CLASSICAL WINTER WORKSHOP

Festival artistic director and violinist Ara Gregorian.

East Carolina University welcomes an international cast of acclaimed young chamber musicians to campus for the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival Winter Workshop Jan. 2-7.

Winter Workshop brings participants from around the globe to Greenville to study, interact and perform with some of the world’s leading professional classical musicians. Participants were chosen from more than 300 applicants and hail from 10 countries, including Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

This is the fourth year of Winter Workshop.

“In four short years Winter Workshop has become one of the most sought-after destinations for young musicians from throughout the world,” said Ara Gregorian, festival artistic director and ECU violin faculty member. “Think about what these young musicians get to do—they rehearse and perform onstage with the greats of chamber music. There is no better exposure for them early in their careers than in this setting.”

Renowned pianist Robert McDonald will join fellow professional classical musicians including pianists Keiko Sekino and Kwan Yi, violinists Gregorian, Ida Kavafian, Hye-Jin Kim and Daniel Phillips, violists Misha Amory and Steven Tenenbom, cellists Colin Carr, Emanuel Gruber and Michael Kannen and the 26 workshop participants to rehearse and perform chamber music masterpieces.

“Greenville and East Carolina University have become one of the major hubs for chamber music in the United States,” Gregorian said. “The mission of the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival is twofold—first, to present world-class music to Greenville and throughout North Carolina and second, to develop the next generation of professional musicians.

“Seventeen years of evolution has put us in a position to create and present initiatives like Winter Workshop, which combines both aspects of our mission into one extraordinary week of events.”

Three free public concerts of different programs on Jan. 6 and 7 culminate the week of intensive classical music study. Jan. 6 concerts are at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and the Jan. 7 concert is at 3 p.m. All concerts are at A.J. Fletcher Recital Hall on the ECU campus in Greenville.

The Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival brings internationally-renowned musicians to North Carolina and beyond for year-round concerts, master classes and interactive outreach initiatives. In residence at the ECU School of Music, the festival is celebrating its 18th season.

For more information on the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival Winter Workshop or Four Seasons programs and outreach, visit www.ecu.edu/fourseasons or call 252-328-6019.

Returning workshop participant Orin Laursen rehearses for workshop performances.

Winter Workshop public concerts

• Winter Workshop concert I: Jan. 6, 3:00 p.m.
• Winter Workshop concert II: Jan. 6, 7:00 p.m.
• Winter Workshop concert III: Jan. 7, 3:00 p.m.

All concerts in A.J. Fletcher Recital Hall, free and open to the public. Visit www.ecu.edu/fourseasons or call 252-328-6019.

Winter Workshop