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Posting Date: October 22, 2009
Faculty recital features violinist Helen Kim and pianist Robert Henry
By Scott Singleton
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Helen Kim |
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Robert Henry |
Internationally acclaimed musicians Helen Kim and Robert Henry will join forces in a free recital presented by Kennesaw State University’s School of Music on Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. in the Performance Hall of the Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Center. The recital will feature the rare performance of Cesar Franck’s Sonata in A Major, along with pieces by Manuel de Falla, Frédéric Chopin, W. A. Mozart and Pablo de Sarasate.
Franck’s Sonata, according to Kim, is “one of the most difficult and demanding tier music works of all time. It’s rare to find someone who is willing to put in the amount of effort that goes into performing the piece. It’s romantic, lyrical and groundbreaking.” With remarkable influence on modern music, Kim notes that the sonata utilizes chords and melodies that are often “found in pop music that we hear today.”
In a program that Henry describes as full of variety, the recital will open with Manuel de Falla’s “Suite Populaire Espagnole.” The composition features six short pieces of Spanish folk music that are often referred to as “six glimpses of Spain.” Continuing what Kim describes as “a musical trip around the world,” the recital transitions to the work of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin. Kim describes the Chopin piece as “one of the most beautiful nocturnes for violin and piano.”
Mozart’s Sonata in B flat Major is an operatic piece that represents one of the later works of the famous composer. To complete the recital, Kim and Henry will bring the musical journey back to Spain with a performance of Pablo de Sarasate’s “Introduction and Tarantella.”
Helen Kim, assistant professor of music, joined the KSU faculty in 2005 and teaches strings and chamber music courses. A recipient of more than 100 national and international awards, Kim has performed at Boston Symphony Hall and Carnegie Hall, and with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Opera Orchestra.
Robert Henry, artist-in-residence in piano, is an internationally distinguished pianist who has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Strathmore Hall and the Kennedy Center. Henry also recently received the 2009 KSU Distinguished Alumni Award.