Cello Plus Chamber Music Festival returns for its 16th year at the MSU College of Music in April with a lineup of internationally renowned artists. The festival features four concerts, with talent from the College of Music as well as accomplished guest artists. The series began April 4 and continues with performances on April 6, 8 and 10, at Fairchild Theatre in the MSU Auditorium.
Suren Bagratuni, professor of cello at MSU and the artistic director of the festival, believes the Cello Plus series works as an excellent platform to bring a variety of wonderful musicians together. “Each year we host several artists from around the world to perform at MSU,” he said. “It is a great way to expose the community to extraordinary talent and meaningful collaborations with our students and faculty.”
Festival Lineup
Slavonic Masterworks
7:30 p.m., April 6
Suren Bagratuni, cello, and I-Pei Lin, violin, share the next concert with guest artists Sergei Babayan, piano (Juilliard School), Ruggero Allifranchini, violin (St. Paul Chamber Orchestra), and Maiya Papach, viola (St. Paul Chamber Orchestra). Babayan, an award-winning pianist on faculty at the Juilliard School in New York City, will play some Prokofiev solos, then he will be joined by faculty and guest artists for Rachmaninov and Dvorak. Prokofiev, and Dvořák. This concert is generously sponsored by the Belle and Julius Harris Visiting Artist Fund established by Lauren Julius Harris.
Chamber Music Favorites: Stars from Korea
8 p.m., April 8
Korean stars Hae Sun Paik, piano (Cleveland Institute), and Kyung-Sun Lee, violin (Seoul National University), will join guests Ruggero Allifranchini, violin (St. Paul Chamber Orchestra), and Maiya Papach, viola (St. Paul Chamber Orchestra), as well as Suren Bagratuni, cello, for the third concert—a tribute to Brahms piano quartets. This concert is generously sponsored by Beth and the late Dr. Milton Muelder.
From Haydn to…Prutsman
3 p.m., April 10
The final concert of the 2016 festival features Canada’s premier chamber ensemble, the St. Lawrence String Quartet (Geoff Nuttall, violin; Lesley Robertson, viola; Owen Dalby, violin; Christopher Costanza, cello), performing string quartets by Haydn. Composer and pianist Stephen Prutsman will also perform an original piano quintet with the group. Stanley and Selma Hollander are the generous sponsors of this concert.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors (age 60 and older), and $5 for students with ID and anyone younger than 18. Tickets may be purchased through the College of Music box office (517) 353-5340, online at www.music.msu.edu, or at the door.