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Beethoven Birthday Bash to be Held at William Paterson University on December 14

A musical celebration will be held in honor of Ludwig von Beethoven’s 244^th birthday on Sunday, December 14, 2014, at William Paterson University in Wayne. The event, part of the WP Presents! Musical Salon Series, begins at 2 p.m. in historic Hobart Manor on campus.

The afternoon, which will include a number of Beethoven’s sonatas, will feature Gary Kirkpatrick, piano; Joe Kimura, cello; and Fiona Simon, violin. A cake will be presented in honor of the celebration.  Tickets are $15 tickets and are available in advance or on the day of the performance.

Kirkpatrick, an internationally acclaimed pianist, is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. Kirkpatrick made his New York debut at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York City and has won top prizes at international competitions. His numerous concert tours and television and radio broadcasts have taken him to more than 40 countries. Recent tours included concerts and master classes in Estonia, Austria, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Japan, France, Ecuador, and the United States. Kirkpatrick has been on the faculties of the University of Kansas, the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and he is currently professor of music at William Paterson University.

Kimura has a very diverse musical career. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s of music degrees from Juilliard, he joined the Laurentian String Quartet and was subsequently appointed principal cellist of the Stamford Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded with EOS for the E.M.I. label and with the Riverside Symphony for the New World label and has performed on live NPR broadcasts with the Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall. He has performed as a soloist with national and international symphonies. He can be heard on numerous movie and TV commercial orchestra soundtracks and has performed for many years with Tony Award-winning Broadway shows.

Simon, a member of the New York Philharmonic since 1985, made her Philharmonic solo debut in November 1989 performing Vivaldi’s Concerto for Three Violins. She began her career in her native England where she won major prizes in competitions. For three consecutive years, she was London’s Young Artist of the Year. She has performed with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden, and the English Chamber Orchestra, and in many recitals and concerts broadcast on the BBC. Simon is a member of the Vanderspar String Trio and the Simon String Quartet.

For additional information or to purchase tickets, please contact William Paterson University’s Shea Center Box Office at boxoffice@wpunj.edu, call 973.720.2371 or visit wp-presents.org.

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