Grammy-winning cellist to perform at historical sites
Renowned cellist Eugene Friesen will perform two upcoming shows in Harmony.
Local musicians and singers will join Friesen at 8 p.m. Oct. 14 at Grace Church of Harmony, 538 Main St., when he performs selections from his CD “In Harmony,” which was recorded in the Harmony Museum wine cellar.
A wine and cheese reception will precede the concert from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Stewart Hall at the museum, which is across the street from the church.
“We are excited to have Friesen back in Western Pennsylvania, performing some of the music created long ago by Harmony Society members,” said Andrew Orient, museum board member. “The concert will be a mix of old and new music, with some amazing local voices and musicians added into the mix.”
Friesen will perform again at 11 a.m. Oct. 15 at the museum’s Mennonite Meetinghouse, 114 Wise Road, Harmony.
The contemplative concert is to honor and comfort those whose lives have been touched and challenged by cancer.
Cost for the Saturday show at Grace Church of Harmony and the wine-and-cheese reception is $20 for Harmony Museum members, $25 for nonmembers and $10 for students. Tickets are available at harmonymuseum.org.
The Sunday concert is free.
The four-time Grammy Award-winner is active internationally as a cellist, composer, conductor and teacher.
His repertoire and improvisational style have been featured in concerts internationally with the Paul Winter Consort and with Trio Globo.
Friesen has been featured on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” and recorded with a diverse variety of artists, and he is a pioneer in the teaching of improvisation to classically-trained musicians.
He is an artist-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, and professor of music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
The concert in Harmony is being sponsored by Peoples Gas, Rodgers Brother, Inc., and U.S. Liner Co.
