World-class performances continue during the 40th anniversary season (2019-20) of the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series. Since its inception by founder Rose Knoles at nearby Dunn School in 1981, this series has brought acclaimed classical artists to perform in intimate spaces in the Santa Ynez Valley.
The current Concert Series artistic director is the pianist Robert Cassidy. Noted for its stunning acoustics and serene ambiance, St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, 2901 Nojoqui Ave., Los Olivos, has been the home of the concert series since 2007.
“The opportunity to experience great artists of passion and integrity performing masterworks is a tremendously moving and inspiring experience,” said Linda Burrows, series coordinator.
On Friday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m., organist Thomas Joyce and trumpeter Bill Williams will perform their concert Resonance, Song and Fanfare: Music for Trumpet and Organ. The evening will feature works for organ and trumpet spanning 300 years of music including: “Sonata in D major” by Giuseppe Torelli; the “Prayer of St. Gregory” by Alan Hovhaness; “Paths” by Takemitsu, “Sonata” by Naji Hakim, and the “Gershwin Prelude #2.”
St. Mark’s Church has a Schoenstein & Company two manual and pedal organ with 19 voices and 22 ranks, which was designed built and voiced for this specific space. St. Mark’s music director and organist Bev Staples frequently enriches Sunday services performing preludes and postludes on the Schoenstein.
Organist Thomas Joyce moved to Santa Barbara in summer 2014, beginning his position as Minister of Keyboard Music at Trinity Episcopal Church. Joyce is an adjunct instructor of organ at Westmont College and choral accompanist at Santa Barbara City College. He was born in Cambridge, England, but has spent most of his career in the United States.
As a boy chorister at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington D.C., Joyce studied piano, cello, and organ, and served as a cathedral acolyte. After spending his last two years of high school at Interlochen Arts Academy in Northern Michigan, Joyce became an undergraduate at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in Ohio.
Joyce received a master’s degree in organ from Yale University Institute of Sacred Music, and a doctoral degree in organ performance from the University of Washington. Before finding his home in Santa Barbara, Joyce served several churches and cathedrals throughout the U.S. as an organist and choral conductor specializing in children’s voices.
Williams has served as principal trumpet and soloist with major orchestras and chamber ensembles both nationally and internationally. Among his notable performances as principal trumpet include recordings of Mahler’s Symphonies 5, 7, and 9 with the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting.
As SFS principal trumpet, he can be seen as well as heard in the PBS “Keeping Score” series. He is a frequent guest principal including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and serves as solo trumpet of the Menuhin Festival Orchestra in Gstaad, Switzerland.
He is a founding faculty/artist member of Youth Music Culture Guangdong, where he collaborates with YMCG Artistic Director Yo-Yo Ma, conductors Yu Long and Michael Stern, and Silk Road Ensemble musicians on a program of artistic, educational and cultural exchange.
He has served as a faculty member at the Music Academy of the West since 2015. As dean of fellows at the New World Symphony, he expanded the NWS program to initiate interdisciplinary collaborative relationships with institutions including the Parsons School of Design and the MIT Media Lab. He served as project lead for the NWS Virtual Library, a metadata-rich searchable video library showcasing expert musical insight.
The Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series continues with the following renowned artists in this 40th season:
Friday, March 20, 7 p.m.: A Violinist Explores Bach’s Cello Suites. Grammy award-winning violinist and producer Johnny Gandelsman of Brooklyn Rider, and the Silk Road Ensemble and a gifted solo artist will present three Bach cello suites on violin.
Saturday, April 25, 7 p.m.: The Journey from Classicism to Impressionism: The Radian String Quartet with pianist Robert Thies performing Mozart, Ravel & Franck. The Radian String Quartet consists of Mary Beth Woodruff, violin; Jane Chung, violin; Basil Vendryes, viola; and Andrew Smith, cello.
The program will include the Mozart String Quartet in D minor, K. 421, Ravel String Quartet in F major and then Robert Thies, American first-prize winner of the Prokofiev Competition will join the Radians in a performance of the Franck Quintet for Piano and String Quartet in F minor.
Doors for each concert open 30 minutes prior to the start with tickets being sold at the door as well as online in advance at https://www.smitv.org/concert-series-tickets.html. Patron Tickets are $35; general admission $20.
Thanks to a grant from St. Mark’s Women’s Guild, concert admission is free for all students (with student ID). A complimentary reception with the artists follows each concert. For patron seating or any questions, call Burrows, 805-705-0938.