FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Office of Marketing & Community Relations
Queens University of Charlotte
1900 Selwyn Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28274

Media Contact: Vanessa Willis, 704 337-2452, willisv@queens.edu.

Friends of Music at Queens announces 2009-10 season
Concert series brings leading chamber music performers to Charlotte

Charlotte, N.C. (Aug. 17, 2009) – Tickets are on sale now for the 2009-10 Chamber Music Season hosted by the Friends of Music at Queens University of Charlotte.

Friends of Music is a volunteer organization that has sponsored chamber and other music genre events in Charlotte for 25 years. (Visit www.queens.edu/friendsofmusic for more information.)  The new season features:

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009
AMERICAN CHAMBER PLAYERS

Among today's most exciting and innovative chamber music ensembles, AMERICAN CHAMBER PLAYERS
were formed in 1985 by Miles Hoffman from a core group of artists of The Library of Congress Summer Chamber Festival.  The six members of the ensemble perform repertoire ranging from familiar masterpieces to neglected gems to newly commissioned American works, and their fascinating and delightful programs with varied instrumental combinations have been as enthusiastically praised as their extraordinary, dynamic performances. 

Miles Hoffman, violist
Loren Kitt, clarinetist
Joanna Maurer, violinist
Alberto Parrini, cellist
Sara Stern, flutist
Anna Stoytcheva, pianist

Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009
CYPRESS STRING QUARTET

Widely celebrated for the power of its performances and its passionate dedication to the genre, the CYPRESS STRING QUARTET combines technical precision with imaginative programming to create unforgettable concert experiences. On top of a busy schedule of over 90 concerts each year at venues across America and internationally, including the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Stanford Lively Arts, Krannert Center and Ravinia Festival, the Cypress String Quartet is a vibrant member of the San Francisco arts community.  The Cypress String Quartet represents the voice of the new generation of American culture and brings passion, inspiration and enjoyment to every audience.

Cecily Ward, violin
Tom Stone, violin
Ethan Filner, viola
Jennifer Kloetzel, cello

Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010
TRIO SOLISTI 

Hailed as "the most exciting piano trio in America" by The New Yorker Magazine, TRIO SOLISTI is comprised of three brilliant instrumentalists - violinist Maria Bachmann, cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach and pianist Jon Klibonoff. Trio Solisti has earned a reputation for its passionate, committed, and adventurous performances marked by exquisite individuality of expression and seamless ensemble playing. The Trio’s cutting edge verve and mastery across a wide spectrum of styles has garnered superlatives not often encountered in the piano trio genre. This versatility also extends to new music, most notably to the works of 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Moravec.
    The members of Trio Solisti collaborate with many of today's leading composers. Violinist Maria Bachmann and pianist Jon Klibonoff performed the world premiere of Philip Glass's Sonata for violin and piano (2008) in February 2009, cellist Alexis Gerlach performed the world premiere of a concerto by Kevin Puts for cello and string quintet in New York in May 2009, and Maria Bachmann performs the world premiere of Paul Moravec's Violin Concerto in May 2010.

Saturday, March 20, 2010
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS

RENAUD GARCIA-FONS was born near Paris to parents from the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain, and was introduced to music at age five. As a young man, he studied the double bass at the Paris Conservatory of Music. He was the private student of François Rabbath, and through him gained a profound knowledge of the double bass as well as an introduction to the Syrian roots of Rabbath's compositions. By age 21, Renaud had won performance competitions held by the cities of Paris and Aubervilliers, and was awarded a diploma by the French Cultural Minister as Professor of Double Bass.
   Ten years into this journey of exploration of jazz and contemporary music, he decided to add a fifth string to his bass, enabling possibilities well beyond the idea of the bass as an accompanying instrument, particularly the option to be one of an ensemble's improvising voices. Combining this innovation with his con arco and pizzicato techniques, he reached an unprecedented level of performance, and became known as the “Paganini of the double bass.” Over the past three years, he's performed most frequently with his trio, consisting of guitarist Antonio Ruiz and percussionist Pascal Rollando.

All concerts are at 8 p.m. in Dana Auditorium on the Queens University of Charlotte campus, 1900 Selwyn Avenue. Tickets are $15 per concert; season tickets are $55 or $50 if purchased by Sept. 15, 2009.  Students of all ages may attend free. For more information: Music Office, 704-337-2213, Email: FOM@queens.edu, or visit www.queens.edu/friendsofmusic.

New this season is the offering of a Pre-Concert Dinner & Talk.  The Dinners will be held in Claudia Belk Dining Room on campus at 6:30pm the night of each concert.  Special Charlotte Musician guests will speak to the 40 patrons who dine about the music to be performed that evening.  Guest speakers include Dr. Paul Nitsch, James Meena with Opera Carolina, Jonathan Martin with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, and Ben Roe with WDAV.  The cost of the dinners will be $30 and can be purchased below with tickets to the concerts.

The mission of the Friends of Music at Queens is to enhance the quality of musical life at Queens and in the Charlotte metropolitan area by sponsoring professional chamber music concerts at Queens University of Charlotte, educational outreach projects, and by providing support for selected projects of the Queens University of Charlotte Department of Music. For more information on Friends of Music, please visit www.queens.edu/friendsofmusic

Queens University of Charlotte is a private, co-ed, Presbyterian-affiliated comprehensive university with a commitment to both liberal arts and professional studies. Located in the heart of historic Charlotte, Queens serves approximately 2,300 undergraduate and graduate students through its College of Arts and Sciences, the McColl School of Business, the Presbyterian School of Nursing, the Wayland H. Cato, Jr. School of Education, the School of Communication and Hayworth College for adult and evening programs.

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Other Individual Ticket Sales will be available on-line Oct. 1st