The Tryon Concert Association, now entering it 62nd year, is proud to present the outstanding artists who will perform at the Tryon Fine Arts Center during the 2016-17 season.

The opening concert, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016, will feature the Fine Arts Quartet, with Orion Weiss, piano. This chamber music ensemble, now in its 70th year, has been described as one of the world’s finest string quartets. They are praised for their “incredibly precise and synchronized dynamics” as well as their extensive repertoire of classical music. Pianist Orion Weiss is a highly esteemed young solo artist who has great enthusiasm for performing with chamber music groups as well. This will be a return visit for Weiss who last performed for TCA in 2012.

The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble is a group of eight players drawn from the principal players of the Chamber Orchestra of the Academy. Originally led by the esteemed violinist, Joshua Bell, the Chamber Ensemble today is led by Tomo Keller. The group, made up of strings and woodwinds, is flexible in makeup, performing as an octet, sextet, quartet and other configurations. The Chamber Ensemble will perform on Tuesday, Oct. 25.

On Friday, Feb. 24, 2017, violinist Paul Huang will bring his “intensely expressive music making, distinctive sound, and effortless virtuosity” to the TFAC stage. This young artist obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Juilliard School and is the recipient of numerous competitions, including winner of the 2011 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant. He has appeared at the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and University of Georgia Performing Arts, to name a few. He has also performed at the Louvre in Paris, Seoul Arts Center and the National Concert Hall in Taiwan.

Russian pianist Alexander Kobrin will present the final concert of the season on Thursday, March 30, 2017. This prize-winning artist began his musical studies at age 5 and later attended the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire. Called by the BBC the “Van Cliburn of today,” Kobrin has received first prize in numerous international competitions. In addition to his performance career, he presently teaches at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga.

TCA will present two short, delightful TGIF concerts in addition to the four major subscription concerts of the 2016-2017 series. These one-hour concerts are intended to give you a happy start to the weekend. On Friday, Nov. 18, percussionist Jason Decristofaro and his ensemble will thrill us with his energetic performance on the marimba and vibraphone, accompanied by flute and piano.

The Petrie Winds will present the second TGIF concert on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Members of this woodwind group are professors at Converse College in Spartanburg.

TGIF tickets are not on the subscription series, but can be purchased at TFAC, at the door of the auditorium, or online. For information about the full season please visit tryonconcerts.org.

– article submitted by Joella Utley