Bronfman, Weilerstein inaugural guests of Music Series at Akin

Bronfman, Weilerstein inaugural guests of Music Series at Akin

Pianist Yefim Bronfman and cellist Alisa Weilerstein will be the inaugural guests of the Music Series at Akin, which is sponsored by the Perkins-Prothro Foundation and Joe and Dale Prothro, with the Lamar D. Fain College of Fine Arts at Midwestern State University. 

Bronfman, a Grammy and Gramophone winner, opens the series Feb. 23. His 2011 touring season included concerts in Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and Philadelphia, with the upcoming winter portion of his tour including a performance in March at Carnegie Hall followed by the world premiere of New York Philharmonic composer-in-residence Magnus Lindberg's concerto, commissioned for him. 

The Grammy and Gramophone were awarded to Bronfman in 1997 for his work with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic on three Bartok concertos. He has performed with many noted musicians including Yo-Yo Ma and Isaac Stern. Immediately following his stop at MSU, Bronfman will perform at the Yale University School of Music and the Washington Performing Arts Society. 

The program for Bronfman's performance includes selections from Brahms, Liszt and Prokofiev. 

Weilerstein will conclude the series March 20. She has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras throughout the United States and Europe, recently including a 14-city tour with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic that featured stops at Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She is the first cellist to be signed by Decca Records in more than 30 years. 

Weilerstein's development as a musician began early, with a make-believe cello made of a cereal box at age 2. When not performing as a soloist, she is one third of the acclaimed Weilerstein Trio, with her father, pianist Donald Weilerstein, and mother, violinist Vivian Hornik Weilerstein. They are the trio-in-residence at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.               

Both performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Akin Auditorium. Tickets go on sale Feb. 6 and may be purchased by contacting the MSU Music Department secretary at the Fain Fine Arts Center at 940-397-4267 between 1-5 p.m. when school is in session. Payments may be mailed to Music Series at Akin, Department of Music, Fain Fine Arts Center, MSU, 3410 Taft Blvd., Wichita Falls, Texas 76308. Cash or check only, credit cards cannot be processed.  Tickets ordered for the Bronfman concert by Feb. 17 and for the Weilerstein concert by March 13 will be mailed to the purchaser. Tickets ordered after those dates may be picked up at the "will call" table before each performance. 

General admission tickets are $25 for each performance, or $40 for season tickets. Tickets for senior citizens (60 or older) and military are $22.50 for each or $36 for season tickets.  Prices for MSU students are $10 for one concert and $15 for both.