Society marks Harp Week with workshops, concert

Harpists will be in the spotlight from Monday through June 24 as the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the American Harp Society celebrates Harp Week with a host of events.

This year the chapter is collaborating with Owens Community College, where rehearsals and workshops will be held.

The culmination of the week is a free concert June 23 featuring 10 area harpists: Alicia Allen, Caili Bonar, Emily Cihon, Elise Clines, Gabriella Crisp, Hannah Ludwig, Deborah Roberts, Moriah Umbs, Nancy Lendrim, and Denise Grupp-Verbon.

Lendrim and Grupp-Verbon are co-founders and co-directors of the musical group.

Performing on the Mainstage Theatre of the Owens Center for Fine and Performing Arts, the musicians will show off the ancient instrument in many compositions for solo and ensemble.

“Attendees will not be disappointed with the musical variety and stylistic flourishes of this year’s presentation,” promises Grupp-Verbon, adjunct instructor at Owens.

●

The University of Toledo through its Persian Student Association will present three-time Grammy Award nominee, Maestro Kayhan Kalhor, a world-renowned kamanche virtuoso, at 8 p.m. June 24 in Doermann Theater.

Born in Tehran in 1963, Kalhor has kept the ancient tradition of Persian classical music alive. A child prodigy on the kamanche (Persian spiked fiddle), he is a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project. He also has composed for and performed with the Brooklyn Riders group for years. In Toledo, Kalhor will perform with percussionist Behrouz Jamali.

Kalhor lives in Iran and is touring the United States and Europe. Tickets are $20-$40 and can be purchased at the door, online at www.radiojavan.com/events/event/2103, or by calling 419-902-4106.

●

Matthew Polenzani, left, performs as Ernesto opposite John Del Carlo as Don Pasquale during a dress rehearsal at the Metropolitan Opera. The production will be presented as part of the opera's 'Live in HD' series Wednesday at RAVE Fallen Timbers.

Ukrainian pianist Irina Arbatskaya will present a free concert at 8 p.m. June 24 in the Great Gallery of the Toledo Museum of Art.

The Odessa native, 23, studied piano at Bowling Green State University and is pursuing a diploma from the Mannes College of Music in New York City.

She is a past gold medal winner of the Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competition and in 2003 and 2006 won the concerto competition at the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina.

She was a finalist in the 2007 Iowa International Piano Competition and won the Leo Sirota Memorial Award and third prize at the Corpus Christi, Texas, International Competition.

Arbatskaya will perform an all-Chopin program including Polonaise-Fantasie Op. 61; 12 Etudes Op. 10, and 12 Etudes Op. 25.

●

With the Metropolitan Opera’s successful Live in HD series, the opera season never seems to end. This summer, RAVE Motion Pictures Fallen Timbers Cinema has scheduled encore performances of the most popular productions from last season on Wednesday evenings.

The next broadcast will present Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Starring roles will be sung by soprano Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecien, and John Del Carlo in the title role. James Levine conducts this Otto Schenk production.

On June 29, veteran tenor Placido Domingo will sing the title role of Simon Bocanegra, Verdi’s political thriller of an opera, written for a baritone. Joining Domingo in the cast will be Adrianne Pieczonka, Marcello Giordani, and James Morris. Levine conducts.

On July 13, French soprano Natalie Dessay stars in Daughter of the Regiment, a Laurent Pelly production of the Donizetti comic opera also starring Diego Florez and Marian Seldes. Marco Armiliato conducts.

On July 20, the 2009 production of Puccini’s drama, Tosca, stars Karita Mattila in the title role, with Marcelo Alvarez as Cavarodossi and George Gagnidze as Scarpia.

The series wraps up July 27 with a rebroadcast of Don Carlo, the Verdi drama, featuring tenor Roberto Alagna in the title role, with Marina Poplayskaya, Anna Smirnova, Simon Keenlyside, Ferruccio Furlanetto, and Eric Halfyarson. Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducted this 2010 production.

All screenings begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 at the box office.

Items for News of Music should be sent to svallongo@theblade.com at least two weeks ahead of performance date.