Saint Vincent concert to feature performance on rare violin

Attendees at the Nov. 9 installment of the Saint Vincent College Concert Series will have the rare experience of hearing music played on a 1709 violin made by the noted Tononi family of Bologna, Italy.

The concert, featuring violinist Benjamin Baker and pianist Daniel Lebhardt, will begin at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center in the Robert S. Carey Student Center on the Unity campus.

“These artists are world class, they’re really up and coming,” says concert series director Thomas Octave. “They’ve been hitting the world stages and we’re really delighted and honored to have them. People will remember that they saw them in years to come.”

A New Zealand native, Baker will perform with the rare instrument on loan from a private individual, according to a Saint Vincent release.

He won first prize at the 2016 Young Concert Artists International auditions. His first U.S. tour included recital debuts in the Young Concert Artists Series at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and at New York City’s Merkin Concert Hall. His first album debuted in 2015 at No. 12 on the classical charts.

A native of Hungary, Lebhardt won first prize at the 2014 Young Concert Artists auditions in Paris before winning YCA’s International auditions in New York City, where he was awarded five prizes. He took first prize at the Russian Music International Piano Competition in California, the Citta di Gorzia International Piano Competition in Italy, Kosice International Piano Competition in Slovakia and Carl Filtsch International Piano Competition in Romania.

“I just love the duo of piano and violin; the sound is so special,” says Octave, who is also chairman of the Saint Vincent music department and associate professor of music. “This duo will really make a lovely evening for us.”

A ticket is $26; to reserve, call 724-805-2177. College, high school and middle school students are admitted free with valid school ID; children 12 and under are admitted free with adult supervision.

Ticket-holders are invited to a reception with Lebhardt and Baker following the performance.

A free shuttle will run between designated parking areas and the concert venue before and after the performance.

Upcoming performances in the 2019-20 Saint Vincent College Concert Series include:

• Nathan Lee, 2020 Bronder Prize for Piano recipient, Jan. 25

• “Pennsylvania Pipes,” featuring organists Donald Fellows, J. Christopher Pardini and Wesley Parrott, Feb. 15

• “A Night of Intimate Chamber Music and Conversation” with Christopher Wu (violin), Susanne Park (violin), Andrew Wickesburg (viola) and Anne Martindale Williams (cello), March 14.

The series emphasizes traditional chamber music, though artists of other genres also are featured.