WVIA: The Principal Cellist of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic Performs Live for a Simply Grand Concert to be Broadcast on WVIA FM

Cellist Alberto Parrini along with his brother Pianist Fabio Parrini perform pieces by Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak live in the Sordoni High Definition Theater for a Simply Grand Concert on Sunday, March 4 at 3 p.m. Seating is free, but limited. To make reservations call 570-655-2808 or visit http://www.wviatv.org/hi-deftheaterentry. The concert will be taped for a future broadcast on WVIA FM 89.9, 94.9 FM in Pottsville, 89.7 FM in Williamsport, 99.3 FM in Allentown, and worldwide at http://wviatv.org/radio/listen-live.

The duo will play the Variations Concertantes, a lovely series of variations on a song-like theme written by Mendelssohn when he was 20 years old. Two shorter works by well-known Romantic masters will also be included: Tchaikovsky's Pezzo Capriccioso and Dvorak's Silent Woods. From the 20th century the Parrini brothers offer the Sonata, Op. 4 by Hungarian composer Zolt n Kod ly. Concluding the program is the extraordinary Cello Sonata No. 3, Op. 69 by Beethoven, the most-loved of the five cello sonatas written by the master.

Born in Italy, cellist Alberto Parrini has been principal cellist of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic since 2007 and performs regularly with the American Symphony, New York Philharmonic and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. As a founding member of the Zukofsky Quartet he has given performances of the complete string quartets of Milton Babbitt in New York and Chicago. He performed throughout the U.S. with the American Chamber Players from 2004 to 2010, was the cellist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet in 2002-03 and spent one season as assistant principal cellist with the Richmond Symphony. Alberto has toured extensively with Mikhail Baryshnikov and the White Oak Dance Project and performed with Continuum, New Jersey Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra and Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra. His festival appearances include Evian, Tanglewood, Taos, Verbier, Ottawa, Montreal, San Miguel de Allende, Spoleto U.S.A., Music@Menlo, The Weekend of Chamber Music and the Piatigorsky seminar. His principal studies were with Timothy Eddy, Joel Krosnick, David Soyer, Colin Carr and Enrico Egano; he is a graduate of the Curtis Institute and the Juilliard School.

Pianist Fabio Parrini's diverse musical experience includes recordings, radio and TV broadcasts (with solo programs for the Italian National Radio in Rome and the German Swiss Radio in Zurich), solo recitals, concerto performances (most recently featuring works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, and Gershwin), chamber music, and collaborative work across Italy and the US. His CD releases feature solo repertoire and collaborations with violinist Eun-Sun Lee, in recent years a frequent recital partner along with cellist Alberto Parrini, soprano Lisa Sain Odom, and the Keowee Chamber Music players (now renamed Pan Harmonia). A Steinway Artist, Fabio was repeatedly selected for programs sponsored by South Arts and the South Carolina Arts Commission. His accolades include first prizes at the Italian national competitions of Galatina, Osimo, and Cagliari, the Richmond Competition at Boston University, a Fulbright Grant, a Kahn Career Entry Award, and recording grants from the Metropolitan Arts Council of Greenville and North Greenville University. He is Professor of Music and Piano Coordinator at NGU, is an active adjudicator, and has given master classes for the NGU Piano Seminar, the Greenville MTA, the SC Governor's School, Clemson University, the Longy School of Music, Emporia State University, Point Loma Nazarene University, and the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2011 he performed and coached chamber music for the Philadelphia International Music Festival at Bryn Mawr College. He holds degrees from the Conservatory of Padua and Boston University and has studied with Anthony di Bonaventura, Micaela Mingardo, Gyorgy Sandor, Bruno Mezzena, and Adriana Rognoni.

The WVIA Simply Grand Concert Series hosted by WVIA FM's Program Manager and afternoon host, Larry Vojtko showcases the talent of regional classical musicians. Since the series began in 1990, dozens of regional musicians have been featured. The concerts are recorded for broadcast before a live audience in the Sordoni High Definition Theater at WVIA Public Media Studios in Pittston, PA.