Performers such as the Ars Pacifica Trio provide students and Davis residents with stunning live musical shows
By NATALIE SALTER—arts@theaggie.org
Live musical performances can be one of the most exciting and enjoyable ways for us to engage with the arts. However, concerts organized by bands, soloists and orchestras alike often come with steep ticket prices, dissuading potential attendees from attending. But, what if a seat at a show was completely free?
Enter the Shinkoskey Noon Concerts: a series of free musical performances taking place every Thursday from 12:05-1p.m. in the Ann E. Pitzer Center on campus. The concerts are named for the late Joy S. Shinkoskey, in honor of her lifetime passion for music. Her daughter, Deborah Pinkerton, and son-in-law, Bret Hewitt, donated to support these noon concerts in the UC Davis Department of Music.
These concerts host a variety of professional musicians, allowing Davis students and community members access to their stunning performances — free of charge. Staged in the beautiful Pitzer Center rehearsal hall, each concert is as atmospheric and immersive as they are musically masterful. Anyone who wishes to attend any of the hour-long concerts simply has to walk right in, take a seat and enjoy the show.
On Thursday, Oct. 9, the Shinkoskey Noon Concerts hosted the Ars Pacifica Trio. The group is composed of Iryna Klimashevska on violin, Jon Mayhew Anderson on horn and I-Hui Chen on piano — a UC Davis lecturer in music. Formed by Anderson, the group also leads classes and interactive concerts to engage closely with their audiences.
“I am glad that this is a free concert; as a musician, this is a very good opportunity to share our work,” Chen said. “As faculty in the music department, I always love to share my experiences within the music, both in performance and teaching.”
After the lights had dimmed and the crowd fell to a hush, the trio opened their performance with Mozart’s “Allegro from Horn Quintet in E-Flat Major, K. 407.” The warmth of the horn, the liveliness of the violin and the delicate melody of the piano knitted seamlessly into an enchanting composition. The entire piece came together like the perfect backdrop of a fairytale ballet, dancers twirling through an iridescent garden. The trio followed this performance with Brahms’ “Horn Trio in E-flat Major, O. 40,” another masterful showing of their individual and collective talents.
Throughout these performances, each of the three musicians shone. Klimashevska’s violin playing was enthusiastic yet carefully controlled, keeping an electric energy coursing through each piece. Anderson’s horn provided a resounding depth and fullness of sound to the concert, each note alive with incredible feeling. Lastly, Chen’s work on piano stunned, dancing across each tune with a brilliant combination of gracefulness and passion.
As each of these shows are only an hour long and completely free, they are an incredibly accessible way for students and Davis residents alike to easily immerse themselves in the wonder of live music. Further, they can be educational experiences for anyone curious about musical artistry; an avenue to engage with a variety of musical styles and discover new pieces to fall in love with.
More weekly performances have been planned by the Shinkoskey Noon Concerts through late November, with a variety of offerings worth taking the time to discover. Nov. 6 will feature the opening concert for the Taproot New Music Festival, and on Nov. 13 audiences can hear Sakurako Kanemitsu on piano, accompanied by a display of visual art works.
If you want to support and discover more about the arts, or find yourself yearning for a magical concert experience, stop by one of these shows — each is a wonderful experience that will make you fall in love with musical arts more than ever before.
Written by: Natalie Salter—arts@theaggie.org
