Department of Music presents inaugural international festival

October 29, 2014

Georgia Southern University’s Department of Music, in collaboration with the University’s Center for International Studies, The Averitt Center for the Arts, the City of Statesboro, the Statesboro Downtown Development Association, and Statesboro-Bulloch Parks and Recreation, present the inaugural East Meets West Statesboro International Music Festival on November 13-15. The three-day concert series includes free performances by Chiao-Ling Sun, violinist, and Fu-Chien Cho, pianist, of the Taiwan University of the Arts, and Steven Elisha, D.M.A., celloist; Larisa Elisha, D.M.A., violinist; and Michael Braz, D.M.A., Professor Emeritus and pianist, of Georgia Southern, at The Averitt Center, the University’s Carol A. Carter Recital Hall, and the Mill Creek Recreation Center.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Statesboro audiences,” said Steven Elisha, who, along with Larisa, has been fostering relationships at the Taiwan University of the Arts since 2008. “The November 13 concert in the Emma Kelly Theater will include pianist Michael Braz performing Johannes Brahms’ ‘Violin Sonata No. 3’ with Chao-Ling Sun and will include a collection of Taiwanese folk pieces. On November 14, Professors Cho and Sun will join the Elaris Duo in a collaborative recital that includes ‘String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the Schumann ‘Fantasy Op. 17.’”

“This festival provides an excellent example of music as an international language, or, as Longfellow aptly said: ‘the universal language of mankind.’”

Acclaimed Russian violinist Larisa Elisha is an international soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. She has performed and taught throughout Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Holland, Taiwan, and the U.S.

Steven Elisha has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, Norway, China, Taiwan, Brazil, Israel and the U.S. Formerly the director of string studies at Washburn University, principal cellist of the Topeka Symphony, and conductor of the Topeka Symphony Youth Orchestra, Steven Elisha was also the artistic director/conductor of the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra. Steven Elisha regularly gives master classes, workshops and residencies throughout the United States, including his fun-loving and innovative Mr. Cello Stories. Together, Steven and Larisa Elisha comprise the critically acclaimed Elaris Duo.

Professor Cho Fu-chien has devoted his life to promoting music education in Taiwan. In 1987, he was selected to receive the Promotion of Culture award from the Executive Yuan of Taiwan and is the author of two books: The Philosopher of the Taiwanese Music: Ji–zhi Chen and The Diagnosis for Piano Pedagogy. He is Chair of the Department of Music and an associate professor of Music at National Taiwan University of Arts.

Chiao-Ling Sun is a professor at National Taiwan University of Arts, where she teaches violin performance, chamber music, and string pedagogy. She is also a violin faculty member of the Schlern International Music Festival in Italy. She has served as the associate concertmaster of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and was the founding director of the acclaimed Taiwan String Quartet, which tours in the U.S., Singapore, and Costa Rica.

The Department of Music is housed in the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Georgia Southern’s College of the Creative Mind. CLASS prepares its students to achieve academic excellence, develop their analytical skills, enhance their creativity, and embrace their responsibilities as citizens of their communities, nations, and world. For more information, visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu/class.