SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford College will celebrate the inaugural season of the Benjamin B. Dunlap Chamber Music Series with the first performance at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, featuring faculty members of the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga.
The series is named in honor of Wofford’s former president, who headed the college for 13 years and who retired in 2013. “Dr. Dunlap’s vision, support and passion for music ensured the success of our Chamber Music Series, which is presented with free admission as a gift to our community,” says Dr. Eun-Sun Lee, director of the Wofford Chamber Players and professor of music. “In our ninth year, we honor ourselves by naming the series in his honor and celebrate his passion for life and music. Sitting front center, Dr. Dunlap is our most avid fan, often leading us to a standing ovation with his enthusiastic exclamations. Together with his wife, Anne, he attended every concert of every year during his extremely busy life as president.”
The Nov. 3 performance in Leonard Auditorium in Main Building will feature these members of the Schwob School of Music: Alexander Kobrin, piano, winner of the Van Cliburn International Competition and faculty member at New York University; Sergiu Schwartz, violin, graduate of The Juilliard School; and Wendi Warner, cello, winner of the Rostropovich International Competition. They will perform Schubert Adagio in E flat, opus posthumous; Rachmaninov Trio Elegiac #1 in G minor; and Brahms Trio #2 in C major, Op. 87.
Other performances in the Benjamin B. Dunlap Chamber Music Series will be:
Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015 – Featuring William Preucil, concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, and his daughter, Alexandra Preucil, associate concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra; William Ransom, professor of piano at Emory University and director of Highlands/Cashiers Festival in North Carolina; members of the Vega Quartet, Yinzi Kong (viola) and Guang Wang (cello); Charae Krueger (cello); and Lee (viola).
Thursday, March 5, 2015 – “Tribute to Bernie: The Four Big Bs” program with works by composers who Dunlap, known as Bernie (Big B), considers his “Three Big Bs.” It will feature Lee (violin) and Kate Ransom (violin) of the Sarafin String Quartet with William Ransom (piano) performing works of Bach, Beethoven and Bartok.
All performances begin at 7 p.m. in Leonard Auditorium in Main Building and are free and open to the public.