New Canaan Library To Host 'Notes in Midwinter' Concert

Hearken, the ensemble of flutist Lisa Arkis and harpist Wendy Kerner, will together with guest cellist Katherine Cherbas will perform for the New Canaan Library’s “Notes in Midwinter” concert series.

‘Notes in Midwinter’ is now in its 31st year of free concerts featuring musicians and ensembles performing music ranging from chamber and classical to jazz and contemporary vocals.

Hearken will perform works by Bach, Chopin, Ibert, Vaughan Williams and more, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1 in the Adrian Lamb Room. Registration is not required, but space is limited and early arrival is recommended.

Hearken was formed in 2014 by two New York City area artists who have worked in overlapping circles for many years. They finally had the chance to play together and enjoyed it so much, they decided to formally join forces. Flute and harp blend together so beautifully that composers have explored that unique quality for hundreds of years, from Mozart’s Flute and Harp concerto to contemporary works of today. The word Hearken means to listen, and Lisa and Wendy hope you will enjoy hearing their joint spirit, connection and melding of sounds.

Flutist Lisa Arkis enjoys a varied career encompassing orchestral playing, chamber music, solo performances, and teaching. Orchestras she has performed with include the New Jersey Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Princeton Camerata, Greenwich Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Berkshire Bach Society at Tanglewood and Hudson Valley Philharmonic. She has participated in numerous summer festivals and as a featured soloist with the New York Bach Ensemble and Orchestra of the Bronx. Lisa has also recorded with the Bright Leaf Trio on the Sonic Muse label, twice toured Japan, was guest principal flutist with the Bermuda Bach Festival, and performs regularly on the Music at St. Mary’s chamber music series in New York.

Broadway credits include Peter Pan, Secret Garden, Miss Saigon, Flower Drum Song and Dance of the Vampires and she has also played with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular both in New York and on tour. A graduate of the Aaron Copland School of Music, Lisa was a student of the late Thomas Nyfenger. A faculty member of the Chamber Music Center of New York and an adjunct faculty member of the Manhattan School of Music Precollege division from 2001-2004, Lisa has also taught at Brooklyn College and the Dalton School and maintains private teaching studios in New York and Connecticut as well as being the owner and artistic director of Wilton Music Studios in Wilton. She joined the Mannes College of Music faculty in 2014 as a Feldenkrais instructor and joined the woodwind faculty of the University of Bridgeport in 2015.

The artistry of harpist Wendy Kerner has been described by The New York Times as “first rate” and other critics have hailed her playing as “effortless”, “seductive” and “a delight to listen to”. She is the principal harpist with The Bridgeport, Norwalk and Ridgefield Symphonies, and she has appeared in concert throughout the United States. Wendy has performed at World Harp Congresses in Seattle, Washington and Paris, France and she has appeared as a soloist with the Orchestra of New England, the Ridgefield Symphony, The Hat City Opera Orchestra and the Reading Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania Wendy was a scholarship student at The Juilliard School where she studied received her Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees in Harp Performance.

Wendy is a winner of the American Harp Society’s Concert Artist Program, the National Flute Association’s Chamber Music Competition, and she was presented in her New York Debut in Carnegie Recital Hall as a winner of the Artists International Chamber Music Competition. She has also played for Queen Sirikit of Thailand and former First Lady Hillary Clinton. Wendy is an adjunct Professor of Harp at Sacred Heart University and she maintains an active private teaching studio in Wilton. Each summer Wendy directs the Elyrica Summer Chamber Music Program for Harp and Flute which is open to all ages and levels.

Guest Cellist Katherine Cherbas enjoys a multifaceted freelance career in New York City. As an orchestral player, she frequently performs in the cello sections of the New York Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and American Symphony Orchestra. Her interests as a chamber musician range from Baroque continuo playing to 21st century works. Her world-premiere recording of Milton Babbitt’s monumental String Quartet No. 6 with the Milton Quartet received widespread acclaim. Ms. Cherbas has recorded for Tzadik, Naxos, Delos, Sony, and Albany Records and has been heard on numerous radio and television broadcasts. She frequently collaborates with non-Classical artists and has shared the stage with Sir Paul McCartney and Donna Summer, among others. A lifelong fan of Broadway musicals, she has played in the orchestras of a dozen shows including Phantom of the Opera and Wicked. In addition to her work as a performer, Ms. Cherbas is a devoted cello teacher, wife, and mother.

The Notes in Midwinter series is curated by Wendy Kerner.