Hristov, Hu to present violin, piano guest recital at SFA

Guest artists Miraslov Hristov and Chih-Long Hu will present a violin and piano recital at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, in Cole Concert Hall at Stephen F. Austin State University.

The performance is part of the SFA Friends of Music Concert Series and will showcase some of the great standard chamber works for violin and piano, including pieces from the Classical, Romantic, and 20th century periods, according to Jennifer Dalmas, associate professor of violin and viola in the SFA School of Music.

The program includes Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata for Piano and Violin, Op. 12, No. 1, which is the first sonata Beethoven wrote for violin, shortly after he arrived in Vienna, according to Dalmas.

“Although this sonata adheres to the Classical style, Beethoven strives to give the instruments a more equal partnership than seen in other classical sonatas, and there is a dramatic intensity that foreshadows his later works,” she explained.

Cesar Franck’s Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano is one of the most beloved of the genre and was composed as a wedding present for the great violinist Eugene Ysaye, Dalmas said.

Maurice Ravel’s fiery ‘Tzigane’ (“Gypsy”) will end the program. “Originally written for violin and piano, this piece features virtuosic displays from both performers, and will be an exciting conclusion to an exciting program,” Dalmas said.

As associate professor of violin at the University of Tennessee School of Music, Hristov is founder and co-director of the University of Tennessee School of Music’s Annual Violin Festival. He presents master classes and performs extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Latin America. Recent teaching awards include the 2014 Tennessee Music Teachers Association Teacher of the Year, the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts Outstanding Teacher Award, and the University of Tennessee School of Music’s Faculty Distinguished Teaching Award.

Hu performs extensively in Asia, Europe and America appearing as a concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. Named “Teacher of the Year” by the Tennessee Music Teachers Association, Hu is frequently invited to give lectures and master classes, as well as to judge international and national competitions. Hu is the artistic director of St. Andrews Piano Academy and Festival International (New Brunswick), as well as the New York International Piano Festival. Hu is Sandra G. Powell Endowed Professor of Piano at the University of Tennessee.
Hristov will present a violin master class at 2 p.m. that day in the Music Recital Hall. Hu will present a piano master class at 2 p.m. in Cole Concert Hall. These are open to the public. Both venues are located in the Tom and Peggy Wright Music Building, 2210 Alumni Drive.

Concert tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.