The Chatham Concert Series will kick off the week of July 4th activities with “A Celebration of American Composers” on Sunday, June 30 at 3:30 pm. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Pianist Melia Garber will join violinist Kevin Matheson and violist Bryan Matheson to perform an entertaining program of music by American composers: Gershwin’s “Three Preludes,” Joplin ragtime, Stephen Foster songs and spirituals. Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Louis Armstrong favorites will get you singing along and leave you with a spring in your step. Young pianist, Cameron Crews, from Halifax County will perform Bridge Over Troubled Water and the Star Spangled Banner.
A native of Romania, Melia Garber has won numerous piano competitions, including first prize at the prestigious International Piano Competition in San-Bartholomeo, Italy. She also won MTNA competitions in piano at the state and regional levels and won the Concerto Competition while at the University of Tennessee playing the Liszt Piano Concerto in E-flat Major. Ms. Garber has performed concertos by Bach, Mozart, Liszt and Grieg with the Philharmonic Orchestra of “Banatul” Timisoara, Romania. She also premiered the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra by Ryan Garber in 2005 with the Salem Choral Society. She has been the choir director, pianist and organist at Heights Community Church since 2009, and the accompanist for The Chorus of the Blue Ridge. She was a lecturer in Piano at Hollins University from 2001-2022.
Admission is free, but donations are accepted to support the series. The Chatham Concert Series is sponsored by Chatham First, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Appalachian Dream, Inc., Chatham Hall, Davenport Energy, First Piedmont, Farmhouse Butchery, Lyford Piano Works and La Chaumière Bed and Breakfast.