For the second time in two years, WVU music faculty members Francesca Arnone and Christine Kefferstan have been invited to perform a Lunchtime Concert at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, England.

This renowned central-London venue has welcomed some of the world’s most talented musicians at its Lunchtime Concerts for more than 50 years.

Arnone, assistant professor of flute, and Kefferstan, professor of piano, will present a recital Tuesday (Aug. 24).

“Our program includes a roster of interesting international composers whose works range from the early to late 20th Century,” Kefferstan said. “These include works by British composer William Alwyn, French composer Melanie Bonis from the early 1900s, an American work by Samuel Barber and a 1997 sonata by contemporary Mexican-American composer Samuel Zyman.”

While in England, the duo will also perform at the British Flute Society’s 7th International Convention at Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester during Aug. 19-22 where Arnone is scheduled to present a lecture.

The concept of a Lunchtime Concert series was developed by Dame Myra Hess (1890-1965) during World War II when all performances of live music in England ceased.

Determined to bring art to the people, Dame Hess inaugurated a series of concerts given during the lunch hour. The series first began at the National Gallery whose collection was relocated for safekeeping during the Blitz.

This tradition lives today in an international network of churches, museums, and other venues providing a lunch hour respite for the mind and soul. In England, the most prestigious London version of Lunchtime Concert takes place every Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 1 p.m. in the Royal Parish Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square.

Dr. Arnone is a member of the Laureate Wind Quintet and director of the WVU Flute Choir. She earned flute performance degrees from Oberlin, the San Francisco Conservatory and the University of Miami. She served as Principal of the Boise Philharmonic for four seasons and as Piccolo of the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra since 1997. Prior to this, she was Co-Principal and Piccolo of the Orquesta Sinf�nica de la Universidad de Guanajuato in Mexico. She has performed with the Florida Philharmonic, the Florida West Coast Symphony, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Missouri Chamber Orchestra and the Orquesta Sinf�nica de Tenerife in Spain, among others. She has been both a flute and piccolo concerto soloist in the United States and Mexico.

Dr. Kefferstan maintains an active performing career as soloist and chamber musician. She was recently featured as solo artist at the National Institute of Culture and History in Belize City, Belize; on the Stifel Fine Arts Series, Wheeling; the Silver Series, Plymouth, N.H.; and the Steinway Society Series in Pittsburgh. A graduate of the College-Conservatory of Cincinnati, Kefferstan studied with Israeli pianist David Bar-Illan, and has had additional coaching with Russian pianists Sedmara Rutstein, Oberlin, and Viachaslov Gabrielov. As founding member of the Sarasvati Trio, her ensemble was featured on the Cincinnati Taft Chamber Series in April 2007 and the 2009 MTNA conference in Atlanta. She has also performed numerous times for the International Women and Creativity Conference; the College Music Society; the 2009 Music in the Museums of Rio Festival, Rio de Janeiro; and the 2010 9th International Festival of Women Composers.

To find out more, see the website at www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org.

-WVU-

CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304-293-4841 ext. 3108, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu

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