Clarinet, strings concert Thursday at First Presbyterian Church

COEUR d'ALENE — The Mountain Lake Music Festival is collaborating with eight classical music artists to present a free concert at 6 p.m. Thursday in First Presbyterian Church, 521 Lakeside Ave., Coeur d’Alene.

The artists will meet, greet and talk about the stories behind the pieces, the composers, and what was going on at that time. The concert will last around an hour.

"Classical music can transform, evoke and connect us as a community,” said festival founder Julienne Dance.

Geoffrey Flolo will be first on the program. He is a pupil of the Juilliard School’s Leon Russianoff and a 20-year veteran of the presidential United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C. where he served as section clarinetist, soloist and principal. As an active freelance musician, he has performed in professional settings including symphony and theater orchestras, recording studios and as a chamber musician and soloist. Joined by collaborative pianist Melody Puller, he will perform Gerald Finzi’s Five Bagatelles and then later Leonard Bernstein’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano.

Diana Clemons will play an original composition for viola; she has a master’s degree in viola performance from Juilliard. Clemons studied in France in a conservatory and was active musically as a young age. She has been a professional musician all of her life. Owner and operator of Harmony Ranch, which offers horseback riding for autistic young people, Clemons also teaches violin, writes music and enjoys country fiddling.

Up-and-coming cellist Carson Ling-Efird, now 14, made her solo debut two years ago with the Seattle Symphony. She won the Seattle Symphony’s composition contest this past year. She will be performing her own compositions, "Lost in a Snowstorm" suite for cello and piano and then the "String Quartet" in E minor. Playing since age 4, Carson once played for famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In addition to playing and composing classical music, she enjoys learning Chinese martial arts and listening to K-pop.

Another accomplished young artist, Yvette Kraft, will play John Corigliano’s "The Red Violin Caprices." Yvette, 16, a violinist from Seattle, made her debut with the Spokane Symphony age 11. Since then she has distinguished herself in multiple competitions and summer camps, most recently winning the Seattle Young Artists Competition. She was just selected from auditions as a finalist for the International Spohr Competition for Young Violinists in Germany this October. Yvette studies with Simon James and Mateusz Wolski. You can also hear her on public radio KPBX on Monday at 10 am.

In the final piece for the concert, Elizabeth Hamilton and Tiffany Wang will join Carson and Clemons in the "String Quartet" in E minor.

Community members can meet these accomplished artists at Thursday's concert.

Handicapped entrances are available. Donations will be accepted. All are invited.

Mountain Lake Music Festival is a music camp for pre-college and college-age student string musicians to have opportunities to receive private lessons and community performances.

Info: https://www.mountainlakemusic.com