Strings Festival To Showcase Renowned Artists

Oct. 4, 2017

SHSU Media Contact: Emily Binetti

Comprised of four concerts with internationally recognized artists and faculty, the Sam Houston State University School of Music kicks-off the first performance of the annual Festival of Strings on Friday (Oct. 6).

Open to the public, the festival provides an opportunity for audience members to enjoy the talents of SHSU faculty, students and prominent musicians visiting Huntsville for the special engagement. The School of Music will offer free admission to all festival concerts.

Visiting violinist, Dylana Jenson, will perform as part of SHSU's Festival of Strings on Saturday (Oct. 7) at the University Heights Baptist Church.

Taking place on campus on Friday (Oct. 6) at 7:30 p.m., student musicians of the SHSU Symphony Orchestra will take to the stage with guest cello soloist Daniel Saenz performing the Cello Concerto by Antonín Dvořák in the Gaertner Performing Arts Center’s Recital Hall. Saenz serves as assistant professor of cello at SHSU. In addition, he has performed and presented master classes throughout the USA, South America and Mexico.

The second concert of the festival will be presented off campus on Saturday (Oct. 7) at 7:30 p.m. at the University Heights Baptist Church located at 2400 Sycamore Ave. Presented as a guest artist recital, the evening will feature visiting violinist Dylana Jenson and pianist Josu De Solaun.

“Ms. Jenson was the first American woman to win a top award in the world-famous Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia,” said Javier Pinell, professor of violin. “She has performed worldwide in the great concert stages around the globe.”

As a First Prize winner of the XIII George Enescu Competition, pianist De Solaun has been invited to perform in distinguished concert series throughout the world and currently serves on SHSU faculty as assistant professor, artist/teacher of piano.

On Sunday (Oct. 8) at 3:30 p.m., the festival returns to the GPAC Recital Hall for an afternoon guest artist recital featuring The Solera String Quartet with De Solaun. Described as “top-notch, intense, stylish, and with an abundance of flare and talent,” the New York City-based Solera Quartet is the Quartet in Residence at the University of Notre Dame.

Noteworthy accomplishments by members of the quartet include an Avery Fisher Career grant, a Grammy Award nomination, top prizes at international competitions, and a CMS2 artist roster appointment at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

The final concert of the festival series takes place on Monday (Oct. 9) at 7:30 p.m. in the GPAC recital hall with the Kolenneh String Quartet, SHSU’s faculty quartet in residence featuring Javier Pinell and Naomi Gjevre, violins, Nina Bledsoe, viola and Daniel Saenz, cello.

All of the performances and classes offered as part of the Festival of Strings are free and open to the public. For more information on any of these activities, call the SHSU School of Music at 936.294.1360.

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