St. Philip’s Friends of Music, celebrating their 20th Anniversary season, recently completed the annual Lenten Recital Series. This year the group chose to showcase talented area high school students as a natural outgrowth of the newly adopted tagline accompanying Friends of Music’s publicity efforts: Feel the Past • Hear the Present • See the Future.
The Friends of Music Lenten Series, subtitled Rising Stars in the Next Musical Generation, featured six gifted young high school musicians: Miranda Agnew, trumpet; Grace Sheppard, guitar; Daniel Rosenberg, baritone; Carissa Powe, violin; Cameron Williams, piano; and Claire Thai, harp. Each young artist enchanted their audiences with skill and poise. Judging from audience reaction, this was the best received Lenten Series in recent memory. Friends of Music is pleased with the reception these young artists received and plan to continue to showcase young talent next season as the 2017 Lenten Series will feature undergraduate students from the Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona.
Pianist Cameron Williams
Violinist Carissa Powe
Harpist Claire Thai
Baritone Daniel Rosenberg
The Lenten Series is just one segment of Friends of Music’s impressive 20th Anniversary season. The 2015–2016 season began on October 24, 2015, with the innovative, entertaining, and audience pleasing Musical Menu Concert in which audience members were invited to select pieces to be played from an extensive “menu” of selections. This inaugural concert broke down the barriers between the artists and the audience, allowing for an informal but satisfying concert experience, and was followed by a gala reception.
Musical Menu concert
In November, Ronstadt Generations returned to the St. Philip’s stage, followed in January by the one act opera Amahl and the Night Visitors.
Ronstadt Generations concert
Also in January, the Bolton Guitar Quartet appeared in their debut performance.
Bolton Guitar Quartet
On March 5, 2016, Friends of Music helped celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Bach Marathon.
Bach Marathon: featured soloist Jonathan Biggers with Woosug Kang, Jeffrey Campbell, and Anne Cotten
On April 10, 2016, David and Wynne Rife were joined by their professional cellist daughters and friends to present chamber music for strings.
Rife Family Quartet
Rounding out the 2015–2016 season will be the Roth-Buchholz-Gibson Trio on April 24.
The work of the Friends of Music continues, as plans for the 2016–2017 season are well underway. The 2016–2017 season will begin with the return of the popular Summer Sizzlers Series. Watch for the announcement of the artists and dates soon.
The mission of St. Philip’s Friends of Music is to enrich the musical experiences of the parish and wider community by providing concerts, community outreach, education, scholarships, commissioned works and support of special musical events, ultimately enhancing parish growth and providing support to other ministries. In fulfillment of this mission, and in addition to bringing outstanding concerts to the parish family, Friends of Music is pleased to help talented young choristers from St. Philip’s participate in the Summer 2016 UK residency in Worcester, England, continue support of the outreach of the After School Music Program, help children attend Summer Choir Camp on Mt. Lemmon, and help with instrument maintenance and choir robes.
How can you support Friends of Music in fulfilling their mission? Plan to attend Friends of Music concerts and enjoy these varied, inspiring and entertaining concerts.
Need more information on St. Philip’s Friends of Music? Check out:
E-mail friendsofmusic@stphilipstucson.org
Online: www.friendsofmusictucson.org
Facebook: St. Philip’s Friends of Music, Tucson
Phone: (520) 222-7277
—text and photos by Roger Rainbolt
