BELLOWS FALLS-On Friday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m., an international concert series begins at the Bellows Falls Opera House, presented by Ashuelot Concerts. The four concerts will feature the Sitkovetsky Trio - cellist Nina Lee and British chamber musicians Louisa Stonehill (violin) and Nicholas Burns (piano) - with a program of masterworks by Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Grieg.
Ashuelot Concerts is a nonprofit organization that brings live chamber music from the world's leading concert halls into rural classrooms and concert halls in New Hampshire and Vermont. Its mission, they say, is "to promote live classical music as a powerful force for good in the community. By exposing thousands of local children and adults to a powerful live experience of the highest quality, Ashuelot Concerts strives to be an inspirational force during challenging times."
Founded by British concert pianist Nicholas Burns and British-American violinist Louisa Stonehill, Ashuelot Concerts aims to make classical music more accessible. Each concert features relatable introductions to each piece, offering the audience unique insights into the music presented. In schools, Ashuelot Concerts offers thousands of children their first opportunity to experience live classical music at the highest level. The program is designed to support teachers by using live classical music as a tool to inspire the students to persevere.
Through the powerful example of a live performance, students learn that "challenges which seem insurmountable today can be transformed into enjoyable and achievable goals with the right mindset, dedication, and learning strategies." in this program, internationally-touring musicians share with students their own stories of overcoming seemingly impossible difficulties to succeed in pursuing their passion at the highest level, offering children a unique opportunity to connect with the artistic process.
To open the series at the Bellows Falls Opera House, Stonehill and Burns will explore the extraordinary story of New Year's Day 1888, when Anna and Adolf Brodsky conspired to get Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Grieg around the dinner table in their home in Leipzig.
"This program reveals the human side of these great composers," Burns says in a news release. "In between each piece, we will be reading from the diary entries of those who were there. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the rivalries and respect that existed between these incredibly famous composers."
Ahead of the concerts, the duo will be performing for hundreds of children at Gathering Waters in Keene and the Compass School in Westminster.
"Our schools program focuses on inspiring local kids with powerful performances and messages of encouragement," Stonehill said. "The kids' reaction to the music is so enthusiastic that, while we have their attention, we try to encourage them to discover the power of perseverance and determination in their own lives." She says the program "is a great way of reminding children that the composers who wrote these incredible pieces were just as human as the rest of us, with all the same worries, insecurities, and doubts about whether they could make it."
Stonehill and Burns have been performing worldwide for nearly two decades. The Sunday Telegraph described their performances as having both "warm musicality and virtuosity" and Gramophone magazine branded them "passionately committed advocates." Together they have released four albums for Nimbus and Lyrita and performed live for BBC Radio 3.
In 2016, they moved to Keene from London and, shortly after, created Ashuelot Concerts. This season, they will be joined on stage by some of the world's leading chamber musicians.
Admission is free for those under 18, $10 for young adults 18–30, and $30 for those over 30. Advance tickets for the concerts at the Bellows Falls Opera House may be purchased at ashuelotconcerts.org.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.