Violinist Stephen Redfield and pianist Joanna Burnside continue their celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birth year (2020) by presenting Concert II of The Complete Sonatas for Piano and Violin. A formidable project, their four concerts, covering 10 sonatas, began fall 2019 and will continue through spring 2021.  The duo will perform at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston Campus on March 24 at 12:15 p.m. in Malone Hall Auditorium.

The concert will feature three sonatas from Beethoven’s middle period, No 4 in A Minor, No. 5 in F Major “Spring” and No. 6 in A Major. Other concerts scheduled for this spring include performances at the Mississippi Museum of Art and St. James Episcopal church in Jackson; Tulane in New Orleans; St.John’s Episcopal Church in Laurel; and at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) in Hattiesburg.

The whole of these sonatas represent a sort of encyclopedia of violin and piano writing, with a thorough exploration of moods and characters, forms, stylistic and compositional approaches, and treatment of the instruments as an ensemble. They also span a sizable part of Beethoven’s life as a composer.

To play all the sonatas -and indeed to hear them- is to get to know that encyclopedia, and to experience that life span through the music. Drs. Redfield and Burnside will cherish this opportunity to grow as artists in learning and studying as well as in performing and sharing these works.

Redfield, a professor of violin at USM since 1996, was recently awarded Best Instrumentalist of 2018-19 by the Austin Critics Table.  He was a student of Dorothy DeLay at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory and Donald Weilerstein at the Eastman School. A prize-winner in the Colman and Monterrey Chamber Music Competitions, he has performed as a chamber musician throughout the United States and internationally.  Last season, he performed five concertos with orchestra, including the Mozart D Major with the Mississippi Symphony.

Over his 40 years with the Oregon Bach Festival, Redfield has participated in numerous recordings, including the Grammy® Award-winning disc “Credo.” He is concertmaster of Santa Fe Pro Musica, the Arizona Bach Festival, the Conspirare Company of Voices and La Follia Austin Baroque. With the Victoria Bach Festival, his performances as concertmaster and soloist have been broadcast nationally.

Burnside is an instructor at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where she has taught piano, music theory and music appreciation for 22 years. She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in piano performance, with a minor in music theory from Louisiana State University (LSU), and both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance from USM. An active collaborator with music faculty, guest artists and students, she has been featured as a soloist with the USM Symphony, LSU Symphony and Mississippi Symphony orchestras.

Burnside is a member of the Mississippi Music Teachers Association, serving as president from 2004-2006. She is nationally certified in piano and music theory through the Music Teachers National Association. A member of the Hattiesburg Music Teachers League for more than 36 years, she currently serves as the website manager and membership chair.