All the programs will be offered in Ford Chapel on the Allegheny College campus in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Admission is free.
Hailed by critics as "a grand departure from the usual," Manhattan Piano Trio—made up of Milana Strezeva, piano; Dmitry Lukin, violin; and Dmitry Kouzov, cello—is one of the most prominent, exciting and active emerging chamber music groups in America. The Grand Prize Winner of the 2006 Plowman National Chamber Music Competition, MPT has been featured on many prestigious "Rising Artist" concert series. In addition to their demanding concert and recording schedule, MPT is committed to educating the next generation of audience by regularly giving concerts and special children's shows.
Commended by the Globe and Mail for his "rock-solid technique, excellent diction and a virile tone" and by the Toronto Star for a "magnetic stage presence that was the ideal embodiment of a romantic lead," Canadian tenor Colin Ainsworth has distinguished himself by his exceptional singing, impeccable diction and a diverse range of repertoire.
London-based pianist Joshua Grunmann is a vocal accompanist at the University of Western Ontario. He has been praised for an impeccable technique and great musical sensitivity. He has accompanied and coached singers in both Canada and the U.S. for almost a decade and has appeared in recitals in Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto.
Mezzo-soprano D'Anna Fortunato is an admired favorite on the American orchestral-concert scene and a respected operatic artist as well. With her New York City Opera debut in Handel's Alcina, the New Yorker called her "a Handelian of crisp accomplishment." She has performed Handel's operas in such venues as Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, Emmanuel Music, and Monadnock Music, while singing major roles in eight premiere Handel CDs.
Alec Chien, artist-in-residence and professor of music at Allegheny College, has performed as a featured soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, American Symphony, and Hong Kong Philharmonic.
The Alexander String Quartet—made up of noted performers Zakarias Grafilo and Frederick Lifsitz, violins; Paul Yarbrough, viola; and Sandy Wilson, cello—has performed in major music capitals on four continents, securing its standing among the premiere ensembles of its kind. Widely admired for its interpretations of Beethoven and Bartók, the quartet is also an important advocate of new music through over twenty-five commissions and numerous premiere performances.
