Whidbey Island Center for the Arts Presents Gloria and James in Concert Tonight

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts presents Gloria and James in Concert tonight, November 17 at 7:30 pm, featuring violin and cello duos spanning classical to contemporary: original compositions; music from Latin America; and jazz. Join local favorites Gloria Ferry-Brennan and James Hinkley for an evening of familiar music and new discoveries. Special guest Levi Burkle will be joining Gloria and James.

Gloria Ferry-Brennan, a sophomore at SWHS, began playing the violin at age four and has been studying with Simon James and accompanist Hiro David in the Coleman Violin Studio since 2009. Gloria is a member of the Saratoga Chamber Orchestra as well as the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, and has soloed with several orchestras in the Puget Sound area, most recently with the Seattle Symphony. Last March, she won the Music Teachers National Association Junior String Competition. Her summer studies take her to Kansas where she studies with Brian Lewis at his Young Artist Program and Aspen where she studies with Paul Kantor.

James moved to South Whidbey in 2004. A native of Michigan, he studied at the Cranbrook Theatre School of the Cranbook Institute. James picked up the cello at age 20 and earned degrees in music performance (voice) and composition. He performed with the Detroit, Akron, and Baton Rouge Symphonies and under the batons of such renowned conductors as Robert Spano and Keith Lockhart. In addition to sharing the stage with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, Odetta and Giuseppe Di Stefano, he also served as principal cello for the Lima Symphony and Ohio Light Opera. As a composer, James has written works for the Ohio Chamber Music Society; the new music group Daedalus, of which he is a founding member; and numerous orchestras and choral groups. He scored six episodes of MTV’s Liquid Television. In 2005 he joined the Northwest jazz ensemble Billet-Deux, led by Troy Chapman. James plays in a trio with Levi Burkle (he’s on three of his CDs), performed at DjangoFest Northwest in Langley, and also locally with the Saratoga Chamber Orchestra. He practices daily and remains active as a teacher, composer and performer in both the classical and jazz idioms.

“Gloria & James in Concert” takes place at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, 565 Camano Avenue, Langley, Washington. SHOWS: tonight, November 17 at 7:30 pm. TICKETS: Individual ticket prices Youth $12 & Adult $20. WICA Ticket Office (360) 221- 8268 or (800) 638-7631.

Learn more about upcoming events at WICA at www.WICAonline.com.