Filament to Light Up CAC With Baroque Chamber Music*

A trio of young musicians are kicking off the first concert of 2024 at the Lancaster Cultural Arts Center. Filament, a chamber music ensemble, will perform at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12.

The Philadelphia-based band plays baroque music from the 17^th and 18^thcenturies on stringed, period instruments. John Walthausen, 32, plays keyboards, including the harpsicord and organ. Evan Few, 40, plays the violin. And Elena “Nellie” Kauffman, 30, plays the viola da gamba, which is held like a cello and has frets like a guitar. 

Filament, a chamber music ensemble, includes, from left, John Walthausen, Elena “Nellie” Kauffman and Evan Few. The early music chamber ensemble consists of a core trio of violin, viola da gamba, and keyboards. Filament specializes in trio repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries, recently featuring music of Northern Germany and Scandinavia, and cross-cultural music-making in Northern Europe. (photo supplied).

Walthausen, a Delaware native, studied organ at Oberlin College and in Paris. Few, an Atlanta native, also studied at Oberlin College and in the Netherlands. Kauffman, a native of Philadelphia, is a graduate of Temple University.

Walthausen said they are very excited to bring their music south. For the past five years, Filament has performed primarily in the Philadelphia area. Their January three-city tour includes their first stop in Lancaster followed by performances in York, S.C. and Naples, Florida.

“This is a really exciting moment for us because in the past four years we have really concentrated on local performances in Philadelphia,” he said. “This is our first time going this far and we are very much looking forward to building an audience farther from home.”

John Walthausen, Elena “Nellie” Kauffman and Evan Few. (Photo supplied).

At press time, the band was still working on their program, but the music of Danish composer and organist, Dietrich Buxtehude, will be a big part of their performance. Buxtehude had a huge influence on Bach and Handel and is considered one of the most important composers of the 17^th century.  Bach, at the age of 20, walked over 200 miles in the winter of 1705 to hear Buxtehude play the organ.

Their first recording is an album of Buxtehude’s Opus 1 trio sonatas.

“The album is an expression of our collective love and admiration for this incredible body of work,” he said. 

Filament’s passion is finding forgotten and overlooked composers and bringing them to life. The three musicians came together for their shared love of Buxtehude. They continue to comb through microfilm and digital scans searching for buried Baroque compositions.

Kauffman, Walthausen and Few. (Photo supplied).

The trio named their band “Filament” because they all played string instruments and appreciate the analogy to the light bulb which glows and produces light when an electric current passes through and heats the thin metal filament. 

Kaufman, Walthausen and Few at a recent concert. (Photo supplied).

CAC concerts organizer John Craig said the Cultural Arts Center is pleased to have Filament as their first concert of the year.

“This will be the first concert of 2024, and we are pleased to start off the still young year with a talented young ensemble of baroque musicians,” Craig said.

Craig noted that the CAC doesn’t often have an organ or a harpsichord. 

“Yet, the acoustics of the CAC are virtually designed for these historic instruments,”he said. “I learned about Filament through BachAkademie Charlotte, which just shows how programming top notch classical music is a ‘heard it through the grapevine’ exercise.”

Walthausen said Filament’s performances are intended as a dialogue with each individual audience. He said the music is very personal and it comes out of their partnership and friendship. They want the audience to be a part of that dialogue.

“We really delight in live music in all its forms and any concert will be a little bit different because it is truly of the moment,” he said. “We hope people will come and give this music a try and learn about it and share in this moment that we want to bring.”

For more about Filament, visit their Facebook page or website, http://www.filamentbaroque.com.

The Lancaster Cultural Arts Center.

The Cultural Arts Center is housed in the Old Presbyterian Church on West Gay Street which was built in 1862, the first brick Church building in Lancaster County. The French Gothic Revival style architecture features an arch in the pulpit, a three-sided balcony, and breathtaking stained-glass windows, some reaching nearly 20 feet high. The acoustics are nearly perfect and creates a transcendent concert experience that elevates music to a spiritual experience. 

Craig encourages patrons to purchase their tickets early online. $15 Advance tickets can be purchased at the user-friendly website http://www.lcshp.org. Patrons should call 803-287-6826 if they have any difficulties on the website. Tickets at the door are $20.For more information on the Cultural Arts Center and future performances, visit www.lcshp.org.

 *Headline by The Lancaster News editor, Jane Alford. *

Beaux Arts Chamber Ensemble coming to CAC

The Beaux Arts Chamber Ensemble, featuring the very talented and award-winning pianist Catherine Lan, will perform a classical music concert Sunday, August 6, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. at the Lancaster Cultural Arts Center.

Lan will be accompanied by cellist Claudio Jaffe and flutist Meghan Brachle. The dynamic south-Florida based trio of critically acclaimed musicians have won international competitions, scholarships and grants including the Yale Alumni Ventures Grant.

They perform individually with South Florida Symphony, Palm Beach Symphony and Symphony of the Americas. The trio tours throughout the United States and overseas.

Lan is looking forward to returning to the CAC.

“Since the very first time I performed at this gorgeously unique venue, I immediately fell in love with its acoustics and architectural design,” Lan said. “It is a heavenly space for musicians to freely create and express their stories and emotions through sound.”

She also expressed gratitude to the audience and said their enthusiasm and appreciation inspire them. 

“To be a live performer, we need the audience and the audience at Lancaster Cultural Arts Center is incredible,” she said.

Catherine Lan

Claudio Jaffe

Meghan Brachle

Beaux Arts Chamber Ensemble presents all genres of music from classical to contemporary. They support classical music through engaging repertoires and reach communities of all backgrounds through concerts and outreach programs for children and seniors. 

Jaffe teaches at Palm Beach Atlantic University and is the conductor of the Florida Youth Orchestra. He is principal cellist with the Delray String Quartet. He made his orchestral debut when he was just 11 years old, performing a concerto written specifically for him. Jaffe earned four degrees from Yale University including the Doctor of Musical Arts.

CAC Concerts Organizer John Craig said Lan and her colleagues always wow the audience.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that as a pianist Lan is dazzling. Cellist Claudio Jaffe adds to the performance with his witty and informative commentary on the pieces played,” he said. “This will be flutist Meghan Brachle’s first time at the CAC and I am sure she will be stellar too.”

Lan is a world-touring classical concert pianist and teaches at Broward College in Florida. She is a founding member of several duos including Duo Beaux Arts and Duo Formosa. She earned her Bachelor of Music from Indiana University (Bloomington) and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Miami. 

Brachle, a native of Denver, Colorado, received her musical education at the University of New Orleans and University of Miami. She has performed in major music venues in the U.S., Italy and Ireland.

The trio will be playing works by Bach, Chopin, Mark Summer and the very popular Carmen Fantasy by Georges Bizet. Lan said the concert will showcase each instrument and bring them together at the end with the passionate Piano Trio in C major Op. 66 by Mendelssohn. It was his last chamber music.

Mendelssohn’s music was full of charm and polish and he created pieces with outstanding clarity and balance. The piece is wild and triumphant.

The audience will enjoy the Frenchman Bizet’s operatic composition which tells the story of a soldier seduced by a fiery gypsy woman named Carmen. This musical piece broke new ground in French opera by depicting proletarian life, immorality and lawlessness and ended with the death of the main character on stage. 

For more information on Beaux Arts, visit their website: https://www.catherinelan.com. 

The Cultural Arts Center is housed in the Old Presbyterian Church, at 307 West Gay Street. Built in 1862, it was the first brick Church building in Lancaster County. The French Gothic Revival style architecture features an arch in the pulpit, a three-sided balcony, and breathtaking stained-glass windows, some reaching nearly 20 feet high. 

Advance tickets ($15 plus a small service fee) can be purchased on the user-friendly website www.lcshp.org. Patrons are encouraged to call 803-287-6826 if they have any difficulties on the website. Tickets at the door will be $20. Free on-site and street parking are available.

Fractured Light – Astralis Chamber Ensemble to Perform at CAC

Astralis Chamber Ensemble, world-renowned trio, will perform at the Lancaster Cultural Arts Center at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. 

The Florida-based troupe was founded a decade ago by flutist Angela Massey. The trio have decades of experience playing major venues nationally and abroad. 

The ensemble includes flutist and founder Angela Massey, along with her husband, trumpist, Kris Marshall. Completing the trio is pianist Caroline Owen.

Caroline Owen, Angela Massey, and Kris Marshall. (Supplied)

The Ensemble present concerts for mixed instrumentation across the country and past performances have been described as “captivating” and “dazzling!” They have delighted audiences all over the world. 

They last performed at the Red Rose City on Valentine’s Day when Massey and Marshall shared a little of their love story with the audience. 

The two became engaged and married in the pandemic year of 2020. The couple were wed in a small ceremony in the North Carolina Mountains. 

The ensemble’s mission meshes well with Lancaster’s Cultural Arts Center which is to make  classical music accessible for everyone.

Massey, a South Carolina native, is looking forward to performing in the Palmetto State. 

“It’s always a treat to bring our work and music to audiences in my home state of South Carolina,” Massey said. “We put a lot of thought and work into making each performance unique and a gift to the people in Lancaster.”

They will also be sharing the good news that they are expecting their first child.

“This concert is a special one that brings together my interest in French music and Impressionist Art as well as performing with my husband before our baby girl joins us in November,” Massey said. 

The trio will present “Fractured Light” a charming and captivating concert experience focusing on the use of color in music with the Impressionist movement in France, featuring works by Debussy, Gaubert, an Impressionist-inspired trio by Yuko Uebayashi and other works by Scriabin, Ketting and Alan Elkins. 

This will be Astralis Chamber Ensemble’s fourth performance at the CAC. Chamber music has been described as music of friends and is a perfect fit for the amazing acoustics of the music hall. 

CAC organizer John Craig said “Fractured Light” will be a great autumn concert. 

“Angela Massey and her ensemble always deliver a beautiful and enlivened performance at the CAC,” Craig said. “That’s whey we have them here a couple times a year. Each of their programs is different – different musical theme, varying team composition and instruments.”

He said each time they visit we learn more about the world of classical music.

Massey and Marshall are from Fort Meyers, Florida, which took a direct hit from Cat 4 Hurricane Ian. 

“Our hearts go out to all our friends from Sanibel, Captiva, Pine Island, Cape Coral, Fort Meyers and Naples,” Massey said. 

They will continue their tour and look forward to healing through their music.

Photo from one of their favorite spots on Sanibel Island which was greatly damaged from the storm. (supplied)

Massey has been a featured soloist with the Tryon Concert Association and Kosciusko Foundation in New York City. Marshall is the principal trumpet with the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Venice Symphony and has performed with many orchestras in Florida including the Jacksonville Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Naples Philharmonic and the Florida Orchestra. Owen is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and earned her doctorate of music in piano performance this past May from Florida State University. Owen performs as a soloist and collaborator and has played throughout the U.S. and Europe.

The Cultural Arts Center is housed in the Old Presbyterian Church on West Gay Street which was built in 1862. It was the first brick Church building in Lancaster County. The French Gothic Revival style architecture features an arch in the pulpit, a three-sided balcony, and breathtaking stained glass windows, some reaching nearly 20 feet high. 

For future concerts, Craig encourages those interested to purchase their tickets early, $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at the user-friendly website http://www.lcshp.org. Patrons are encouraged to call 803-287-6826 if they have any difficulties on the website.

Follow Astralis Chamber Ensemble on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. For more on Caroline Owen, visit http://www.carolineowenpiano.com.

Chamber Music for All

Chamber Music for All will perform at the Lancaster Cultural Arts Center Sunday April 18 at 3:00 p.m. 

The ensemble will present “Short Gems for String Quartet,” a sampler of short pieces, all ten minutes or less. The performance will span a diverse array of styles from Schubert to Stravinsky, from Puccini to Wolf, as well as American composers Gershwin and Glass. 

Concert organizer John Craig said, “We are delighted to welcome back Calin Lupanu and his wonderful string quartet to the Cultural Arts Center. Those who attend Charlotte Symphony Orchestra concerts know that he is one of the premier violinists performing in the U.S. today.”

Calin Lupanu

Their performance is accessible and a joyous offering of their gifts.

Craig said he is  especially struck by how their joy in life comes through their music.

Chamber Music for All is more than an ensemble. They are a nonprofit with a mission to broaden the audience for classical music. Lupanu and his wife, Monica Boboc founded the ensemble in 2016. They are committed to providing high quality chamber music and educational programs, for both younger audiences and experienced listeners.

Lupanu feels the arts are at a crucial moment in history, at risk of disappearing and are in need of support and financial help. 

“Humanity can’t afford this,” Lupanu said. “I am not being overly dramatic. I am being realistic based on what I see in the performing arts world.”

Keeping classical music alive depends on getting the next generation hooked.

“We encourage parents to bring their kids to our concerts,” Lupanu said. 

The string quartet are all members of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Lupanu and his wife, Monica Boboc, offer their talents on the violin. Alaina Rea will play the viola. Cellist Sarah Markle completes the quartet.

Lupanu was born in communist Romania. While pursuing his undergraduate studies at the Music Academy in Bucharest in 1989, the bloody Romanian Revolution was underway. The oppressive regime restricted freedom of speech and travel. Lupanu found solace and escape in music – his one freedom of expression. He is passionate to do his part to preserve and share music. 

Lupanu was born into a musical family. His mother was the Principal Harpist of the Philharmonic in Bucharest and his grandfather was the Musical Director of one of the main Opera Houses in Romania.

“I am a strong believer in arts and particularly music education,” he said. “I believe it enriches one’s life and opens up our minds and hearts.”

Lupanu has been with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra since 2003 and an instructor at Gardner Webb University since 2004.

Boboc, a native of Romania, gave her first solo performance with a professional orchestra at the age of 14. She completed her musical studies at the Music Conservatory in Bucharest. She joined the CSO in 2004 and has taught at Gardner Webb University since 2005. 

Rae, a Chicago native, earned a bachelor’s degree of music from The Julliard School and a graduate degree from The Peabody Conservatory. She joined the CSO this past September.

Markle, the cellist, is from Buffalo, New York. She earned her music degrees from the Peabody Conservatory and the Manhattan School of Music. She has been with the CSO since 2014.

She has been with the CSO since 2014.

• 

  Markle

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  Boboc

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  Rae

The upcoming performance at the Cultural Arts Center will be the string quartet’s first live indoor performance in over a year. They have been streaming their concerts online and have performed at one outdoor gathering since the pandemic silenced the music halls.

Lupanu said the quartet is looking forward to feeling the energy between the live audience and the musicians.
The Chamber Music for All will return for two additional concerts this year.

The Cultural Arts Center is housed in the Olde Presbyterian Church on West Gay Street which was built in 1862. It was the first brick Church building in Lancaster County. The French Gothic Revival style architecture features an arch in the pulpit, a three-sided balcony, and breathtaking stained glass windows, some reaching nearly 20 feet high. 

The expanded CAC makes social distancing possible and comfortable. COVID restrictions will cut the 120 capacity in half. Only 60 seats are available. Craig encourages those interested to purchase their tickets early, $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Masks are required. 

The 2020-21 concert series has more than a dozen performances scheduled through December 2021. 

The concerts are sponsored by the Lancaster County Society for Historical Preservation, Craig Farm Historic Preservation Foundation and the Lancaster County Council of the Arts. 

Tickets can be purchased by phone (803)285-7451 or online https://www.cognitoforms.com/LancasterCountyCouncilOfTheArts1/LancasterCulturalArtsCenterTicketing.

For more information on Chamber Music for All, visit their Facebook page.