ALL SOULS CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Arlan A. Baillie Steinway Concert
Featuring Pianist Francesca Hurst
Postponed - New Performance Pending
The performance scheduled for March 30th has been postponed. A
new date will be announced as soon as possible.
Pianist Francesca Hurst will present "Reflections", a solo recital
featuring works by Elena Kats-Chernin, Michael Thomas Foumai,
Florence Price, and an exploration of the nocturne from John Field to
today. She will provide commentary about the works performed.
Dynamic and engaging, pianist Francesca Hurst delights audiences with
a mix of classical and contemporary music. Listeners have described her
playing as “moving and compelling” and “powerful yet sensitive”, and The
Washington Post praised her “quicksilver passagework” and “tender
lyricism”. Classically trained, she fell into the new music scene in 2013,
when a last-minute gig with Great Noise Ensemble turned into a decade-long engagement as their pianist. At ease with a wide range of repertoire, she makes sense of the music regardless of style and period, is passionate about communicating with audiences, and has a special interest in performing music by women.
As a new music pianist, Francesca has appeared as a solo and collaborative guest artist at the Wintergreen Music Festival, Atlantic Music Festival, New Music Delaware, New Music Gathering, Charlotte New Music Festival, New Music DC, and the Bang on a Can Music Marathon. Equally versatile in the classical repertoire, she has played in venues like the Kennedy Center, the National Gallery of Art, several embassies in Washington, DC, and internationally in Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, and France. During the pandemic, she created the 100-day online video series Daily Dose of Piano, which featured music from the Baroque to today, including 54 pieces by living composers and 14 premieres. She is on the Virginia Commission for the Arts Performing Artist Touring Roster, and her debut solo album featuring music of women composers will be released soon.
An effective and innovative teacher, Francesca teaches applied piano and piano pedagogy at The Catholic University of America and the University of Virginia, and maintains a thriving private piano studio in Northern Virginia. In the summer, she is on the faculty of the Orfeo Music Festival in Italy. She is an MTNA Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, and is often invited to judge competitions and teach master classes. She holds a DMA, MM, and BFA in Piano Performance, and a BA in Italian. www.francescahurst.com
Community Concert
Saturday, April 5th
2:00 p.m.
The Arlan Baillie Steinway Series is offering the larger Bangor Community a recital opportunity for several students from any studio —piano, instrumental or voice and any age! —to participate in the event. We look forward to sharing these enthusiastic performers with you, our music community.
Kneisel Hall Young Artists
Monday, July 21st
7:00 p.m.
Kneisel Hall Young Artists will be back this summer to present another exhilarating concert in our meeting house on Monday evening, July 21st, at 7:00pm. These musicians love using the Steinway piano in our venue and look forward to performing what consistently proves to be deeply moving music and expertly played. It is, indeed, a summer highlight!
Performances
Arlan A. Baillie Steinway Performance Series
The Arlan A. Baillie Steinway Performance Series consists of 3 or four piano performances annually, including instrumental performances with piano accompaniment, student piano performances, and occasional piano master classes. The events are all open to the public with no admission charge. The Arlan A. Baillie Steinway Piano is a gift to All Souls Congregational Church and the community from the Christopher Hutchins family in memory of Ruth R. and Curtis M. Hutchins. All costs for the piano and its programs are covered by an endowment fund created as part of the gift. One concert features special guests to display the Steinway — either solo or in an ensemble. There are guests from within the state of Maine as well as artists from other states. There is a fine variety from year to year.
Summer Musicale
Our Summer Musicale in July displays the remarkable talent of Kneisel Hall’s Young Artists who work intensively for 7 weeks, immersed in chamber music. They are some of today’s most gifted young artists — pianists and string players — and they play an outreach concert at All Souls Church with sponsorship from Congregation Beth Israel, The Bangor Symphony Orchestra, and the Arlan A. Baillie Steinway Series.
The Annual Student Performances
The annual Community Concert provides an opportunity for specially chosen students of area piano teachers. The students perform works of their own choosing with no restriction as to style. Piano teachers are invited to select up to three of their students of any age, who are showing good progress in their playing. The level of playing may be from novice to advanced. Piano teachers not already on our mailing list may receive registration materials by contacting the church office.
We maintain a separate mailing list for our Steinway Performance Series. If you would like to sign up for this list and receive notices about upcoming performances, you can do so here. For our general church email list use the button below.