The Roanoque Baroque Chamber Orchestra with guest soloists Adelle Rodkey, Oboe, Steven Gross, French horn, Jacob Landau, Trumpet along with resident solo artists Christi Salisbury and Rick Dolan, Violin, Julee Hickcox, Flute, and Michael Shasberger, baritone, is proud to present the opening concerts of its second season on Saturday, October 28 at 7:00 P.M. at St. John Lutheran Church in Cave Spring, and at First Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Roanoke, on Sunday, October 29 at 3:00 P.M.
Roanoque Baroque’s season this year will feature all six of J.S. Bach’s beloved Brandenburg Concerti, along with other baroque favorites including those on the opening program: Georg Philipp Telemann’s solo cantata “Soll ich nicht von Jammer sagen” sung by baritone and Roanoque Baroque Artistic Director Michael Shasberger, and an overture by Johann Fasch. Young soloists from the Roanoke community will also be featured on the first movement of Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins.
Steven Gross is Professor of Horn and Head of the Wind, Brass and Percussion Area at the beachside campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is also a former member of the Atlanta Symphony, National Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and for 24 years Principal Horn of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. At the age of 21, he won the First International Heldenleben Horn Competition. He is now Executive Director of the International Horn Competition of America, which has had winners from the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Hungarian State Opera orchestra, Barcelona Symphony, Empire Brass, St. Louis Symphony and other institutions. His international solo appearances include the Orchester der Stadt Vöcklabruck in Austria, Moscow Conservatory, Beijing Central Conservatory, L’Abri International Arts Festival is Switzerland, Nairobi Symphony in Kenya, NTUA Wind Ensemble in Taiwan, WindWorx in South Africa, and the Camerata Filarmonica Bohemia of Prague. His Carnegie Hall debut was described by the New York Concert Review as, “offering some of the cleanest articulation and purest musicality.”
Oboist Adelle Rodkey is an instructor of oboe at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California where she maintains an active teaching studio and performance career. She has won distinction with awards and recognition from the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara and the Fresno Summer Music Festival, and is a frequently featured soloist and chamber music performer throughout the Central Coast region. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Wheaton Conservatory, where she studied under Carl Sonik, and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Oboe Performance at UCLA under Dr. Jonathan Davis
Known for his “brilliant” and “crystal clear” tone on the trumpet, Jacob Landau is a classical trumpeter from Southwest Virginia, working towards a BM in Music Performance from the University of Georgia. At UGA, Jake is a recipient of the Fred Mills Scholarship Award and a student of Philip A. Smith, former principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic. Jake has performed with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and Opera Roanoke Orchestra. He is currently Artist-in-Residence at First Christian Church in Athens, GA, and has given guest solo performances at churches across the American Southeast.
The program will be conducted by Michael Shasberger, Artistic Director of Roanoque Baroque. Dr. Shasberger is a professor Emeritus of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California and Conductor Emeritus of the Stratus Chamber Orchestra in Denver, Colorado. He also served as Artistic Director for the West Coast Symphony and Chamber Orchestra in Santa Barbara, CA and as a guest conductor with the Fine Arts Chamber Orchestra of Mexico, the Lithuanian National Chamber Orchestra, the Estonian National Chamber Orchestra, the Ft. Wayne Philharmonic and Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. He also serves as the Choral Director for St. John Lutheran Church.
St. John Lutheran Church is located at 4608 Brambleton Avenue and the First Evangelical Presbyterian Church is located at 2101 Jefferson St SW. Ample free parking is available at both locations. Roanoque Baroque encourages access to all members of the community with a “name your own price” admission policy. All tickets available at the door with a $20 per person suggested ticket price. More information can be found at www.Roanoquebaroque.org.