Shifting Balance: Trinity Alps Chamber Players

The Trinity Alps Chamber Players return to the Oregon coast on Sunday, March 8, to present a concert at 2:00 p.m. at the Sprague Community Theater.

Pianist Ian Scarfe and cellist Charles Akert will present a program entitled “Shifting Balance,” an afternoon of music and storytelling, featuring works for cello and piano by Beethoven, Schumann, Rachmaninoff and Chopin.

Admission is by donation at the door. Pay what you can– all are welcome.

Listeners will hear the shifting balance between the instruments, as Scarfe and Akert showcase a variety of classical, romantic, and contemporary examples of duos written for two virtuoso performers. With each composer, and each era, different musical ideals are highlighted: the explosive energy and rapid-fire piano writing of the young Beethoven, the lyrical melodies of Frederic Chopin, the lush harmonic world and famous Russian cello sound of Sergei Rachmaninoff, and the rustic folk song influence in Robert Schumann.

Other surprises are in store as well, as audiences can expect a “behind the scenes” experience with Scarfe and Akert. Both performers will be sharing stories that illuminate the history of the composers, the context of their music, and specific examples that serve as a listening guide for the performance.

Scarfe and Akert have performed together since 2007, and have a long history of concerts across the United States, Canada, and Europe.