baron Tymas’s CD “Insight at Midnight”; A Benny Goodman CD recorded for Elon College “Airmail Special”; Mike Waddell’s CD “Defining Moments”; a Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington CD recorded with the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra; Scott Sawyer’s CD, “In the Stream”; Group Sax’s three recordings “A New Level”, “All’s Well” and “Prime Time”; Karen Love’s CD “I Believe in Little Things”; and Dan Axelrod’s L.P. “New Axe” distributed on the Phoenix Record label.

Dedications, Paolantonio’s first CD, showcases his superb talent as a composer and arranger, and demonstrates his outstanding ability as a jazz improviser.

“Dad’s Blues” is Paolantonio’s second recording as a leader and is available through Ed’s web site:

(paoloproductions.com)

About the Series

Developing the Total Musician – Teaching Essential Skills: Improvisation, Accompanying, and Sight Reading

We value the commitment of piano teachers to serve our students with professionalism and teaching expertise.  Committed to education, we proudly present this complimentary three-part lecture series. To ensure the health and safety of our clinicians and participants, this year’s programs will be available to attend in-person and via live stream.

Students who are available to participate due to flexible remote learning schedules are also welcome to attend! The live stream link will be available on our website at ruggeropiano.com prior to each presentation. These workshops are complimentary – we invite you to join us in-person or via Live Stream!

About This Presentation

Pianists can be completely self-sufficient as musicians. There is a wealth of repertoire for piano solo. But there is so much more music in which pianists share the score with musical partners! Join Allison Gagnon in a workshop that explores collaborative skills for young pianists and introduces sample repertoire to teach these skills. Also included will be a discussion of the opportunities for student pianists who are equipped to share the music, whether with individual vocal and instrumental partners, or with a vocal or instrumental ensemble. The second part of the workshop may feature some work with teams of student participants. There will be time for questions and conversation throughout.

About the Presenter 

Canadian pianist Allison Gagnon directs the Collaborative Piano Program at University of North Carolina School of the Arts and concertizes with vocal and instrumental colleagues across the US and internationally. At UNCSA, she performs not only with faculty and students, but also with guest artists, including soprano Latonia Moore in the 2022-23 season. Before joining UNCSA in 1998 she was affiliated with two Canadian universities: Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. She was also a member of the piano staff at the Meadowmount School of Music in New York for almost 20 years.

A dedicated educator, Dr. Gagnon has twice received the UNCSA Excellence in Teaching Award (2014 and 2022). Graduates of the collaborative piano program she launched more than 20 years ago at UNCSA are active professionally across the US, in Canada and abroad. Her definitive edition of the piano reduction for Ernest Chausson’s Poème, Op. 25 for Violin and Orchestra has been published (www.encoremupub.com) and new reductions of two of Mozart’s instrumental concertos (K. 219 and K. 313) are in process, as are teaching materials in the field of collaborative piano pedagogy. Allison’s developing interest in the role of music in dementia care has led to a new dimension in her role as educator: since 2019 she has served as faculty mentor for the Music Between Us team of UNCSA’s ArtistCorps community engagement initiative, a project that provides interactive musicmaking in dementia care. In June 2022, the Music Between Us Program Guide was launched, available to all collegiate schools of music to inspire more such projects in communities beyond Winston-Salem.

Dr. Gagnon completed her DMA with Anne Epperson at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her earlier teachers were Dale Bartlett (McGill), Michael Krist (Vienna Hochschule fur Musik), Pierre Jasmin, and Margaret McLellan (Queen’s) and her mother Marjorie Gagnon. From CIM she holds the Brooks Smith Award of its Collaborative Piano Department. Her creative interests include ceramics and wildlife photography. Since 2015 she has served on NCMTA’s Executive Board, currently as Vice President for Membership.

About the Series

Developing the Total Musician – Teaching Essential Skills: Improvisation, Accompanying, and Sight Reading

We value the commitment of piano teachers to serve our students with professionalism and teaching expertise.  Committed to education, we proudly present this complimentary three-part lecture series. To ensure the health and safety of our clinicians and participants, this year’s programs will be available to attend in-person and via live stream.

Students who are available to participate due to flexible remote learning schedules are also welcome to attend! The live stream link will be available on our website at ruggeropiano.com prior to each presentation. These workshops are complimentary – we invite you to join us in-person or via Live Stream!

About This Presentation

In this presentation Dr. Lyman discusses some of the basic elements required for success in developing sight reading skills. The methods and materials presented and discussed may lead one to wonder whether success in sight reading really is magic, or whether it can be attained through rigorous application of proven principles

About the Presenter 

Dr. Kent Lyman is a Steinway Artist, and has distinguished himself as a soloist and chamber musician throughout much of the United States, in South Korea, China, Italy, and Brazil. He has performed and/or lectured in many venues, including the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, the National Conference of the Sonneck Society for American Music in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities in Honolulu, among many others. For the last several summers, he has worked as the principal rehearsal pianist for the International Young Artists Project, based in Monte San Savino, Italy. This program provides opportunities for young singers to study and perform Italian opera and art song in Italy, under the tutelage of native speakers. He has made a number of trips to South Korea where he has taught master classes and performed as a soloist at universities and schools throughout the country, including Seoul National University, Sejong University, and many others. In May of 2018, he was invited to give a keynote lecture on using technology in piano teaching at the National Conference of the Korean Piano Pedagogy Association. He delivered the lecture in Korean, which he speaks fluently. During a concert tour of Asia in the fall of 2007, he added China to his list of international venues, with concerts and master classes at conservatories of music in Shenyang and Guangzhou. He has toured Brazil, where he performed at the University of Campinas, and served as the opening concert artist and as a judge for the 22nd annual Paulo Giovanini National Piano Competition in Araçatuba, Brazil.

He has appeared with a number of orchestras, including the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the Raleigh Civic Symphony, the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle (Raleigh, NC), the Broward Symphony Orchestra (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) and the Florence Symphony Orchestra (South Carolina). As one of twelve nationally selected finalists, he has performed at the Chicago Symphony’s Ravinia Festival in master classes with Menahem Pressler, Leon Fleisher, and Misha Dichter. He has toured the East coast with the Piedmont Trio in performances of a program commemorating the centenary of the death of Clara Schumann. Mr. Lyman has recorded for the Centaur label, and can be heard on a CD performing chamber works of the late American composer Virgil Thomson. There are also a number of professionally produced videos that are available to view on Youtube, including one of the only known recordings of Korean piano music by Bang-ja Hurh, her suite entitled Pieces of Arirang.

Kent Lyman is currently Professor of Music and Coordinator of Piano Studies at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. A native of Utah, he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and master’s and doctoral degrees from Indiana University in Bloomington, where he studied with James Tocco.

We are excited to host the 2023 Fourth Friday Concert Series. Masks are optional and seating is limited to the first 100 guests on a first-come, first-served basis. This concert series will be available to attend via live stream on our YouTube channel and a link to each concert will be available on the home page of our website, www.ruggeropiano.com. Please contact our office at 919-839-2040 with any questions!

We are excited to host the 2023 Fourth Friday Concert Series. Masks are optional and seating is limited to the first 100 guests on a first-come, first-served basis. This concert series will be available to attend via live stream on our YouTube channel and a link to each concert will be available on the home page of our website, www.ruggeropiano.com. Please contact our office at 919-839-2040 with any questions!

Presto was founded in 2007 in San Diego. The club was started to offer amateur pianists an outlet for performance. The club meets once a month at members’ homes. When one of the founders moved to Carrboro in 2011, a second section was created for the Chapel Hill/Durham area and then expanded to a third section for the Raleigh/Cary area in 2015. Presto’s mission is to bring serious pianists together to share classical piano music through performance and to inspire growth and instill confidence in all participants. Presto also organizes and develops musical opportunities for the group such as piano master classes, social gatherings, recitals, and workshops. The group offers a nurturing environment to its members, honoring each at their particular performance level. Presto promotes a lifelong study and enjoyment of piano performance. New members join by referral. Please contact any of the performers at the concert if you’d like to join or learn more about Presto. http://www.prestopiano.org/index.htm

We are excited to host the 2023 Fourth Friday Concert Series! This series will be available to attend in person or via live stream on our YouTube channel – a ink to each concert will be available on the home page of our website, www.ruggeropiano.com. Please contact our office at 919-839-2040 with any questions!

This Special Edition Fourth Friday Concert will feature UNC Chapel Hill Music Department Pianists & Meredith College Faculty!

We are excited to host the 2023 Fourth Friday Concert Series! This series will be available to attend in person or via live stream on our YouTube channel – a ink to each concert will be available on the home page of our website, www.ruggeropiano.com. Please contact our office at 919-839-2040 with any questions!

This Special Edition Fourth Friday Concert will feature Meredith College Department of Music Faculty & Staff!

As we celebrate two decades of Fourth Friday Concerts, we are excited to announce the return of our original emcee, Eric Hale, and accompanist, Sue Timmons, for this extraordinary evening. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of the performers and devoted audiences who have supported Fourth Friday Concerts over the last 20 years. We hope you will be able to join us!

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. Contact Richard Ruggero at richardcruggero@gmail.com if you or your group are interested in performing!

Click here for Livestream link!

Performer Bios 

15-year-old Olivia Li from Cary, NC studies the piano with Florence Ko and has over the years garnered myriad awards and scholarships. She placed first in various competitions including the North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs (NCFMC) Young Artist Auditions, 6 years consecutively from divisions Senior I until Concerto IV, as well as the Princess category of the NCFMC Royalty Competition, the SYMF Southwestern Youth Music Festival Competition, the USA IMAE Music & Art Exchange International Piano Competition where she had a masterclass with the renowned Gary Graffman, RTPA Scholarship Competition, CAPTA Bullard Competition, and 2nd prize of the prestigious NC symphony concerto competition and 3rd Annual Hayes School of Music Piano Competition. In her spare time, Olivia enjoys sharing her music with others and frequently hosts performances at local retirement centers, and hospitals. She has also been invited to perform at various events, such as 5 consecutive meetings for the 2023 Cary Environmental Symposium at the Cary Arts Center, where many esteemed speakers and mayor are invited as well.

Chris (Yuanduo) Li, who is 17 years old and currently in the 11th grade, attends Green Level High School in Apex, North Carolina. He was born in China in 2006 and began his musical journey when he was just six years old. He started taking piano lessons in June 2021 after moving to the United States, and he’s been guided by Florence Ko. Since then, Chris has achieved some impressive accomplishments: he came in second place in the 2022 Young Artist Auditions (YAA) competition at the Prince level. He also got first place in the Senior level of the 2022 Raleigh Piano Teacher Association (RPTA) scholarship competition, the Bullard piano competition (High School level), and the Raleigh Music Club Scholarship Auditions. It’s worth noting that he got second position in the Senior division of the 2022 Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) competition, and he won in the Senior division of the International American Protege competition. Additionally, he had the chance to be part of the East Carolina University piano festival and their master classes. In 2023, he achieved second place in the North Carolina Royalty Competition at the King level. He also won the National Federation of Music Clubs competition at the King level and the Hinda Honigman piano scholarship in Statesville, NC, performed in Environmental Symposium at Cary Arts Center. Apart from his dedication to playing the piano, Chris enjoys taking part in basketball and tennis, which brings him joy.

Jared Alan Yoakem is a pianist from Grand Rapids, MI. As a recitalist, he has performed at the Brendle Recital Hall, Wake Forest University, NC; Covington Arts Center, Radford University, VA; Katzen Arts Center, American University, DC; and Porter Arts Center, Brevard College, NC. As a collaborative artist, he has performed with ACDA, NATS, the National Orpheus Competition, and a variety of choral projects including two national PBS broadcasts at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. He has been awarded with the Dean’s Advisory Council Award for outstanding achievement in music from Belmont University in 2019. Yoakem has participated in the Collaborative Piano Institute at Louisiana State University, the Leon Fleisher Academy of Washington D.C., and the Vivace Music Foundation of Wilmington, NC. He has participated in masterclasses by Stanislav Ioudenitch, Marina Lomazov, Julian Martin, Anne-Marie McDermott and Robert McDonald. Yoakem holds degrees from Belmont University & East Carolina University, under the instruction of Elena Bennett and Kwan Yi. He currently serves as a piano faculty member at the Cary School of Music and as a teaching assistant to Kwan Yi.

Click here for Livestream link!

Performer Bios 

[caption id="attachment_10955" align="alignleft" width="150"] Grace Ueng[/caption]

Grace began studying piano last year to honor the memory of her mother, her first teacher. With an older sister who consistently placed first in their state and would go on to compete nationally and internationally, Grace quit after only a few years of lessons. She went on to study at MIT and Harvard Business School, pursuing interests outside music. Her sister, Vivian Fang, went on to earn two degrees from Juilliard and her doctorate from Peabody Conservatory. Vivian teaches in her private studio, serves on faculty at The Fay School outside Boston, and is President of New England Piano Teachers’ Association. After purchasing her Steinway from Ruggero, Grace started studying with Teddy Robie.  Additionally, Vivian provides sisterly coaching. Grace also enjoys being a part of the Presto piano performance group. Grace is an ardent lifelong student of positive psychology studying under Tal Ben Shahar, the creator of Harvard’s most popular course ever on happiness, Arthur Brooks of Harvard Business School and Noa Kageyama, Juilliard’s performance psychologist. Grace is the founder of Savvy Growth, a leadership coaching and strategy consulting firm, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.  Prior to that, she served on the leadership teams of five technology companies. She writes a weekly column on Happiness & Leadership and has been covered in Inc. Magazine, The Daily Beast and The Wall Street Journal.

[caption id="attachment_10957" align="alignleft" width="150"] Triocha[/caption]

This trio features Erin Munnelly, flute, Sanford Enslen, cello, and Stephanie Schmidt, piano.

[caption id="attachment_10956" align="alignleft" width="150"] Newnew Hong[/caption]

Kangqi Hong, also known as “Newnew,” is a 14-year-old student born in Zhuhai, China, and currently resides with her aunt and uncle, Hong Schulte and Stuart Schulte, in Moore County, North Carolina. She attended Episcopal Day School from 3rd to 5th grade and is now a 9th grader at the O’Neal School. Newnew started learning to play the piano at the age of 6 in China, taught initially by her mother. She studies under Dr. Kristina Henckel and practices daily on a 1931 Baldwin grand piano. In February 2023, Newnew had her first public performance at a sold-out concert sponsored by the Arts Council of Moore County. She performed pieces by Mendelssohn, Chopin, Beethoven, and Saint-Saëns, impressing the audience with her skills. Newnew has taken part in numerous music competitions, winning first place in the solo piano category at Carmel Klavier 2022, Carmel IN, Fayetteville Piano Teacher’s Association competition in 2022, Fayetteville, NC, and Weymouth Young Musician’s Festival in 2020, Southern Pines, NC. Furthermore, she was a finalist in the 2023 North Carolina Symphony Concerto Competition. Newnew is also a laureate of the Piano League competition, participated in the MTNA competition, and received the Grand Prize in the Rising Talents Festival 2021, allowing her to perform at Carnegie Hall. Apart from concerts and competitions, Newnew has performed for local nursing homes, art shows, fundraisers, and Habitat for Humanity. In addition to her love for music, she is also interested in art, history, and science-fiction.

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Program Notes

Mozart: Sonata KV 570 in B-flat Major

Mozart’s Sonata K570 is a late work which shows the composer at his absolute best. The opening movement is unusual: each theme serves as a springboard to the next one. Thus, the opening melody is a counterpoint to the second one, and the second transfigures to become the third one. In fact, the contrapuntal mastery must have been so appealing that soon after Mozart’s death the Sonata was reworked for violin and piano by an admirer, and is still sometimes performed in that manner, ostensibly as an authentic Mozart piece.

The second movement is an extensive rondo, drawing on the wealth of vocal and instrumental traditions, almost ready to be orchestrated. The frequent use of strophic variation allows the performer to introduce a variety of ornaments, something which was expected in both vocal and instrumental performances of the time.

The last movement is yet another, very much abbreviated rondo; in its center lives a pecking bird, engulfed by contrapuntal lines, very reminiscent of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 and violin sonata K. 378. In both cases, the tempo suddenly accelerates for the sake of that very bird, and I have taken the brazen liberty of doing the same.

Beethoven: Sonata Op. 28 in D Major

The so-called “Pastoral” Sonata owes its nickname to a publisher. This is, without a doubt, inspired by the ostinato in the left hand, prominent in movements one and four, clear stand-in for bagpipes. Yet, while as certain pastoral feeling cannot be denied, it by no means shapes the entire work. In his second and last D Major sonata, Beethoven chooses yet again to keep all four movements in the home key, with the second, slow movement, taking the minor mode. But the contrast between major and minor in our sonata is much less violent then in the earlier Op. 10 No. 3. A possible musical twin for the work is rather the “Spring” sonata for violin and piano, written at about the same time; undeniably handsome, tender, poignant, and positive, with a dash of humor.

Schumann: Kreisleriana Op. 16

Every December, our country falls under the spell of the German author E. T. A. Hoffmann. In fact, we eagerly await the experience of seeing a most garbled version of his short novel “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” now in the form of a famous ballet. Hoffmann, a near-contemporary of Schumann and his undeniable alter ego, had a double career as an author and a musician (Schumann’s stated aspiration as well); his views, aesthetics, and artistic goals were also very close to Schumann’s. And just like Schumann with his Florestan and Eusebius, the fiery and the meek aspects of oneself, Hoffmann had invented for himself a literary stand-in, a certain Kapellmeister Kreisler, is whose bizarre personality these aspects are fused in a strange way, compelling in the eyes of some, repulsive for most others. Such split personality is more than a child of an erratic mind, sophisticated one moment and childish the next; here, we also have the inability, and the unwillingness to put up with the world the way we see it. Kreisler’s life, inasmuch as Hoffmann’s or Schumann’s, is a struggle against a mounting tide of mediocrity, indifference, and pointless small talk. Ironically, Hoffmann tells us, Kreisler’s unpublished autobiography became scrap paper for a memoir by… a cat. Schumann’s eight scenes are not, apparently, descriptive of specific Hoffmann moments; they describe mental states.

Performer Bio

A native of Moscow, Dmitri Shteinberg holds a Doctorate in piano performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and is currently the Clifton Matthews Distinguished Professor of piano at UNCSA. His performance credentials include Jerusalem Symphony, The Italian Filarmonica Marchigiana, Israel Chamber Orchestra, Israel Camerata Orchestra and Porto National Symphony under the batons of Massimo Pradella, Roger Nierenberg, Florin Totan and David Shallon, among others. In the United States, he appeared with the Baton Rouge, Richmond, Charlottesville, Salisbury and Manassas symphony orchestras. In 1995, he won the first prize at the Senigallia International Piano Competition in Italy, where he was the youngest competitor.  Shteinberg was a guest artist at the Mostly Mozart Festival, Summit Music Festival, Music Festival of the Hamptons, the ”Oleg Kagan” Festival in Germany, Festival Aix-en-Provence in France and Open Chamber Music in Cornwall, England. Chamber music appearances include the Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Alice Tully Hall in New York and the Saunders Theatre in Boston. Most recently, he gave the world premiere of Permutations for piano and orchestra by Robert Chumbley.

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We are so excited to have students and faculty from Community Music School performing for this month’s Fourth Friday Concert Series! Repertoire to include selections from Bach, Liszt, Tchaikovsky and others from a variety of genres and styles.

Performer Bio

Founded in 1994, CMS is the only organization in Wake County that provides private, 1:1 personalized music instruction in multiple genres at just $1 per lesson for children who have limited or no access to music education. For the last 30 years, CMS has worked to ensure that every child with a passion for music has access to affordable, high quality music education; and empowers families to foster their children’s love for music; and raise awareness of the benefits of musical instruction in the development of the whole child. Please join in supporting the young musicians of Community Music School by donating $30.00 in honor of the school’s years of service OR become a CMS sustainer at $19.94/month, reflecting on the school’s year of establishment! Learn More Here

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Performer Bio

Czech pianist Kristina Henckel and Cuban pianist Amanda Virelles formed 4HANDS Piano Duo in 2019. Their duo repertoire includes master pieces from the Classical, Romantic and 20th century periods. Both pianists started performing careers in their countries of origin, and completed doctoral degrees in piano performance and pedagogy in the United States. Currently, both Kristina and Amanda hold faculty positions in North Carolina, at Sandhills Community College and Fayetteville State University.

Dr. Kristina Henckel, an accomplished pianist and teacher, is a native of the Czech Republic. She is a graduate of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, under the tutelage of Professor Peter Toperczer. During her study she received several awards in competitions held in the Czech Republic: third prize in the Chopin Piano Competition and Smetana International Piano Competition, and first prize in the National Piano Competition of Conservatories, including an award for best performance of Antonín Dvořák’s composition. At 18 Kristina debuted with Beethoven’s Concerto No. 5 Op. 73 “Emperor” with the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra. She further collaborated as a soloist with other regional orchestras in the Czech Republic.

After relocating to the United States in 1999, Kristina continued her studies by earning a doctorate in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma. In Oklahoma she acquired additional awards for her performances: first prize in the Donna Turner-Smith Piano Competition and first prize at the Graduate Concerto Competition 2012. In addition, her dissertation “Pianistic Analysis of Bedřich Smetana’s Piano Cycle Dreams” was nominated for the University of Oklahoma Provost’s Dissertation Prize 2016.

Kristina has performed numerous solo and collaborative recitals in Europe and United States. She also made several recordings for Radio Vltava, Czech Republic. In the fall of 2015 she became a Ritmüller piano artist. In May 2016, she released a CD with the piano trio Turnía featuring the piano trios of Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana. In April 2016 the ensemble was featured on the radio show Northwest Focus on King FM 98.1 in Seattle, WA. Kristina is also a member of the 4HANDS Piano Duo with Cuban-American pianist Amanda Virelles.

Currently she serves as music faculty at Fayetteville State University and Sandhills Community College in North Carolina.

Amanda Virelles has played for audiences around the world captivating them with her unique sound and deep interpretations. Her performances have been described as sensible, profound, and energetic. She has performed as a soloist as well as collaborative artist throughout the United States, Europe, South and Central America and the Caribbean.

Amanda began her piano studies in Cuba with Emilio Morales, and later with Serguei Leschenko, continued with Heirinch Neuhaus’ protegé Margarita Fyodorova at Moscow State Conservatory Tchaikovsky, and received her Master of Fine Arts Degree from the Russian Academy of Music Gnessins in Moscow, Russia, under the guidance of Inna Malinina, former disciple of Alexander Goldenwieser. Virelles also holds a Master Degree and a Doctoral Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Southern Mississippi, where she received both a full assistantship and a fellowship as the winner of the Doctoral Assistantship Competition. While at USM, Amanda was a student of Dr. Lois Leventhal.

After winning First Prize and an Special Prize for best Cuban and Latin-American music performance in the “Amadeo Roldan” Piano Competition, in Cuba, she was given a full scholarship to study in Russia. She appeared as a soloist with several orchestras in Europe and South America under the direction of renowned conductors such as Yoshikatsu Fukumura, Mikhail Shervakov, Dmitir Manolov, Fillipo Zigante, Kimbo Ishii – Eto, and Miguel Harth-Bedoya. She was a featured winner of the William T. Gower Concerto Competition with the USM Symphony Orchestra under conductor Jay Dean. She has also performed under the baton of Raul Munguia and Alejandro Drago.

As a pedagogue Dr. Virelles has served as an Associate Professor of Music at Universidad del Atlántico in Colombia, in the fields of classical piano, theory, and chamber music from 1997 to 2003. Previously, she was on the piano faculty at the Conservatorio Nacional in Lima, Peru. Since her arrival to the United States, she has also served at Lane College, Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music and at the School of Music of Belmont University. Currently, Dr. Virelles is an Associate Professor of Music at Fayetteville State University, in Fayetteville, North Carolina and teaches piano at Fayetteville School of Music

Amanda is an avid performer of chamber music and plays regularly with “Duo Guitiano” with Colombian-American guitarist Carlos Castilla and 4HANDS Piano Duo, with Czech pianist Kristina Henckel. Her solo and duo recordings are available in digital platforms.

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 live stream!

Performer Bios

Andrew Wood, 18, graduated from Enloe High School with the International Baccalaureate Diploma last spring (2023). He is currently completing a gap year of intense preparation for a college degree in piano performance. Andrew has given solo recitals at Meredith College, Saint Mary’s School, and at private residences and retirement communities in Raleigh and Winston-Salem. As part of his study last summer at Krakow Piano, he performed in group recitals across Poland at Dębno Castle, Liszt Hall at Hotel Saski in Krakow, and Fazioli Concert Hall at the School of Music of Jastrzębie Zdrój. In addition to his study at Krakow, Andrew has studied in summer programs at the New Orleans Piano Institute and the Eastern Music Festival. Now in his second and final year with the North Carolina Chamber Music Institute, Andrew has been a member of two piano quartets. Currently he has serves as collaborative pianist for the Enloe High School Choral Department, and volunteers by teaching conducting, music theory, and choral music at Enloe. Andrew has won and received honors in local festivals and competitions such as the Young Artist Auditions, NC Music Teachers Association, and the Raleigh Piano Teachers Association Scholarship. He has placed twice in the Music Teachers National Association Competition, Senior Division. Andrew thanks his family and his teacher, Dr. Margaret Evans, for their support and for providing many wonderful opportunities.

Hrishikesh Ram (Hrishi) is a piano student of Dr. Olga Kleiankina of NC State University, and is pursuing chemical engineering and chemistry as a first-year undergraduate student. He previously was a student of Mr. John Herrmann of Durham, NC, and is also coached by Ms. Elizabeth Beilman of the NC Symphony in chamber music, as a member of the Tre Voce Piano Trio, North Carolina Chamber Music Institute. Hrishi has won prizes at the national, regional and international level in both solo piano and chamber music.

Fifteen-year-old Benjamin Luo, a ninth grader who hails from Apex, North Carolina, began his piano study with Florence Ko at age five. Since then, he has garnered first-prize awards in a myriad of piano competitions at state, national, and international levels. Benjamin has been the first-place winner in the Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) Piano Competition in both Junior and Senior Solo categories in the state round for five consecutive years, beginning in 2019. He was also a two-time MTNA Junior Piano National Finalist. In addition, along with his brother Brandon, Benjamin placed second nationally in the 2022-2023 MTNA Senior Piano Duet Competition, following a first-place win in the state and divisional rounds. Benjamin has performed with several orchestras after winning concerto competitions, including the Hampton Roads Philharmonic, the Chapel Hill Philharmonic, and the Tar River Orchestra. Recently, Benjamin played the full Rachmaninoff No. 2 Piano Concerto with the Long Bay Symphony of South Carolina.

Anastacy Golovidov is a sophomore at North Carolina State University pursuing her Bachelor in Graphic & Experience Design along with a minor in Music with Dr. Olga Kleiankina. She began her piano study with Olga Urick and at age six entered her first competition. From 2011-2017 she earned several 1st place, 2nd place, and Honorable Mention awards at the Young Artist Audition piano competition. Her achievements include multiple North Carolina Music Teachers Association and North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs district awards. In 2018 she received 2nd place at the Elizabeth Bullard competition. In 2019 she won first place at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts piano weekend festival. Her most recent awards include 2nd place in Young Artist Audition piano competition in 2021, 1st place at NCFMC Royalty 2022 and she is a CAPTA Scholarship Competition award recipient for College Minor in Music.

Sam Prochnau is a sophomore at North Carolina State University studying aerospace engineering with a minor in piano performance. Sam has played piano for 14 years, studying first under Irene Fix and currently under Dr. Olga Kleiankina. As a soloist, Sam has experience performing recitals in both North Carolina and his home state of Pennsylvania, and has performed in numerous masterclasses with distinguished piano professors from across the country. Sam also enjoys accompanying, reaching the 2022 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) All-State choir conference, accompanying the Raleigh Civic Chamber Orchestra, as well as playing with various other ensembles and soloists. Outside of music, Sam plays club ultimate frisbee for NC State, enjoys hiking, and is a member of NC State’s Design Build Fly aerospace engineering club.

Brandon Luo, 17, is an eleventh grader from Apex, NC, who began his piano study with Florence Ko at age five. Since then, he has competed in numerous piano competitions and has won many competition awards, including first place in North Carolina Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Senior and Junior Piano Competitions, East Carolina University Young Artist Piano Competition, Hayes School of Music Piano Competition, United States International Music Competition, Great Masters International Piano Competition, American Protégé International Music Talent Competition, Charles F.T. Nakarai Piano Competition, RPTA Scholarship Competition, RPTA Young Artist Audition, as well as the State Royalty Competitions, NC Federation of Music Clubs State Scholarship Competition “Mary Davis Memorial Award”, “Maxine Taylor Fountain Award”, “NCFMC Past Presidents Award”, and “Thursday Morning Music Club Of Winston-Salem Award.” Brandon, along with his brother Benjamin, placed second nationally in the 2022-2023 MTNA Senior Piano Duet Competition, after winning first place in the state and divisional rounds. Recently, Brandon received first place in the RPTA Young Artist Auditions Concerto Competition and Federation of Music Clubs Competition “Estelle Brady Senior Piano Concerto Award”.

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.