Led by Dr. John Cobb and Gwenna Roberts, Hendersonville’s First United Methodist Church is holding a free public piano concert featuring the talent of several students, including fifteen year old award magnet Christopher Tavernier. Organizers have brought in two Perzina grand pianos for the “Island of Reflections” recital.
Tavernier has been applauded for his participation with the Tar River Philharmonic Orchestra, Appalachian Classical Music Association’s Young Artist competition, junior Charlotte and Augusta Symphony’s concerto competitions, Elizabeth Harper Vaughn National concerto competition and other similar youth events. The prodigy has been featured by NPR, WLOS, WCQS and other media organizations.
He will play two piano concertos during the recital — Mendelssohn’s piano concerto No.1 Mvt. I and II and Prokofiev’s third piano concerto no. 1, mvt. 1. — at 204 Sixth Avenue West in Hendersonville at 4 p.m.
More from First United Methodist Church:
The ocean breeze wafts across the “Island of Reflections” as the sun sets on the horizon.
It is like a painting with all the subtle shades of approaching evening in paradise.
We bask in the light of the moon as the piano sings to our hearts.This student recital promises the quiet joy of moonlit terraces in paradise.
You will hear some of the most inspired works by Debussy and other great composers:
L’Isle Joyeuse, Moonlight Sonata, Clair de Lune, and some of the most joyous music ever played on two pianos by some of the most gifted students.Dr. John Cobb and Gwenn Roberts have brought together some of their very gifted students and promises the quiet joy of moonlit terraces in paradise. Special Guest include; Christopher Tavernier, who will be performing two piano concertos. Mendelssohn’s piano concerto No.1 Mvt. I & II and Prokofiev’s third piano concerto no. 1, mvt. 1.
Freeburg Pianos is bringing in two 6’1″ Perzina grand pianos for this recital. Both are model T-188, ebony polish, which is the flagship of the Perzina piano line, exclusively at Freeburg Pianos. Keith Freeburg is tuning each of the Perzina grands in the Equal Beating Victorian Temperament, which favors the top half of the circle of fifths, bringing out the various tone colors in the different keys. This provides the perfect sweet sound for the “Island of Reflections” concert.
About Christopher Tavernier
Christopher Tavernier made his orchestral debut with the Tar River Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of thirteen, performing the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 on the opening concert of the Orchestra’s Fall 2013 Season at the Dunn Center for the Performing Arts in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.Christopher began his piano studies at the age of six, and now at fifteen he has won several competitions, including the 2012 Appalachian Classical Music Association’s Young Artist’s Competition in Johnson City, Tennessee, and in 2014 the junior division of the Charlotte Symphony’s Concerto Competition, and the Concerto Competition of the Symphony Orchestra of Augusta Georgia. Additionally, he was one of two finalists for the Elizabeth Harper Vaughn National Concerto Competition in Kingsport, Tennessee and the youngest performer in the history of the competition, which admits contestants up to the age of twenty five. He performed Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
Christopher’s concerto repertoire includes concertos by Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. He maintains a broad solo repertoire, including many works by his favorite composer, Franz Liszt. In addition, he has in his repertoire Liszt’s two operatic paraphrases for two pianos. Christopher’s pianistic lineage and training extends from Liszt through his teacher, Dr. John Cobb, who studied with Claudio Arrau, and whose teacher was a pupil of Franz Liszt. For the last two seasons, Christopher and Dr. Cobb have played massive fundraising concerts to benefit Mission Foundation’s fight against women’s breast cancer. Christopher continues to perform in support of this foundation.
Christopher is also a dedicated chamber music player. In 2014 Last season he performed, on both piano and harpsichord, the Bach Triple Concerto, BWV 1044, with the Rutherford Chamber Consort – a professional chamber music ensemble headquartered in Western North Carolina. This season he is scheduled to play Schubert’s Trout Quintet and a Suite by Milhaud with the group.
Christopher has been featured on ABC affiliate television station WLOS, and has performed on NPR station WCQS, Asheville, NC. He is the first International Perzina Artist, through Freeburg Pianos, and a member of the Asheville Area Piano Forum.
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