The Lyric Theatre Presents

Lara St. John

Canadian born and bred, Lara St. John brings the violin to life with her stunning natural talent and international performance experience. Since her orchestral debut at the age of 4, she has impressed crowds and critics alike, celebrated as a “high-powered soloist” by the New York Times. After touring the world, Lara St. John is now coming to the Lyric Theatre this March for an unforgettable show.
Lara grew up in London, Ontario, raised in an education-oriented family. Her father, a language teacher, and her mother, a music instructor, encouraged her immediate interest and affinity towards the violin. At the age of 2, Lara St. John had started her love affair with the violin and by age 10 she had made her European debut with the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon, Portugal. Lara would continue her success, touring throughout Spain, France, Portugal, and Hungary at the tender age of 12. Lara then entered the Curtis Institute, where she studied under world-renowned music teachers Felix Galimir and Joey Corpus.
Following her studies at the Moscow Conservatory, Lara played with a variety of international orchestras, including the Cleveland, Vancouver, Tokyo, and Hong Kong Symphonies, playing at venues from Australia to Turkey. The talented violinist has recorded 8 albums to great critical acclaim. Her recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Piazzolla reached No. 2 on the iTunes charts on its first day of release and her third recording, Bach, hit No. 1 on the classical music category of iTunes. Her most recent release, Mozart, featuring the Sinfonia Concertante and Concerti Nos. 1 & 3 won the 2011 Juno Classical Album of the Year for Soloist with a Large Ensemble.
Now, Lara St. John is bringing her incredible talent to the Lyric stage. Performing recognizable and obscure classic material from Mozart to Ravel, Lara plays the violin with an unrivaled ease and power that promises to impress. Critics have raved about her explosive performances, including the LA Times, which exclaimed that “Lara St. John happens to be a volcanic violinist with a huge, fabulous tone that pours out of her like molten lava.”
PROGRAM
César Franck (1822-1890)
Violin Sonata in A Major

I. Allegretto ben moderato
II. Allegro
III. Ben moderato: Recitative-Fantasia
IV. Allegretto poco mosso

John Corigliano (b. 1938)
Stomp (solo violin) (written for Lara St. John)

Intermission

David Ludwig (b. 1974)
Five Ladino Songs (solo violin)

I. Quando Veya Hija Hermosa
II. Durme Hermosa Donseya
III. Camini por Altas Torres
IV. Ven Hermosa
V. Tres Hermanicas Eran


John Psathas (b. 1966)
Two Greek Songs

I: The Pain Will Find Us (Duj duj)
II: My Love Awakes (O Ilios)

Martin Kennedy (b. 1978)
Song of the Moon (Serbia)

Matt Herskowitz (B. 1968)
Nagilara

Traditional Serbian
Kolo

Traditional Roumanian/arranged Mike Atkinson
Ca La Breaza

Thank you for supporting The Lyric Theatre, see you at the show!