K-State lecture series presents violinist Charles Castleman

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Source: Cora Cooper, 785-532-3820, corac@k-state.edu
Photo available: http://www.charlescastleman.com
News release prepared by: Shelby Haag, 785-532-6415, media@k-state.edu

Thursday, March 1, 2007

K-STATE LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS VIOLINIST CHARLES CASTLEMAN

MANHATTAN -- The Kansas State University campus will be echoing the sound of music March 11-13 as the University Distinguished Lecturers Series presents violin soloist and professor Charles Castleman.

The event will include master class instruction for K-State and high school-age violinists, as well as a lecture-recital performance. All events will be open to the public.

Master classes will consist of student musicians playing for the public critique of Castleman. The session featuring selected high school violinists will be at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 11. The college-level master class will include performances by four K-State violinists at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 13. Both classes will be in Hale Library's Hemisphere Room.

Castleman's lecture-recital "The Virtuoso," with K-State staff accompanist William Wingfield on piano, will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 12, in K-State's All Faiths Chapel. The program will include music by Veracini, Enesco, Hubay, Chausson, Kreisler, Ysaye and Quiroga.

In addition to the musical content of the program, Castleman will explore the tradition of virtuoso performance and the phenomenon of "divas" in western culture, said Cora Cooper, K-State professor of music.

"His program features works that are rarely heard, let alone programmed together, because of the degree of difficulty," Cooper said. "An artist of his caliber does not show up in Manhattan, Kan., every day."

Castleman is deemed by his peers as one of the world's most energetic performers on the violin, Cooper said. He has been a soloist with major orchestras throughout the world and is a prize winner in the two most prestigious international violin competitions. Castleman is currently a professor at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music and is viewed as an internationally renowned teacher.

The lecture is co-sponsored by the K-State department of music and the K-State student chapter of the American String Teachers Association.

K-State students performing in the college master class include:

Christopher Minns, junior in mechanical engineering, Bel Aire; Laura Beth Cochran, sophomore in environmental design, and Justin Moldrup, junior in information systems and applied music, both of Manhattan; and Robyn Bramlage, junior in fine arts with a minor in music, Tecumseh.