Stage 7 Pianos: consonari in Concert
$20
- Anna Larson, violin
- Kaden Larson, piano
Nikolai Medtner — Three Nocturnes for Violin and Piano, Op. 16
Edvard Grieg — Violin Sonata No. 2 in G major, Op. 13
Anna Larson
Anna Larson is a passionate chamber and orchestral musician, as well as a studio musician and soloist. Originally from Issaquah, WA, she now performs and teaches in Tyler, TX and the greater East Texas region. Beginning her musical studies on the piano at age 4, Anna later discovered a passion for the violin that led her to pursue a life of music. She is an adjunct instructor in applied violin and chamber music at the University of Texas at Tyler, and maintains a small private studio. Anna has given masterclasses at BYU-Idaho and the Helen Elbert Collaborative Music Festival, and has served as a judge for multiple regional competitions.
An avid chamber musician, Anna frequently performs in collaborative ensemble consonari with her husband, Dr. Kaden Larson (piano). She also serves as secretary for the Collaborative Musicians' Project, Inc. and heads their community outreach program. Anna enjoys mentoring young musicians, and has taught for Indiana University’s Fairview Violin Program, as an elementary string instructor in the Monroe County Community School Corporation, and has coached violin sectionals for the East Texas Youth Orchestras.
Anna is a section violinist in multiple regional orchestras, including the Longview Symphony and Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. Past leadership roles include Assistant Principal Second Violin of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and Assistant Concertmaster of the Ensign Symphony and Chorus.
Anna received her Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees in Violin Performance from Indiana University, studying with Austin Hartman and Grigory Kalinovsky. Other mentors have included Jan Coleman and Simon James. She has participated in multiple international music festivals, including the Atlantic Music Festival as an Instrumental Fellow in 2021, Philadelphia International Music Festival, where she received Honorable Mention in the 2017 Concerto Competition, Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy, and ARIA International Summer Academy. She has also performed as a soloist with the Ensign Symphony and Chorus.
Outside of music, Anna enjoys cooking and baking, learning new board games, reading, spending time outside, and entertaining her orange tabby cat Apollo.
Dr. Kaden Larson
At the age of two, Dr. Kaden Larson was struck with a severely crippling case of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in his hands and feet. The piano served, initially, as a therapeutic activity to fight the disease. What began as a trial became a triumph and a calling. Active as a solo and collaborative pianist, passionate teacher, and lifelong learner, Kaden’s goal is to use music to promote faith, compassion, beauty, and a greater appreciation for the joys and challenges of life that bring people closer together.
Energized by a broad spectrum of musical styles from the academic to the popular, Kaden is an avid recitalist who regularly performs throughout his home state of Utah and has performed in locations throughout the United States and Europe. Working to make classical music accessible and enjoyable to new audiences, Kaden is a founding member of the Ensign Piano Quartet and the consonari ensemble project.
Professor of Piano/Music at Tyler Junior College, Kaden enjoys working with students of all ages and abilities. His involvement with various chapters of the Music Teachers’ National Association has included leadership, presentations at state and national pedagogy conferences, and organization of various music initiatives. Kaden currently serves as an adjudicator for the Bay Area Piano Competition.
Kaden earned a Bachelor of Music degree at Brigham Young University, graduating summa cum laude, during which time he also spent a term of music study in Vienna, Austria. Graduate studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music include a Master of Music degree, a Performer’s Certificate, and a Doctorate of Music in Piano Performance and Literature. His mentors include Tricia West, Chad Schumacher, Dr. Scott Holden, Dr. Stephen Beus, and Norman Krieger. Kaden also credits his angelically patient parents for many of the early victories and their continued enthusiastic encouragement. He has been a prizewinner or finalist in numerous competitions, including most recently the 2023 Virtuoso Artists Festival, hosted by the Seattle International Piano Festival.
When he's not locked away practicing, Kaden enjoys skiing, hiking, baking, and generally breaking the fourth wall. He also enjoys developing his skills at the organ, being involved with local choral arts, and composing and arranging. Kaden and his wife Anna are happily employed as domestic help for a loquacious orange tabby named Apollo. Kaden recently released his first album, Phantasium, on the KNS Classical label. Visit kadenlarsonpiano.com for bookings, concert schedule, and more.
Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube @ensembleconsonari, and at https://comusicpro.org/consonari
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Program:
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78
Vivace ma non troppoAdagioAllegro molto moderato-Brief Break-
Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951)
Three Nocturnes for Violin and Piano, Op. 16
Andante con moto, sempre leggieroLargamenteModeratoEdvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Violin Sonata No. 2 in G major, Op. 13
Lento doloroso - Poco allegro - Allegro vivace - PrestoAllegretto tranquilloAllegro animato*****************************************Refreshments available
About consonari
Ensemble project consonari was founded in 2019 by violinist Anna Larson and pianist Dr. Kaden Larson while studying at Indiana University. Their goal is to create opportunities to share the joys of music with others in an open collaboration project. consonari is a sponsored ensemble of Collaborative Musicians' Project, Inc., an organization that promotes innovative chamber ensemble performance and education. As a sponsored ensemble, consonari coaches and performs side-by-side with members of the Youth Ensemble Program, and gives performances and workshops in K-12 schools.
consonari prioritizes programming contemporary music and lesser-known works from any era, especially those by under-represented composers. This includes a recent world premiere of George N. Gianopolous' Introduction, Allegro, and Grand Romance, Op. 13b.
They have performed as guest artists at Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University-Idaho, and at the Helen Elbert Collaborative Music Festival. consonari has been recognized in multiple competitions, including receiving a Distinguished Gold Medal at the 2023 Virtuoso Artists Festival hosted by the Seattle International Piano Festival and First Prize in the 2022 International Clara Schumann Competition.
https://comusicpro.org/consonariAbout Anna Larson, violin
Anna Larson (Issaquah, WA) received a BM and MM in Violin Performance from Indiana University (2019) where she studied with Grigory Kalinovsky and Austin Hartman. Other mentors have included Jan Coleman, Simon James, and Hiro David. Beginning her musical studies at a young age, Anna started with the piano, but it was a passion for the violin that led her to pursue a life of music. She frequently performs in many settings as an orchestral and chamber musician, as well as a studio musician and soloist. She has participated in multiple music festivals, including the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, where she performed concertos with orchestra in 2015 and 2016; the Philadelphia International Music Festival, where she received Honorable Mention in the Concerto Competition in 2017; the Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy, and ARIA International Summer Academy. She appears in the orchestral tracks on Jennifer Thomas' most recent album The Fire Within. Anna currently holds the position of Assistant Concertmaster of the Ensign Symphony, records for her YouTube channel, and enjoys mentoring young violinists.
https://www.uttyler.edu/directory/music/larson.phpAbout Kaden Larson, piano
Kaden Larson (Bluffdale, UT) began playing piano at age three as a therapeutic activity to help fight a severely crippling case of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. What began as a trial has now become a triumph. Kaden is an avid recitalist and loves to share music with audiences of all backgrounds. He regularly gives recitals throughout his home state of Utah, and has performed throughout the United States, Austria, and Ireland. Kaden has soloed with the Oquirrh Mountain Symphony, Utah Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of Brigham Young University, and the BYU Philharmonic, among others. He earned his BM in Piano Performance from Brigham Young University (2018), studying with Dr. Scott Holden, and MM from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (2020), studying with Norman Krieger. Also active as a collaborative pianist, organist, composer/arranger, and teacher, Kaden is a frequent presenter at piano pedagogy conferences, and a founding member of the Ensign Piano Quartet.
https://www.kadenlarsonpiano.com/