MUSICAL GEMS
THE BEETHOVEN IN THE ROCKIES: CONCERT SERIES PRESENTS
Sunday, March 9, 2025 2:00 PM
First United Methodist Church
917 10th Ave, Greeley, CO 80631, United States
Colorado Piano Trio and Friends
featuring:
Tarn Travers, violin
Stephanie Mientka, viola
Sally Murphy, cello
"Quintets"
PROGRAM
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57 (1940)
1. Prelude: Lento — Poco più mosso — Lento
2. Fugue: Adagio
3. Scherzo: Allegretto
4. Intermezzo: Lento
5. Finale: Allegretto
INTERMISSION
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34 (1864)
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Allegro non troppo
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Andante, un poco adagio
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Scherzo: Allegro
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Finale: Poco sostenuto – Allegro non troppo – Presto, non troppo
This program will last approx. 80 minutes, including a brief intermission.
Dr. Sally Murphy enjoys an active and versatile career as a cellist, teacher, and chamber musician. As a performer, Sally engages with a dynamic range of repertoire as both a soloist and chamber musician. She has been featured in the Lewisville Lake Symphony’s International Chamber Series (TX), the Garden Music Series (CO), the Ad Astra Music Festival (KS), the Open Space New Music Festival (UNC) and in solo appearances with orchestra, most recently including the Littleton Symphony, the Greeley Chamber Orchestra, and UNC’s Early Music Ensemble. At the University of North Texas, she performed regularly with the Bancroft String Quartet and the Center Piano Trio. She has also held several orchestral positions, including the Greeley Philharmonic, the Cheyenne Symphony, the Owensboro Symphony, and the Paducah Symphony.
In addition to performing, Sally is a dedicated pedagogue and enjoys teaching students of all ages, from young children through college level. She has served as the cello professor at the University of Northern Colorado, the Instructor of Cello and Bass at Murray State University, and as an Associate Instructor at Indiana University. During the summer months, she has served on the faculty at the University of North Texas’ International Summer Music Institute and as the director of the cello ensemble at the International Summer School in Pirovac, Croatia.
Sally completed her doctoral studies in cello performance at Indiana University. She received a Master of Music degree from the University of North Texas and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Northern Colorado. Her primary mentors have included Peter Stumpf, Nikola Ružević, Gal Faganel, and Barbara Thiem.
Dr. Stephanie Mientka maintains an eclectic career in music which includes orchestral work, chamber music, teaching, and concert presenting. As an active orchestral musician, she is a member of the Boulder Philharmonic and Colorado Ballet Orchestra and is a regular substitute for Central City Opera and Colorado Symphony. In addition to her performance career, Dr. Mientka is the Artistic Director of the Western Slope Concert Series, which presents 8 concerts per season in western Colorado. Dr. Mientka holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, a master’s degree from Rice University, and the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts at CU Boulder.
Violinist Dr. Tarn Travers regularly performs throughout the US and abroad as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. A member of the Chicago-based contemporary music group Ensemble Dal Niente and concertmaster of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, recent performances include solo and chamber music appearances throughout the United States, China, Austria, and Italy. He also performed at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and gave a performance of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in Vienna’s Konzerthaus.
As a recording artist, Travers has released numerous recordings, including an appearance on Jóhann Jóhannsson’s album Orphée, released in 2015 on the Deutsche Grammphon label. Other releases include an album of chamber music by Beethoven, Brahms, and Brooke Joyce, Maria Newman’s Triple Concerto, Randal Bauer’s Half String Quartet for violin and cello, and music by George Lewis, recorded as a member of Ensemble Dal Niente. Upcoming releases include music by Lori Laitman, transcribed for violin by the composer specifically for Travers, and an album of music for two violins featuring music by Eugène Ysaÿe, Sergei Prokofiev, and Paolo Marchettini.
An active pedagogue worldwide, Travers’ current and past teaching appointments include faculty positions at DePauw University, AlpenKammerMusik in Austria, the International Music Festival of the Adriatic in Italy, and the Tianjin Juilliard School in China. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Doctorate from Stony Brook University in New York, where his primary teachers were Camilla Wicks, Philip Setzer, and Axel Strauss. He plays on a Joseph Curtin violin.