2023 Chamber Concerts
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Sunday January 15
Guest Artists: Trio Musicorum Medicorum
Student Musicians: Newberg High School String Quartet
Newport Symphony Orchestra violinist Alistair Kok and the Trio Musicorum Medicorum will present a free chamber music concert Sunday, January 15 at 2:00 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church located at 2315 N Hwy. 101 in Newport. Also performing on the program will be the Newberg High School String Quartet.
Trio Musicorum Medicorum formed in Portland in 2015 regularly performs chamber music concerts and recitals in Portland, Newport and the surrounding areas. Alistair Kok has performed professionally with orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout New England, Ohio and Virginia. Pianist Andrew Bonner studied piano at the New England Conservatory of Music and was a freelance musician in Boston for 20 years. Cellist Rebecca Reese studied cello at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Denver. She has performed in many classical orchestras and chamber music groups and created studio-recorded background music for TV and movies such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Ghostbusters” and “The Color Purple.”
The Trio will be performing Johannes Brahms’s Trio for Violin, Violoncello, and Piano arranged by arranged by Theodor Kirchner from the String Sextet in B-flat major, Op.18.
The Newberg High School String Quartet under the direction of Joel Tanner will be performing movements from Mozart’s Divertimento in C major and the String Quartet #1 by Alexander Borodin. Student performers include Gracey Sanders and Jonathan Rapp, violin, Joshua Howery, viola and Nathaniel Nauman, cello. One of the longest running string programs in Oregon, the Newberg High School orchestra program recently expanded to include the JOY program, a community funded strings outreach program that places the string instruments in the hands of primary and elementary school students.
The Chamber Concert series is free with donations accepted at the door. The concert begins at 2 pm at Atonement Lutheran Church, located at 2315 N Hwy. 101 in Newport.
If you missed the live performance, here’s a video:
Sunday February 12
Guest Artists: Duo Seirá
Student Musicians: Newberg String Quintet
Duo Seirá
Violin Sonata No 1 in G major op. 78 “Regensonate,” by Johannes Brahms
I. Vivace ma non troppo
II. Adagio/Più andante
III. Allegro molto moderato
Czardas by Vittorio Monti
Newberg String Quintet
Meditation from Thais Jules Massenet, arr. Siennicki
Divertimento in C Major (KV 157) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
II. Andante
Capriol Suite Peter Warlock
I. Allegro moderato, D minor
II. Allegretto, ma un poco lento, G minor
III. Con moto, G minor
IV. Presto, G minor
V. Andante tranquillo, G major
VI. Allegro con brio
Duo Seirá – Sofie Yang, violin; Juan Avendano, piano.
Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sofie Yang, resides in Eugene, Oregon and is currently Associate Concertmaster of the Rogue Valley Symphony and violinist in the Oregon Mozart Players and Eugene Opera. She also plays in the Eugene Symphony and Eugene Concert Orchestra. An active teacher, Sofie runs a String Academy class through the Eugene-Springfield Youth Orchestras along with teaching students at the John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, Sound of Light Music Academy, and Emily Lassen’s piano studio.
She picked the violin at a symphony instrument petting zoo and later earned a Bachelor of Music from Lawrence University with Samantha George and a Master of Music from DePaul University with Janet Sung. During her studies, Sofie won the concerto competition, performed on Wisconsin Public Radio, played in a fiddle club and heavy metal band, and was a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where she had the privilege to work with Ricardo Muti and Yo-Yo Ma among others. In the summer, Sofie has attended the Stowe (Vermont) Tango Music Festival, Blackburn Music Academy of Napa Valley, College Light Opera Company on Cape Cod, Silk Road Project’s Global Musician Workshop, and Sewanee Summer Music Festival in Tennessee, where Sofie first met Juan Avendaño. Her favorite part of being a freelance musician is getting to collaborate with people to share musical community experiences!
Juan Avendano is from Bogotá, Colombia. He has a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the National University of Colombia and a Master of Music in both Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from the same institution. In 2018, Avendano moved to the United States to pursue a Master of Music in Piano Performance at Western Michigan University. He received the degree in 2020, and is currently enrolled at the University of Oregon, where he is working towards a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance. Throughout his studies, he has had the opportunity to work with a number of well-known pianists and teachers, including Alexandre Dossin, Lori Sims, and Mac McClure.
Throughout his career, Avendano has won several awards for his piano playing. In 2015, he won the Jaqueline Avent Concerto Competition at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, and the same year, he was a winner of the Concerto Competition of the Cali Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also been a finalist and received honorable mention at the Concerto Competition at Western Michigan University in 2018 and 2019. In 2016, Avendano won the Young Artist Competition from Banco de la Republica de Colombia. He has also been recognized for his accompaniment skills, winning first prize in the Vocal Competition by the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá, as well as the Special Prize in the “II Chamber Music Festival” by the same orchestra. In addition, Avendano has been a guest pianist with the Orquesta Filarmónica Joven de Colombia on their “Petrushka Summer Tour.”
In addition to his performance career, Avendano has also been a piano instructor at several institutions. He has taught at the National University of Colombia, Western Michigan University, and the University of Oregon. He has also worked as a piano teacher at several K-12 schools, including O’Hara Catholic School and Kalamazoo Christian Schools. He has also been a piano instructor at several music schools in the Michigan area.
Avendano has performed with a number of orchestras and ensembles, including the Rogue Valley Symphony, Orchestra Next, and the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra. He has also been a collaborative pianist at the Ad Astra Music Festival and the Paw Paw Community Choirs. Avendano has had the opportunity to work with several notable musicians at several music festivals, including the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Gilmore International Keyboard Festival and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival.
In addition to his performance and teaching experience, Avendano has also served as a proctor at the Bowdoin International Music Festival and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. He has also attended several masterclasses with renowned musicians, including Orion Weiss, Vladimir Feltsman, and Julian Martin. Avendano is dedicated to his craft and continues to pursue excellence in piano performance and pedagogy.
Newberg HS String Quintet. The Newberg High School Chamber Orchestra is a continuation of more than half a century of musical excellence in the Newberg community. The Chamber Orchestra at Newberg has been in existence for two years and is result of strong growth in the orchestra program in Newberg. The Chamber Orchestra and String Orchestra at Newberg are under the direction partnership of Joel Tanner and Shae Skiles. Miss Skiles is in her first year of teaching Newberg High School, Mt view Middle School and Chehalem Valley Middle School and is a recent graduate of the University of Oregon. Joel Tanner is in his 23rd year of teaching, 16th year teaching instrumental music in Newberg and currently teaching band and orchestra in the district. Mr. Tanner received his undergraduate and master degrees from Pacific University and has also studied at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Newberg High School offers a depth of performing arts opportunities including vocal, instrumental and dramatic arts instruction and proudly welcomes students to explore all aspects of music. We are also proud to have the JOY program which is a community funded elementary program that promotes string instruments for every student starting as early as kindergarten.
Zach Waibel has studied with Julia Pridavka and plans to attend U of O to major in Cinema Studies. Tatiana Bega has studied with Sarah Barr and is planning on studying communications at George Fox University. Rowan Lowery has studied with Dr, Rebecca Hansen and plans to study sound engineering and theater at University of Portland. Acacia Czuk has studied with Sherill Roberts and Jay Gilbertson. Erick Hansen studied under Sarah Barr.
If you missed the live performance, here’s a video:
Sunday March 12
Guest Artists: University of Oregon Graduate Students
Sequana String Quartet: Violins: Megan Frasier/Madison Vanderwall, Viola: Adam Fishburn, Cello: Austin Bennett
Equinox String Quartet: Violins: Allison Quade/Tera Murdock, Viola: Anthony Salazar, Cello: Titus Young
Student Musicians: Tigard High School
Fledermaus Waltz by Johann Strauss. arr. Merle Isaac
Serenade for Strings OP. 20 mvmt.1 by Edward Elgar
Allegretto from “The Creature of Prometheus” by Ludwig von Beethoven arr. Rick England
“Jupiter” from The Planets by Gustav Holst arr. Deborah Baker Monday
- I. Adagio – Allegro vivace (251 bars)
- II. Adagio non lento (F major, 125 bars)
- III. Intermezzo. Allegretto con moto – Allegro di molto (163 bars)
- IV. Presto – Adagio non lento (397 bars)
- I. Allegro (F major)
- II. Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando (B♭ major)
- III. Adagio molto e mesto (F minor)
- IV. Thème russe. Allegro (F major)
If you missed the live performance, here’s a video:
Sunday April 30
Student Musicians: Tualatin High School
Tualatin HS Program
Allegro Giocoso, Michael Senturia
Palmetto Suite, William Hofeldt
Two South American Tangos, A.G. Villoldo, arr. By Merle J. Isaac
Waterloo Station, Alan Lee Silva
The Timberwolves Chamber Orchestra is an audition-only string orchestra made up of 26 students from Tualatin High School. This group has won many awards over the years including a league championship and top 10 finish in the state of Oregon. Each year, this ensemble performs at many concerts including a holiday pops concert in December, a spring concert in March, and a pops concert in June.
The TuHS Chamber Orchestra is under the direction of Mr. Reggie Stegmeier. Reggie is in his 10th year as the director of bands and orchestras at Tualatin High School. Prior to that, he spent 10 years as the director of the Canby Community (Symphony) Orchestra. At Tualatin High School, he also serves the head of the performing arts department.
Guest Artists: Portland State University Faculty
Willow String Quartet: Violins: Shion Yamakawa, Jing Kappes, Viola: Keely McMurry, Cello: Jonah Thomas
Performing
Edvard Grieg String Quartet Op. 27 in G minor.
Willow String Quartet is a Portland based group; members met through the string faculties at Portland State University. Violinists, Shion Yamakawa, Jing Kappes, violist, Keely McMurry and cellist, Jonah Thomas, together, they’ve played at a variety of occasions such as private events, opera, nursing homes, weddings, recitals and more. In addition to playing chamber music, individuals play with the local Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, as well as teach private lessons in the Portland area. Willow string quartet had the privilege of studying with Carol Sindell, Hamilton Cheifetz, Dr. Tomas Cotik and Angelika Furtwangler. As a quartet, they have performed pieces such as Beethoven String Quartet No. 4, Schubert String Quartet, Beethoven Viola Quintet, Brahms Viola Quintet and are currently expanding their repertoire.
If you missed the live performance, here’s a video: