RED-HOT LAVA CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
RETURNS TO HONOLULU

Two concerts and several educational events will be presented at the sixth Red-Hot Lava Chamber Music Festival, May 17 – 31, 2008, featuring six artists from the Mainland and two Honolulu Symphony musicians. Performances will be presented at the Atherton Performing Arts Studio on May 24 and the Honolulu Academy of Arts Doris Duke Theatre on May 31, both at 7:30 pm. Master classes for cello, piano and violin will also be presented on May 20, 25 and 27 respectively. These events are open to the public. Students with ID are admitted free to the May 31 concert. Other educational events include a chamber music soiree for students to play side-by-side with professionals and string workshops. The Festival is presented by Live Music Awareness, a local non-profit organization founded to help professional musicians bring their music to the public. Donations should be made to Live Music Awareness for the Red-Hot Lava Festival.

The Red-Hot Lava Chamber Players are comprised of six accomplished musicians from Wisconsin and Michigan and one from the Honolulu Symphony:

• Howard Karp, Professor Emeritus of Piano, University of Wisconsin/Madison
• Daniel L. Foster, Professor of Violin, Eastern Michigan University
• Parry Karp, Cellist of the Pro Arte String Quartet and Professor of Cello, University of Wisconsin/Madison
• Frances Karp, piano - chamber music artist
• Katrin Talbot, viola – chamber music artist
• Norman Foster, Second and E-flat Clarinetist of the Honolulu Symphony

Two guest artists will also appear with the group - Amanda Schubert, violinist with the Honolulu Symphony, and Christopher Karp, piano.

Amanda Schubert has been with the Honolulu Symphony since 1989 and also serves on the faculty of the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, North Carolina. She is Past-President of the Hawaii Chapter of the American String Teachers Association and maintains a large class of private violin students.

Christopher Karp is not only an accomplished pianist, but also a violinist. He has performed on the Faculty Music Series and on the MusicX Festival at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Outside of being a multi-faceted musician, he is the Gunnar Esiason/Cincinnati Bell Professor and Director of the Division of Molecular Immunology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation.

The visiting artists have performed throughout the United States and internationally and have been active as music instructors, ensemble coaches, chamber musicians and concerto soloists. They have recorded numerous LPs and CDs. Resident artist Norman Foster has held the postion of Second and E-flat Clarinet with the Honolulu Symphony since 1985, including four seasons also in the position of Associate Principal Clarinet, and has been director of the Festival since its inception in 1998.

FESTIVAL SPONSORS

Festival 2008 is dedicated to the memory of the late Nancy M. Bannick (1926 – 2008) who has been a Major Sponsor of the Festival, giving her enthusiastic support since 2001. She is well known in the community for her support of the arts and other worthy causes, receiving the 2004 Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Hawaii chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Sponsors of the current festival include Global Music Supply, Music Center of Hawaii, CK Violins, Ellen Masaki School of Music, Bubbleshack Hawaiian Soap Company, Hawaii American String Teachers Association, Hawaii Music Teachers Association, Hawaii Public Radio, Honolulu Academy of Arts Doris Duke Theatre, Mozart House, Punahou Music School, and numerous individuals.

The Festival is presented by Live Music Awareness, a non-profit organization whose mission is "to provide and promote educational, cultural and artistic experiences concerning live music and musical performances, and to provide music education and appreciation" in Hawaii's community. Board members are Michael Largarticha, President; James Moffitt, Vice President; Marsha Schweitzer, Secretary Treasurer; and Naomi Carter.

CONCERTS

Trios and Tribulations II will be presented on May 24 at Atherton Performing Arts Studion, Hawaii Public Radio, 738 Kaheka St., at 7:30pm. Opening the program, Robert Kahn's Clarinet Trio is full of haunting melodies, compelling harmonies and a tremendous finish. You'll hear why Brahms was so impressed with Kahn’s music. Beethoven’s op. 70, no. 2, contains some of the composer’s best music, composed on the heels of his Pastoral Symphony. The "Dumky" Trio by Antonin Dvorak keeps you on the edge of your chair with frequent mood swings, reflecting the title, which means "fleeting thoughts." You'll be transported to Bohemia through Dvorak’s simple yet powerful folk-like melodies and dance rhythms. The famous Beaux Arts Trio recently performed the "Dumky" on their final concert of their final tour. Call 955-8821 for ticket reservations.

Heaven, Wind and Fire will be presented on May 31 at the Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Academy of Arts, at 7:30 pm, fearturing music that is fiery, exotic and beautifully melodic. Alexander Arutiunian's Suite for violin, clarinet and piano is sultry and devilishly playful. Charles-Marie Widor's hearty cello sonata offers delicious French colors, lyricism and emotion. Carl Maria von Weber's quintet is a musical adventure that showcases the clarinet, promising inventive melodies and fireworks. In the Grand Concert Piece for two pianos, Franz Liszt borrows three Songs Without Words from Mendelssohn and transforms them into a brilliant showpiece. Call the Academy Front Desk at 532-8700 for ticket information or visit www.redhotlava.org.

In both concerts Parry Karp will perform on his most unusual cello. It was commissioned by King Louis the XVIII of France to be built by Nicholas Lupot, known as the "Stradivarius of Cello Makers." Previously owned by the famous cellist Rya Garbrazova, Mr. Karp’s cello not only has a fascinating history, but is also an instrument of exceptional quality.

MASTER CLASSES

Howard Karp will present a piano master class, assisted by Frances Karp, on Sunday, May 25, 1 – 3 pm, at Mozart House, located at 720 Iwilei Road, Suite 322-324, third floor of The Cannery at Iwilei. Admission is $5 for the general public and $3 for students, seniors and military. Call 537-3441 for more information. The event is sponsored by Hawaii Music Teachers Association and Mozart House. Five students will play and receive coaching in this two-hour class.

Parry Karp will present a cello master class on Tuesday, May 20, and Daniel L. Foster will present a violin master class on Tuesday, May 27. Both events are from 6 - 8 pm at Montague Recital Hall, Punahou Music School. The classes are sponsored by Hawaii American String Teachers Association. Six students will play and receive coaching in these two-hour classes, which are free and open to the public.

For more information contact Festival Director Norman Foster at (808) 225-1052 or info@redhotlava.org. For the most up-to-date and detailed information, including biographies, photos, and Festival history, visit the Web site at www.redhotlava.org.