The spring 2023 Music Faculty Artist Series includes three exciting concerts featuring EMU Music faculty members David Berry and Kim Souther as well as nationally- and internationally-known guest artists. Each performance will take place at 7 p.m. in Martin Chapel in the Seminary Building.
Kim Souther, cello
Friday, February 17 @ 7 p.m. in Martin Chapel
Join EMU Music faculty cellist Kim Souther and friends for an evening of music by candlelight, featuring Beethoven, Chinese folk music, Metallica, The Beatles, and more! Special guests Jeremiah Padilla, piano, and Patrick Shaughnessy, violin, will perform Beethoven’s Ghost Trio and guest artist Mimi Jong, erhu, will collaborate with more friends to present genre-fused selections, traditional folk music, and some exciting surprises.
Known for her genre-bending and alternative string playing on the cello, Kim Souther has performed with the Williamsburg Sinfonia, Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra, Peninsula Players Theater, Northern Lights Theater, Green Bay Symphony Orchestra, Weidner Philharmonic, Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, Manitowoc Symphony, and Oshkosh Symphony. Specializing in multi-style performances using her six-string electric cello, Souther has performed with Tran-Siberian Orchestra and genre-fusion rock orchestra Symphony on the Rocks. She has participated in projects with Silk Road Ensemble, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, Mark Wood, Michael Bolton, Rushad Eggleston, Mike Block, Yo-Yo Ma, and many others. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Souther serves as program director for Shenandoah Valley Preparatory Music at Eastern Mennonite University and is on the EMU Music faculty as a music instructor and specialist in music education. She is conductor of the Nelson County Community Orchestra and is pursuing a D.M.A. in orchestral conducting from JMU.
Free admission. This concert will also be livestreamed on Facebook Live.
David Berry and Friends, Again!
Friday, March 17 @ 7 p.m. in Martin Chapel
EMU Music faculty member and Juilliard-trained pianist David Berry will be joined by amazing musician friends from JMU, the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, and Harrisonburg community for a fun and eclectic concert featuring classical, jazz, soul, and gospel music. The concert will feature works ranging from Brahms’ Piano Trio No.1 in B-Major, Op.8 to some of the most iconic soul classics. Featured artists include acclaimed violinist and JMU music faculty member Wanchi, Roanoke Symphony principal cellist Kelley Mikkelsen, gospel singer Gabriel Driver, Harrisonburg’s own Mayor Deanna Reed, and more. Join us for a true celebration of music and community in the valley!
A native of Syracuse, New York, David Berry has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Kimmel Center, Merkin Hall, and on live broadcasts of WQXR (NYC). He has won prizes in the Bradshaw & Buono and Thousand Islands International piano competitions and actively performs as a recitalist, often incorporating original compositions and improvisations into his performances. An avid chamber musician, Berry has collaborated with the nation’s leading orchestras, including the New Jersey, Houston, St. Louis, Dallas, and Seattle symphonies. He is a resident member of the Jacksonville-based Ritz Chamber Players, The Harlem Chamber Players, Gateways Music Festival Orchestra, and innovative chamber music theater group the Core Ensemble. Berry holds a B.M. with high distinction from the Eastman School of Music and M.M. and D.M.A. degrees in piano performance from Juilliard. He currently serves as associate professor and director of the Music Program at Eastern Mennonite University and as artistic director of the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival.
Suggested $10 donation. This concert will also be livestreamed on Facebook Live.
Amadi Azikiwe and David Berry
Wednesday, April 12 @ 7 p.m. in Martin Chapel
Guest violist Amadi Azikiwe joins forces with EMU Music faculty pianist David Berry to perform the music of Mozart, Hindemith, and Ravel.
A native of New York City, violist Amadi Azikiwe enjoys a global, multifaceted career and reputation, known for his stunning solo and recital performances, chamber music collaborations and community engagement events. He is also renowned as a violinist and conductor. In the U.S, Azikiwe has been heard as a recitalist in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, New York City, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., including a performance at the Supreme Court of the United States. He has performed internationally and has also been a guest artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, both in New York City and at The Kennedy Center. Azikiwe has won prizes and awards from the New York Philharmonic, Concert Artists Guild, North Carolina Symphony, the National Society of Arts and Letters, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America where he maintains a strong artistic and mentoring association.
A native of Syracuse, New York, David Berry has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Kimmel Center, Merkin Hall, and on live broadcasts of WQXR (NYC). He has won prizes in the Bradshaw & Buono and Thousand Islands International piano competitions and actively performs as a recitalist, often incorporating original compositions and improvisations into his performances. An avid chamber musician, Berry has collaborated with the nation’s leading orchestras, including the New Jersey, Houston, St. Louis, Dallas, and Seattle symphonies. He is a resident member of the Jacksonville-based Ritz Chamber Players, The Harlem Chamber Players, Gateways Music Festival Orchestra, and innovative chamber music theater group the Core Ensemble. Berry holds a B.M. with high distinction from the Eastman School of Music and M.M. and D.M.A. degrees in piano performance from Juilliard. He currently serves as associate professor and director of the Music Program at Eastern Mennonite University and as artistic director of the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival.
Suggested $10 donation. This concert will also be livestreamed on Facebook Live.