HOPE COLLEGE MUSIC DEPARTMENT PRESENTS

VIOLIN VS. FIDDLE

G A L A C O N C E R T
FEATURING:

VIOLINIST
MIHAI CRAIOVEANU
AND GUESTS

JULIEN LABRO, ACCORDION/BANDONEON | NATE ROBERTS, MANDOLIN

XIUMIN PENG, ERHU | SOOKKYUNG CHO, PIANO

HAYES GRIFFIN, GUITAR | JACK MCDONALD, STRING BASS

PERFORMING FIDDLE, RAGTIME, TANGO, AND ASIAN MUSIC

3.25.2019 | 7:30 PM
CONCERT HALL, JACK H. MILLER CENTER FOR MUSICAL ARTS
 PROGR AM
Romanian Fiddle, Folk Music, and Dances

Balada.....................................................................Ciprian Porumbescu
(1853-1883)

Romanian Folk Dances.......................................................Bela Bartok

(1881-1945)

Romanian Rhapsody in A Major Op. 11 No. 1............George Enescu

(1881-1955)

Hora Staccato................................................................Grigoras Dinicu

Hora Martisorului (1889-1949)

Dance Medley from Oas......................................................Traditional

(arr. Mihai Craioveanu)

Calusari...................................................................................Traditional
(arr. Mihai Craioveanu)
 Asian Music
Song of India..............................................................Rimsky-Korsakov
(1844-1908)

Horse Race............................................................................Traditional

Argentine Tango

Por Una Cabezza...........................................................Carlos Gardel

(1890-1935)

Oblivion.........................................................................Astor Piazzolla
(1921-1992)

El Choclo.........................................................................Angel Villoldo
(1861-1919)

American Fiddle & Ragtime

Hoe-Down..................................................................Aaron Copland
(1900-1990)

Elite Syncopations.............................................................Scott Joplin

(1868-1917)

Orange Blossom Special..............................................Ervin T. Rouse

(1917-1981)

The audience is invited to a dessert reception in the

lobby immediately following the concert.
PROG R A M NOTES
Balada - A deeply rhapsodic and lyrical work written in 1870s by the violinist and
composer Ciprian Porumbescu. It became over time a Romanian national symbol
and a cornerstone of the country’s national heritage.

Romanian Folk Dances - In a letter Bartok wrote during World War I “I consider my
goal in life to continue my study of Romanian folk music.” This popular six dance suite
originally composed for piano was arranged for violin by the composer’s friend and
collaborator, violinist Zoltan Szekely.

Romanian Rhapsody in A Major Op. 11 No. 1 - Written in Paris in 1901 and premiered
in Bucharest in 1903 the first rhapsody has long held its permanent place in the repertoire
of every major orchestra. It displays in a rich and colorful style the great variety of songs
and dances in the Romanian folklore. The arrangement for violin and piano brings out
the fiddle character of the music as many of its recurring tunes in the orchestral version
are introduced by the violins.

Hora Staccato & Hora Martisorului - Both works were written by famed violinist
and gypsy fiddler Grigoras Dinicu as concert pieces exhibiting the grand tradition
of the Romanian virtuoso fiddler. Hora Stacato became Jascha Heifetz’s signature
piece in his recitals.

Dance Medley from Oas - A region in the Romanian province of Transylvania

Oas has a rich tradition of dances accompanied by horn-violin and guitar.

Calusari - An UNESCO designated cultural heritage Calusari (Horse Riders) were a

Romanian fraternal secret society who practiced a ritual acrobatic dance Calus. Dancers
were known “for creating the impression of flying in the air” (Eliade). Their patron was
the “Queen of the Fairies”, and between Easter and Pentecost they danced in local
communities accompanied by a few fiddlers, while carrying clubs, a sword, a flag, and
a wooden horsehead.
 Song of India - A beautiful Asian flavored song from opera Sadko composed in
1896 by Rimsky-Korsakov is masterfully transcribed for violin by Fritz Kreisler.

Horse Race - This extremely popular Mongolian folk tune is also widely performed
in China and throughout Asia. It describes an important ritual tradition of Mongolian
culture.

Por Una Cabezza - A lyrical tango written by Carlos Gardel. It was featured in
many films including The Scent of a Woman (1992) and Schindler’s List (1993).

Oblivion - Piazzolla’s famed tango which he recorded in Italy in 1982 for the sound track
to the film Henry IV, The Mad King. Since then it quickly became a permanent feature
of the tango repertoire.

El Choclo - Spanish meaning “The Corn Cob” it was written by Angel Villoldo and
premiered in 1903 in Buenos Aires allegedly in the honor of the proprietor of a famous
Argentine night club “El Choclo”. It is now one of the most beloved tangos in the world.

Hoe-Down - A fiddle-like tune from Aaron Copland’s ballet suite Rodeo arranged by
the composer for violin and piano matching the orchestral version where this dance is
played by the violins.

Elite Syncopations - This famed ragtime was composed and performed by

Scott Joplin. Through its extensive use of syncopations this work brings out
the early traditional character and flavor of jazz.

Orange Blossom Special - The most famous American fiddle tune was written by
Ervin T. Rouse about a seasonal train with the same name connecting New York City
to Miami.

Th is co ncert is m ade poss i b le t hrou g h a g e ne rou s sp ons o rs h i p

from Hope Pa t rons f or t he Ar t s.
 A RTIS TS’ B IOG R A PH I E S
MIHAI CRAIOVEANU
Mihai Craioveanu is professor of violin & chamber music, and head of the string area in the Department of
Music at Hope College. Hailed by the prestigious magazine The Strad, as “stunning... brilliant,” Craioveanu has
performed sold-out concerts in legendary venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York City (including two return
engagements by popular demand), Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, and Atheneum Hall in Bucharest.
Performances on the nationally televised programs “Hour of Power” at the Crystal Cathedral in California, and
“Joy of Music” hosted by organist Diane Bish brought Craioveanu’s playing on the American national music scene.
Critics (The Strad) described his Carnegie Hall recital debut as “fresh and distinguished with a keen appreciation
of proper style.” Following his Washington, D.C., recital debut at Corcoran Gallery, the Washington Post praised
his playing as “... dramatic, nuanced and playful. His violin became his voice. Craioveanu ensured that it was the
music, and not the musician, that came first.” He has appeared at major international music festivals in Edinburgh
(Scotland), Banff (Canada) and Bodensee (Germany). His China concert debut in 2007, at the Shanghai
International Festival, was broadcast live on Chinese television and worldwide on broadband, while his Israel
recital debut in Tel Aviv in 2014, at Felicja Blumental Center, was received with great acclaim and an invitation
for return engagements.

JULIEN LABRO
Heralded as “the next accordion star” by Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune, Julien Labro has established
himself as one of the foremost accordion and bandoneón players in both the classical and jazz genres. After
graduating from the Marseille Conservatory of Music, Labro began winning international awards, taking first
prize in the Coupe Mondiale in 1996 and the Castelfidardo Competitions in 1997. After sweeping first place
in the Marcel Azzola, Jo Privat and Medard Ferrero competitions in 1995 and 1998, respectively, Labro moved
to the United States, where he further pursued his musical dream. Piazzolla, a major influence and the reason
Labro picked up the bandoneón, is also the title of his album with classical guitarist and Grammy-award winner
Jason Vieaux and A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra.

XIUMIN PENG
Xiumin Peng (stage name Shumin ) is a master of the Erhu. She received her first erhu training from her father.
At the age 15 Shumin won the silver medal at China National Music Competition, and in 1999 she performed the
world-premiere of an erhu concerto as part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Xi’an Conservatory
of Music. Following her move to Japan in the same year, Shumin performed in prestigious venues, such as Japan’s
International Symposium at Kyushu National Museum, in 2004, and in Austria at Salzburg’s Mirabell Palace in
2008, and Salzburg City Music Festival in 2009. She also performed with prestigious Japan Living National
Treasure, and China’s premier traditional orchestra in 2016. Shumin’s performances were featured on the
Japanese television NHK TV Asahe, and she was invited to perform in the original You Gan concert tour of Japan.
SOOKKYUNG CHO
Noted for her “sensitive and imaginative” (New York Concert Review) playing, Korean-born pianist Sookkyung
Cho has been captivating worldwide audiences with her personal, thoughtful expressionist style. She has appeared
in venues such as Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Chicago Cultural Center,
Sarasota Opera House, Baltimore Museum of Art, Montreal Conservatory, Beaux concerts de la releve in Quebec,
Château de Fontainebleau in France, and Zijingang Theater at Zhejiang University in China, among others, and
was recently heard on Chicago’s WFMT. Ms. Cho earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Juilliard, where she
was honored with John Erskine Graduation Prize, and a Master of Music degree from Peabody, where she also
received Grace Clagett Ranney Prize in Chamber Music, followed by a Doctor of Musical Arts, from Juilliard as a
C. V. Starr Doctoral Fellow.

NATE ROBERTS
Nate Roberts studied mandolin with John McGann, in the Acoustic String Department at Berklee College of
Music, and later graduated with a degree in jazz performance from Hope College in 2011, followed by a
graduate fellowship in jazz studies from the University of Oregon, where he completed his Master of Music
in jazz performance and pedagogy (guitar). In addition to teaching mandolin, guitar and banjo lessons
and directing Hope’s Folk Ensemble, Nate maintains an active performing schedule with jazz groups and
progressive folk ensembles.

HAYES GRIFFIN
Hayes Griffin studied bluegrass and jazz guitar at Denison University, earning a B.A. in Music Performance in
2010, later earning an MM in Contemporary Improvisation at the New England Conservatory in 2012 under the
private instruction of John McGann. Currently Hayes teaches at Grand Valley State University and runs Built to
Last Music Notes, LLC, a transcription and music publishing service. Hayes has performed with acts such as
Canadian fiddle virtuoso April Verch and the contemporary bluegrass band NewTown, and as a duo with
mandolinist Nate Roberts, in addition to the progressive bluegrass group Fauxgrass.

JACK MCDONALD
Jack McDonald is a multi-genre string bassist currently performing with Big Band Nouveau, in Grand Rapids.
He is a founding member of a popular jazz jam session series in Flint, Michigan. Jack studied jazz at
Western Michigan University. His teachers include renowned musicians such as Thomas Knific, Rufus Reed,
Martin Wind, and Mark Buchner.
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