VERO BEACH — We invite you to attend the remaining programs in the 2012 concert series at First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach. Two exceptional concerts have been added to this popular series: The String Quartet of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Janice Weber, concert pianist.
All of the concerts are presented without admission charge, however, donations are accepted and encouraged at each program. The church continues to have excellent attendance at concerts, with the sanctuary filled to capacity for most programs. An early arrival is recommended for best seating.
String Quartet of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra has long been regarded as one of America’s cultural treasures since its founding in 1935. Four of the leading BPO musicians will perform Mozart’s String Quartet No. 18 in A Major, K.464 and Dvorak’s String Quartet No. 12, opus 96 in F Major, the “American String Quartet.”
The quartet includes Amy Glidden, Associate Concertmaster, Violin; Antoine Lefebvre, Principal Second Violin; Valerie Heywood, Principal Viola; and Feng Hew, Associate Principal Cello. BPO Music Director and Conductor JoAnn Falletta, who led the orchestra in a much heralded 2010 performance in Vero Beach, will also be with us to introduce the musicians and give further insight into the program.
The BPO has a rich history of artistic achievement under outstanding music directors such as William Steinberg, Lukas Foss, Michael Tilson Thomas, Semyon Bychkov, Max Valdes, and since 1999, JoAnn Falletta. The BPO performs more than 120 concerts each year throughout Western New York.
They have performed across the U.S. and in Europe and have been presented at Carnegie Hall on nearly two dozen occasions. The BPO is heard by millions each year via radio broadcasts on American Public Media’s popular program, “Performance Today”. They have twice been featured on National Public Radio’s “From the Top” broadcasts, as well as in a PBS special.
During Falletta’s tenure, the BPO has released more than 20 recordings, many of which are distributed globally on the Naxos label and one of which won two GRAMMY Awards in 2009, the highest honor possible in the music industry.
The musicians of the BPO come from all over the world. Many have studied and graduated from the world’s top music conservatories, winning their position in the orchestra through a highly competitive audition process and after years upon years of study and dedication to their instruments. This performance can be viewed on Thursday, March 15, at 7 p.m. A freewill offering will be received.
Hope College Chapel Choir of Holland, Michigan
The Hope Chapel Choir is Hope College’s premier choral ensemble. Made up of forty auditioned singers, the Hope Chapel Choir has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada, and has traveled abroad on eight occasions.
This performance can be viewed on Sunday, March 18, at 7 p.m. A freewill offering will be received.
Ashes to Fire: A Musical Worship Service by the Chancel Choir and Orchestra.
This musical service includes excerpts from Handel’s Messiah, Fauré’s Requiem, and a Pentecost Cantata by J. S. Bach. Spirituals and other music by Nicholas White, David Ashley White, and John Rutter capture the thrill of refreshment and renewal as the Spirit lifts the believer from seeming hopelessness to ecstatic joy.
The theme of the service spans the period from Ash Wednesday through Easter and Pentecost. This service will be held on Sunday, March 25, at the 9 and 11 a.m. services.
Eckerd College Choir of St. Petersburg, Florida
The Eckerd College Choir returns to Vero Beach to offer inspiring music at both morning worship services. The Eckerd College Choir has performed international tours and returns to First Presbyterian Church as a favorite performing ensemble. This performance can be viewed on Sunday, April 22, at the 9 and 11 a.m. services.
Janice Weber, Concert Pianist
Janice Weber returns to Vero Beach to present a fundraising concert for the church’s new education and fellowship building to be completed in April. Weber’s inaugural concert in February, 2011, on the church’s new Steinway piano was performed for a full house. Don’t miss her return engagement in Vero Beach.
Janice Weber’s interest in the uncommon avenues of the piano literature led to a world premiere recording of Liszt’s 1838 Transcendental Etudes.
“Liszt later simplified these pieces into the still ferociously difficult Transcendental Etudes (1852 version) for fear that no one else could play them. There may now be several fire-eating piano virtuosos who can execute the original notes, but few can liberate the prophetic music they contain as masterfully as Janice Weber does here,” Time Magazine explained.
Janice Weber is a member of the piano faculty at the Boston Conservatory of Music, and has thrilled audiences with her dynamic playing and masterful treatment of demanding repertoire.
“Weber, a mighty technician whose trademarks have been among the biggest finger-busters of the repertoire, has made a career with the unusual, the marathon and the premiere,” (Seattle Times). The Wall Street Journal described Ms. Weber as being “a concert pianist of cliffhanging panache and daredevil brilliance.”
Her performance can be viewed on Sunday, April 22, at 7 p.m. A freewill offering will be received.
