The College of Southern Maryland welcomes the Misto di Voci ensemble comprised of violinist David Yarbrough, clarinetist Paula Hickey and pianist Daniel Lau performing at the Ward Virts Concert Series at 3 p.m., Feb. 10 at the Prince Frederick Campus, Room 119. The performance is the third of six in the concert series, which is held at CSMs Prince Frederick Campus, 115 J.W. Williams Road, Prince Frederick.
Translated as mixed voices from Italian, Misto di Voci describes the complementary timbres of the ensemble that has been entertaining the Mid-Atlantic region since 2009. The group was formed by three seasoned musicians, all of whom are graduates of the Peabody Conservatory of Music and share the goal of presenting this rich genre of music. The Misto di Voci ensemble enjoys interacting with audiences by discussing the music performed and the audience is encouraged to participate.
The next three Ward Virts performances will all feature artists who participate in the New England Music Camp in Sidney, Maine, including Lau with Misto di Voci; pianist Rachel Roulet who will accompany soprano Theresa Bickham, who will perform on March 10, and soprano Marian Murphy Powell who will perform on April 7. The New England Music Camp is a residential camp for 11-18 year olds on scenic Lake Messalonskee in central Maine.
Concluding the 2012-13 season May 5 will be pianist Brian Ganz, who will return for an eighth consecutive season.
The Ward Virts Concert Series is sponsored by Edward and Patricia Mehosky, St. Clair and Mary Tweedie, Gerry Van De Velde and Rene Cunningham, and CSM. The centerpiece of the concert series is a world-class Boesendorfer Grand Piano, which was gifted to CSM by the Ward Virts Piano Project (WVPP) for the enjoyment the Southern Maryland community.
The WVPP was formed by friends and classmates of pianist Ward Virts, whose sudden death in 1993 inspired them to purchase this hand-made piano and dedicate the piano in Virts memory. Inspired by Virts life and spirit, his friends and classmates conceived the project in order to bring the love of life, beauty and music that Virts embodied to a new generation of Southern Maryland students, performers and appreciative audiences.
Admission is free and seating is open but limited. Contact 443-550-6011, rfleming@csmd.edu or www.csmd.edu/Arts.