[NEohioPAL] Chamber Music Extravaganza with Andrew Sords, 4/18

[Christine Montague]

Chagrin Valley Concert Series Hosts Free “Chamber Music Extravaganza” on
April 18

World-renowned musicians join forces for Cesar Franck’s monumental Piano
Quintet in F minor 

 

The Chagrin Valley Chamber Music Concert Series welcomes internationally
acclaimed musicians to the stage for a free “Chamber Music Extravaganza” at
3 p.m. on Sunday, April 18 at Valley Lutheran Church (87 East Orange Street,
Chagrin Falls). Award-winning violinists Hristo Popov and Andrew Sords will
perform virtuoso works for two violins before joining forces with violist
Aaron Conitz, cellist Michael Gelfand, and pianist Eriko Izumida for the
monumental Piano Quintet in F minor by Cesar Franck.

 

Hristo Popov, violinist and artistic director of the Concert Series, made
his orchestral debut at the age of nine and has since performed in major
halls throughout the United States, Europe, and Mexico. He began his musical
studies at a school for gifted children in Bulgaria, and completed his
bachelors, masters, and Ph.D. at Oberlin College, Kent State University, and
the University of Kentucky, respectively. His distinguished awards include
prizewinner at the Kozian International Violin Competition, Silver Medalist
at the California Young Artist Competition, grand prize winner at the
International Institute of Music (Germany and USA), and first place at the
American String Teacher’s Association Chamber Music Competition. In April of
2009, he was selected as Artist of the Month by the Obama for Arts and
Entertainment Organization.  Dr. Popov teaches at both Youngstown State
University and Western Reserve Academy.

 

A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, violinist Andrew Sords
received international exposure in 2008 as the top Google classical news
story and a Top-40 classical recording artist. He is the winner of the 2005
National Shirley Valentin Violin Award, the 2004 and 2005 National
Federation of Music Clubs Competition, the Fortnightly Music Club of
Cleveland, and the Festival de la Orquesta Sinfonica de las Americas
Competition of the Casals Festival. Noted performances include a recent tour
of the Brahms, Bruch, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven concerti, the
Brahms Violin Concerto and Bowling Green Symphony with David Dettloff, the
Tchaikovsky Concerto with Maestro Luis Biava conducting at the Plaza de las
Americas in San Juan, Chausson’s Poeme and the Tchaikovsky Concerto with
Anna Balakerskaia in Holland, Sarasate’s Zigeurerweisen in the Interlochen
Honors Recital Series, and a live broadcast of music innovator George
Crumb’s Black Angels on Cleveland’s WCLV radio 104.9.  

 

Aaron Conitz is an active orchestral performer and chamber musician who
serves as section violist for the Canton Symphony Orchestra. His
performances include the Aspen Music Festival’s Chamber Symphony and Chamber
Orchestra where he received a two-year fellowship, the Cervo International
Summer Music Academy, the SecondCity Chamber series, and the Intensive
String Quartet seminar at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 2007, he was
invited to study with Jean Sulem at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de
Musique in Paris, and is currently studying with Robert Vernon at the
Cleveland Institute of Music.  

 

 

Cellist Michael Gelfand received his Bachelor of Music at Indiana University
and a Master of Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music in cello and
conducting. He pursued doctoral studies in conducting at the Cincinnati
College Conservatory of Music and the Pierre Monteux School for Advanced
Conductors. Since 1975, he has been Professor of Music at Youngstown State
University and Principal Cellist of the Youngstown Symphony and Warren
Chamber Orchestra, and has performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
since 1990. A former member of the Cleveland Orchestra, he was awarded the
Distinguished Professor of Music Award at Youngstown State University in
1984 and was named Music Director/Conductor of the Greenville Symphony
Orchestra in 2002. . Mr. Gelfand also performs as a member of the Amici Trio
in residence at Youngstown State University. 

 

Eriko Izumida has been an active piano soloist, collaborator, chamber
musician. She has performed extensively throughout the United States and
Asia, teaches private piano lessons, and is on the piano faculty of Baldwin
Wallace Collage Preparatory/Adult Education Department where she also serves
as staff accompanist at BW Conservatory. A native of Japan, she began
studying piano at the age of three. Her teachers include Graeme Humphrey at
the Royal Academy of Music in London as well as Dr. Thomas Hecht at the
Cleveland Institute of Music where she holds both a Bachelor of Music and a
Master of Music in piano performance. 

 

“It is an honor to showcase so many talented, renowned musicians at the
final concert of our 2009-10 season,” notes Hristo Popov, artistic director
for the Concert Series. “This is sure to be a spectacular chamber
performance and, quite literally, music to our audience’s ears.”

 

For additional information, visit  <http://www.chagrinmusic.org>
www.chagrinmusic.org or call 440-247-0390. 

 

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