Hot Springs Music Festival to offer two concerts in October
The Hot Springs Music Festival will present two afternoon concerts “with strings attached” in October.
Violinist Kiril Laskarov and pianist Carl Anthony will present a program of music dedicated to famous violinists, including pieces by Fritz Kreisler, Camille Saint-Saëns, Jean Sibelius and John Williams, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, at St Luke’s Episcopal Church, 228 Spring St.
Laskarov is in his 21st season as concertmaster of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. A native of Bulgaria, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State Academy of Music in Sofia and a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where he studied with professor Michael Barta.
Laskarov has appeared as a soloist with the Arkansas Symphony,
Las Vegas Philharmonic, Southern
Illinois Symphony, Abilene (Texas)
Philharmonic, Symphony Irvine (Calif.) and Texarkana (Texas) Symphony, and also as a guest concertmaster with the Monroe (La.) Symphony and McCall (Ind.) Festival Orchestra. Laskarov presented the world premiere of the Double Concerto for
Two Violins by Michael Fine (2017) with the Arkansas Symphony and the Double Concerto for Violin and
Cello (2018) by Jacob Tews with the
Southern Illinois Symphony.
Anthony is professor of Piano and Theory and theory program coordinator at the University of Central Arkansas, a position he has held since 1978. That same year, he joined the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra as principal keyboardist. He received his bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University and earned his master’s degree in Piano and his doctorate in Music Theory from the University of Arizona.
“Always in demand as a chamber musician, Carl performs frequently with resident and guest soloists and ensembles at UCA and with other artists throughout the state,” a news release said. Recent guest appearances have taken him to Yale, New Orleans, Tokyo, Japan, and Vancouver, BC. During the 1999-2000 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra season, he was selected by audience vote to appear as a concerto soloist on the “Audience Choice” Program. He and his wife, Carolyn Brown, perform regularly in the U.S. and abroad as the Dionysus Duo; they have performed at the National Flute Conventions in Kansas City, Dallas and St. Louis and internationally in Shanghai and Beijing, China, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.
On Sunday, October 27, 3 p.m., also at St Luke’s, violinist Drew Irvin and pianist Julie Cheek will present a program titled “Devilish Delights,” featuring music inspired by Halloween.
Irvin has a broad range of experience throughout North America and Europe. Solo appearances include works by Tchaikovsky, Paganini, Bruch, Vivaldi, Korngold, Bach, Mozart, Sarasate, Ravel and Dvorak. Irvin lives in Little Rock where he is concertmaster of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and serves as a violin mentor for the Hot Springs Music Festival. He also enjoys playing in recital from coast to coast with organist David Christopher in the Irvin/Christopher duo. The Camino Trio is another of his chamber music outlets. The trio is made of Irvin, Kelly Johnson, clarinet, and Gail Novak, pianist. All three musicians are connected by study in Arizona. The Camino Trio will be featured on Kelly’s CD “Child’s Play,” which will be out soon. He can also be heard in recording on the Naxos label with the Hot Springs Music Festival.
Irvin served as concertmaster, leader, and soloist of orchestra “Air de Cour,” in Rochester, N.Y., an ensemble that received grants from New York’s State Legislature and The New York Council for the Arts. Highlights of his chamber music career include performances with the Ying Quartet, the Audubon Quartet, and New York City premiere of composer Steve Mackey’s Troubadour Songs. Irvin made his European debut at the Heidelberg Schlossfestspiele, where he was principal violin in the festival orchestra and was featured on the chamber concert series. Before moving to Arkansas, he was principal violin in the Arizona Opera Orchestra. He plays a 1765 Gagliano violin.
Cheek, a Little Rock native, made her professional debut at the age of 14 as soloist with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. She has been a featured artist many times since then, not only with the Arkansas Symphony, but with orchestras throughout the United States. Her appeal as a solo performer, often coupled with master classes, is widespread across America and Europe.
In January 2000, she was chosen to perform the dedication recital of the 500th Fazioli piano, which was broadcast on National Public Radio Performance Today. Cheek is noted for her lyrical expressiveness as well as precision at the piano. She is equally articulate with audiences in explaining music in a relaxed, yet informative manner. For 14 years, she was a favorite entertainer on Silversea, Crustal and Radisson Cruise lines. Her travels have taken her all over the world, the release said.
There is no charge for either program, but donations to the Mark Ayers Scholarship of the Hot Springs Music Festival will be accepted. The Hot Springs Music Festival welcomes around 100 musicians each year and all the student Apprentices attend on full tuitional scholarship. The Mark Ayers Scholarship provides financial assistance to those who cannot pay the fees, so that no deserving student is prevented from participating in the festival for financial reasons, the release said.
St Luke’s Episcopal Church is handicap accessible. Call Lynn Payette, 623-1653, ext. 16, or email lynn@hotmusic.org for more information.