Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music and the UGA Performing Arts Center will present an American Chamber Festival from May 20 to 22. Originally, there was a ticketing charge associated with the event; however, now it is free for all who attend.
The festival kicks off at 8 p.m. on May 20 with members of the Hodgson School of Music faculty performing works by Aaron Copland, Amy Beach, Eric Ewazen and John Stevens. Joshua Bynum, Brandon Craswell, Michael Heald, Kristin Jutras, Jean Martin-Williams, D. Ray McClellan, Maggie Snyder, David Starkweather and David Zerkel will be joined by Peter Miyamoto from the University of Missouri on piano.
Martin Beaver and Clive Greensmith, the first violinist and cellist of the Tokyo String Quartet, will perform on May 21 at 8 p.m. in a concert by the internationally-renowned composer Lera Auerbach, who will join them at the piano. Maggie Snyder will join Beaver and Greensmith in string trios by Lou Harrison and Pierre Jalbert.
The Verdehr Trio from Michigan State University, which has performed all over the world commissioning and recording hundreds of pieces written for their ensemble for more than 30 years, will perform a program on May 22 that highlights the broad range of American composers, from Joan Tower to Jennifer Higdon to Bright Sheng, among others.
David Haas, professor of musicology in the school of music, will present a pre-concert lecture 45 minutes before each performance.
For more information, see https://sites.google.com/site/americanchamberfestival/.