Maine Suzuki Association Masterclass
Saturday, March 9, 2024 | 10 AM
Hannaford Hall, USM | Portland
PCMF Artistic Director and Borromeo String Quartet violist Melissa Reardon and Borromeo Quartet violinist Kristopher Tong will give a masterclass to students in partnership with the Maine Suzuki Association. The masterclass will run for approximately 1.5 hours, and is free and open to the public to attend. Reminder that tickets to the Borromeo Quartet matinee concert later in the day are FREE for those ages 21 and under!
J.S. Bach Violin Concerto in A Minor, BWV 1041 (1717-1723)
III. Allegro assai
Mary Philbrick, violin
William Walton Viola Concerto in A Minor (1929)
Sophia Scheck, viola
Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 (1844)
Linnea Turesson, violin
Meet Melissa & Kristopher
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Melissa Reardon
viola
Grammy-nominated violist Melissa Reardon is an internationally renowned performer whose solo and chamber playing spans all musical genres. Melissa is the Artistic Director of the Portland Chamber Music Festival in Portland, ME, violist of the Borromeo String Quartet, Artist in Residence at Bard College and Conservatory and a founding member and Executive Director of the East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO). As a member of the Ensō String Quartet from 2006 until its final season in 2018, Melissa toured both nationally and internationally, with highlight performances in Sydney, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, New York’s Carnegie Hall, and Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center to name a few. Lauded by Classical Voice for her “elegant” and “virtuosic” performances, the Massachusetts-born musician won first prize at the Washington International Competition, and is the only violist to win top prizes in consecutive HAMS International viola competitions. A sought-after collaborative musician and teacher, Melissa has appeared in numerous festivals across the United States and around the world, and has toured with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, and with Musicians from Marlboro. She held the post of Associate Professor of Viola at East Carolina University from 2007 -2013, and earned degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and the New England Conservatory. Melissa is married to the cellist Raman Ramakrishnan and they live in New York with their son Linus.
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Kristopher Tong
violin
Kristopher Tong has been hailed as a performer of "exceptional insight and creative flair" (Boston Globe). As second violinist of the Borromeo String Quartet, he has performed in hundreds of concerts across the United States and around the world to critical acclaim. Recent engagements include appearances at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, including premieres of works by Aaron Jay Kernis and Sebastian Currier. In addition to his concertizing with the Borromeos, Tong is an active recitalist, chamber musician, and teacher. A member of the violin and chamber music faculties at the New England Conservatory, he also serves as Co-Chair of the String Department. Tong has taught and performed at numerous festivals, including the Taos School of Music, Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, Music@Menlo, and at the Heifetz Institute. Tong has performed on such radio programs as NPR’s "Performance Today," WGBH’s "Classical Performance," and was featured on WGBH’s "Classical Connections" in a series entitled "Why Mass.?" Kristopher Tong began his violin studies in a public elementary school program in Binghamton, New York. He currently resides in Brighton, Massachsetts with his wife, pianist Miki Sawada, and their dog Shakira. He is a 2:53 marathoner.