Menu
GSMF concerts set Wednesday, Sunday at Gobin Church
The Greencastle Summer Music Festival presents two concerts this week in Gobin Church -- Percussion Group DePauw on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and internationally-acclaimed pianist Taka Kigawa on Sunday, Aug. 6 at 4 p.m.
Both events are presented as a gift to the community without admission charge. Wednesday’s concert has been underwritten by a gift from Nathan and Marlita Andrews. The festival is funded by contributions from individuals and businesses, including Doc’s Inn, in-kind donations from the Inn at DePauw and an endowment at the Putnam County Community Foundation.
Wednesday night, Percussion Group DePauw takes center stage. The concert promises an exhilarating fusion of genres and infectious energy that will transport attendees on a musical journey. Ming-Hui Kuo (the group’s co-founder and DePauw’s percussion professor), Ben Hogan, Abigail Foehrkolb (a DePauw alum) and George Kolodsick (a DePauw student) will perform a diverse array of percussion instruments and are poised to deliver a performance that transcends cultural boundaries and unites music enthusiasts of all ages.
On Sunday afternoon, internationally acclaimed pianist Kigawa will present an engaging program including favorites such as Beethoven’s “Moonlight” sonata and works by Chopin, as well as music by Stravinsky and Ligeti. Kigawa performs internationally, selling out major venues.
“We are so fortunate that Taka, a good friend of mine who had performed here a number of times, was able to work us into his touring schedule this summer,” said Eric Edberg, the GSMF founding artistic and executive director.
Ming-Hui Kuo is an adjunct assistant professor and percussion ensemble director at DePauw. She is a former intern performing member of Ju Percussion Group from 1993 to 2002. During her time with JPG, she performed in more than 500 concerts and 100 music-related activities including the annual seasonal concerts at Taiwan National Concert Hall, Taipei International Percussion Convention in 2002 and 2005. Her international performance with JPG includes China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong-Kong, Macao, Spain, Hungary, Australia, Canada and the United States.
Hogan is an in-demand multi-instrumentalist based in central Indiana. With degrees in percussion and drum set, he weaves his formal training in jazz, classical and Brazilian music with interests in electronics and improvisation. Adaptable and dynamic, he is as much at home playing folk and pop music as he is playing straight-ahead jazz and free improvisation. Hogan has appeared on recordings such as “A Mandolin Journey” with the Carlo Aonzo Trio, Contrafacts with Anderson Pessoa and Goodbye Curtis with Gatorade Boys.
Foehrkolb recently earned her master of music degree at the University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory where she served as the percussion teaching assistant. Before moving to Kansas City, she earned her bachelor’s degree at DePauw where she was a winner of the 2018 Concerto Competition and named the Van Denman Thompson Award recipient in 2021. She is currently a member of several chamber groups, including Percussion Group DePauw, And2 Percussion Duo and The Busy Bees Duo. This fall, Abby will serve as the percussion instructor at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo.
Kolodsick is an incoming sophomore at DePauw, majoring in percussion performance and computer science. He is from Greenwood and graduated from Center Grove High School. While in high school, George was a member of the marching band, and World Class indoor percussion ensemble. He has also been a part of the Indiana All-State Percussion Ensemble, and recently performed with the Indianapolis Philharmonic Orchestra.
Kigawa has earned outstanding international recognition as a recitalist, soloist and chamber music artist since winning first prize in the prestigious 1990 Japan Music Foundation Piano Competition in Tokyo, and the Diploma Prize at the 1998 Concurs Internacional Maria Canals De Barcelona in Spain, with such accolades from The New York Times as “Phenomenon, there’s no denying that he is something special,” “The extraordinary pianist.” and from The New Yorker “Unbelievably challenging program. Kigawa is an artist of stature.” And from La Nación (Buenos Aires) “Taka Kigawa is a stupendous virtuoso.” His New York City recital in 2010 was chosen as one of the best concerts of the year by The New York Times. His New York City recital in August 2011 was picked as one of the most notable concerts in the 2011-12 season by Musical America.
He has performed extensively as a recitalist and soloist in New York, Washington, Boston, Cleveland, Paris, Milan and Barcelona, with appearances in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Kosciuszko Foundation, Severance Hall in Cleveland, Cité de la Musique and Salle Gaveau in Paris, Plau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona,and Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. He frequently tours in his native Japan, appearing in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagano and Kyoto, both as a recitalist and a soloist with orchestra and in chamber music groups. He has performed with such distinguished institution as The Cleveland Orchestra. He has been a featured artist on many television and radio networks throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Kigawa grew up in Nagano, Japan, where he began piano studies at the age of three, winning his first competition at the age of seven. He received his bachelor of arts degree from Shinshu University, and his master of arts degree from Tokyo Gakugei (Liberal Arts) University, graduating with honors in piano performance.. He furthered his studies in the United States at The Juilliard School in New York, where he earned his master of music degree. Kigawa, who currently lives in New York City, is a Steinway artist.
The festival continues on Wednesday, Aug. 9 with singer/songwriter Joe Peters and multi-genre and improvising guitarist Michael Kelsey.