Released October 12, 2005

HATTIESBURG – The Faculty Artist Series at The University of Southern Mississippi will present violinist Stephen Redfield in recital Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m., at Marsh Auditorium.

Joined by faculty members Elizabeth Moak, piano, and Alexander Russakovsky, cello, and guest harpsichordists John Paul and Shawn Leopard of Jackson, the evening’s program, L’Histoire de la Sonate, will feature four French sonatas, one each from the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

“French compositions for violin and keyboard have historically been rich in number and in innovation.” Redfield said. “From the Baroque through contemporary times, French composers have continually explored new paths in form, in harmony and in colors and textures.”

For this concert, Redfield considered the listener, who could follow from one sonata to the next, imagining how historical events, advancements in instruments and social changes might be reflected in the music.

Notably for music enthusiasts, he will perform the early sonatas on a historically accurate violin and will use two bows, one from the Baroque period and the other from the Classic. The rest of the program will be played on modern equipment.

Through the performance of these four violin sonatas, Redfield hopes the audience will hear the “fascinating progression of formal and stylistic development of the rich French musical culture.”

Redfield, an associate professor of violin in the School of Music at Southern Miss since 1996, is a member of Trio Mississippi and the Baroque ensemble Haupt Musik. He has made solo appearances with numerous orchestras and has been featured in chamber music concerts throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and the Far East.

As concertmaster and soloist, his performances with the Victoria Bach Festival have been produced on compact discs and broadcast on National Public Radio. He also leads the second violins at the Sunriver Music Festival.

Collaborating on piano, Moak joined the Southern Miss piano faculty in 2004 but appears regularly at various venues, including recent performances at the Athena Festival, Associated Colleges of the South’s New Music Festival and a tour of France.

She was recognized for her collaborative work by the Music Academy of the West and the Peabody Conservatory, where she earned a doctorate in piano performance.

An Oxford native, Millsaps College honored her with the Outstanding Young Faculty Award in 2000.

The recital is free and open to the public. For more information, call the School of Music at Southern Miss at (601) 266-5543.

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