The Hanson-Koobs Chamber Music Series at La Sierra University will feature in its third performance of the season a noted viola, harp and flute trio together with a violinist who founded the series.
The Hanson-Koobs Chamber Music performance will be held Sunday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at the Troesh Conference Center, Zapara School of Business. The evening’s concert will showcase three musicians who typically perform as The Laminy Trio -- Ben Ullery, assistant principal violist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Julia Bogorad-Kogan, principal flutist of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Victoria Drake, principal harpist of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Joining them will be violinist Jason Uyeyama, La Sierra’s director of string studies and founder of the Hanson-Koobs series who has performed with the LA Phil since 2005 and has also played with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Program repertoire will consist of “Sonata in C Major, BWV 1033” by Johann Sebastian Bach, “Genesis III” by Janika Vandervelde, Philippe Gaubert’s “Madrigal,” Lili Boulanger’s “Nocturne,” and “Sonate for Flute, Viola and Harp” by Claude Debussy.
Ullery has held the position of assistant principal viola of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2012. Before moving to Los Angeles, he spent three seasons as a member of the Minnesota Orchestra. He has also performed frequently with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and appeared as guest principal viola of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and the Aspen Chamber Symphony. He has been featured in chamber music performances on NPR’s Performance Today, in local broadcasts on Classical KUSC 91.5 in Los Angeles and Minnesota Public Radio, and has recorded chamber works for Bridge and Albany records, according to his bio. After graduating with numerous honors from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, he went on to attend the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Ullery is a faculty member at the Colburn School in Los Angeles where he teaches orchestral repertoire and coaches the Colburn Orchestra’s viola section.
Bogorad-Kogan, a Grammy-winning musician, is also principal flutist of the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra, her bio states, and has served as guest principal flutist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony, the National Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra. Her career includes regular recital and solo performances and includes appearances at New York's Merkin Concert Hall, the Schubertsaal of the Vienna Konzerthaus, Washington, D.C.’s Phillips Collection, in San Jose, Costa Rica and Xiamen, China. She has appeared on numerous Saint Paul Sunday radio shows and on Performance Today, and serves on the faculty of the University of Minnesota.
Drake has performed as principal harpist with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in Minnesota since 2008. She also performs regularly with the American Symphony Orchestra, New York City Ballet, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and has worked with American Ballet Theatre, New York City Opera, New York Philharmonic, and Orpheus, according to her bio. As recital soloist, she has appeared in series across the country, as well as in Israel, France, Australia and Hong Kong. Her recording and performance credits include Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Sir Georg Solti. She also has released four solo recordings.
Drake’s playing can also be heard on movie soundtracks and commercial jingles. Her work in pop, jazz and other genre includes performance and recordings with such stars as Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Dave Brubeck, Branford Marsalis, Luther Vandross and Aretha Franklin.
Uyeyama is associate professor of music and director of string studies at La Sierra University where he teaches violin and chamber music and organizes the Hanson-Koobs series. In addition to teaching, he leads an active career as a recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. He has performed regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2005, and has performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Pacific Symphony. He is also founder and director of the Orange County String Studio in Irvine. Uyeyama holds a master’s degree from The Juilliard School where he studied with Masao Kawasaki.
Tickets to the Hanson-Koobs Chamber Music Series performances are $15 general admission, $10 seniors ages 55 and over, $5 students; cash at the door. For more information please visit https://lasierra.edu/hanson-koobs/, email music@lasierra.edu or call 951-785-2036. La Sierra University is located at 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside.