Classical music as played by the incredible talents of the Heifetz International Music Institute! This program is an amazing opportunity for the region to experience world-class musicians in a meaningful way and in an intimate setting.
JAC is thrilled to announce our May 2018 classical music residency in partnership with the acclaimed Heifetz International Music Institute. This program, which began in October 2013, will include an in-school educational component in addition to musicales in local homes, and a public concert at the JAC. The residency and public concert are incredible opportunities for the region to experience world-class musicians in a meaningful way and in an intimate setting. It is a unique opportunity for audiences, young music students and community members throughout Newport County and beyond to experience the incredible talents of some of the most accomplished young artists from the Heifetz International Music Institute.
For this ninth residency, the musicians will spend a week in Jamestown. During their time in RI, they will give presentations and small group workshops at local schools. The musicians will also have the opportunity to perform several musicales in private homes and provide an open dress rehearsal to groups from senior living facilities and mental health and social services agencies.
MAY 2018 HEIFETZ ON TOUR MUSICIANS: Violinist Sein An, Violist Isabella Bignasca, Cellist Thomas Mesa, Violinist Yaegy Park
Public Concert on Saturday, May 19, 7:00pm
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR
Ticket Prices:
Sein An, 19, began violin at the age of three in Seoul, Korea. She received numerous awards in competitions, such as the Grand Prize of the 16th International Violin Competition “Remember Enescu” in Romania, Honorable Mention in the Junior Division of the 2013 and the 2014 Philadelphia Orchestra Albert M. Greenfield Competition, 2009 North Carolina Symphony Concerto Competition, and the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award through the NPR’s top-rated radio show From the Top, on which she has appeared three times. As a soloist, she has performed with the Wilmington Symphony, Temple University Symphony, Cairn University Symphony, Ambler Symphony, and North Carolina Symphony. In the summer, she has attended the Hotchkiss Summer Portals Chamber Music, Meadowmount School of Music, Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, Austria, National YoungArts Week in Miami, National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, and most recently, the Ashkenasi-Kirshbaum chamber music seminar at the Heifetz Institute. Now a second- year student at Columbia University and Juilliard School, Sein plans to major in economics and studies violin with Catherine Cho. In her free time Sein enjoys baking treats for her one-year- old golden retriever, Ronks.
Violinist Yaegy Park was born in Houston, Texas, and has been recognized as a rising young violinist when she joined the Houston Young Artists at age 4, the foundation’s youngest member. Under the mentorship of Kyung Sun Lee, Yaegy was named a Jack Kent Cooke Artist, performing on NPR radio show, “From the Top” and won the Louis Spohr International Competition, the International Russian Rotary Children’s Music Competition, and the American Protégé International Competition.
While attending the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School, Yaegy won top prizes in competitions such as the International Virtuoso Competition, the YWCA New York Music Competition, the NY Chamber Players Competition, the Blount-Slawson Young Artist Competition, and most recently, the Stulberg International Competition. She has also been featured as a soloist with the Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Temple Symphonies and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. In 2015, Yaegy was a YoungArts finalist and had her Carnegie Hall debut with the Foundation for the Revival of Classical Culture. In September, 2017, she gave a solo recital on the Chicago Cultural Center’s Dame Myra Hess Recital Series in Preston Bradley Hall.
Yaegy is also an avid chamber musician, and has attended festivals such as Yellow Barn, Ottawa Young Artists Program, Music @ Menlo, Sejong International Music Festival, and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. She has participated in community outreach projects in collaboration with Daniel’s Music Foundation and the Juilliard School.
Yaegy is currently a third year BM student at Juilliard studying with Catherine Cho, and plays a Zygmuntowicz violin on loan by the Maestro Foundation.
Isabella Bignasca commenced violin studies at the age of 4 and viola at the age of 10, soon earning her Associate and Licentiate diplomas on both instruments. She has toured around Europe, performing both chamber music and solo, and was principal violist of the New South Wales Youth Orchestra for a number of years. Isabella was a scholarship-holder at the Sydney Conservatorium Open Academy Program where she studied with Roger Benedict, Principal Violist of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and was coached in chamber music by John Harding, former leader of the Orlando Quartet. Isabella won the Multiple Section in the 2015 NSW KPO Concerto Competition and in the same year, had several recordings broadcast on Fine Music FM102.5 as part of the Young Performers Award Broadcast Series, and performed in the world-famous Sydney Opera House. Isabella was a semi-finalist in the Gisborne International Music Competition and has participated in the Curtis YASP Summerfest and the Heifetz International Music Institute where she received the wonderful opportunity to work and perform with the esteemed Borromeo Quartet. She is currently in her first year at Juilliard and is studying with Paul Neubauer.
Thomas Mesa, Cuban-American cellist, is quickly establishing himself as one of the most charismatic and versatile performers of his generation with a wide variety of solo engagements across the United States. Thomas is a Winner of the Astral Artists Auditions, the Sphinx Competition, Thaviu Competition for String Performance, and the Alhambra Orchestra Concerto Competition.
As a soloist, Thomas’ most recent past and present engagements include the the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Mainly Mozart Festival, Barge Music, Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, Columbia University, Carnegie Hall, The Supreme Court of The United States, Guest Artist at The Heifetz Institute and Meadowmount School of Music, Strad for Lunch Series in NYC, International Beethoven Project, Perlman Music Program Alumni Recital, and universities across the United States. His concerto engagements for this season and future seasons include the L.A. Philharmonic at The Hollywood Bowl, Cleveland Orchestra, Erie Chamber Orchestra, Firelands Symphony, and Elgin Symphony Orchestra, among others.
As an enthusiastic interpreter of music for choir and cello, Thomas was one of the featured instrumentalists on The Crossing Choir’s album called “Bonhoeffer” that was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2017. Led by Donald Nally, this multiple award-winning ensemble has invited Thomas as the featured soloist at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Longwood Gardens, The Winter Garden (broadcast on WNYC) and the Theological Seminary in New York City. Additionally, Thomas and The Crossing Choir collaborated on the American Premiere of “Astralis” (Choir and Solo Cello) composed by Wolfgang Rihm, one of the most important composers of this generation.
As a chamber musician, Thomas has toured with Itzhak Perlman both nationally and internationally and is a member of St. Petersburg Piano Quartet who are in high demand for the most important series in America. He plays on a cello made in England by Richard Tobin in 1820.
