in concert
Violinist takes a bow
Music fit for a King
The Lincoln City Cultural
Center will present its first-ever
celebration of the life of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. this Sunday, Jan.
19, with a performance by Eugene’s
Inspirational Sounds Gospel Choir.
Well known throughout Oregon
for its energetic renditions of gospel
music, the Inspirational Sounds
Gospel Choir is often featured
at Martin Luther King Day
celebrations in Eugene and Portland.
The choir seeks to promote
the heritage of African-American
gospel musical traditions, which
are rooted in American music.
Organization membership includes
singers from Eugene, Springfield,
Veneta and Corvallis. The group
is a unique gospel choir because it
includes a large percentage of non-
African Americans but still retains a
traditional Black gospel choir sound.
The choir encourages audiences
to become involved, joining them
in clapping, shouting, singing and
celebrating.
Sunday’s program will include
prayers and readings, including
the “Lift Every Voice and Sing
(Black National Anthem)” and
“Can’t Nobody Turn Me Around,”
led by the choir’s director, Kathy
Vrzak. The master of ceremonies
will be Toni Unfred. There will be
instrumental music by My Band,
featuring Darline Jackson. The
theme of the program, which will
also offer a biography of the civil
rights leader, will be “Where There
is Unity There is Strength.”
The concert, presented as part of
the 2019/20 Vocal Arts Series, will
start at 2 pm in the auditorium of
the cultural center at 540 NE Hwy.
101. Tickets, $15 for adults, $13 for
seniors aged 60 and up, and $5 for
kids aged 18 and under, are available
at lincolncityculturalcenter.org or by
calling 541-994-9994.
Newport Symphony Orchestra
at the Ocean will kick off its 2020
season this weekend with a pair of
performances featuring special guest
violinist Anthea Kreston.
Music Director and Conductor
Adam Flatt will lead the orchestra
in performances of Handel’s “Water
Music Suite No. 2” followed by
Bach’s “Ricercare” arranged by Anton
Webern. Then the Orchestra will
perform “Symphonic Metamorphosis
of Themes” by Carl Maria von Weber,
an orchestral work written by German
composer Paul Hindemith in 1943.
The grand finale will see Kreston
step on stage to join the orchestra in
a rendition of Felix Mendelssohn’s
“Violin Concerto in E minor, op.
64.” Kreston, a former member
of the internationally renowned
Artemis String Quartet, enjoys a
robust concert schedule with regular
appearances at major concert halls in
Europe and the United States. She
has received numerous awards for her
chamber collaborations, including the
grand prize at the Concert Artists
Guild Competition and Europe’s
Echo Award for recording.
Kennedy Center in Washington, DC,
and continues to tour with the Amelia
Piano Trio. She has also toured with
Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project and has
been recognized by Chamber Music
America for her groundbreaking
work with abuse survivors and people
with AIDS. She holds a BA in
women’s studies from Cleveland State
University and a performance degree
from the Curtis Institute of Music.
Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto
in E minor, Op. 64,” is his last
large orchestral work. It forms an
important part of the violin repertoire
and is one of the most popular and
most frequently performed violin
concertos in history.
The Saturday, Jan. 18, performance
will start at at 7:30 pm, with a pre-
concert talk by Conductor Adam
Flatt at 6:45 pm. Sunday’s matinée
will start at 2 pm. Performances will
take place at the Newport Performing
Arts Center, 777 West Olive Street.
Following each concert, the
orchestra will host a special
complimentary Wine Down,
featuring select wines from the Flying
Dutchman Winery of Otter Rock
plus a delicious array of food items
from JC Thriftway.
Tickets, $27 and $42 plus fees and
$10 for students, are on sale at the
Newport Performing Arts Center
box office, by calling 541-265-2787
or online at NewportSymphony.
org.
PHOTOGRAPHER: FELIX BROEDE
Anthea Kreston
Kreston made her solo debut at the
oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • January 17, 2020 • 13