Trending
ELKINS -- As a "thank you" to the community for its support over the past year, The Arts Center announced a free Christmas concert scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15.
"The Arts Center has been very fortunate this year to have received so much support from the community and area businesses with our first major fund drive in several years, and we thought it only right to give something back during the holidays to thank everyone," said Executive Director Kurt Barkley.
"Being able to provide our community with a free concert of this caliber is a pleasure for us. For everyone to be able to hear our wonderful organ played is just that much more exciting for us."
The afternoon show will feature Dr. Melody Meadows, professor of music at West Virginia Wesleyan College and musical director at Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, on organ; Kim Graham, cellist with the West Virginia Symphony; and Leah Heater, mezzo soprano opera singer.
Meadows is professor of piano and organ at West Virginia Wesleyan College. She has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and Seoul, Korea, with her most recent performances at Yale University. In addition, she has also appeared with Today's Brass, the Toledo Symphony Brass Quintet, The American Boychoir, Larry Groce of Mountain Stage, The West Virginia Symphony and the Larry Parsons Chorale.
Meadows holds a master's degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a DMA in Organ Performance from the University of Michigan and is director of music at Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church in Elkins.
Graham teaches music at Madison Middle School in Boone County. For 22 years, she was the string instructor for Boone County schools. Graham has a BM and MM in cello performance from West Virginia University. She has been a member of the West Virginia Symphony for 40 years and also performs with the Ohio Valley Symphony, the River Cities Symphony, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra throughout the region.
Graham was the assistant director of Camp Amadeus at the University of Charleston and now works as a chamber coach and sectional coach with the West Virginia Youth Orchestras, as well as teaching privately. She is a native of Charleston and plays a Hayslett cello, #47.
Heater has been hailed for her "exquisite voice" and considerable "acting capabilities." She has sung as a soloist at venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and with opera companies such as Pittsburgh Opera, Virginia Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Opera Maine, Sarasota Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and Washington Concert Opera. She has performed the operatic roles of Mother in "Hansel and Gretel", Gertrude in "Hamlet", Marcellina in "Lenozze di Figaro", Principessa in "Suor Angelica", and much more.
Heater is a graduate of the master of music and artistdiploma programs at University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music. She also serves as adjunct professor of voice at West Virginia Wesleyan College and at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is thrilled to make her role debut as Amneris in "Aida" this season with Virginia Opera, where she was a Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist in 2015-2016.
For additional information contact the RCCAC at 304-637-2355, or visit the website: www.randolpharts.org.