Bohuslav Martinů in his New York apartment, 1942-43.  Photo Bohuslav Martinů Centre in Polička, Czech Republic.  

Casting new light on the US-based musical activities of Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959), musicologist Jon Meadow will explore the composer’s special relationship with the viola, historically a somewhat under-appreciated instrument.  Hear the first movement from Martinů’s Three Madrigals for Violin and Viola, composed in New York City, juxtaposed with selections from the chamber music that inspired his work, Mozart’s Duo in G for Violin and Viola.  

Performers: Laura Jean Goldberg, violin, and Danielle Farina, viola.

Pay at door General Admission $20; Seniors, Students, Czech Center Club Members $10. 

Supported by Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association.

Jon Meadow is a Ph.D. candidate in historical musicology at New York University. His research is focused on Czechoslovak modernist theater music in the first half of the twentieth century. The title of his dissertation is “Humor, Chaos, and Copies in Bohuslav Martinů’s The Plays of Mary.” Meadow is on the board of the Dvořák American Heritage Association (DAHA), and he is currently an adjunct professor of Music History at Mannes Conservatory in New York City. He plays guitar, sings, and writes songs.

Violist Danielle Farina was born in Woodbury, N.J., and is a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, teacher, and recording artist. She recently recorded Jon Bauman's Viola Concerto with the Moravian Philharmonic, Andy Teirstein's Viola Concerto with the Kiev Philharmonic, and premiered Peter Schickele’s Viola Concerto with the Pasadena Symphony. She was formerly a member of the Lark Quartet, touring extensively in North America, Europe, and Scandinavia. Her recordings with the quintet include Aaron Kernis’s string quartets, music of Amy Beach, and music of Giovanni Sollima. Currently a member of the Elements Quartet, she also performs with a number of New York City area ensembles, including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Concertante, and Music From Copland House, with whom she recorded music of John Musto. Farina served as principal violist of the Brooklyn Philharmonic and is currently a member of the American Ballet Theater Orchestra and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. She holds a BM from the Curtis Institute of Music and studied with Karen Tuttle. She has been on the faculty at Juilliard’s Pre-College since 2005.

Laura Jean Goldberg, violin, is not only a seasoned performer of chamber music, and a dynamic soloist and teacher, she is also the founder of ArtsAhimsa…Music for Peace, an organization that has been presenting concerts and educational events since 2004. A graduate of The Juilliard School, she performed as soloist with the BSO, the Wellesley Symphony, the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra (NH) and the Bucknell University Orchestra. She is a member of the Belvoir Trio with pianist composer Moshe Knoll and cellist Lori Singer, which performed at 2017 Fashion Week NYC, Lyricafest, and the Giulio Gari Opera Foundation in NYC. Goldberg was a founding member of the Cassatt quartet, which earned top prizes at the Banff, Coleman and Fischoff competitions and performed at Caramoor, Tanglewood, Juilliard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and Bowdoin International Music Festival.  She has performed at Alice Tully Hall, Weill Hall, Bargemusic, Bang On A Can, the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, Saratoga, The Kennedy Center, Theatre de la Champs Elysée in Paris, in Japan, and throughout India and US. A dedicated advocate of new music, she has worked with numerous composers including Eric Ewazen, Andrew Waggoner, George Crumb, Henri Dutillieux, and Bruce Adolphe. Laura teaches chamber music at The Juilliard School in the pre-college, is on the violin faculty at Teachers College Columbia University, and is a guest artist at Belvoir Terrace, a summer camp for girls in Lenox, MA where young women find empowerment through the arts. Upcoming ArtsAhimsa events include the 10th annual ArtsAhimsa Chamber Music Festival at Belvoir Terrace, where amateur musicians play and study with professional artists in a supportive community environment. She is a board member of ACMP (Associated Chamber Music Players’ Network), as well as DAHA (Dvořák American Heritage Association). Her work with DAHA includes curating two chamber music series: Dvořák: The Chamber Music Survey, and the annual Spring Musicale.