Marimba magic in Morristown: Greg Giannascoli coming on Feb. 13

Greg Giannascoli
Greg Giannascoli
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Abendmusik, the concert series sponsored by Music@MUMC, continues its 2015-2016 season (Back by Popular Demand!) with a concert on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, at 7:30 pm featuring Greg Giannascoli, marimba, with Ron Stabinsky, pianist.

Greg Giannascoli
Greg Giannascoli

His program will include music by Gershwin, Bach, and Bernstein (West Side Story), among others.

Suggested donations are $20 for adults and $15 for senior citizens.  Advance tickets are available ($17 adults/$12 seniors) by telephoning the church office 973-538-2132.  Students with ID are admitted Free.

The concert will be presented at Morristown United Methodist Church, 50 Park Place (on the Green).  Our facilities are handicapped accessible.  There will be a reception following the concert.  Please visit our website for more information: www.morristownumc.com.

Grammy-nominated marimba and percussion artist Greg Giannascoli was a winner of the 2001 Artist International New York Recital / Young Artist Competition and was also top prizewinner of the 1997 Patrons of Wisdom International Young Artist Competition held in Toronto, Canada.

He has won a grant for a custom marimba from the Philadelphia Music Foundation, the Aronfreed Solo Recital competition, the National Music Teachers Association Collegiate Artist Competition, the Montpelier Cultural Arts Society Recital Competition, and the South Orange Symphony, Rowan University, Rutgers University, and Virginia Commonwealth University concerto competitions.

Greg received his DMA from Rutgers University where he studied with William Moersch, his MM from Virginia Commonwealth University where he studied with Donald Bick, and his BM from Rowan University where he studied with Dean Witten.

Greg is represented by Live on Stage, Inc., for most of his North American engagements. Greg has performed as a soloist with orchestras and in recital throughout North America, Europe and Asia. He has performed recitals in Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Theatro Juarez in Mexico, the Glenn Gould Studio in Canada and at the 2005 Percussive Arts Society International Convention.

Greg’s performances have been presented on CBC and NPR radio and PBS TV. In the past few years Greg has premiered over 20 new works for the marimba including Changjun Xu’s Phoenix for Marimba and Strings.

Greg will be performing Phoenix as well as Eric Ewazen’s Concerto for Marimba with orchestra, band and percussion ensemble (it is written to be performed in all three settings) through the 2014-15 season. During the Spring of 2015 Greg will be performing a full program of duets for marimba and timpani with timpanist Jeremy Levine.

Greg is a faculty member at the esteemed Juilliard Pre-College and is also the coordinator of the percussion department at New Jersey City University. He has presented master classes at some of the top music schools including the Juilliard School and The Manhattan School of Music.

Greg performs exclusively on the Yamaha 6000 and 4600 marimbas and 2700 studio vibraphone, uses Malletech mallets and Sabian cymbals. Greg’s 5th solo CD, Prism Rhapsody, has recently been released. Greg performed with Orchestra 2001 on the Grammy nominated recording of George Crumb’s American Song Book VII; Songs of the Heartland.

Reviews of Greg’s performances include:

“Here is music played so well it would capture and hold anybody’s attention indefinitely.”-Classical New Jersey.

“With great mastery and two mallets in each hand Giannascoli gave a true lesson with what can be done with this singular instrument.”-The National of Mexico City.

“Creston’s Concertino…his performance was outstanding.”-Whit Magazine.

“Giannascoli’s performance of Miyoshi’s works was nothing less than astonishing, both in terms of artistry and virtuosity…tremendous facility…startling display of clarity and precision.”-Splendid Music Magazine.

Reviews of Greg’s first CD, ‘Concertino’, include:

“…elegantly phrased and sensitively performed…sails confidently through the most challenging technical passages.”-Percussive Notes.

His most recent CD, ‘Prism Rhapsody’ was also reviewed:

“…extremely gifted and skilled performer…facility behind the instrument apparent…virtuosic…precise…sensitive…beautiful lines…high caliber performances…stellar on all accounts.” – Percussive Notes.

For more information go to: www.greggiannascoli.com

Funding has been made possible in part by funds from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

For further information: 973-538-2132.

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