Music in Central Valley opens its season next week

CENTRAL VALLEY-Music in Central Valley opens its season next week when it presents the LaRue-Friedman Duo playing works for cello and piano by Schumann, Enescu, and Rachmaninoff. The program, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m., will take place at Central Valley United Methodist Church on Smith Clove Road. Cellist Rob LaRue has appeared as soloist with the American Symphony, the Banff Festival Orchestra, the Orchestra Society of Phildelphia, and the symphony orchestras in Phoenix, Denver, and Seattle. In addition he has been heard at Alice Tully, Merkin, and Weill Hall of New York, and Miller Theater of Columbia University and has recorded for the Albany and for the Arsis Audio labels. LaRue has served on the faculty of Yale University's Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and on the faculty of Summertrios since 1995. A graduate of the Curtis Institute and the .milliard School, Mr. La Rue's teachers include Bernard Greenhouse, David Soyer, and Janos Starker. Pianist Lily Friedman is founding pianist of the New York Piano Trio. The winner of the Artists International Competition, the Trio was awarded a debut performance at Carnegie Recital Hall. Director of Summertiors, Friedman is a graduate of the Juilliard School. Her teachers include Beveridge Webster, Irma Wolpe, and chamber music with Menahem Pressler, Isidore Cohen, Artur Balsam, and Rudolf Serkin. She is a collaborative pianist with many chamber ensembles throughout the Metropolitan area and New England. For their program they have chosen sonatas by the Romanian composer Enescu and by Rachmaninoff as well as pieces in folk style by Schumann. Other concerts in the Music in Central Valley series include the Vassar Madrigal Ensemble under the direction of Drew Minter on Sunday, Nov. 21. On Jan. 23 Young Artists from Monroe-Woodbury High School will present a program of instrumental and vocal works. Then on Feb. 27 violist Noriko Futagami Herndon is joined by flutists Kaylyn Kinney and Leigh Ann Rettie, oboist Katherine Wilcox, and pianist Janice Nimetz for duos and trios by French and German composers. The series will conclude on April 10 with pianist Juana Zayas exploring ‘fantasies' for the piano. With the exception of the first concert on Saturday evening, all other programs take place at Central Valley United Methodist Church on Sunday afternoons at 3 o'clock. There is no admission fee but rather a suggested donation at the door. The church is handicapped accessible. For further information phone 928-6570. Janice Nimetz is director of Music in Central Valley