Fairy Tales and Nine-Pins

Sunday Music Series at Andrews University

Left to right: Byron Graves, Peter Cooper, Claudio Gonzalez (Photo by artists)

On Sunday, Feb. 10, at 4 p.m., pianist Peter Cooper will be performing alongside clarinetist Byron Graves and violist Claudio Gonzalez in the Sunday Music Series concert “Fairy Tales and Nine-Pins.” The event will take place at the Howard Performing Arts Center on the campus of Andrews University.

The original inspiration for this concert came when Graves and Gonzalez, Andrews University music faculty, decided to collaborate together on a selection of great works for clarinet, viola and piano. The most famous of these trios is the “Kegelstatt” trio by Mozart. Meaning “skittles,” “Kegelstatt” is actually a term used for nine-pin bowling in Germany. The story goes that Mozart composed this piece while playing skittles. The other two pieces in the concert are Schumann’s Marchenerzahlungen or “Fairy Tales,” which he wrote to be picturesque and fanciful, and Bruch’s “8 Pieces,” a collection of rich character pieces. In fact, Bruch wrote this piece for his son Max who was just beginning a career as a clarinetist at the time.

Pianist Peter Cooper will be joining Graves and Gonzalez from his position as dean and professor of piano and music theory in the School of Music at Southern Adventist University. He has also served on the faculties of Andrews University, the University of Michigan All-State Program at Interlochen, and the Master Works Festival of the Christian Performing Artists’ Fellowship. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in piano performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music as a student of Richard Cass. A recipient of a Fulbright/DAAD grant, Cooper spent a year in advanced music study at the State Conservatory of Music in Cologne, Germany. He completed the Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance at the University of Michigan, studying with Theodore Lettvin. Whether teaching or performing, Cooper is committed to fostering an appreciation of artistic beauty and desires to share his faith through music.

Clarinetist Byron Graves obtained his master’s degree in instrumental conducting from Central Michigan University and undergraduate degrees in clarinet performance and music education from Andrews University. He has held teaching positions at Andrews Academy, Ruth Murdoch Elementary School and others. Graves is a professional member of the National Association for Music Education, as well as other localized associations. Currently he conducts the Andrews University Wind Symphony and teaches music education courses, while also preparing to defend his dissertation research for Boston University.

Claudio Gonzalez began studying music in his native Venezuela. He then continued studying violin at the Royal College of Music in London. After receiving a degree in violin performance, he received a master’s degree in violin performance from Michigan State University in 1994 and a doctoral degree in orchestral conducting in 2003. He has been a professor in Venezuela, a chamber musician with the Cuarteto Rios Reyna of Caracas and a guest conductor in various orchestras. Currently he is a professor of violin and viola in the Andrews University Department of Music.

Admission to this event in the Howard Center is free, and no tickets are required. For additional information, contact the Howard Box Office at 269-471-3560. For a full season schedule of events at the Howard Performing Arts Center, visit howard.andrews.edu.