Soprano Sarah Kate Walston and classical guitarist Benjamin Beirs will present a concert of love songs at the Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland on Saturday February 15 at 8:00 pm. Admission is $15. For information and reservations call 410-639-9133. Information is also available at the Mainstay’s website.
Sarah Kate Walston and Benjamin Beirs met when both were students at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. Even though Beirs lives in Paris and Walston in Richmond, the artistic connection was strong enough that they have put together “If Music Be the Food of Love” a program of love songs from the Baroque to the contemporary rom classical to pop. They will be presenting the program in Philadelphia, Baltimore and in Rock Hall. Named for a composition by Henry Purcell, the program also includes works by Benjamin Britten, Franz Schubert, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer.
In a recent review, the Cleveland Daily Banner wrote, “To possess a voice so silvery that it soars among the more memorable classical timbres has made Sarah Kate Walston a musical must see whenever she comes to Cleveland.”
Walston has played numerous operatic roles including Musetta in La Boheme, Despina in Cosi fan Tutte, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Elsie Maynard in The Yeoman of the Guard, Cupid in Orpheus in the Underworld, and many more including Phyllis in Iolanthe where the Baltimore Sun said “The sweet, nimble singing and deft acting of Sarah Kate Walston, as Phyllis, was a major plus throughout the performance.” Walston has performed in recitals and concerts including with the Baltimore Symphony, the Annapolis Symphony and the Virginia Symphony.
A native of Richmond, VA, Walston received her Bachelor of Music degree at Lee University and her Master of Music degree and Graduate Performance Diploma at the Peabody Conservatory.
She attended Lorin Maazel’s Castleton Residency for Young Artists program, the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival and was engaged as a Virginia Opera Spectrum Resident Artist during the 2010/2011 season. There she played the role of the Page in Rigoletto in her Virginia Opera debut, and also covered the role of Despina in Cosi fan Tutte. She is currently a young artist with Lyric Opera Virginia and is doing multiple shows with them this season.
She recently returned from a trip to Europe, where she presented a recital in Dohna Germany, competed for the International Stuart Burrows Voice award, and performed in multiple concerts while in residency at the Rossini in Wildbad festival in Bad Wildbad Germany.
Walston has a deep love of music and her hometown of Richmond and feels that it is important to discover and utilize local talents in local venues. She is a founding board member for the newly formed Capital Opera Richmond and is proud to be a part of this brand new company.
Benjamin Beirs is a soloist, a composer, and a chamber musician with a strong commitment to “finding a new path” as a classical guitarist. Critics have praised his recordings and performances. His recent recording “Widening Circles” was called “the brave new world of classical guitar” by the Sacramento Bee, “a complete success” by Fanfare magazine, and “one of the most unified, fulfilling and refreshing albums I’ve heard in some time” by Bradford Werner of Classical Guitar Canada. Of his live performances the Washington Post notes, “[his] rounded, mellow tone, notably clean left-hand work, and sensitive phrasing.”
Beirs studied under the renowned guitarist Julian Gray at the Peabody Institute. He is a 21st century musician who teaches, composes, concertizes, records, produces videos and wins awards – 1st at the National Guitar Workshop Competition, 1st at the Appalachian Guitarfest Competition, 1st at the UT Dallas Competition, at the Schadt Concerto Competition (2nd and the Audience Choice award), and 3rd at the Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition.
He has performed in a variety of settings from a recital with members of the National Symphony Chamber Players in Washington to a solo recital to mark the opening of his painter-sister’s exhibition in an art gallery.
Not yet 30, his list of videos and recordings is already impressive, topped by his recent CD, “Widening Circles,” which features the music of Steve Reich, Roland Dyens, Marek Pasieczny and one of Beirs own compositions, “Awakened Awareness.” Independently produced and released, this CD was picked up by the Naxos-distributed Azica label and re-released in August of 2013.
Believing that music is a “great kindness,” Beirs has spread this gospel from concert audiences to schools to nursing homes, churches, night clubs and studios. He believes that his music has helped shape his life and that consequently, it helps others as well.
He constantly seeks to clarify his sound and his purpose. Currently, Ben lives in Paris, France, where he continues his artistic pursuits while studying with renowned French guitarist and pedagogue Judicael Perroy.
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. It is a 501(c)(3), non profit dedicated to the arts, serving Rock Hall, MD and the surrounding region. It is committed to presenting local, regional and national level talent, at a reasonable price, in an almost perfect acoustic setting. Wine, beer, sodas and snacks are available at the bar.
The Mainstay is supported by ticket sales, fundraising including donations from friends and audience members and an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council. For information and reservations call the Mainstay at 410-639-9133. More information is also available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
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