MEDIA CONTACT: Judy Moore at 847-491-4819 or jkm229@northwestern.edu

March 8, 2005

Northwestern to Present Spring 2005 String Festival March 29-April 9

EVANSTON, Ill. --- The Northwestern University School of Music’s 2005 12-day festival “Rite of Strings: From Bach to Django” (March 29 to April 9) will feature such renowned international guest artists as violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, cellist Carter Brey, bassist Edgar Meyer and Mark O’Connor’s Hot Swing Trio, as well as master classes and an 11-hour film festival.

String festival events will be held at several Evanston campus locations, as noted below.

The spring festival kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle Drive, with violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and duo-guitarists Sergio and Odair Assad. The trio will perform Bach’s Sonata in E Major, Bartok’s “Six Rumanian Folk Dances,” Ginastera’s “Danzas Argentines” and a medley of music by Charlie Chaplin. Tickets are $30 for the general public, $24 for senior citizens and Northwestern staff and faculty members; and $10 for students.

Renowned cellist Carter Brey, who is the principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic, will share his expertise with students during a cello master class from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, at Regenstein Recital Hall, 60 Arts Circle Drive. Later that day, Brey will perform a 7:30 p.m. program at Pick-Staiger that includes Villa-Lobos’ “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1” for cello ensemble. The master class is free. Concert tickets are $21 for the general public; $17 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $10 for students.

Violinist Mauricio Fuks, a professor at Indiana University and an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music, will lead a master class from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 1, at Regenstein Hall. His violin master class is free and open to the public.

Minnesota Orchestra cellist Janet Horvath, an expert on musicians’ repetitive stress injuries and author of “Playing (less) Hurt: An Injury Prevention Guide for Musicians,” will teach student string players how to avoid injuries during her three-hour master class that starts at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Lutkin Hall, 700 University Place. Admission is free and open to the public.

Multi Grammy Award-winning violinist/composer/fiddler Mark O’Connor will perform with his Hot Swing Trio at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Pick-Staiger. The trio, also featuring bassist Jon Burr and guitarist Frank Vignola, will perform music made famous by gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and Paris-born jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli. Tickets are $25 for the general public; $21 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $10 for students. World-renowned violist, composer and Indiana University Professor Atar Arad will host a master class from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, at Regenstein Recital Hall. Arad, who also is a professor at the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Institute, will share his expertise in this free class.

Five of Chicago’s most illustrious and innovative jazz musicians will combine their talents for the first time to form the Chicago All-Star Electric String Ensemble at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 7, at Pick-Staiger. Electric guitarist John Moulder, electric violinist Zachary Brock, electric cellist Larry Gray, electric stand-up bassist Brian Torff and drummer Paul Wertico form the quintet. Tickets are $12 for the general public; $8.50 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $5.50 for students.

Multiple Grammy Award-winning bassist Edgar Meyer demonstrates his talent at 7:30 p.m.  Friday, April 8, at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. A touring soloist, Meyer is a member of New York’s Lincoln Center Chamber Players. Meyer also has collaborated with legendary musicians including cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Tickets to this special event are $21 for the general public; $17 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $10 for students.

For youngsters aged 3 to 8 and their families, the Rite of Strings Festival will present a “Kids Fare: String Thing” concert at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 9, at Pick-Staiger. Children are invited to pluck, pick and strum along on their favorite string instrument. Tickets are $5 for the general public; $4 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $3 for students and children.

The festival concludes with the “Monster String Concert” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at Pick-Staiger. Living up to its name, this event includes guest artists and School of Music faculty members and students performing works by Mahler, Beethoven, Bach, Saint-Saëns and others. The evening will include a performance by 70 cellists. Tickets are $14 for the general public; $10 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $5.50 for students.

As a complement to the live events, the “Rite of Strings Film Festival” will feature an 11-hour movie marathon from noon to 11 p.m. Sunday, April 3, at Regenstein Recital Hall. The film festival includes the Academy Award-nominated 1999 documentary “Speaking in Strings,” a profile of Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, one of the world’s most acclaimed violinists and the 1999 film “The Red Violin,” featuring contemporary composer John Corigliano’s music and winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Capping off the film festival is a rare showing of the Italian movie “Paganini Horror,” featuring a Stradivarius violin as a lethal weapon. Admission to the film festival is free. Some films are for mature audiences only.

For more information, call the Pick-Staiger Concert Office at (847) 491-5441.

To order tickets, call the Pick-Staiger Ticket Office at (847) 467-4000.