Events Calendar
Classical Crossroads’
First Fridays at First! ~ fff
~ presents ~
TRIO ONDINE
BOGLÁRKA KISS flute
ALMA LISA FERNANDEZ viola
ALISON BJORKEDAL harp
Friday, March 1, 2019 at 12:15 p.m.
Complimentary reception follows
First Lutheran Church and School — Torrance
2900 W. Carson Street, Torrance, CA 90503
(On the south side Carson Street just east of Maple Ave.
Park in the Church lot or on the surface streets
in the surrounding neighborhood.)
Free Admission, Donations Appreciated
www.palosverdes.com/
Boglárka Kiss flute Alison Bjorkedal harp Alma Lisa Fernandez viola
Formed in 2005 as Duo Ondine by flutist Boglarka Kiss and harpist Alison Bjorkedal, the duo invited their good friend and violist Alma Fernandez to join them to explore the unique repertoire for flute, viola, and harp that Debussy first used in his great late impressionistic masterpiece.
Praised for her “rich and full tone,” flutist Boglárka Kiss performs as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, and a recording artist on many kinds of flutes for film and album projects in LA’s studio scene. She was a Yamaha Prize winner at the Julius Baker International Flute Seminar. She performed the U.S. premiere of Endre Szervánszky’s Flute Concerto, and premiered American works in her native Hungary, such as the Flute Sonata of Grammy-winning composer, Billy Childs. Currently, she is piccolo soloist of the Golden State Pops and performs in several other orchestras including the Pasadena Symphony. She recorded her solo debut album Air in 2006. Boglárka earned her doctoral degree in 2013. She teaches music at Pasadena City College, maintains a private flute studio, and is in demand as a masterclass teacher, music coach, and lecturer.
Alison Bjorkedal is a freelance, Grammy Award-winning harpist who teaches and performs in the Los Angeles area. She is a member of Southwest Chamber Music, Golden State Pops Orchestra and MUSE/IQUE. Alison has performed with the San Diego Symphony, Pasadena Symphony/Pops Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony, Long Beach Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, and wildUP. She earned her Master’s and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees in harp performance at the USC Thornton School of Music, where she studied with JoAnn Turovsky. Alison is on the faculty at California Institute of the Arts, teaches Music Appreciation at Pasadena City College, and maintains a private harp studio.
Violist Alma Fernandez attended the Oberlin Conservatory and UCLA, where she received a Master’s Degree in Viola Performance. She performs regularly with such ensembles as the LA Opera Orchestra, LA Master Chorale, Long Beach Symphony, and Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician, she has been described as “…a soulful violist.” (Mark Swed – LA Times). She is a member of the Eclipse Quartet and as a member of the Denali String Quartet, she gave the world premiere of Ben Johnston’s “Revised Standards” on the Jacaranda Chamber Music Series in Santa Monica. She has also worked closely with composer Tigran Mansurian, having given the West Coast premiere of his Percussion & Viola duet in 2007. Alma participated in the Dilijan Chamber Music Series featuring Mansurian’s third string quartet, with an interpretation that was described by the LA Times as a “gripping, expert performance.”
The Concert
The First Fridays at First! ~ fff recitals carries on in Torrance the tradition of the popular Bach’s Lunch Recitals, formerly held for over 20 years in Manhattan Beach. The finest Southland and international professional artists perform half-hour recitals on first Fridays at First Lutheran Church & School from October through June. Receptions with the artists follows with complimentary organic fair-trade coffee, a freshly baked treat, and a seasonal fruit selection.
Rolling Hills United Methodist Church’s
SECOND SUNDAYS AT TWO
~ presents ~
Violinist LINDA WANG & Pianist ROBERT THIES
Sunday, May 12, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. sharp!
Rolling Hills United Methodist Church
26438 Crenshaw Blvd.
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
(NE corner of Crenshaw & PV Drive North)
Free. Donations appreciated – 100% for the artists
Two Stellar Concerto Soloists & Good Friends
Return for Their Third Appearance as a Duo
on the “Second Sundays At Two” Series
Violinist LINDA WANG
Since her solo debut with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta at the age of nine, Juilliard- and USC-trained violinist Linda Wang has performed concertos with leading orchestras worldwide. Linda’s numerous solo recitals have taken her across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. in such renowned venues as New York City’s Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam’s Beurs van Berlage and the BerlinSchauspielhaus. Ms. Wang is Associate Professor of Violin at University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. A favorite on the Sundays At Two series, this will be Linda’s fourth appearance, and third as a duo partner with Robert Thies.
& Pianist ROBERT THIES
Pianist Robert Thies won the Gold Medal at the International Prokofiev Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1995. Since then he has been highly sought after as a concerto soloist by leading orchestras worldwide. Robert is once again returning to the Palos Verdes Peninsula where he grew up for his seventh appearance on the Second Sundays At Two series.
Rolling Hills United Methodist Church’s
SECOND SUNDAYS AT TWO
~ presents ~
Violinist LINDA WANG & Pianist ROBERT THIES
Sunday, May 12, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. sharp!
Rolling Hills United Methodist Church
26438 Crenshaw Blvd.
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
(NE corner of Crenshaw & PV Drive North)
The Artists
Two Stellar Concerto Soloists & Good Friends
Return for Their 3rd Appearance Together
on the “Second Sundays At Two” Series
Violinist LINDA WANG & Pianist ROBERT THIES
Since her solo debut with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta at the age of nine, Juilliard- and USC-trained violinist Linda Wang has performed concertos with leading orchestras worldwide. Linda’s numerous solo recitals have taken her across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. in such renowned venues as New York City’s Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam’s Beurs van Berlage and the Berlin Schauspielhaus. Ms. Wang is Professor of Violin and Chair of Strings at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music.
Pianist Robert Thies is an artist renowned for his 
consummate musicianship and poetic temperament. He first captured worldwide attention in 1995 when he won the Gold Medal at the Second International Prokofiev Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. With this victory, Robert Thies became the only American pianist to win first prize in a Russian piano competition since Van Cliburn’s famed triumph in Moscow in 1958.
The Program
An Afternoon of Fantasies for Violin and Piano
Nicola Matteis (1650-1714)
Fantasy for solo violin
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Fantasy in C Major, Op.131
Henryk Górecki (1933-2010)
Kleines Phantasie
for violin and piano
Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908)
Carmen Fantasy, Op.25
The Venue
The acoustics of Rolling Hills United Methodist Church’s sanctuary are among the finest in Southern California, and the venue’s idyllic sylvan setting next to the South Coast Botanic Garden on the north-east corner of Crenshaw Blvd and Palos Verdes Drive North makes the concert experience especially pleasant.
Rolling Hills United Methodist Church’s Second Sundays At Two presents free concerts without intermission, September through June, except December, mostly on the second Sunday of the month. Generous at-the-door contributions (100% are for the artists!) ensures the success of the series.
