The Frederic & Jocelyne Scheer Foundation announced today that it would be sponsoring An Evening with Chopin, a concert dedicated to showcasing the talents of young pianists from around the world. The concert will be available for streaming on April 10 at 2pm CDT on Valhalla Media Live for one week from the time of release.

According to the foundation, "the pandemic and following civil unrest has created a dire situation for the world of arts and especially for young promising artists, the Board of our Foundation has decided to redirect its efforts to support and strengthen local community in attributing grants to young artists in the United States and overseas."

Filmed in Latvia, Azerbaijan, and Italy, three rising stars were chosen to participate in the Chopin-centric program hosted from Australia by Madeline Cross Parkin, the foundation's Director of Grants (Brisbane, Australia). Audiences can expect to hear from Katrina Suroveca (Riga, Latvia), Murad Abasov (Baku, Azerbaijan), and Martina Consonni (Como, Italy) in the 60 minute concert stream. The repertoire will range from Chopin classics to rarely heard gems.
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Valhalla Media Live and its team has been tasked with spearheading the filming logistics and post-production of the multi-country offering, aiming to fulfill their mission of bringing world class artistry to viewers around the world. The stream will be viewable on any smart device and remain available for 72 hours after initial purchase.

There is a suggested fee for the concert, but there is a pay what you want option as well.

The event can be streamed here.

Berit Hagen, also known as Commander In Chief, Releasing Guitar Album “The Virtuoso” in Collaboration with Craig Ogden.

The album, entitled “The Virtuoso,” includes eight songs in which Hagen collaborates with Craig Ogden. Additionally, three of the album’s tracks are her original works and include her vocal and piano performance. Her renditions of “Moonlight Sonata” and “Toccata & Fugue” were produced by John Haywood. The album was released on November 20th, 2020.

Hagen is extremely skilled not only at 7 string guitar but also is a Bel Canto trained opera singer. Hagen has released performances of works by Black Sabbath, Sarasate, as well as her own compositions.

​You can learn more at her website here.

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​ Jupiter String Quartet Premiering Stephen Andrew Taylor’s Chaconne/Labyrinth in Virtual Concert

A virtual concert of the Jupiter String Quartet on April 3, presented by Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, will feature not only Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden” String Quartet No. 14 but also a world premiere of Chaconne/Labyrinth by Stephen Andrew Taylor. In fact, the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, or AFCM, commissioned the latter piece. During the concert, Taylor will speak regarding the piece. The concert will be recorded at University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana’s Smith Memorial Recital Hall.


The Quartet is made up of
Nelson Lee, violinist
Meg Freivogel, violinist
Liz Freivogel, violist
Daniel McDonough, cellist
Daniel is Meg’s husband, and Meg and Liz Freivogel are sisters.


Having been a Quartet for 19 years now, the group has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and have appeared at festivals including the Virginia Arts Festival and Bowdoin Music Festival. Since 2012, the Jupiter String Quartet has been artists-in-residence at University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

​More information can be found here.

                                                                                                      Georgia Coles
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Due to pandemic losses, the Charleston Symphony has taken the unusual step of eliminating the position of Music Director (conductor).

The post will be filled by guest conductors on an as needed basis.  Remaining duties will be handled by the concertmaster who is also principal pops conductor.

​The whole story can be found here.

This fall will bring the first performance of the Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra, a new orchestra in Macon, Georgia. This is the first time Macon, Georgia has had a symphony since 2017, when after 41 years, the Macon Symphony ended.


The Macon-Mercer Symphony includes the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University’s Townsend School of Music. Additionally, members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will play music with music majors at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings.


The Macon-Mercer Symphony’s opening performance will be at the Grand Opera House in fall of this year. The performance will include Bob Lennon, a musician from Macon. Additionally, the symphony will have four concerts per year, and performances will include both classical and current works.

A $300,000 grant from the Peyton Anderson Foundation is enabling the orchestra to get off to a solid beginning.

Learn more by clicking here.


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