Robyn Bollinger
In partnership with Lee University, the String Theory Youth Initiative, will host violinist Robyn Bollinger for a week-long residency, which will include school outreach performances, masterclasses, a hospital performance at Erlanger, and three public events, March 28-31.
STYI is a program for select high school students and aims to cultivate the next generation of arts leaders and advocates through project-based learning. The students plan the entire week of outreach and learn about operations, marketing, advocacy, outreach, and more.
The first public event will take place on Tuesday, March 28, at 6 p.m. STYI will host an evening combining music, philosophy, and pedagogy at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, in Cadek Hall. The event will feature performances by local music students combined with discussions of the dichotomy between virtue and virtuosity.
On Thursday, March 30, at 7 p.m., members of STYI, along with Ms. Bollinger, will connect with young musicians in Burlington, Vermont, using LoLa (Low Latency Audio Visual Streaming). STYI musicians will perform with students from the Vermont Youth Orchestra. This event, which will take place at the Chattanooga Public Library (fourth floor), will conclude with a performance featuring cellist Emily Taubl along with Ms. Bollinger. This event is in collaboration with the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival.
Incorporating multi-media historical presentations and live personal narratives with musical performance, “CIACCONA” tells the story of one of the oldest musical ideas, the repeating bass line, through solo violin. Performed by Ms. Bollinger and presented by STYI students, Friday, March 31, performance will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Girls Preparatory School (Evans Center). This program delves into the questions of the meaning of art, the purpose of expression, and the motivations of famous composers Biber, Bach, Bartok, and Berio.
Ms. Bollinger is a popular figure on the chamber music stage, both as a member of the Grammy-nominated Boston-based ensemble A Far Cry, and for her work at festivals and on chamber music series. A former member of the Newman String Quartet, she has served as a member of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival's Young Trio in Residence and has collaborated with the Jupiter Chamber Players at Lincoln Center, Chameleon Ensemble in Boston, and members of the Borromeo, and Johannes, among others.
Ms. Bollinger is a recipient of the Entrepreneurial Musicianship Grant from New England Conservatory for her ground-breaking “Project Paganini,” a performance project featuring all 24 Paganini Caprices. She has received top prizes at many international competitions, among them the International Fritz Kreisler Competition in Vienna, the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists in France, and the Louis Spohr International Competition in Germany.
All events are free, non-ticketed, and open to the public. For more information about Robyn Bollinger, visit http://www.robynbollingerviolin.com/. For more information about STYI or the events, please contact info@stringtheorymusic.org.