Kamen Petkov, violin

Mr. Kamen Petkov began studying violin at age of 7 at the school of music in his
home town Gabrovo, Bulgaria.He holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Business
from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale as well as Masters of Music in
violin performance from the same institution. Mr. Petkovhas performed with
many orchestras around the world such as Malta National Symphony Orchestra,
Gabrovo Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Paducah Symphony
Orchestra, Missouri Chamber Orchestra, Illinois Symphony and Chamber
Orchestras, Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Millikin - Decatur Symphony Orchestra
and the Erato Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Petkov has served as a Director of
Operations and Personnel for the Illinois Symphony and Chamber Orchestras for
almost 10 years. In the summers of 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2015 Mr. Petkov has
organized and served as the Executive Director of the “International Chamber
Music Festival and Concert Tour – Bulgaria”, establishing a multi-cultural
musical bridge for young people and professionals between his home country
Bulgaria and the USA. Mr. Petkov performs on a violin made by Janos Spiegel in
1924 and a bow by Lewis and Son (UK).

Yona Stamatis, violin

Yona is Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology and Director of the Music
Program at the University of Illinois Springfield. She performs as violinist with a
number of ensembles including the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and the Athens
based Greek folk ensemble, Rebetiki Istoria. Her scholarly publications include
articles about Greek rebetika music and music and social-justice pedagogy.Dr.
Stamatis is the music director of the University of Illinois Springfield Orchestra.

Megan Forness, viola

By day, Megan is an assessment consultant with the Illinois State Board of
Education. She began violin lessons at age 10 in the public schools and was
persuaded to try viola in high school (since there were NO violists). Over the
years, being a violist has afforded her many opportunities to perform in
numerous orchestras and ensembles throughoutIllinois, and she is currently
principal violist of the Sangamon Valley Civic Orchestra. In addition to the
musical highlight of having joined Mark Gifford for some Sunday morning music,
she also had the awesome opportunity to participate in a summer music festival
in Verbier, Switzerland. Megan feels blessed to play music with such talented
colleagues and gives a nod of appreciation to Laura LaCombe, founder and
former violinist of LLSQ.

Chet Lord-Remmert, cello

Chet Lord-Remmert currently serves as the Operations & Personnel Manager for
the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. With a passion for music making, he regularly
performs with a variety of central Illinois orchestras and chamber ensembles,
including the Lincoln Land String Quartet, Blackwater String Ensemble,
ProMusica Ensemble, Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra, Sangamon Valley
Civic Orchestra, and Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Lord-Remmert also
serves as the organist and pianist for First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln,
Illinois. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from
MillikinUniversity and is a member of the Beta Theta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha
Sinfonia.

CATHEDRAL
FIRST FRIDAY
CONCERTS

September 6,  2019

Debbie Ross - Singing Gospel Favorites
Mark Gifford - Piano
Roger Holmes - Drums
Rhett Bradley - Bass
In the Atrium

CATHEDRAL
FIRST FRIDAY
CONCERTS

August 2, 2019 7 PM

Join us at the Cathedral and enjoy Bill Mitchell on trombone and Mark Gifford on piano. First Friday Concerts are free and open to the public. See you there!

CATHEDRAL
FIRST FRIDAY
CONCERTS

June 7, 2019 7 PM

Ava Southern

Alma del Core by Caldara
You'll Never Walk Alone by Rogers and Hammerstein II

Sponsored by Staab Funeral Homes
For more information:
www.staabfuneralhomes.com

CATHEDRAL
FIRST FRIDAY
CONCERTS

MAY 3, 2019 7 PM

Mr. Kamen Petkov began studying violin at age of 7 at the school of music in his home town Gabrovo, Bulgaria. He continued his violin studies with Professor Nokolai Genov at the specialized music school "Professor Vesselin Stoianov" Russe, Bulgaria. In 1991 he was enrolled at the "Johann Strauss" School of Music in the capitol of Republic of Malta, Valletta where he continued his studies in Violin Performance and Chamber Music under the guidance of Professor Joachim Attanasssov and Mario Bisazza.

Since 1994 Kamen Petkov resides in the United States of America. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Business from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale as well as Masters of Music in violin performance from the same institution under the guidance of Professor Michael Barta.

Mr. Petkov has performed extensively solo and chamber concerts and recitals in Bulgaria, Malta and the United States.

Mr. Petkov has performed with many orchestras around the world such as Malta National Symphony Orchestra, Gabrovo Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Paducah Symphony Orchestra, Missouri Chamber Orchestra, Illinois Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Millikin - Decatur Symphony Orchestra and the Erato Chamber Orchestra.

Mr. Petkov has performed on the stage with distinguished artist such as Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, Rachel Barton Pine, Mark O'Connor, Andre Watts, Xiang Gao, Yosiff Radionov, Michael Barta, Jackson and Almeda Berkey, Time for Three and many more.

In addition to his career as an active musician/violinist Mr. Petkov pursues a career in Arts Management. His experience includes practical training with the management of the world renown orchestras such as Chicago Symphony and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras as well as four summers spend in the Artistic and Operations Departments of the only municipally funded music festival in North America, Grant Park Music Festival at the Millennium Park in down town Chicago, Illinois.

Mr. Petkov has served as a Director of Operations and Personnel for the Illinois Symphony and Chamber Orchestras for almost 10 years.

In the summers of 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2015 Mr. Petkov has organized and served as the Executive Director of the “International Chamber Music Festival and Concert Tour – Bulgaria”, establishing a multi-cultural musical bridge for young people and professionals between his home country Bulgaria and the USA.

From 2009 to 2012 Mr. Petkov was the Personnel Manager and a violinist for the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Peoria, IL.

Mr. Petkov is the former President of the Medici Chamber Music Society of Illinois, a non-for-profit organization established to promote chamber music.

Mr. Petkov has been featured in two editions of the book by Milka Purel " Gabrovians of the 21 Century", published in his native town Gabrovo, Bulgaria.

Mr. Petkov performs on a violin made by Janos Spiegel in 1924 and a bow by Lewis and Son (UK).

CATHEDRAL
FIRST FRIDAY
CONCERTS

MARCH 1, 2019 7 PM

Featuring oboist, Bradley Cardella, and soprano, Kara Mernaugh, with accompaniment by Mark Gifford.

Bradley Cardella earned a Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Music Composition and Theory degree from Illinois State University. During his time at ISU he served as principal oboist and English hornist of the Illinois State University Wind Symphony and

Symphony Orchestra. Brad is a recipient of the ISU Mary Jo Brown Scholarship for outstanding service to the department of music and exceptional musical talent, the Lemont Township High School music department award, a director's award from Old Quarry Middle School, and is a three time winner of the Illinois Music Education Association Composition Competition.

Kara Mernaugh, née Robinson, is a Springfield native and has served as a music minister for the Diocese of Springfield since 1994. By day, Kara is the Ed360 Outreach Coordinator at the Illinois State Board of Education. In addition to music ministry, her personal passions include being the Communications Director for Team RWB Springfield, as well as the Family Readiness Group Leader for the 129th Regional Training Institute at Camp Lincoln. Kara and her husband, Seth, are proud fur parents to Dakota and Dolce.

Mark Gifford, accompanist, is the Director of Music and Organist of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. He is the coordinating director and host of First Friday Concerts.February 1, 2019 at 7:30 PM

Join the Cathedral for the launch of the First Friday Concert series. The February concert features guest artist, Lukas Hasler. Lukas Hasler (born in 1996) is currently studying organ at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria and cultural management at the University of Hamburg, Germany. In addition to his participation in the opening ceremony of the Salzburg Festival, he has already performed at the Tyrolean Festival Erl as well as at the International Organ Festival in Düsseldorf. Lukas has won the “Prima la musica” competition for organ twice. The second time, he also won the “Bärenreiter-Special” prize for his interpretation of a work by J. S. Bach. A year later, “Jugend komponiert”, a competition for young composers, named Lukas as a finalist for his piano and violin suites. The 22-year-old organist, composer and choral conductor has attended master classes with Jean Guillou, Ton Koopman, Ludger Lohmann and Skip Sempé. Lukas is gaining recognition for his colourful and passionate musicality. He has performed many organ recitals in Austria, as well as internationally in Germany, France, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States. For 2019, his plans include performances in Chicago, Los Angeles, Stuttgart and Moscow.
www.LukasHasler.com

First Friday Concerts at the Cathedral are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Cathedral Offices at 217-522-3342 or contact Katie Price at kprice@cathedral.dio.org.
Thank you to Staab Funeral Homes for their sponsorship and support of the Cathedral Music Ministry and the First Friday Concert Series.