The Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis Presents The Sunrise String Quartet and Classical Pianist Brian Ganz

On Sunday, August 30 at 3:00 pm, the Sunrise String Quartet, which has performed at the Kennedy Center and the Corcoran Museum, will join pianist Brian Ganz, one of the leading pianists of his generation,in a free virtual program produced by the Arts in the Woods Concert Series at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis.

The program, entitled "Music for Friends," will mark the resumption of concerts produced by the church after a long hiatus due to the pandemic. The artists have created a virtual program of some of their own favorite solo and duo works, requested of each other. Classical music presented will include works by Bach, Mozart, Chopin, and violist and composer Osman Kivrak. After the program, the artists will join the audience in a Zoom celebration in the spirit of a post concert reception and a Q and A session.

Free links to both the concert on YouTube and the post-performance reception via Zoom are at https://www.uuannapolis.org/arts-in-the-woods/ the concert will continue to be available for on-demand viewing following the premiere, but the Zoom conversation with the artists is only available with the August 30 performance.

"I have been so eager to work with the Sunrise String Quartet for so many years," pianist Ganz said. "But that's not easy right now with the pandemic. So we thought we would try something new, requesting some of our favorite works for each other to play. We'll also make short video recordings sharing about our requests."

Among the pieces on the program are a work composed by Kivrak for violin and viola entitled "Uzun Hava," movements from Bach suites for solo violin and solo cello, Chopin Scherzo No. 2 for solo piano, and a violin and viola duo composed by Mozart at the request of his friend Michael Haydn, brother of the great composer Franz Joseph Haydn.

The entire program will be offered on-line free of charge, premiering through the church's website at 3:00 pm on August 30, after which it will be available for future online viewing. Donations will be requested in support of the church and its ministry and programs.

"Musicians without audiences are like teachers without students, restaurants without guests, churches and mosques without congregations," violist Osman Kivrak said. "The pandemic interrupted our lives so drastically that I started to worry that the music, especially chamber music, might start to disappear. When Brian suggested the idea of collaborating on an online chamber music concert I got very excited. 'Yes!' I said 'this is one way of keeping the pilot light going. Chamber music is music for small groups," Kivrak continued, "for friends to get together and express their feelings through music."

The Sunrise String Quartet, founded in 1991 and based in Washington, DC, has given concerts at the Kennedy Center, the National Building Museum, the Corcoran Museum, the Phillips Collection, the Mozart Festival at the World Bank, and the Chautauqua Festival at Dickinson College. The Sunrise also performs as the National Gallery String Quartet at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

Claudia Chudacoff, violinist, is Concertmaster of the National Gallery Orchestra, Concertmaster of the Alexandria Symphony, the former Concertmaster of the Marine Band White House Chamber Orchestra, and played for three years with the National Symphony.

Teri Lazar, violinist, has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Ms. Lazar is Concertmaster of the Virginia Chamber Orchestra, and she teaches violin and chamber music at American University where she is a Musician in Residence.

Osman Kivrak, violist, was a winner of the National Scholarship Competition in Turkey and the Baltimore Chamber Music Awards. Formerly a professor at the Izmir State Conservatory in Turkey, Dr. Kivrak currently teaches viola and chamber music at American University where he is Musician in Residence.

Marion Baker is a freelance musician in the Washington, DC, area and has performed as principal cellist with the Washington Bach Consort, Washington Concert Opera, National Gallery Orchestra, and The National Philharmonic. He currently serves as the principal cellist of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra.

Brian Ganz is widely regarded as one of the leading pianists of his generation. A laureate of the Marguerite Long Jacques Thibaud and the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium International Piano Competitions, Mr. Ganz has appeared as soloist with such orchestras as the St. Louis Symphony, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Baltimore Symphony, The National Philharmonic, the National Symphony and the City of London Sinfonia.

The next concert of the Arts in the Woods Concert Series will feature the Annapolis Chamber Music Festival and will be launched virtually on November 1. For more information, visit https://www.uuannapolis.org/arts-in-the-woods/ or call 410-266-8044.

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