Classical Music Concert

The Wallowa Valley Music Alliance and Josephy Center for Arts and Culture are happy to present an evening of classical music on Friday, June 27, 7 p.m. at the Josephy Center in Joseph, Oregon.  The concert will feature Dr. James Cook (piano), Lisa Robertson (violin), and Ed Dixon (cello) performing piano trio works by Haydn, Beethoven and Schumann. Admission is $10 suggested donation.
 
Dr. James Cook is a native of the northwestern United States. He has degrees from the Juilliard School and the University of Southern California in piano performance. Dr. Cook has performed solo, chamber and concerto performances throughout the world, including China, Germany, Italy, France and Sweden. Concerto appearances include the Minneapolis Symphony, Salem, Oregon Symphony, Spokane Symphony, Peter Britt Festival and many University orchestras with repertoire from the Bartok Third Piano Concerto to Mozart and all Beethoven concertos. His repertoire is extensive, including the Baroque era and much contemporary music including the Crumb Makrokosmos and the Copland and Prokofief piano sonatas.

Dr. Cook has worked with many musicians of fame, in accompanying and collaborative postures. This part of his professional life has included a performance of the Hindemith Ludus Tonalis on public television and at the Monday Evening Concerts in Los Angeles with Igor Stravinsky in attendance. He performed with the cellist Gabor Rejto, played in master classes at USC with Heifetz and Piatagorsky, and has accompanied the great opera baritone Simon Estes and the Tchaikovsky competition winner in violin, Eugene Fodor. He has taught at USC, California State at Fullerton, Willamette University, University of Wyoming and Boise State University.

Repertoire includes all string, wind and brass chamber music, most vocal literature, solo literature of all composers from early Baroque to Crumb, Copland, Berio, Stravinsky , Prokofiev and Shostakovitch. He has particularly emphasized the music of Mozart and Bach, performing widely on the fortepiano and harpsichord. Current interests include the works of Chopin, Brahms and Beethoven. Concerto repertoire includes many Mozart concerti, the five Beethoven, two Mendelssohn, Schumann, Grieg, Bartok and Howard Quilling. In 1982 Dr. Cook was a soloist at the International Haydn celebration (250 years) in Fertoszentmikos, Hungary, the former summer residence of Haydn’s patron, Prince Esterhazy.

Lisa Robertson, violin, (B.M., M.A., University of Iowa; D.M., Florida State University) was a pupil of Allen Ohmes at the University of Iowa, Nicholas Chumachenco at the Zurich (Switzerland) Conservatory, Eliot Chapo at Florida State University, and has performed in master classes taught by Zino Francescatti and Christian Ferras. She was a member of European professional chamber ensembles and orchestras for nearly fifteen years. She has served on the music faculties of the Peter-Cornelius-Konservatorium (Mainz, Germany), Florida State University, Walla Walla University, and most recently, Eastern Oregon University. In eastern Oregon, she also founded the Wallowa Lake Chamber Music Festival and Workshops, which for ten years brought top musicians to eastern Oregon to perform and teach. Since last fall, she is employed by the Oregon East Symphony in Pendleton in their “Playing For Keeps” program, where she teaches violin in classes and private lessons to students from ages 5-18 (and sometimes their mothers). Over the years, she has produced many prize-winning students. Lisa has been concertmaster of the Oregon East Symphony since 2000 and has been a featured soloist with that orchestra on numerous occasions. She is Principal Second Violin for the Walla Walla (WA) Symphony, a permanent member of the Siletz Bay (OR) Music Festival Orchestra, and is a frequent guest concertmaster of the Walla Walla Symphony. She has also served as concertmaster for the McCall (ID) Summerfest Orchestra, the Ruby Mountain Symphony (Elko, NV), and the Grande Ronde Symphony. Past President of the Oregon Chapter of the American String Teachers Association, Lisa is active as a clinician, adjudicator, soloist, and chamber musician around the Northwest and teaches regularly at the OES Summer Music Camp.

Edward Dixon, conductor and cellist, has performed as soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician throughout the United States and Europe and has worked in the Hollywood recording studios. He received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Southern California and his doctorate from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Dr. Dixon was on the music faculties of the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Central Washington University, and recently retired from Whitman College. A frequent performer, he has appeared as guest soloist with the Yakima, Wenatchee, Walla Walla, and Mid-Columbia Symphonies within the state of Washington and has performed at the Aspen, Ojai, and Colorado Music Festivals. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1987 and is currently the cellist of the Columbia Piano Trio. Dr. Dixon is Principal Cellist of the Walla Walla Symphony and the Mid-Columbia Symphony. He conducts the Walla Walla Symphony's Mares 'n Music event, and has served as conductor for the Walla Walla Community College Foundations summer musicals of Camelot, Sound of Music, and State Fair. He is Manager of the Walla Walla Symphony