HVCA Classical Series - Kaleidoscope with vionlinsts Diana Lungu & pianists Christine Chun

Kaleidoscope, a violin/piano duo will brighten up

the Huron Valley Council for the Arts art center with eclectic musical

selections starting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22.

The third performance in HVCA’s Classical Series, the concert will

feature Christine Chun on piano and Diana Lungu on violin. Doors open at 7 p.m.

for the event, which also will include light refreshments.

Chun and Lungu met while working on their Ph.D. degrees at the

University of Michigan, teaming up as Kaleidoscope

starting in June 2007.

Their eclectic tastes range from gypsy-like Kreisler melodies to

the great classics of Beethoven, as well as the lush romanticism of Johannes

Brahms and Cesar Franck and the impressionistic colors of Debussy and Faure.

Locally, the duo has played in a variety of venues, which include

the Gifts of Arts Series (2008) at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann

Arbor, the Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Music Series (2012) in Detroit and the

Harmony in the Hills Lenten Lunchbox Music Series (2013) at St. Paul’s United

Methodist Church in Rochester. At the 2011 “Art for God’s Sake” festival, Kaleidoscope performed the world

premiere of sacred music composer Daniel Knaggs’ “Anastasis.” At the 2013 “Art for God’s Sake”

festival, the women had the pleasure of working with nationally acclaimed

artist William Butler during two live-art/music experiences.

Lungu is actively teaches and performs throughout Michigan. She

was a teacher assistant for the University of Michigan’s school of music in Ann

Arbor from 2003-2006, where she co-taught the strings methods undergraduate

class for the education department, earning her Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA)

in 2006. Between 2006 and 2008, she served as music director of Thorncrest

Music Academy in Toronto, Canada, where she also taught string instrument

classes and earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) in 2006.

Since then, Lungu has actively taught in a private studio located

in Plymouth and also works as a clinician and private instructor with students

at Dexter High-School. She performs as a violinist with Michigan orchestras,

including those in Ann Arbor and Flint.

In addition to her doctoral degree, Lungu earned a Bachelor of

Music from Gh. Dima Music Academy in Romania as well as an Artist Diploma from

Hochschule der Musik in Munchen, Germany. She completed a Master of Music

degree from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where she taught string

instrument classes and served as concertmaster of the Las Vegas University

Philharmonic.

Her awards/honors include the Rislov Foundation Award for Young

Musicians, American Association of University Women Fund (Ann Arbor chapter) in

2005-2006, a graduate fellowship with the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor from

2003-2006, the Sighisoara [Romania] International Festival String Instruments

Award in 2002, Romstal Fundation Fund in Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2001), and the Brevard

[North Carolina] Music Festival Scholarship in 2000.

Chun, who currently serves as director of music ministry and

organist for St. Anastasia Roman Catholic Church in Troy, received a Doctorate

of Musical Arts (DMA) in Organ Performance and Church Music from the University

of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2007. A full scholarship student, she was under the

direction of Marilyn Mason. In addition, she holds a Master of Music degree in

Piano Performance from the prestigious Indiana University’s Jacobs School of

Music in Bloomington, Ind. (2003) where she was a three-year recipient of the

Emma C. Claus Piano Scholarship. Chun also earned a Bachelor of Music degree

Piano Performance from the University of Michigan in 2000 and was an Angell

Scholar.

Her

awards and honors include the Rackham

Research Award for International Research in France

in 2006, which permitted her to travel, play, and research major historic Cavaille-Coll organs. She made her French

début at the Festival Organa 2006 in St. Remy de Provence.  

 Her international

appearances include taking part in the U-M Historic Organ tours with Marilyn in

Spain and France at the Catedral di Barcelona, the Baroque Academy of Pobla di

Cervoles and St. Marguerite of Paris, France in July 2009. Chun also was

chosen to compete at the 13th International César Franck Organ Competition, at

the Kathedraal Basilek Sint Bavo in Haarlem, The Netherlands in September 2010.

 Kaleidoscope and other concerts throughout the year are sponsored by The Oakland Press,

Iverson’s Foundation, The Kresge Foundation and Genisys Credit Union.

 Tickets are

$15 available at the HVCA   205

W. Livingston Rd., Highland 248-889-8660, on line at www.huronvalleyarts.org  or Main Street Art 432 N. Main St., Milford   248-684-1004.

Written by Anne Seebaldt