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The Ironton Council for the Arts launched our 30th season with an ensemble of young, talented musicians from Moscow!
Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, founded and led by Misha Rachlevsky, has earned national and international recognition as one of Russia’s leading ensembles.
Founded in 1991 after the momentous dissolution of the Soviet Union, the orchestra, comprising some of Russia’s finest young string players, is highly acclaimed for its mesmerizing concerts and quality recordings. |
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With 19 years of excellence under its belt, a devoted audience in its Moscow home
base, an awards-winning CD catalog of more than 30 CDs, and an increasing demand
for performances internationally, Chamber Orchestra Kremlin enthusiastically
continues its busy schedule of concerts, festivals, recordings, touring and sharing
goodwill.
David Coe and Jim Prendergast have both been playing music professionally for more than 30 years, playing many different styles from country to rock to swing. They met because both were involved in the Irish music scene in Nashville. They began playing together in local pubs but quickly began playing seminars at the County Music Hall of Fame, as well as festivals and concerts around the country.
Since their last visit to Ironton, they’ve started playing for contradances. David Coe grew up in southern Oklahoma where he began to play the fiddle as a young man. |
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The music he was drawn to was not the Texas or “contest” style of that region, but the old time Appalachian tunes of the southeastern United States as well as traditional Irish fiddling. Jim
Prendergast is one of Nashville’s most prominent guitar instructors. He has coached many successful songwriters and recording artists, teaching at Nashville’s renowned Cotten Music Center. Jim also is regularly featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s educational instrument demonstration program. In addition to all styles of guitar, Jim teaches mandolin and Irish tenor banjo.
The worship-leading choir of Russell Baptist Church, Russell, Ky., is returning by popular request. Directed by worship pastor Jim Wilcox for the past nine years, the group is recognized throughout the Tri-State for its musical excellence and for its members’ individual contributions to contemporary Christian music.
This “worship family” describes their music as “eclectic,” with a mix of traditional hymns, southern and black gospel and contemporary Christian songs. |
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Their style can be compared to the Brooklyn (New York) Tabernacle Choir. The choir includes more than 100 singers and instrumentalists, and brings energy, an engaging performance and inspirational messages. In addition to leading their congregation in song each Sunday, the choir also performs two musical theater productions each year and also performs at local events and nursing homes.
“Salaam” is the Arabic word for “peace,” chosen as the name for this ensemble by its founder, Chicago-born Iraqi-American Dena El Saffar, to confirm her commitment to tolerance and understanding among people.
Dena and her husband performed at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum’s exhibit of Egyptian culture in 2009, where they were discovered by members of the Ironton Council for the Arts and recruited to perform this season. |
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Dena El Saffar began learning the violin at the age of six. At 17, completely engaged in classical music, she accompanied her father to Baghdad and became enchanted by the music of Iraq and the Middle East. In 1993, while obtaining a classical music degree from Indiana University, Dena founded the group Salaam, and has performed throughout the United States. She plays the viola, violin, joza and kemanche, with Central Eurasian ensembles, salsa groups, bluegrass, blues and rock bands. Married to percussionist Tim Moore, she is a mother of two.
Tim grew up in the Midwest and began playing drums at age 12. After earning a computer science degree from Indiana University in 1989, he worked on the East and West coasts as a computer programmer, but in 1993 left to devote himself to music. Tim learned rhythms and instruments from around the world, and now focuses on Middle East percussion.
This delightful group, performing as the Chattering Magpies, includes Lorinda Jones and Greta Gillmeister. Lorinda Jones is regarded as an
American roots-music expert on the mountain dulcimer and folk harp. Sprung from a South Central Kentucky musical family, she began performing on the piano at an early age, and soon progressed to other instruments, including the oboe.
Lorinda has dedicated her career to showing others “where American music comes from,” which reaches back to the ancient Celtic lands to the
19th-century Appalachian mountains, including ragtime and contemporary folk music. Lorinda also is a practicing, certified music therapist. |
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Greta Gillmeister began playing the Boehm flute in the second grade. She won school solo competitions, chaired in all-county, all-area bands, was selected to perform in master classes with noted flutists and has shared the musical stage with James Galway in a performance of the Pied Piper Fantasy. Greta has earned degrees in both flute performance and music therapy.
The ICA is proud to close our 30th season with the duo Montana Skies. Jennifer and Jonathan Adams fuse classical, folk and rock by pairing a cello, a six-string electric cello, a Spanish classical guitar and a steel string guitar.
The ICA is proud to close our 30th��season with the duo Montana Skies. Jennifer and
Jonathan Adams fuse classical, folk and rock by pairing a cello, a six-string electric cello, a Spanish classical guitar and a steel string guitar. |
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“We like to call it classical fusion,” Jennifer said. “That’s because we’re classically trained, but we had to branch out from it really fast because there wasn’t any music for the cello and the guitar. It took us a while to find our musical voice, and for us we’re both very passionate about our music, so it was a natural thing for us to want to play music together. And by playing music together we’ve gotten to know each other very well and have a better understanding of each other.”
The music of Montana Skies has been heard nationwide on NPR radio stations as well as television, including the Travel Channel, Soundscapes and more. Montana Skies continues to thrill audiences with their live shows and they tour extensively across the United States, Canada and Asia.
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009* Mains Rotunda, Riffe Building
River Cities Jazz Ensemble – Classic Big Band Swing & Jazz
The ICA is proud to introduce this outstanding new 20-piece group of��professional jazz musicians to open our 29th��season. Carl Toler, the director, is a retired U.S. Air Force musician who led an Air Force band in travels all over the globe. Mr. Toler is a native of��Logan, W.Va. who moved back to his home state after retiring as an investment��banker and bandleader in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
The ICA discovered them at the Wounded Warrior benefit��concert they held in March. The ICA board members picked this group for its��outstanding sound, technical excellence, and audience appeal.
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 Mains Rotunda, Riffe Building
Jesse Davis – Classical Piano
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This is a chance for the Tri-State to renew acquaintance with Mr. Jesse Davis when he returns to the Lawrence County Concert Season this fall.
Mr. Davis first performed here in October 2001, after he had just won an international piano competition in Vienna.He returned with his wife and new son in
2005, when both he and Mrs. Davis gave inspired
piano performances.
Mr. Davis has continued his European concert soloist
performances and has garnered top prizes in numerous
international piano competitions. His home base is in Fayetteville, N.C., where he is on the faculty of the Snyder Music Academy. |
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 Mains Rotunda, Riffe Building
Worship Leading Choir of First Baptist Church of Russell – Classic and Contemporary Chorus
Not very far across the Ironton Russell Bridge on the Kentucky side, a marvelous musical performance happens every week. Now for the first time, that performance is coming to Ironton.
The Worship Leading Choir of First Baptist Church of Russell will perform for the ICA’s Christmas season concert. Don’t miss this amazing performance.
Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010 Mains Rotunda, Riffe Building
Smith-Aydar-Dikener Trio – Classical String Trio
Cetin Aydar joins Elizabeth Reed Smith and Solen Dikener in this special trio performance in conjunction with Mr. Aydar’s visit to Marshall University.
The ICA knows Doctors Smith and Dikener from previous performances in our series, for their roles at MU and in the Huntington Symphony Orchestra.
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 Bowman Auditorium, Collins Building
Robert Gruca – Classical Guitar
Robert Gruca is an exciting guitarist who performs a wide range of solo, chamber, and orchestral music from the classical guitar repertoire.
He has played solo concerts throughout the U.S., including Ohio,Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York, as well as Ontario, Canada. In 2004, he toured the eastern United States and Europe with the Cleveland Orchestra.
Gruca has recorded solo guitar works by Bogdanovic,
Koshkins, Dyens, Rodrigo, Schubert and J.S. Bach. He
recently completed recording several pieces by Handel
under the MSR record label. In addition to performing,
Mr. Gruca is a guitar instructor in University
Heights and Shaker Heights, Ohio. |
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Saturday, March 27, 2010* Mains Rotunda, Riffe Building
Bexley Chamber Ensemble – Classical Winds
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The Bexley Chamber Ensemble combines two flutes and a bassoon, creating an extraordinary blend of counterpoint and harmony.
Cynthia Cloffari plays the tenor, baritone, and bass parts on the bassoon, upon which Rodolfo Vázquez and
Cheri Papier build the higher notes of the flutes.
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September 27, 2008
Jennifer Rose Escobar
Jennifer Rose returns by popular request after her November, 2005 concert. She is an accomplished Appalachian dulcimer player, vocalist and storyteller, but easily changes to guitar for accompanying herself on her own musical compositions and arrangements. Her friendly style makes friends of the audience, while her musical ability inspires and amazes.
Jennifer was born into a musical and performing family and grew up in Berea, KY where she now lives with her husband and two daughters. She began teaching traditional dance as a junior in high school and helped establish the Berea Festival Dancers, a high school traditional dance group that still performs across the world. She earned a BA in vocal music from Berea College, and has traveled to Japan, Italy, Denmark and many US states on performance and study trips. Listed with the Kentucky Arts Council Roster of Educational Artists since 1995, she released her 10th solo recording of traditional music in 2005.
Jennifer Rose Escobar http:www.jenniferrose.com
November 22, 2008
Concert Saxophonist Ashu
While most people have never heard the saxophone in concert music, Ashu has begun to change this. He says, "It's really an incredible instrument. It can play with such emotional intensity, sing like a voice, and effortlessly project in the largest of halls. It's capable of a lot of really beautiful things."
Ashu has shown that the concert saxophone can reach beyond stylistic categorization and to a large diversity of people. He has also shown it can attract younger and new listeners into the concert hall being a relatively fresh instrument to classical audiences. At age 25, Ashu exhibits extraordinary ability to communicate with audiences through his charismatic and moving performance style. While his virtuosity continues to thrill listeners, his artistry projects a unique personality and musical voice. He has also repeatedly won major competitions traditionally won by pianists and violinists. Ashu made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Hall in New York and, at age 16, made his concerto debut at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Since then, performances have taken him throughout the USA and Europe, including such locations as Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Portugal, the West Indies, Latvia, Estonia, New Zealand, and Australia.
Ashu http:www.ashuonline.com
December 6, 2008
Renaissance Singers
RENAISSANCE was formed in January 1985 by Huntington area musicians eager for an opportunity to sing and perform quality music. The premiere performance was held at the Huntington Museum of Art in September 1985 to a standing-room only audience. Since then, RENAISSANCE has presented yearly Christmas and Spring concerts at many locations in the area including churches in the Tri-State, Huntington City Hall, the outdoor amphitheatre in Huntington Ritter Park, and the Huntington Civic Center. Renaissance has been featured at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV nearly a dozen Christmas seasons over the years as well as making numerous visits to our own Bowman Hall here on campus. The group primarily sings a cappella compositions but uses instrumentation on occasion for a fuller sound This includes organ accompaniment to having a small combo with jazz and ballad numbers. Don Williams, the director of Renaissance, is Emeritus Professor of Music at Marshall University and serves as principal clarinet with the Huntington Symphony Orchestra. Don is the Music Artist in Residence at the Huntington Museum of Art.
February 14, 2008
David Coe
David Coe delights audiences wherever he goes, sharing traditional fiddle music with everyone he meets. His show is an entertaining mix of fiddle tunes and songs from the Appalachian and Irish tradition and some historical perspective on the tunes. David will perform with guitarist Jim Prendergast, an incredible musician who can cover many different styles and is also a great singer who also owns a Nashville recording studio and produces many artists.
David Coe grew up in southern Oklahoma where he began to play the fiddle a young man. He was drawn to old time Appalachian tunes and traditional Irish fiddling. He also played in several area bluegrass bands. In New Mexico he met and began touring with country artist Michael Martin Murphey, a musical partnership has continued to this day. He does regular performances and workshops at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame, and is a respected contradance fiddler. David has recorded several CD‚s of fiddle music including bluegrass (“Fiddlin‚ Man”), Irish (“The Traveler”), and Appalachian (“My Own House”). He has recently performed at the Colorado Irish Festival and teaches at the Texas Strings Camp at Texas State University.
March 21, 2008
Joel Fan
Pianist Joel Fan, a champion of new music and explorer of world music, is a member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble and has appeared in numerous performances with the Ensemble at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Symphony Center in Chicago, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, as well as on the television shows Good Morning America and David Letterman. He also performs a wide solo and orchestral repertoire. Fan’s work appears on Sony Classical recordings of the Silk Road Ensemble, and the Albany Records label.
Mr. Fan began his performing career with the New York Philharmonic at age 11, as a winner of the Philharmonic’s Young People’s Concert Auditions, and has since appeared in recital and with orchestras throughout the world. Fan's eclectic repertoire spans traditional piano classics and concertos, his own piano transcriptions and cadenzas, and newly commissioned works. A native New Yorker, Fan received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University. He also holds a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from Peabody Conservatory.
Joel Fan http:joelfanmusic.com
April 25, 2008
Brass Band of the Tri-State
The Brass Band of the Tri-State, under the direction of Gary Clarke, derives its members from Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia and includes music educators, high school and college students, professionals in all fields and retirees providing an outlet for serious amateur brass and percussion musicians.
Although brass instruments can be traced back to the 14th Century, during the 1800's brass band music gained the reputation for being "The Working Mans Music". The music performed by the BBTS includes original compositions for brass band, transcriptions of orchestral music, and music written for symphonic and concert band. The more difficult original works often push brass players to their limits and demonstrate the tremendous agility of the brass instrument family. Transcriptions for brass band include major works such as the music from Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, Shostakovich's Symphony #5, music from Broadway, television, movies, and the standard collection of great marches and popular music.
Brass Band of the Tri-State http:www.tri-statebrass.com
The Fontana Trio
Strings and Piano
Steve Free & Band
Folk Music and Storytelling from Appalachian and Native American Roots
The Local Girls
Christmas Concert in Precision Three-Part Harmony
Christopher Laber
Baritone, with Dorothy Glanville, Piano
K'ula Band
Celtic and Irish Folk Music
John Henry
Drama by the Mad River Theater
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