Violinist Rachel Lee Priday, a protégé of Itzhak Perlman, brings her lyricism and compelling stage presence to the Lawrence Memorial Chapel Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. in the second concert of Lawrence University’s 2013-14 Artist Series. She will be accompanied by pianist Julio Elizalde.
Tickets, at $22-20 for adults, $19-17 for seniors and $17-15 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office in the Music-Drama Center, 920-832-6749.
Praised by the Chicago Tribune for her “dazzling dexterity” and the Baltimore Sun for her ability to “make the music sing,” Priday has achieved remarkable success throughout her still-evolving musical career. She made her orchestral debut at the Aspen Music Festival at the age of nine and has since performed throughout the United States as well as in France, Russia, South Korea and Singapore.
“Rachel plays with a beautiful sound, a very engaging stage personality and a fantastic technique,” said fellow violinist Wen-Lei Gu, associate professor of music at Lawrence. “I’m personally very excited about Rachel’s recital since we both attended the Juilliard School and we have studied with some of the same teachers, including Miriam Fried and Dorothy Delay. This concert will be a wonderful opportunity for our students and local music lovers to hear some great violin playing.”
Recent career highlights for Priday include performances with the Chicago, St. Louis, Houston, Seattle and National symphony orchestras, the Boston Pops and the Berlin Staatskapelle.
Other notable appearances include the 2000 Grammy Awards ceremony, the 50th anniversary celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations and a PBS broadcast with her long-time teacher, world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman.
A graduate of Harvard University with a degree in English literature and recently married, Priday has complemented her blossoming career as a virtuoso violinist by exploring how music interacts with language. Beyond her performance schedule, she has worked for The New Yorker magazine, the Paris Review and the Charlie Rose show.
About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.
