Rappahannock Concert Association Artists
2024 ~ 2025Season

Crown Mountain Trio

The Crown Mountain Trio was formed in 2023. Pianist Miya Suen, cellist Philip Snyder and violinist Yeasol Kang, who are all on the faculty of the University of North Georgia, comprise the trio. In their short time together, they have already made their debut at Carnegie Hall, and will return to the Hall in October 2024.

Their program includes works by Anton Arensky, Nikolai Kapustin, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. It also includes a world premiere piece that was composed for them by Xing Yu, the trio’s artist-in-residence, who resides in Hamburg, Germany.

The name of the trio references the beautiful landscape of the North Georgia Mountains. Crown Mountain itself overlooks the campus in Dahlonega, GA.

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QuinTango – Latin Jazz

When experiencing QuinTango, one hears the heartbeat of classical Argentinian tango channeled by a quintet of top-notch female chamber musicians and their crackerjack bandoneon player. This is tango like you’ve never imagined it: classical chops, jazz harmonies, and intimate arrangements written for the group by outstanding composers in Buenos Aires. “Chamber tango” is the result of this musical alchemy, a middle ground that draws in lovers of both classical and non-classical music to experience the fullness of life – the stories, the culture, and the exhilaration of tango. It blends intimacy and bravado with passion and precision.

Over its 20-year history, QuinTango’s command performances have ranged from the White House to memorable concerts in 23 states, at venues ranging from Stanford University and Lincoln Center Plaza, to the Kennedy Center and Piccolo Spoleto in Charleston, SC. They’ve performed at international festivals in Costa Rica and the Amalfi Coast, and toured in France, Italy, Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina, and Uruguay.

Ambassador Luis Carlos Villegas, former Colombian Ambassador to the USA, opined that “QuinTango gave the best concert we ever had here.” Robert Jones, Spoleto Critic wrote this: “For haunting melody, rhythm that makes every part of your anatomy move, and a feeling of warmth and enthusiasm, QuinTango is downright wonderful.”

This performance is supported by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Garth Newel Piano Quartet
Chamber Group

The Garth Newel Piano Quartet is the artists-in-residence group at Garth Newel Music Center, one of the premier and most active chamber music organizations in the United States. An active presence on the national and international stage, the Piano Quartet has performed throughout the United States and on five continents, at such prominent venues at Carnegie Hall, Strathmore Hall, The Chautauqua Institution, and the San Diego Chamber Music Workshop.

The Quartet is known for their spirited and impassioned performances that offer an enlivened interpretation of both standard and new repertoire. They program and perform over 50 concerts each year, engaging with audiences through conversational and interactive programs.

The quartet members are Teresa Ling, violin; Fitz Gary, viola; Isaac Melamed, cello; and Jeannette Fang, pianist. Each artist has performed and toured extensively and holds degrees from the most acclaimed music schools in the United States and abroad.

This performance is supported by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Ciarán Sheehan – Broadway and Beyond

Dublin born Ciarán Sheehan is an acclaimed actor, singer, and voice healer whose performances have been said to warm the heart and touch the soul. He has many professional accomplishments to his credit, most notably playing the role of The Phantom in “The Phantom of the Opera” for over 1,000 performances on Broadway and in Toronto.

Ciarán began his career in a high school rock band, but in his 20s gained more of an interest in acting. Later he studied with Meisner disciple Kathryn Gately in NYC and subsequently with The Actors Studio founder Bobby Lewis. After an introduction to The Irish Repertory Theatre in NYC, Ciarán met legendary Broadway director Harold Prince, who guided him to voice teachers with a goal of putting him on Broadway. Ciarán made his Broadway debut in “Les Misérables” and shortly thereafter Prince cast him as Raoul in “The Phantom of the Opera.” He then moved on to play the lead role in that production.

Ciarán has been in many other New York stage performances, most recently as Billy Bigelow in The Reagle Music Theatre production of “Carousel.” Television appearances include Law and Order, One Life to Live, Another World, Late Night with David Letterman, and numerous appearances on PBS Stations nationally.

As a solo tenor artist, some of Ciarán’s most memorable engagements have been four sold out performances at Carnegie Hall and at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. He sang the American National Anthem at New York State Governor George Pataki’s inauguration and at various professional sporting arenas, including Giants Stadium. Ciarán was a soloist at the internationally televised memorial mass for John and Carolyn Kennedy Jr, and at the funeral service for Beau Biden.

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Francesca Hurst
Classical and Contemporary Pianist

Recognized for her “tender lyricism” (The Washington Post), yet not afraid to shout, swing her foot onto the piano or don fingerless gloves if the music demands it, pianist Francesca Hurst divides her playing evenly between classical and contemporary music, and has a special interest in women composers. She makes sense of the music regardless of style and period and is passionate about connecting with audiences.

Dr. Hurst is on the piano faculty at The Catholic University of America and the University of Virginia. She has performed as a soloist and an ensemble member extensively in Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland. She has performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center and the National Gallery of Art, and internationally in France, Italy, Bulgaria, and Portugal. She has been a guest artist at many new music festivals, including the Atlantic Music Festival in Maine, where she premiered over 50 works in six weeks with the Contemporary Ensemble.

This performance is supported by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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The Rat Pack Impersonator Group
Tribute Show

Remember the Rat Pack: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Joey Bishop? In 1960 these fun-loving mega-talented guys went to Las Vegas to film “Oceans 11” and do two nightclub shows each evening. Their stage act took off like a rocket, its momentum carrying them beyond the three-week club date into movie, record and business deals, and reprises in Miami, Atlantic City, and Palm Springs – power and influence unusual even for movie stars. The Rat Pack was more than a stage act, it was a giddy version of multiethnic American democracy in which class was replaced by “class.”

The Rat Pack Impersonator Group relives the days of the original Rat Pack. It recreates a long-lost format of classic music and improv-type comedy. This tribute show is the only current Vegas show with national touring companies and an award from the “Congress of the United States.” It is in its twenty-third smash year with over 8,000 performances in over 40 states, 4 foreign countries and over three million tickets sold. In Las Vegas, over the years, the show has bounced from the Desert Inn, Sahara, Greek Isles, Plaza, Rio, and finally Tuscany, where it opened in 2015. This tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey, and Dean is a brisk 1 ½ hours of sheer entertainment, with corny jokes and great songs all close to the originals. It is all about good-natured nostalgia.

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