A MUSICAL TREAT

by
Maryann Miller

 

Some people may think that classical music is only for the rich and the stodgy, but don't tell that to the folks who established Mount Vernon Music Association, whose mission is to provide performances of live music to communities primarily in northeast Texas. They offer concerts of traditional chamber music, jazz and other styles as well as educational and family concerts, programs for nursing homes, and interaction of performing and the visual arts.

On Sunday, March 30, a concert was given by a quartet of piano, violin, cello, and viola, and the audience was comprised of a mix of folks who wouldn't consider themselves stodgy at all, and probably not rich, either. Among the guests were three local mayors. Carolyn Jones of Winnsboro. Pete Smith of Mineola, and J.D. Baumgardner of Mt. Vernon. "Not too often you get three mayors together when it is not a political meeting," Carolyn commented.

Those who came to the concert, including several young people, thoroughly enjoyed the music, which was a mix of old and new, premiering part of a new movement composed by Steven Harlos. Steven, a renowned pianist who has worked in pop with Marvin Gaye and Dionne Warwick and classical with the Cleveland Ballet (among others) , is a master of the keyboard, and plays with a passion for the music that makes it come alive. He explained that the entire Quartet for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello is not completed yet, but he wanted to introduce this movement titled "Scherzo, Allegro Vivace".

Scherzo has a frenetic opening that could be on a soundtrack for a scene in a thriller movie. Listening, I could imagine someone running down a dark street to escape a monster. In the middle of the movement, the pace was slower and softer, but it was still dark and haunting. Almost like the person had stopped running and maybe the monster had caught him. Then, when I thought all was lost, the chase began again. Steven smiled and seemed to delight in surprising the audience that way.

Steven is the staff keyboardest for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and is the coordinator of piano and collaborative piano at the University of North Texas in Denton. His parents, Walt and Annie, who currently live in Hilton Head, South Carolina, came to Mt. Vernon for the recent concert. "We came for the premiere of his new work," Walt said. "He thought he was going to have the whole thing finished for this, but you can't rush the process."

They are originally from Philadelphia, which is where Steven grew up, and they said that his interest in music and piano started when he was about three years old.

The audience members weren't alone in their enjoyment of the music. His frequent smiles let everyone know that violinist Mark Miller was having a good time performing. He didn't just play with his hands. The music took over his whole body, and he and his violin became one.

Mark is the concertmaster of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, and he also performs with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and other area ensembles. He is the president and founding performer of Mount Vernon Music Association. He taught for eleven years at Texas A&M University-Commerce, and continues to direct the chamber series "The Color of Sound" at the school.

He attended several colleges in the U.S., including Boston University, before going to Germany to study. He was assistant concertmaster in the Robert Schumann Chamber Orchestra of Dusseldorf, Germany, and a member of the Orchester de Beethovenhalle Bonn. And on top of all that, he is a heck of a nice guy, who is thrilled to be able to bring this caliber of music to people who might not otherwise experience it. "Music touches our lives in so many ways," he said. "And people from all backgrounds can enjoy the classics even if they have never been exposed to them."

In addition to the concerts, the music association visits area nursing homes, and Mark talked about how rewarding it is to go to the nursing homes and play for residents there. "It brings them such joy," he said. "I wish we could do it more often."

Mark and his wife, Ute (UTAE) split their time between the Dallas/Fort Worth area and East Texas. Ute is the principal violist with the East Texas Symphony, and performs with symphony orchestras in Dallas and Fort Worth. She performs with Mark in the violin-viola ensemble "Duo Renard" which was brought to Texas by a National Endowment for the Arts Rural Residencies chamber music grant. She studied at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Dusseldorf and at Boston University. She served for seven years as assistant principal violist of the Gurzenich Orchester/Cologne Philharmonic, and for eight years as the principal violist of the Dallas Opera Orchestra. She also played with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony.

Along with Carol Harlos, on cello, Ute's style was a little more reserved than Mark's, yet the music flowed through her and Carol and directed their bows. They were very much attuned to the violin and piano, making it look so easy to blend four instruments into one entity.

Carol, who is married to Steve, is a freelance cellist, and performs with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and numerous other ensembles in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In addition, she has a private teaching studio.

The two couples have performed together numerous times, and are the driving force behind Mount Vernon Music, along with the Board and dedicated volunteers.

But it is all about the music, and the four performers had a wonderful time performing Beethoven's Quartet for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello. The final movement was sort of a tease and the piano and strings played follow the leader. At times the music almost came to a halt, then the fun started again. The piece had a playful aspect to it, and even the performers were smiling as it came to a conclusion.

For more information about Mount Vernon Music Association, visit their Web site