La Sierra University concert to feature top classical artists

With solos by violinist Martin Chalifour, principal concertmaster for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the evening's featured musicians will include violinist Jason Uyeyama, La Sierra's director of string studies and substitute violinist with the L.A. Phil; violist Grace SungEun Park, soloist, chamber and symphonic musician; violist Meredith Crawford, assistant principal violist with the Pacific Symphony in Costa Mesa; and cellist Madeleine Kabat, symphonic soloist and member of the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Wisconsin.

Chalifour will perform with the La Sierra University Orchestra during the evening's first half, followed by a chamber music performance by the quintet in the second half. The event will take place at La Sierra's Hole Memorial Auditorium at 7 p.m. The program will include a composition by Johann Sebastian Bach and other works.

Chalifour began his tenure as principal concertmaster of the L.A. Phil in 1995. In addition to his duties with the philharmonic, he maintains an active solo career and has appeared as soloist with conductors Pierre Boulez, Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Sir Neville Marriner, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Outside the United States, he has soloed with the Auckland Philharmonia, the Montreal Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the National Orchestra of Taiwan, and the Malaysian Philharmonic, among others.

The recipient of various grants and awards in his native Canada, Chalifour is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He received a Certificate of Honor at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, and is also a laureate of the Montreal International Competition.

Chalifour has recorded solo and chamber music for the Telarc, Northstar and Yarlung labels.  His latest album on Yarlung features solo music composed by Esa-Pekka Salonen and Steven Stucky, as well as Mozart and Lutoslawski concertos with the Los Angeles Philharmonic recorded live at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Uyeyama teaches violin and chamber music at La Sierra while leading an active career as recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, and soloist. In addition to performing hundreds of concerts with the L.A. Phil, he has performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra. Uyeyama received his Master's in Music degree from The Juilliard School in New York City. His primary teachers include Itzhak Perlman, Masao Kawasaki, and Yao-Ji Lin.

Park is a recipient of numerous awards including Tomorrow's Stars at the Center Competition, Osaka International Competition, Korea Region. She has collaborated with such distinguished artists as Kathy Winkler, Donald McInnes, Alan Stepansky, Jerome Lowenthal, and Nicco Abandolo. Her chamber music quartet, Aiode Quartet, was recently named as the Honors Ensemble at the New England Conservatory in Boston and gave their debut recital in Jordan Hall.

Park has also played with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and New West Symphony, and subbed with the New World Symphony in Miami, Fla. Park received her Master's in Music degree from the New England Conservatory where she graduated with honors.

Crawford is a graduate of the Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College in Ohio. Her awards include first prize for the 2009-10 Oberlin Conservatory Competition, the first win for a violist in over a decade. In September 2012, she won her current position with the Pacific Symphony in Costa Mesa as assistant principal viola. Additionally, she has been performing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic since April 2010, and more recently with the Riverside Philharmonic as principal viola, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Irvine's Mozart Classical Orchestra.

Kabat has appeared as a soloist with the Gulf Coast Symphony in Mississippi, Red de Escuelas de Musica Orquesta in Medellin, Colombia, the Cleveland Philharmonic, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in South Carolina, Festival Mozaic Orchestra in San Luis Obispo, the Springfield Symphony in Missouri and the Marin Symphony in San Rafael. She made her solo debut at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. last year, and recently stepped in for delayed cello soloist Alban Gerhardt on a few hours notice to rehearse Sergei Prokofiev's “Symphony-Concerto” with the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Wisconsin.

Kabat currently performs as substitute cellist for the Cleveland Orchestra and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and has also performed with the Houston Symphony and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.  She made appearances as guest principal cellist this year with the Beethoven Festival Orchestra in Chicago and the Philharmonia Mexico in Mexico City, and holds positions in both the Canton Symphony Orchestra in Ohio and the Madison Symphony Orchestra. She holds diplomas from the Cleveland Institute of Music, Rice University, the Juilliard School, and most recently Oberlin Conservatory.

Tickets for the concert are $15 general admission, seniors $10, students with identification, $5. For information call 951-785-2036. La Sierra University is located at 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside.