Concerts at First: Chamber Music Athens
Free (RSVP required)
- Thomas Bara, organ
- David Coucheron, violin
- Kenn Wagner, violin
- Michael Heald, violin
- Maggie Snyder, viola
- James Kim, cello
- Liza Stepanova, piano
- Alan Woo, piano
- Elizabeth Knight, mezzo-soprano
- D. Ray McClellan, clarinet
- Brandon Quarles, saxophone
- Rogelio Bonilla-Piedra, viola
- Gabriella McClellan, cello
Sergei Prokofiev — Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34
Manuel de Falla — Suite from El amor brujo
Chamber Music Athens, UGA's premier national chamber music festival, makes its Atlanta debut with a single performance in collaboration with the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta and its outstanding Concerts @ First concert series. Guests artists perform alongside UGA musicians in gems of the chamber music repertoire. Guests include Atlanta Symphony Orchestra violinists David Coucheron (concertmaster) and Kenn Wagner as well as First Presbyterian Director of the Arts and Organist, Thomas Bara. The program journeys around the world featuring Schumann's glorious Piano Quintet, Prokofiev Overture on Hebrew Themes, Manuel De Falla El amor brujo, and more.
About Concerts at First (Atlanta)
Located at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta in the heart of Midtown right next to the Woodruff Arts Center, Concerts at First presents between 15 to 20 concerts per season with local, national, and international world-class musicians. Let yourself be transformed through outstanding performances by artists of all backgrounds and heritages!
https://concertsatfirst.org/About Chamber Music Athens
Athens' premier chamber music festival, featuring internationally acclaimed guest artists alongside University of Georgia music faculty and students.
https://www.chambermusicathens.org/About Thomas Bara, organ
Thomas Bara is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, the University of Michigan and the Eastman School of Music. At Eastman, he received the prestigious performance certificate and the first Harold Gleason Emerging Artist Award. He served as organ scholar at St. Thomas Church and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.
Bara won first prize in the Arthur Poister National Organ Competition and was a finalist in the National Young Artist Competition and Fort Wayne National Organ Competition. He has performed widely as soloist and as accompanist to the St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, including concerts at the Royal Cathedral, Copenhagen; King’s College, Cambridge; St. John’s Smith Square, London; and St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.
About David Coucheron, violin
About Kenn Wagner, violin
About Michael Heald, violin
Michael Heald is currently Associate Professor of Violin at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, University of Georgia. His performing career began in England where he was a member of the English String Orchestra for three years, recording with Nimbus. In Michigan, he was concertmaster of both the Greater Lansing Symphony Orchestra and the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, and principal second violin of the Michigan Chamber Orchestra. As a member of the American Sinfonietta for five years, Michael performed close to one hundred concerts across Europe, appearing as assistant concertmaster on one of the tours.
Michael studied violin in London, then at the Royal Northern College of Music. He received his masters and doctorate in violin performance at Michigan State University.
https://music.uga.edu/directory/people/michael-healdAbout Maggie Snyder, viola
Violist Maggie Snyder is Professor of Viola at the University of Georgia, Principal Violist of the Chamber Orchestra of New York, with whom she records for Naxos, and is on the Artist-Faculty of the Brevard Music Festival. She has performed solo recitals, chamber music, concertos and as an orchestral musician throughout the United States and abroad
https://www.maggiesnyder.com/About James Kim, cello
Cellist James Kim regularly performs with orchestras around the world as well as giving solo recitals and performing chamber music. He holds an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Manhattan School of Music.
https://www.jameskimcello.com/aboutAbout Liza Stepanova, piano
Liza Stepanova has performed at the Berlin Philharmonie, the Weill and Zankel recital halls at Carnegie Hall; Alice Tully, Merkin, David Geffen, and Steinway halls in New York City and at the Kennedy Center. Stepanova is one of the founders of the Chamber Music Athens festival in Georgia and has been actively involved in performance, teaching and administration of the annual event. Since 2010, Stepanova has been on the faculty at SongFest at The Colburn School in Los Angeles. Stepanova holds degrees from the "Hanns Eisler" Academy in Berlin, Germany (BM) and The Juilliard School (MM, DMA). Following teaching positions at Juilliard and Smith College, Stepanova is currently an associate professor of piano at the University of Georgia.
https://www.liza-stepanova.com/About Alan Woo, piano
About Elizabeth Knight, mezzo-soprano
Elizabeth Johnson Knight, American mezzo soprano, is in demand as both a choral and solo artist. She is a long-time member of the Chorale of the Carmel Bach Festival. She has recorded with many ensembles, including the GRAMMY-nominated Tyberg: Masses album with South Dakota Chorale.
Knight joined the faculty of the University of Georgia's Hugh Hodgson School of Music in 2016 after holding teaching positions at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, the University of Louisiana, Monroe, Murray State University, the University of North Texas, and Richland College. Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of North Texas (DMA), Indiana University (MM), and the University of Mississippi (BM).
https://music.uga.edu/directory/people/elizabeth-knightAbout D. Ray McClellan, clarinet
About Brandon Quarles, saxophone
Dr. Brandon Quarles is a music-maker and teacher who thrives on cross-genre collaborations. A native of Ringgold, Georgia, Dr. Quarles is the Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Prior to joining the faculty of UGA, Dr. Quarles was the Associate Lecturer in Classical Saxophone at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was an Instructor for Northwestern University’s general music curriculum.
Dr. Quarles’ performance experience spans a wide array of genres and styles on a variety of instruments. As a saxophonist, he has performed with symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles, and indie rock bands. An advocate for new music, he has given the premiere of over 70 works for the saxophone.
Dr. Quarles was one of the founding members of ~Nois, a Chicago-based saxophone quartet dedicated to contemporary classical music and improvisation. Dr. Quarles served as the organization’s Executive Director and soprano saxophonist from 2016 to 2021, and he now serves on its Advisory Board. During his five years performing with the quartet, Dr. Quarles was awarded top prizes at prestigious chamber music competitions such as the Silver Medal at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the Second Prize in the M-Prize International Chamber Arts Competition’s Open Division.
Since the mid 2000’s, Dr. Quarles has been playing and composing rock and pop music, performing on keyboards, guitars, electronics, saxophones, and vocals. Under the artist name The Employment Pages, Dr. Quarles released his debut album of original songs titled All My Ghosts in 2023.
In addition to performing and composing, Dr. Quarles loves teaching. He is regularly invited to give guest lectures on a variety of topics including saxophone composition, improvisation, entrepreneurship, and more. Since 2021, Dr. Quarles has led the University of Georgia Saxophone Day which helps prepare high school saxophonists for collegiate and All-State auditions. Dr. Quarles holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in saxophone performance with a cognate in music theory from Northwestern University along with the Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from Northwestern and the University of Georgia, respectively.