Doors open at 2:30
$15 Adults, $10 Members/Students with I.D. Tickets are not sold in advance, but may be purchased at the door beginning 30 minutes prior to the performance.
This season Ben Odhner returns to Glencairn with special guest Marilyn Stroh, with whom he will play Mozart’s Duet No. 1 for Violin and Viola, and Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D minor. Marilyn has played viola with the New York Metropolitan Opera for more than fifty years and was the first woman ever to be hired full time by the Met. She is Ben’s great aunt. They will be accompanied by Ms. Liliya Maslov. Their program will also include works by Beethoven, R. Vaughn Williams and the Sonata for Piano and Violin by E. Grieg.
Ben was born in Boston and started his violin studies at age five in Michigan. He moved to Philadelphia in 2002 and continued his studies with Paul Arnold. He received a full tuition scholarship from the D. R. Starling Foundation, and funding from the New Church Music Scholarship Fund, to study with Paul Kantor at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he graduated with a degree in Violin Performance in 2011. Twice a winner of CIM’s concerto competition, he has appeared as a soloist with the CIM Orchestra, Ashland Symphony, Warminster Symphony Orchestra, Bryn Athyn Orchestra and other ensembles. In 2007 Ben appeared on National Public Radio’s “From the Top” as a member of the Gray Charitable Trust Piano Trio. Ben was selected to participate in the New York String Orchestra Seminar at Carnegie Hall in 2008 and 2009. A fellowship recipient at the Aspen Music Festival and School in previous years, he has been concertmaster of the Aspen Concert Orchestra (2008) and of the Aspen Sinfonia (2009). Ben was invited to participate in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra in 2009—the first international classical music summit brought together through the internet. Ben has also appeared frequently in concert at Glencairn. This summer, he will return to the Banff Centre to participate in the String Masterclass and Festival Orchestra residencies. He is currently pursuing a Masters with Paul Kantor at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, and recently took second place in the Shepherd School’s 2013 concerto competition. Ben plays on a violin provided by a scholarship grant from the Virtu Foundation.
Marilyn Stroh began her violin studies at age 9 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Moving to Philadelphia in 1952, Marilyn continued her studies with Jacob Krachmalnick, concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Between 1954 and 1956 Marilyn lived with the Raymond Pitcairn family at Glencairn. She fondly remembers playing Saturday morning string quartets with Raymond and son, Lachlan Pitcairn, and her brother Randolph Stroh. In 1956 she entered Juilliard to study violin with Oscar Shumsky. While at Juilliard she studied viola and violin and performed as Principal Violist of the Juilliard Orchestra on its European tour. In 1960 she became the first woman string player to be engaged by the Metropolitan Opera. She recently completed her 53rd season at the Met. Marilyn has also performed with the Canadian National Ballet and with the National Festival Orchestra in Stratford, Canada. During her six seasons at the Stratford festival Marilyn performed chamber music in collaboration with artists such as Glenn Gould, Leonard Rose, Oscar Shumsky, Lynn Harrell, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Lee Foli. During the 1970s Marilyn was a member of the String Trio of New York, with Met colleagues Judith Yanchus and Yves Chardon. The trio received acclaim for its "beauty, warmth and style."
Liliya Maslov was born in Kharkov, Ukraine. She started the piano at age six and was admitted into a special music school for gifted children a year later. By the age of eight, Liliya made her first public appearance as a piano soloist. In 1977 she entered the Kharkov State Conservatory, Ukraine. While attending the Conservatory, Liliya appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in recitals throughout the Ukraine. In 1982 she graduated with high honors, earning a Master’s Degree in piano performance, chamber music and pedagogy. In 1991 Liliya immigrated to Israel, where she performed as a chamber musician and as a member of a duo-piano team with her husband, Oleg Maslov. In 1992 she received the “Israel Cultural Chamber Music Award”. In 1995, Liliya was offered a full scholarship to study with Professor Harvey Wedeen at Temple University in Philadelphia, where she earned a Master’s Degree in Music (piano performance) in 1998. Since then Liliya appeared as a soloist and chamber musician at the University of Pennsylvania, WFLN, Germantown Academy, Wilmington Music School, and the Manhattan School of Music in New York. She also maintains an active performing schedule as a member of a duo-piano ensemble. Currently Liliya is a core faculty member at The Music School of Delaware. Her students have won numerous competitions and attend schools such as the Manhattan School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, and The Cleveland Institute of Music. Glencairn welcomes back Ms. Maslov who was here in the spring of 2007 accompanying her daughter Genia, who is a gifted violinist in her own right.