For 25 years since its inception, Musical Bridges Around the World has embodied the notion that music is a universal language that can connect people across physical boundaries, cultural misunderstandings and political animosity.
In that spirit, the arts nonprofit will celebrate UNITYFest from February 2-5 at venues around San Antonio with a series of free concerts in a variety of musical styles. The name is the rebranding of the group’s annual international music festival and is the result of conversations between musical bridge co-founders Anya Grokowski and San Antonio’s First Lady. Erica Prosper
Prosper said, “We’ve been talking about Musical Bridge and its influence over the years in bringing people together through music. The new name simply describes what the festival is all about.” Rather, she said, it tells the story of what the festival does.
Each season of Musical Bridge draws international chamber musicians to San Antonio, but the festival is free to explore a variety of genres, including folk music and jazz, according to Grohovsky.
Over four days, the festival brings people together to celebrate a mix of cultures, she said.
UNITYfest kicks off on February 2 with the 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee Concert at downtown’s new Buena Vista Theater. Grokhovsky has called the event “a kind of family concert celebrating the founders” of the musical Bridges, with her playing the piano, her ex-spouse Valeri, who is also a pianist, her Grokhovsky, violinist brother Mark Cheyhet, 11. daughter Eleanor. Grokhovsky’s piano student playing Mozart’s sonata.
San Antonio’s chamber music ensemble, Agarita, will participate in the memorial service, supported by the piano of Daniel Anastasio, another former student of Grochowski, who attended the musical Bridges’ “Child Prodigy” concert 20 years ago. And finally Veronica Williams sings. Although Williams is now better known as a soprano, she once took piano lessons with Grochowski.
The Buena Vista Theater is equipped with a large digital screen that allows the musical Bridges to display “family photos” from events over the past 25 years, she said.
The Bill Charlap Trio will perform at Carver Community Cultural Center’s Jo Long Theater on February 3rd. A regular at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Village Vanguard, the trio perform classical music from American songbooks, including music by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Dave Brubeck and Kenny Burrell. play jazz
Russian-French piano duo Ludmila Berlinskaya and Arthur Ansel will host a “Tea for Two” concert on February 4 at Coates Chapel at UTSA’s Southwest School of the Arts campus. their repertoire.
Gurwitz 2020 International Piano Competition silver medalist Kim Ye-dam to perform with the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hong Suk-won on February 5 at the HEB Performance Hall of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. Come back. The “East Meets West” concert celebrates the sister city relationship between San Antonio and Gwangju, South Korea.
Prosper said there is no better setting for UNITYFest than San Antonio. The city truly embraces its role as the constellation city here in the United States, which has remained consistent in its belief in unifying San Antonian, of all cultural backgrounds.
UNITYFest concludes Sunday evening with a silver soiree in the Grand Lobby of the St. Anthony Hotel. Tickets are $100 each.
All other UNITYFest events are free to attend by registering through the Musical Bridges website.