Kent, Ohio – Continuing the tradition of presenting world-class chamber music in Northeast Ohio, KBMF will again feature its highly-anticipated Faculty Concert Series from June 25 to July 23, 2014, which features performances by some of the regions most coveted musicians from The Cleveland Orchestra as well as a variety of world-class soloists.
Highlights of the upcoming season include: the return of Steinway Artist, Spencer Myer, an all-Brahms program performed by cellist Mark Kosower, and an evening of delightful pieces for solo violin with Jung-Min Amy Lee. Additional highlights include guest performances by members of The Cleveland Orchestra, the Miami String Quartet and more.
Additionally, the public is invited to enjoy the talents of some of the world's finest young musicians performing in KBMF's Chamber Players concerts, which are free and open to all. This year, KBMF will be joined by 46 students from all over the world whose visit will culminate into a side-by-side performance with The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center.
In collaboration with the Kulas Foundation, KBMF is excited to announce a special performance by violinist Ida Kavafian as the Kulas Visiting Guest Artist. Beginning in 2013, this program was established to bring an artist of stature to spend one week, of the five-week festival, to work intensively with these most talented students.
Faculty Concert Performances:
Wednesday, June 25 at 7:30
Spencer Myer, piano; Frank Rosenwein, oboe; and, Barrick Stees, bassoon
Robert Schumann - Three Romances for Oboe and Piano, Op. 94
Robert Schumann - Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17
Ludwig van Beethoven - 12 Variations on Handel’s “See the Conquering Hero Comes” from Judas Maccabaeus, WoO 45
Paul Hindemith - Sonata for Oboe and Piano (1938)
William Bolcom - From The Garden of Eden
Tuesday, July 1 at 7:30
Miami String Quartet
Antonín Dvořák - Miniatures for Two Violins and Viola, Op. 75a/B 149
Erwin Schulhoff - Five Pieces for String Quartet
Felix Mendelssohn - Quartet for Strings No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2
Thursday, July 3 at 7:30
Kulas Guest Artist, Ida Kavafian, violin and Glauser String Quartet
Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F major, Op. 24 “Spring”
Richard Strauss - Sonata for Violin and Piano in E-flat major, Op. 18
Ernest Chausson - Concert for violin, piano & string quartet in D major, Op. 21
Wednesday, July 9 at 7:30
Jung-Min Amy Lee, violin and Joanna Patterson Zakany, viola
Johann Sebastian Bach - Partita No. 2 in D minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1004
Essa-Pekka Salonen - 'Lachen Verlernt' for Solo Violin
Eugene Ysaÿe - Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 27, No. 4 in E minor
Astor Piazzolla - Selections from Tango Etudes for Solo Violin
Johan Halvorsen - 'Sarabande con variazioni' in G minor (on a theme of Handel)
Wednesday, July 16 at 7:30
Mark Kosower, cello
An all-Brahms program
Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in G major, Op. 78
Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99
Wednesday, July 23 at 7:30
Katherine Bormann, violin; Jeffrey Zehngut, violin; Stanley Konopka, viola;
Richard Weiss, cello; Joela Jones, piano; Barrick Stees, bassoon; and, Danna Sundet, oboe
Gary Schocker - Sonata for Bassoon and Piano (1992)
Manuel de Falla - Canciones Populares Españolas for Cello and Piano
Theodore Lalliet - Terzetto for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano, Op. 22
Béla Kovács - Hommage à Manuel de Falla for Clarinet and Piano
Edward Elgar - Quintet for Piano and Strings in A minor, Op. 84
Charles Latshaw
Assistant Professor. Director of Orchestras and Kent/Blossom Music Festival
Charles Latshaw is the director of the Kent/Blossom Music Festival and the Kent State University Orchestra. He previously served as artistic director and conductor of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra in Indiana. Latshaw has also held conducting positions with the Indianapolis Symphony, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Washington Sinfonietta, and Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra. He was selected by members of the Vienna Philharmonic as the Herbert von Karajan conducting fellow in 2007. He holds a masters degree in instrumental conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Latshaw is firmly dedicated to bringing orchestral music to new audiences, especially young people. He has taught band, choir, general music, and musical theater to students of all ages. He has served as faculty for summer music programs, including the Rocky Ridge Music Center, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic Strings Camp, and Palace Theatre summer programs. He has led "Side by Side" concerts for high school students with the Indianapolis Symphony, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, and the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. An enthusiastic advocate of new music, Latshaw enjoys programming accessible and exciting contemporary works, often of his own commission. He has premiered more than thirty new works for ensembles ranging from chamber groups to youth orchestras to full symphonies.
Latshaw's performances are not limited to the podium. He has held the position of principal trumpet in orchestras in Ohio, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. He has performed with jazz bands as a trumpet player, vocalist, and band leader. He has appeared in acting and singing roles with the Palace Professional Theater of Manchester and the New Hampshire State Opera. Performance tours have brought him to Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, as well as across the United States.
When he isn't conducting or studying scores, Latshaw is an avid culinary experimenter, as both a cheese maker and a bread baker. Along with his wife, Kelley, and their dog, he enjoys spending time in the woods, camping, hiking, and skiing.