Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Music

Bach for Solo Violin: the Baroque Perspective.
Master Class with Baroque Violinist Martin Davids
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
5 p.m.

City of Richmond Main Library
Gellman Room
101 East Franklin Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Admission Free, seating limited
Performing: VCU Violin Students

David Martins
MM, Violin Performance, University of Michigan
BM, Florida Atlantic University
Performer Diploma, Early Music Institute at Indiana University

Highly acclaimed violinist, Mr. Martin Davids received a Performer Diploma from Indiana University where he studied with Stanley Ritchie. He also earned a Masters degree from the University of Michigan. In addition to directing the Callipygian Players, Chicago's premier Baroque chamber music ensemble, Mr. Davids is concertmaster of Publick Musick (Rochester, NY), Bach Collegium of Ft. Wayne, Janus Ensemble, Bach Chamber Orchestra and the Musical Patriots (Ithaca, NY). He is principal second violin in Chicago's Period instrument orchestra the Baroque Band and regularly performs with Brandywine Baroque, Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, and the Bach Institute in Valparaiso. Other ensembles he has played with include Chicago Opera Theater, Central City Opera, Music of the Baroque, Aradia, Toronto Consort, Washington Bach Consort and numerous others across Canada and the U.S.

Mr. Davids has recorded on the Albany, Musica Omnia, Plectra and Sonabilis labels. "Concertmaster Martin Davids plays exquisite obbligato passages his playing alone is almost worth purchasing the recording." (Choral Journal, May, 2007)

Mr. Davids is a founding member of the electric Baroque ensemble Discontinuo and is in demand as an electric violinist. He has played on many world premieres of new works including David Borden's K 216.01 for electric violin and synthesizer ensemble. A recognized expert in historical performance, Mr. Davids often gives masterclasses in performance practice and improvisation at many schools and universities including Northwestern, Cornell, and the University of Michigan. Well versed in old music and new, Mr. Davids shares his eclectic knowledge with the violin and viola students at Loyola University Chicago.

Cellopaloosa III
featuring Masterclass with Zuill Bailey
April 2, 2011

If you are a celllist, you won't want to miss this. Register for cello choir, sectionals, a masterclass with renowned cellist Zuill Bailey. Last year we had over 65 participancts. Faculty include Dana McComb, Jason McComb, and Alyssa Moquin. More information and application form to come. Also see the Rennolds Chamber Series page for information on Zuill Bailey's April 2nd concert at VCU.

Elizabeth Adkins, violin
Edward Newman, piano
September 21, 2010

Elisabeth Adkins’ richly varied musical life makes her equally at home in solo, orchestral, and chamber music repertoire. The Associate Concertmaster of the National Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin, she is also pursuing a successful career as a soloist and chamber musician.

As a concerto soloist, she has performed many times with the National Symphony, most recently in music from “Schindler’s List” by John Williams, and Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending” at Wolf Trap. She was featured with the Orchestra at the special request of Iona Brown, whom she joined in Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins. She has appeared as soloist with the Dallas Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, and the Baltimore Symphony. Other engagements include performances of concertos by Beethoven, Bruch, Saint-Saëns, Mendelssohn, Vivaldi, and Prokofiev. In 2006 she premiered a new concerto by Tom Myron with the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra.

Ms. Adkins joins her husband, pianist Edward Newman, in a violin/piano duo that is a favorite of Washington audiences. The two have been featured at the Kennedy Center, the Phillips Collection, and Strathmore Hall. A founding member of the American Chamber Players, Ms. Adkins also serves as concertmaster of the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra. As solo violinist with the 21st Century Consort, she is a noted interpreter of the contemporary repertoire. Ms. Adkins is on the faculty of the University of Maryland and the Levine School, and her position as a faculty member of the National Orchestral Institute allows her to work with young people interested in pursuing orchestral careers.

Edward Newman received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School and studied with such distinguished artists as Rosina Lhevinne, Adele Marcus, William Masselos, Lee Luvisi, Gaby Casadesus, Martin Isepp, Virginia Reinecke and Charles Crowder. Mr. Newman has given critically acclaimed performances in Europe, Australia and across the United States in solo concerts and with orchestras such as the Cleveland Orchestra, the National Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Boston Pops, the Utah Symphony, l’Orchestra du Bordeaux, l’Ensemble Instrumental de France and l’Orchestra Filharmonic de Gran Canaria. In 1979 Mr. Newman won the first prize in the Robert Casadesus International Piano Competition. He was a semifinalist in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and has won recognition in many other prestigious international contests.

National Symphony Bassist Ira Gold
April 25, 2010

In Concert
April 25 at 7 pm

Up Close and Musical:
Bass Workshop
April 25 at 3 pm

Topics of the workshop included: bass technique, posture, and a question and answer session about careers as a bassist.

Ira Gold joined the National Symphony in 2005. He has performed with several American orchestras, as section bass with the Minnesota Orchestra and as guest principal bassist with the San Francisco Symphony and Detroit Symphony. He has attended the Domaine Forget Music Academy, Bach Festival Leipzig, Aspen Music Festival, and Tanglewood Music Center, where he was a recipient of the Maurice Schwartz Prize. Mr. Gold spent several summers at the International Festival Institute at Round Top both as a student, and, during the summer of 2004, as a member of the bass faculty. He has given master classes and recitals at the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University, James Madison University, The Chautauqua Music Festival, and the University of Maryland School of Music. In addition to his position with the NSO, Mr. Gold is a member of the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra, and has performed with the Fessenden Ensemble, National Gallery of Art Orchestra, and the 21st Century Consort.

Up Close and Musical:
Cellopaloosa II
featuring Masterclass with Pieter Wispelwey
April 17, 2010

VCU Music's 2010 festival celebrating the cello featured a cello choir, sectionals, a masterclass with world renowned cellist Pieter Wispelwey. Click here for more information on this annual event.

Karen Johnson, violin and
Joanne Kong, piano
March 26 & 28, 2010

Up Close and Musical:
Violin Masterclass
March 26 at 4 pm

In Concert
March 28 at 4 pm

Karen Johnson lead VCU students in a violin master class followed by a recital of works by, and inspired by, Robert Schumann.

Karen Johnson is Concertmaster of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Johnson’s playing has been applauded for its "intimacy and warmth of tone" (Santa Barbara Independent) and her performances hailed as "virtuosically energized and broadly lyrical" (Richmond Times-Dispatch) as well as "sparkling and courageous" (Mesa Tribune). As a recent guest concertmaster with the Seattle Symphony, her leadership and “impeccable solo work” (Seattle Times) were praised. "A superior musician who also conveys charm and approachability..."(Richmond Style Weekly), Ms. Johnson has performed in concerts throughout the United States and Europe and has worked with a variety of renowned conductors and musicians, such as James DePriest, Sergiu Commissiona, Keith Lockhart, Yuri Temerkanov, Jamie Laredo, and Joseph Silverstein.

Keyboardist Joanne Kong captures the attention of audiences in compelling performances that celebrate the vibrancy and eloquence of musical expression. Embracing a broad range of repertoire from Baroque to contemporary music, her performances have been praised for “great finesse and flexibility” (The Washington Post), “utmost keyboard sensitivity and variety of tone” (Richmond Times-Dispatch), “remarkable technical ability” (The Oregonian), and “superb artistry” (San Antonio Express-News). Her versatility includes the distinction of being the first artist to release a harpsichord-piano recording of the Goldberg and Diabelli Variations, on the BRIOSO label. Other recordings on the same label include English music with Richmond Symphony concertmaster Karen Johnson, and a recording of German and Russian songs with baritone Zheng Zhou.

Maia String Quartet
October 10-11, 2009

In Concert
October 10 at 3 pm

Up Close and Musical:
String Quartet Workshop
October 10 and 11

The workshop included: a coaching with the Maia Quartet, a rehearsal technique session, a panel discussion on careers in music, and a final concert of participants and Maia Quartet Concert.

Since its formation in 1990, the Maia Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at The University of Iowa, has established itself nationally as an ensemble of innovation and versatility. Praised by critics for its "sparkling musical intelligence," the quartet has appeared in major concert halls throughout the U.S. and abroad, including New York's Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall and the 92nd Street Y, Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center, Beijing's Forbidden City Concert Hall and the Aspen Music Festival's Harris Hall. Collaborations with leading chamber musicians have included performances with Joel Krosnick, Andre-Michel Schub, and Cynthia Phelps. The Maia Quartet's commitment to the work of living composers has led to premieres of compositions by Pierre Jalbert, Dan Coleman, Vivian Fung and Ronn Yedidia.