LVC Music Prof Joins Acclaimed Guitarist Berta Rojas in Concert

Free recital on Oct. 16 at 3 p.m. in Lutz Hall

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Rebecca Lister

ANNVILLE, PA (10/05/2011)(readMedia)-- Lebanon Valley College professor and soprano Dr. Rebecca Lister will join internationally acclaimed guitarist Berta Rojas in a recital performance at 3 p.m. on Oct. 16 in Lutz Hall of the Blair Music Center at LVC. The recital is a preview of the duo's "Concerts by Candlelight" program at the historic Dumbarton United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 5.

The program will feature a variety of Spanish and Latin American pieces, and selections in Portuguese by several Brazilian composers, including the famous Villa-Lobos "Cantilena #5" from the "Bachianas Brazilianas." In addition to a number of duets, Rojas will perform solo guitar.

Renowned for her flawless technique and innate musicality, Rojas ranks among today's foremost classical guitarists. She has been praised as "guitarist extraordinaire" by the Washington Post, and by Classical Guitar magazine as an "Ambassador of the classical guitar." She continues to captivate audiences and critics from Carnegie Hall to the South Bank Centre in London, selling out performances at venues around the world including the Frederick P. Rose Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York, the John F. Kennedy Center, the National Concert Hall in Ireland with the Irish Radio and Television Orchestra, and as soloist with the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra for National Belgian Television.

Rojas is professor of guitar at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. She studied with Abel Carlevaro and received a bachelor of music degree at the Escuela Universitaria de Musica in Uruguay where she was a student of Eduardo Fernandez. Later, she earned a master's degree in music from Baltimore's Peabody Conservatory where she studied under Manuel Barrueco.

Lister is associate professor of music at LVC and teaches voice instruction. She earned a bachelor's degree from James Madison University and a master's and doctoral degree from Florida State University. She maintains an active performing schedule having appeared several times as guest artist on various music series, including the St. Paul Early Music Series, the Lebanon Community Arts Series, and the Goodman Series. Though early music is her main point of interest, Lister performs repertoire from all style periods and is a strong supporter and performer of chamber music, contemporary music, music by female composers, and music by Hispanic composers. Her current research interest is art song in Spanish, both from Spain and Latin America.

Rojas and Lister met and performed together first when Rojas presented a concert at LVC in March 2010. According to Lister, "We decided to try to perform together again, since we both enjoyed it so much."

For information, call the Music Department at 717-867-6275 or visit www.lvc.edu/music.