BRAINERD — The Lakes Area Music Festival announced its final concert of its Winter Series will be Sunday, March 26.
The program features jazz favorites like George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” performed by pianist Matthew Graybil and guests from the Minnesota Orchestra. The concert will be at 2 p.m. at the Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts in downtown Brainerd.
The program was curated by LAMF artistic advisor Garrett McQueen.
“Music and musicians from historically marginalized communities are continuing to take center stage in artistic programming. As this work continues to expand, so does the need to highlight cross-cultural unity and collaboration,” McQueen said in a news release. “In this program, you’ll experience the impact of Jewish musicians and music lovers through traditional, contemporary, and even ‘jazzy’ aesthetics of chamber music.”
Opening with “Rhapsody in Blue” performed by New York City-based pianist Matthew Graybil and Minnesota Orchestra principal clarinetist Gabriel Campos Zamora, the program will also include a movement of Philip Glass’ “Trilogy Sonata” and Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” The final piece will be a string quartet by Israeli composer Paul Ben-Haim written in 1937, performed by Kathryn Bennett and Sabrina Bradford, violins; David Auerbach, viola; and Scott Lykins, cello.
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This program will also serve as the season announcement for the organization’s 15th anniversary festival, taking place in July and August in Brainerd.
McQueen joined the Lakes Area Music Festival as an artistic advisor in 2021. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he has performed as a member of the South Arkansas Symphony, Jackson Symphony, American Youth Symphony, Memphis Repertory Orchestra, the Eroica Ensemble and, most recently, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. He has also collaborated with ensembles including the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Southeast Symphony, the Artosphere and Gateways Festival Orchestras, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Louisville Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Today, McQueen “performs” over the airwaves and on the digital stage, with content featured on the Public Radio Exchange and local public radio stations across the country.
Praised by The New Yorker as an “exceptional young artist” and by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune as a “major talent,” American pianist Graybil has performed as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Mexico. He made his orchestral debut at age 14 and has subsequently performed with the Fort Worth Symphony and the National Chamber Players among many others. Highlights of Graybil’s solo career include recitals in many of the world’s music capitals, including New York, Paris, Chicago, Baltimore, Mexico City, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington, D.C. in venues such as Carnegie’s Zankel Hall, Subculture, Le Poisson Rouge, Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center, and Lincoln Center. In addition, Graybil is an avid chamber musician, with over 300 performances to his credit. Artists with whom he has collaborated include Itzhak Perlman and the Enso and Ulysses String Quartets.
Campos Zamora, a native of San José, Costa Rica, is principal clarinet of the Minnesota Orchestra. He was most recently the associate principal clarinet of the Kansas City Symphony and has appeared as guest principal clarinet with the Cleveland Orchestra, Seattle, and Houston symphonies in addition to serving as the Virginia Symphony’s principal clarinet. Campos Zamora has been a participant at the Marlboro Music Festival and frequently performed in the Kansas City Symphony “Happy Hour” chamber music concerts. He was a fellow of Ensemble ACJW, a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education. A laureate of several competitions, he received first prize at the 2008 Pasadena Showcase House Instrumental Competition, in addition to winning concerto competitions at the 2009 Aspen Music Festival, 2010 Music Academy of the West, and 2011 National Repertory Orchestra.
Bennett has performed and toured frequently with both the Minnesota Orchestra and The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, recently spending three seasons as a member of the Minnesota Orchestra first violin section. A native of Connecticut, Kathryn first moved to Minneapolis to study at the University of Minnesota with Sally O'Reilly. Other primary teachers include Yair Kless, Nelli Skolnikova, and Jorja Fleezanis. Kathryn is a member of IRIS ensemble and the Minnesota Bach Ensemble and performs chamber music frequently at LOFTrecitals and Lakes Area Music Festival events. In addition to performing locally, she has toured with Milwaukee Symphony, A Far Cry, and the Verbier Chamber Orchestra.
Originally from Washington, D.C., violinist Bradford completed her undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University and her master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Stephen Rose. Throughout her career, Sabrina has had the privilege of frequently performing with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Minnesota Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, and the London Symphony Orchestra. In addition to her performing career, Sabrina is a passionate teacher and especially enjoys coaching young students. She completed her Suzuki teacher certification while pursuing her master’s degree.
Violist Auerbach has cultivated a fulfilling and varied performing and teaching career since moving to Minnesota in 2007. He will begin his fifth one-year position with the Minnesota Orchestra this fall (for the 2021-22 season). David has also been the top substitute with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra for many years, and recently performed on several of their livestream chamber music broadcasts. He was previously the principal violist of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra and has played regularly with many other local ensembles. David frequently performs elsewhere in the country; he has played several weeks with the Pittsburgh Symphony, including a European tour, and is a regular guest of the Boston-based chamber orchestra A Far Cry.
Cellist Lykins is founding artistic and executive director of the Lakes Area Music Festival. As a cellist, he enjoys a busy schedule performing throughout the Midwest as a member of the South Dakota and Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestras and as a freelancer in the Twin Cities area. He has served as principal cellist for the National Orchestra Institute, National Repertory Orchestras, Classical Symphony of Chicago, and has played regularly with the Syracuse and New World Symphonies.
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More information about the upcoming concert is available at https://tinyurl.com/3j37239r .
Tickets may be reserved in advance online through the LAMF website. LAMF uses a name-your-price ticket model to make concerts widely accessible. For assistance call 218-831-0765. Tickets will also be available at the door beginning 45 minutes to each performance.
Visit lakesareamusic.org or call 218-ASK-LAMF for more information.
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