Georgian Chamber Players With Guest Artist Alexei Kuznetsoff, Piano

Valentina Lisitsa, piano Beth Newdome, violin Reid Harris, viola Christopher Rex, cello Long a beacon of excellence on the Atlanta chamber-music landscape, the Georgian Chamber Players are known for their prestigious series of concerts presented at Spivey Hall and other local venues. Inaugurated in 1984 by a concert with pianist András Schiff, the series has welcomed such internationally renowned guest artists as pianists Emanuel Ax and Philippe Entremont, violinists Shlomo Mintz and Joseph Silverstein, and cellist János Starker. The members of the Georgian Chamber Players are violist Reid Harris and cellist Christopher Rex, both principal players in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, along with former ASO associate concertmaster Beth Newdome and celebrated Ukrainian-American pianist Valentina Lisitsa. Valentina Lisitsa is described by critics as a "bona fide angel playing" and an "electrifying pianist," the Ukrainian-born Valentina Lisitsa has been receiving rave reviews ever since her Avery Fisher Hall debut at the Mostly Mozart Festival. With her multi-faceted playing, described as "dazzling," she is at ease in a vast repertoire ranging from Bach and Mozart to Shostakovich and Bernstein. Her orchestral repertory alone includes more than 40 different concertos performed so far. Beth Newdone is also a member of the Inman Piano Trio (managed by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists) with pianist Brent Runnels of Atlanta and cellist David Bjella from Stetson University. Newdome has soloed frequently with the Atlanta Symphony as well as with other Georgia and Florida-area orchestras. She has been invited to join tours with the Dallas Symphony and Israel Philharmonic, as well as four times appearing in the World Orchestra for Peace, which brings together musicians from 25 orchestras around the world. During the summers she is a guest artist with the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival and serves on the faculty at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Reid Harris joined the Atlanta Symphony as Principal Viola in 1979 and has maintained an active solo and chamber music performance schedule. He is a founding member of the Georgian Chamber Players. During the 2001-02 season, he performed with the ensemble at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall with pianist Valentina Lisitsa. In the same season, he performed with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble in their Atlanta Symphony Hall performance. He has also taken part in recording projects by REM and Stone Temple Pilots. In recent summer seasons, he has participated in the Amelia Island and Grand Teton music festivals. Christopher Rex joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as Principal Cello in 1979, the same year in which he became the first cellist ever to win the string prize in the biennial Young Artists Competition of the National Federation of Music Clubs, and since then has appeared as recitalist and chamber musician across the nation.