Two upcoming concerts at UPS feature violin faculty and new cellist in residence

You can’t have too many strings — at least, that’s the tenor beneath the upcoming Jacobsen concert at the University of Puget Sound. Violinist Maria Sampen will be joined by faculty colleagues Tim Christie (viola) and Alistair MacRae (cello), plus guest violinist Brittany Boulding, in a program that just keeps adding strings. And in February, MacRae takes the spotlight in his first recital as cello artist in residence.

MacRae, a New Jersey native whose gigs range from principal cello of the Princeton Symphony to collaborations with jazz bassists and the Westminster Choir, joined UPS last fall as artist in residence, the fourth in a rotating position last occupied by David Requiro. For his solo recital on Feb. 5, “Songs and Dances for Cello,” MacRae covers the spectrum of cello repertoire from Bach (Suite no. 3 for solo cello in C major) to the solo cello suite by Gaspar Cassadó, the early 20th-century cellist-composer. In the middle is MacRae’s own transcription of Mahler’s “Rückert-Lieder,” one of the German Romantic composer’s most beloved song cycles.

But Friday (Jan. 22), the cellist plays a chamber role with three other local string players. Showcasing the power of the violin from solo to chamber instrument, Sampen will play solo (Bach’s Sonata no. 1 in g minor), in duo with her husband Tim Christie (Mozart’s Duo for Violin and Viola in G major), in a trio (Beethoven’s op. 9 no.2, in G major) and finally in Mendelssohn’s String Quartet no. 2.

“This program is designed to show the versatility of the violin,” Sampen said in a press release.“We chose this program thinking we would showcase some of the finest composers doing their magic with works that delight audiences and demand a lot from the players.”

This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 6:34 AM with the headline "Two upcoming concerts at UPS feature violin faculty and new cellist in residence."