Elias Goldstein, Espen Lilleslatten Perform at VSU Jan. 27

Elias Goldstein, left, and Espen Lilleslatten, right

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University’s Department of Music will welcome violist Elias Goldstein and violinist Espen Lilleslatten to the Whitehead Auditorium stage at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27. The concert is free of charge, open to the community, and features music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Bjarne Brustad, and Bohuslav Martinů.

Goldstein earned a Master of Music degree from DePaul University in Chicago, Ill., and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he was a Collins Fellow. As a soloist with orchestras, he has appeared with the Ukranian Chamber Orchestra, New Mexico Chamber Orchestra, and DePaul Symphony Orchestra, where he won the annual concerto competition twice. As an orchestral musician, he has performed as guest concertmaster with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in Wisconsin. He is a regular member of Chicago’s Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and has performed with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is principal violist and a founding member of the Advent Chamber Orchestra in Bolingbrook, Ill.

Goldstein won second prize at the Primrose International Viola Competition in 2011 and recently made his Russian debut with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the Moscow Soloists. He took second at the Bashmet International Viola Competition and was a top prizewinner at the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition in 2010. He will make his Carnegie Hall solo debut in February 2014.

An assistant professor of viola at Louisiana State University’s School of Music, Goldstein previously taught at Ball State University in Indiana. His wife, violinist Roxana Pavel, and their two children, Lukas and Linette, inspire him.

Lilleslatten, an associate professor of violin at Louisiana State University School of Music in Baton Rouge, began studying violin at the age of 5 with his father, a violist with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Norwegian State Academy of Music in Oslo, Norway, continuing his studies in the United States at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he earned a Master of Music degree, and at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he earned an Artist Diploma.

A noted chamber musician, Lilleslatten has participated at music festivals across the world and been guest concertmaster with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. He served for 15 years as concertmaster of one of the world’s oldest orchestral institutions, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Bergen, Norway.

Lilleslatten and his wife, Renata Arado, a violinist, premiered the Concerto of Psalms for two violins and orchestra by Dinos Constantinides in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. In November 2012, they performed at Carnegie Hall. 

Whitehead Auditorium is located on the first floor of the VSU Fine Arts Building, at the intersection of Brookwood Drive and Oak Street.

Call the VSU Department of Music at (229) 333-5804 to learn more.

Valdosta State University’s 2013-2019 Strategic Plan represents a renewal of energy and commitment to the foundational principles for comprehensive institutions.

Implementation of the plan’s five goals, along with their accompanying objectives and strategies, supports VSU’s institutional mission and the University System of Georgia’s mission for comprehensive universities.

The story above demonstrates VSU's commitment to meeting the following goals:

Goal 1: Recruit, retain, and graduate a quality, diverse student population and prepare students for roles as leaders in a global society.

Goal 3: Promote student, employee, alumni, retiree, and community engagement in our mission.

Goal 4: Foster an environment of creativity and scholarship.

Goal 5: Develop and enhance Valdosta State’s human and physical resources.

Visit http://www.valdosta.edu/administration/planning/strategic-plan.php to learn more.