Rick Hoffenberg, John Vaida, and Amy Iwazumi join forces to bring two poignant works for an unusual instrumentation: Piano, violin, and viola.
The Jongen Trio, Op. 30 and Brahms Horn Trio, Op. 40 (later arranged for viola by Brahms) were created when the composers were in their early 30’s and both works were premiered with the composer at the piano. Rich with color and moments of exuberance and reflection, the works are jewels of the piano, violin, viola trio repertoire.
Register for access to the virtual concert!
Registration is $20, $15 for senior/students.
This concert will be pre-recorded at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre, with Covid-19 safety precautions in place. The virtual concert will premiere at 7:00 PM ET on Nov. 21 but will remain online for 48 hours.
Upcoming Music Matters Events
Join us for a series of carefully curated conversations and workshops, hosted by NEPACMS Executive Director, John Vaida.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the musical landscape of our country. Within the blink of an eye concert halls, school music programs, and other performance venues have fallen silent. Here at NEPACMS we are looking forward to a time when we will be able to make music for you again. Until then we are taking the opportunity to explore matters in music and why it matters. We hope you will join us!
Saturday, November 7, 2020
7:00 PM ET
Stringed Instruments Inside and Out
Colin Maki, dealer and consultant in fine and rare stringed instruments, and Jerry Lynn, a restorer of stringed instruments with decades of industry experience share their expertise on instruments and their insight into the dealings of the industry.
Saturday, November 14, 2020
7:00 PM ET
Broken Bows
Bring your instruments for an interactive session to hone your right arm skills! John Vaida will explore a methodical approach to bow division and its artistic application to repertoire. Exercises and repertoire have been selected for use on any bowed string instrument. Learn how the study of bow distribution can develop a focused sustained tone, build rhythmic accuracy, fulfill musical conception, and lead to artistic freedom.
These Music Matters programs are presented free of charge, thanks to the support in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
In 2007, Rick Hoffenberg joined the faculty of Marywood University, where he is currently Associate Professor, Director of Choral Activities, and Co-Chair of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance. He has also been Music Director of the Wyoming Seminary Civic Orchestra since 2013. He previously held faculty positions at the University of Northern Iowa and Williams College. Dr. Hoffenberg has directed a dozen concert tours throughout the United States; he has also conducted high school festival concerts and workshops in the Eastern and Midwestern United States. He has spent the past 21 summers at Chautauqua Opera, where he is a pianist, coach, and assistant conductor. He also worked in various capacities for New York City Opera, BMG Classics/RCA Victor Red Seal, Columbia Artists Management, the Milken Archive, and Spoleto Festival USA. As a pianist, he has performed at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, the Music Institute of Chicago, Rockefeller Chapel in New York City, and Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, New Jersey. He was the state winner, division winner, and national finalist in the 1994 MTNA Wurlitzer Piano Competition. He holds degrees from Princeton University, Yale University, and Westminster Choir College.
Jerry Lynn has over two decades of industry experience gained by working in a busy retail shop, planning and executing restorations, sales, tonal adjustments, and expertise. Currently, he is the owner of JHL Violins, LLC, a small firm specializing in medium to large scale conservation minded restoration projects as well as maintenance services for the discriminating musician. Furthermore, he currently serves as a co-administrator for the VSA Oberlin Violin Restoration Workshop where he has been a regular participant studying with industry leaders like Jeffrey Holmes, Greg Sapp, Iris Carr, and Andrew Fairfax. Jerry also holds a degree in violin performance from the Pennsylvania State University, where he was a student of James Lyon.
Jonathan Weber enjoys a versatile musical career as a violinist, violist, conductor, and educator. Mr. Weber has shared the chamber music stage with members of the Orion String Quartet, Windscape, and the Bach Aria Group. He has also performed with with Billy Joel, Roger Daltrey, Peter Gabriel, Josh Groban, Taylor Swift, Idina Menzel, Sarah McLachlan, Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Elvis Costello, Herbie Hancock, Savion Glover, Jay-Z, Beyonce Knowles, Alicia Keys, The Roots, Corey Glover, Janelle Monae, Eryka Badu, Sarah Silverman, the Irish Tenors, the Trans Siberian Orchestra, the Mahavishnu Project, Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
Hailed as an “Exemplary Leader” by the New York Times for leading members of New York Philharmonic and Manhattan School of Music in Carnegie Hall, violinist Daniel Andai has shared his versatile artistry as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, concertmaster, conductor and recording artist in major concert venues in over 50 countries across five continents, the Middle East, the Caribbean and over 30 United States. He is a prizewinner of numerous competitions and soloed with orchestras around the world.
Theodore Buchholz is the cello professor and head of strings at the University of Arizona. Described by newspaper critics as a “virtuosic cellist” with a “warm beautiful sound,” he recently performed in prominent venues from New York’s Lincoln Center to international halls in Italy and Tokyo, and in important venues across the United States. He toured the recently commissioned concerto The High Songs by Carter Pann, and this season he will perform Brahms’s Double Concerto and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with orchestras across the U.S. Buchholz is the cellist of the Deco Piano Trio which holds a residency at the White Lakes Chamber Music Festival. Buchholz’s upcoming album, Afterglow, will feature Henry Hadley’s complete works for cello and piano, and will be released by Centaur Records. His recording of the Hans Winterberg Cello Sonata was released under the Toccata label in 2018, and he is a member of True Concord whose CD recording won a 2016 Grammy Award. He performs on an outstanding cello made in 1877 by French luthier Charles Mennégand. As a nationally recognized researcher, Dr. Buchholz served as the Cello Forum Editor for the award-winning journal American String Teacher. During the summers he performs and teaches at the Killington Music Festival in Vermont. Dr. Buchholz studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of Arizona, and the Manhattan School of Music.
Wade Preston is an American pianist, vocalist, composer, and arranger.
Born in Portugal, clarinetist Nuno Antunes performs extensively with a variety of ensembles in and around New York City. Nuno is currently a member of Sylvan Winds, IRIS Orchestra and Principal Clarinetist with Opera Saratoga. He is a frequent collaborator with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St Luke’s, American American Ballet Theatre, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with the America Symphony Orchestra, Westchester Philharmonic and New York City Opera. He played clarinet and bass clarinet for the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, and has been a substitute clarinetist for the productions of My Fair Lady, The King and I, Sunset Boulevard and Sweeney Todd. Nuno has appeared as a soloist with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, performing Strauss’s Duett Concertino for Clarinet, Bassoon and Orchestra. Other solo performances include Mozart’s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra and Lutoslawski’s Dance Preludes. He has performed as a guest artist with various chamber music groups, including the Parker Quartet, Da Capo Chamber Players and the Jasper String Quartet. Nuno holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music and Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra.
In 1975, Jonathan Pineno earned his Bachelor of Science degree, in Music Education from Mansfield University, Mansfield, Pa. After undergraduate school, Jonathan studied for four years with Anthony Gigliotti, first chair clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and in 1979, he earned a Master’s Degree in Clarinet Performance from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa.
One of the most brilliant virtuosi ever to perform on the double bass, James VanDemark was hailed by the New York Times at his Lincoln Center recital debut as “an exceptionally gifted string player and a musician of taste, intelligence and the best spontaneous musical instincts, with an unerring sense for exact intonation.” The San Francisco Chronicle praised his “wonderful facility for making really musical phrases, relaxing, building, shading with unlimited subtleties – and a capacity to dig into whole pages of rip-roaring coloratura and make every note count.”
Born and raised in Bulgaria, Vlada Yaneva moved to New York in 2011 and earned her degrees at the Manhattan School of music. She is the co-founder and piano duo partner of the Masterwork Conversations project where alongside husband Matthew Harrison she presents interactive storytelling concerts. Her solo and chamber music concerts have been heard by audiences in Italy, France, Finland, Bulgaria, Greece, England and the United States. In NYC she has performed at Weill recital at Carnegie hall, Steinway hall, Yamaha hall, Trinity Church, Scandinavian House, St.John the Divine, Barge museum, Bulgarian Consulate and many more.
As a bassoonist, Gina Cuffari performs with many orchestras and chamber ensembles in the New York City area. Gina became a member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in 2018 as Co-Principal Bassoonist. She is also a member of the Lincoln Center-based Riverside Symphony, and performs with the Westchester Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, American Ballet Theater, Stamford Symphony, New Haven Symphony, and American Symphony Orchestra. She has subbed on Broadway productions which include Fiddler on the Roof, Sunset Boulevard, and My Fair Lady. Gina is a member of the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players and Sylvan Winds. She has appeared with the renown west coast-based ensemble Camerata Pacifica, and is a recent addition to the artist roster of the Boston-based Walden Chamber Players. Gina is also a champion of new music, and is a frequent collaborator with Alarm Will Sound. A passionate educator, Gina is an Adjunct Professor of Bassoon at New York University and Western Connecticut State University. Gina is also a versatile singer who enjoys performing in many different styles. From classical to musical theater to jazz/pop/r&b, she loves it all, and has professional experience performing in all genres. In a New York Times review of the Jupiter Chamber Players, Allan Kozinn said, “Gina Cuffari, a soprano (though she is usually the group’s bassoonist), sang them (set of Toscanini songs) with the right balance of gracefulness and passion.” Gina’s current passion project is commissioning composers to write pieces that integrate both voice and bassoon into the same work.
Pianist TIMOTHY BURNS is a versatile performer and collaborator, with significant instrumental, vocal, and choral accompanying experience. He holds degrees in piano performance, music theory pedagogy, and collaborative piano from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, studying with Carol Schanely-Cahn, David Allen Wehr, and Jean Barr. Currently, Dr. Burns serves as Supervisor of Piano Accompanying at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where he frequently collaborates with faculty, guest artists, and students.
“Full of Herculean power” (Time Out), cellist Miho Weber continues to excite audiences with her thought-provoking performances throughout the USA, Europe, and Asia. In New York, she regularly performs at Bargemusic, Carnegie’s Stern Auditorium, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Symphony Space, and the UN. Miho’s recent projects have included the Glass Farm Ensemble, InterPlay duo, and collaborations with members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in the Memling Ensemble. She has performed with the New England Symphonic Ensemble, Paragon Orchestra, and String Orchestra of New York City throughout the USA as principal cello. Her popular engagements have included a performance with Imagine Dragons on Saturday Night Live and Josh Groban at the US Open.
“This is true talent, a genuine diamond that you so rarely see.”–St. Petersburg Times
Hailed by John Williams as “an outstanding cellist and truly dedicated artist”, Emmanuel Feldman has emerged as one of the most innovative and expressive cellists of his generation. Of his recent CD release on Delos, Our American Roots, Gramophone called Feldman, “an artist who combines communicative urgency with tonal splendor.” Known for intense and soulful playing that explores a broad range of repertoire and styles, he enjoys a multifaceted career as soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and educator.
Dr. Eun-Joo Kwak is an internationally admired concert artist and educator, whose professional engagements have taken her across Europe, Asia, and North America. A native of South Korea, her career was launched with top prizes in the Samick National Piano Competition (South Korea), Tokyo International Piano Duo Competition (Japan), International Beethoven Sonata Competition (Memphis, TN), and others. Her diverse concert life has included concerto appearances with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, KBS Symphony Orchestra (Seoul), Sun-Hwa Philharmonic Orchestra (Seoul), Racine Symphony Orchestra, Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra, and numerous university orchestras. She has given recitals in significant venues, such the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts (Chicago), World Piano Conference (Novi Sad, Serbia), American Landmark Festival (New York), Taipei National Recital Hall (Taiwan), with several broadcast internationally (WFMT-Chicago, KBS-Seoul, Christian Radio-Taiwan, Wisconsin Public Radio-Madison). An avid chamber musician, she was a member of the international prize-winning Cheng and Kwak Piano Duo, the Clarus Piano Trio, and has performed with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, and Minnesota Orchestra. Her professional recordings are available from Northwestern University Press, Vienna Modern Masters label, and the Naxos Music Library.
“Clearly knowing the power of sonority” (Philadelphia Inquirer), the music of Baljinder Sekhon has been presented in over 500 concerts in twenty countries. From works for large ensemble to solo works to electronic music, Sekhon’s demonstrate a wide range of interests and styles. Sekhon’s compositions for saxophone and percussion instruments are widely recognized as pioneering work in those genres with numerous presentations, CD recordings, and guest lecture appearances.
Taiwanese-American Dr. Rong-Huey Liu is one of Southern California’s most active oboists, holding principal positions in Long Beach Symphony, Reno Chamber Orchestra, Fresno Philharmonic, and Riverside County Philharmonic. In high demand as a multi-faceted soloist, Liu has performed concertos of Bach, Corigliano, Daugherty, Ferran, Kalliwoda, Lebrun and Mozart, Navarro, to name a few. As the featured soloist in the world premiere of Saul’s “Kiev 2014: Rhapsody for Oboe and Orchestra”, she garnered critical acclaim for her “sublime playing and crisp performance, filled with quiet perseverance and passion.” Her Lebrun Oboe Concerto performance with Long Beach Symphony earned the review of “Her radiant tone easily filled the cavernous Terrace Theater, and she played with consummate grace and musicality. She put on an awesome technical display in the finale and played with assurance as Lebrun took the instrument way up high and way down low. And in the second movement, a lovely little song that is just cute as a bug’s ear, she was downright charming.” Her festival credits include performances at Ojai Summer Music Festival, Nevada Chamber Music Festival, Southwest International New Music Festival, International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, and at the Cactus Pear Music Festival her playing was noted by San Antonio critics for “sweetness shaped by a sense of crisp articulation” and for leading a performance of a “razzle-dazzle piece…the audience was thrilled”. As a recording artist, she has recorded on the “Fireflies in the Garden”, “Star Wars VIII”, “Lady Bird”, “Ferdinand”, and on the recording of Chris Botti, the Isley Brothers, and Andrew Bocelli, to name a few.
Appointed Artistic Director of the Olympic Music Festival in 2014 and praised as a musician of “compelling artistry and power” by the Seattle Times, the gifted American pianist Julio Elizalde leads an active career as soloist, chamber musician, artistic administrator, curator, and educator.
Praised as “spectacular” and a “virtuosic tour-de-force” (New York Concert Review) cellist Patrick Jee has earned international acclaim for his bold musicality, rich sound, and passionate performances. He has made appearances at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Kennedy Center, and Wigmore Hall as well as special performances at the United Nations and on CNN, American Morning.
Andrew Wan was named concertmaster of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) in 2008. As soloist, he has performed worldwide under conductors such as Maxim Vengerov, Vasily Petrenko, Bernard Labadie, Carlo Rizzi, Peter Oundjian, Michael Stern and James DePreist and has appeared in recitals with artists such as the Juilliard Quartet, Vadim Repin, Marc-André Hamelin, Daniil Trifonov, Menahem Pressler, Jörg Widmann, Emanuel Ax, James Ehnes, and Gil Shaham.
Rapidly gaining recognition, the New Trio has been garnering enthusiastic reviews all over the country. The Washington Post describes them as “Ravishing,” with a “warm subjectivity, intensity, and consciousness,” and the Seattle Times adds, “Aside from individual virtuosity, there was a welcome flexibility and warmth of expression in everything they did.”
Prizewinner of the Aleksander Glazunov International Competition (Paris), Dr. Elena Chernova-Davis has enjoyed a career as soloist, chamber musician, and concertmaster in her native Uzbekistan and throughout the United States. After graduating with honors as a full-scholarship student from the Tashkent State Conservatory, she came to the United States to continue her studies with soloist Elmar Oliveira and first violinist of the Vermeer Quartet Shmuel Ashkenasi. She is a recipient of the Irene Alm Memorial Award for excellence in performance and scholarly research and has worked with conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Esa Pekka-Salonen, Gerard Schwarz, Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Jeffrey Tate to name but a few. Collaborating with various New York ensembles including musicians from the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, MET Opera Orchestra, and the New Jersey Symphony, her recent performing venues include Carnegie Hall – Isaac Stern Auditorium, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Le Poisson Rouge, and the New Jersey State Theatre among others. As a passionate and dedicated teacher her philosophy is to guide development and tailor an individual approach to each student that encourages growth, curiosity and motivation. She is currently on the faculty at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.
Zhi Yi (Emma) Dong, born in Beijing, China P.R.C., currently studies at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School in Kingston, PA. Emma has been playing the violin since the age of four. She took part in the Performing Arts Institute at Wyoming Seminary in the summers of 2012, 2013 and 2014. In the summer 2015, she studied and performed for five weeks at the Killington Music Festival. Emma has studied music theory and composition at Wyoming Seminary, and has written a string quartet which was performed at the school last spring. The same quartet was programmed again at the Killlington Music Festival. Emma has studied with Mr. Xiong Da Jiang and Mr. Hai Yu. She currently studies with Mr. John Michael Vaida.