A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

106th Matinee Musicale season in Cinci features Kentucky native and violinist Tessa Lark on Nov. 1


The second recital of the 106th Matinée Musicale season features Kentucky-native and violinist Tessa Lark and Andrew Armstrong, piano, on November 1 at 2 p.m. at Anderson Center, 7850 Five Mile Road.

This special location and afternoon time honors Matinée Musicale’s tradition of weekday recitals.

The following program will be presented:

Suite Italienne……………………Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
Appalachian Fantasy…………….Tessa Lark
Sonata in A major………………..César Franck (1822-1890)
INTERMISSION
Sonata No. 9, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”.. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Since her concerto debut with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at age 16, Kentucky native Tessa Lark has performed with orchestras around the United States and abroad.

Tessa Lark

As part of Carnegie Hall’s Distinctive Debuts series, she performed in 2017 at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. She returned to Weill Hall in January 2018 as part of APAP’s Young Performer’s Career Advancement showcase.

Acclaimed for her range of sounds, technical agility, captivating interpretations, and multi-genre programming, Lark is a recipient of a 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant. She also was a Silver Medalist in the 9th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and winner of the 2012 Naumberg International Violin Competition. The Lexington Herald Leader praises her “astonishing technical skill…pensive yet playful,” while Shelter Island Reporter’s John G. Miller says, “Her violin produces a sweet, mellow sound that can even make the jagged edges of the Prokofiev D major Sonata sound warm.”

A passionate chamber musician, she has toured with musicians from Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute. Her piano trio, Trio Modêtre, took top prize in the 2012 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. She joined Caramoor Virtuosi as a result of her participation in Caramoor’s Rising Star Series.

Keeping in touch with her Kentucky roots, Lark performs and programs bluegrass and Appalachian music regularly.

She also plays jazz violin, most recently performing with the Juilliard Jazz Ensemble in New York City. She premiered her own Appalachian Fantasy as part of her Distinctive Debuts recital at Carnegie Hall, where she also gave the world premiere of Michael Torke’s Spoon Bread, written specifically for her stylistic capabilities.

In addition to her busy performance schedule, Lark has served on the faculty of the Great Wall International Music Academy in Beijing, China, and, as a From the Top alumna, is active in their arts leadership program as a performer and educator.

Lark plays the 1683 “ex-Gingold” Stradivari violin on generous loan from the Josef Gingold Fund.

Andrew Armstrong, pianist, has delighted audiences across Asia, Europe, Latin America, Canada, and the United States, including performances at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, and Warsaw’s National Philharmonic.

Armstrong’s orchestral engagements across the globe have seen him perform a sprawling repertoire of more than 50 concertos with orchestra. He has performed with such conductors as Peter Oundjian, Itzhak Perlman, Günther Herbig, Stefan Sanderling, Jean-Marie Zeitouni, and Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, and has appeared in solo recitals in chamber music concerts with the Elias, Alexander, American, and Manhattan String Quartets, and also as a member of the Caramoor Virtuosi, Boston Chamber Music Society, Seattle Chamber Music Society,   and the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players.

Armstrong’s debut solo CD featuring Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Sonata and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition was released to great critical acclaim: “I have heard few pianists play [Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Sonata], recorded or in concert, with such dazzling clarity and confidence” (American Record Guide). He followed that success with a disc on Cordelia Records of works by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, and the world premiere recording of Bielawa’s Wait for piano & drone. He also has released several award-winning recordings with his longtime recital partner James Ehnes. The duo most recently released Beethoven’s Sonatas Nos. 6 & 9 to stellar reviews, Gramophone’s Editor’s Choice, and Sunday Times’ Disc of the Week.

The following artists also will be presented by Matinée Musicale this season:

Tenor Pene Pati – Sunday, March 3, 2019; 3 p.m. at Memorial Hall
Cellist Brannon Cho – Sunday, April 14, 2019 at 3 p.m., Memorial Hall
Pianist Reed Tetzloff – Sunday, May 19, 2019 at 3 p.m., Memorial Hall

Subscriptions, single tickets and student tickets (with ID) are available. For more information, call 513-977-8838 or visit the website.


Related Posts

Leave a Comment