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Alain Barker
Jacobs School of Music
abarker@indiana.edu
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Jennifer Piurek
University Communications
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Last modified: Tuesday, October 28, 2008

IU Jacobs School, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra to present free concert in Bloomington

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 28, 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Bloomington and regional audiences will be treated to a free concert by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, Nov. 23, featuring Alexander Kerr, principal guest concertmaster of the ISO and the Jacobs School's Linda and Jack Gill Chair in the Department of Strings.

The concert, conducted by music director Mario Venzago, will take place at 3 p.m. in the Musical Arts Center at IU Bloomington. Included in the program is J.S. Bach's Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins, performed by Kerr and Zach De Pue, concertmaster of the ISO.

Tickets will be distributed from the MAC Box Office starting Nov. 3.

Alexander Kerr

Alexander Kerr

The two concertmasters will perform J. S. Bach's double violin concerto (Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins). "I think people will really enjoy the concert," Kerr said. "In my opinion, the Bach double concerto is one of the most beautiful pieces ever written."

Kerr is the former concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. He joined the Jacobs faculty in 2005 and became principal guest concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 2007. He has continued to balance teaching and performing at the Jacobs School with his orchestral and teaching career with solo and chamber engagements throughout Europe, North America and the Far East.

Kerr said the principal guest concertmaster position is the perfect complement to his position at Jacobs. "It also gives Zach more freedom to pursue his own goals with regard to chamber music and solo playing," he said.

Kerr currently plays on a French violin made by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume in 1850. Previously, he played a borrowed violin made in 1743 that was worth $4.2 million. He is currently searching for assistance to purchase the 1743 violin.

Kerr looks forward to sharing the Bach violin concerto with the Bloomington audience. "It's so much fun to perform. Zach and I are really great friends, and we really love this music."

In addition to the double violin concerto, the program will include Berlioz's Roman Carnival Overture and Bruckner's Symphony No. 1.

For more about this upcoming event, see https://music.indiana.edu/events.

For information about the Indianapolis Symphony, see https://indianapolissymphony.org/.