Washington College’s Spring Concert Series will provide an eclectic and global range of offerings this year, kicking off on March 24 with piano and violin and wrapping up in April with traditional Japanese music. Here’s the lineup of performances, all at Hotchkiss Recital Hall at the Gibson Centre for the Arts:

• March 24: David Kim, violin, and Matt Brower, piano, at 7:30 pm. Individual tickets are $20 (adults) and $15 (non-WC College Students/Seniors over age 65/WC faculty and staff). WC students and youth 18 and under are free.
• March 31: “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band Brass Quintet, noon, free.
• April 1: Yodo Kurahashi II, shakuhachi, Miyuki Yoshikami, koto, Jon Kenzen McCollum, shakuhachi, 2 p.m., free.

On March 24, as part of 2016-2017 Premier Artist lineup, the Washington College Concert Series presents David Kim, violin, and Matt Brower, piano, playing selections from Handel’s Sonata in D Major, Op. 1 Nr. 13; Kroll’s Banjo and Fiddle; Massenet’s Meditation from the Opera Thaïs and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. 

Kim was named Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1999 and appears as soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra each season, as well as with numerous orchestras around the world. He has been awarded honorary doctorates from Eastern University in suburban Philadelphia, the University of Rhode Island, and Dickinson College. 

Brower is a Philadelphia-based pianist, coach, and educator who brings vision and sensitivity to a variety of genres, from classical piano, chamber music, opera, and art song to musical theatre and jazz. At age 11, he made his New York City debut, performing an original composition at Weill Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall). He has since performed in such prestigious venues as Alice Tully Hall (Lincoln Center), Merkin Hall, and Steinway Hall, as well as in Europe and China. Brower received his bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he was awarded the Oberlin Piano Faculty Prize in Accompanying. He continued his studies at the University of Michigan, where he received his master’s and doctoral degrees in collaborative piano under the tutelage of renowned pianist Martin Katz. Brower has been a lecturer in piano at Washington College since 2015, teaching group piano classes and individual lessons for students at all levels. He is also a faculty member of the University of Delaware’s Master Players Summer Festival.

On March 31 at noon, as part of its 12@Hotchkiss Series, the Washington College Department of Music presents a concert featuring The President’s Own U.S. Marine Band Brass Quintet. Members of this quintet are part of the President’s Own U.S. Marine Band whose mission is to perform for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Founded in 1798 by an Act of Congress, the Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization. Today, The President’s Own is celebrated for its role at the White House and its dynamic public performances, which total more than 500 annually.

On April 1, traditional Japanese music will be the highlight at a performance featuring Yodo Kurahashi II playing the shakuhachi, Miyuki Yoshikami playing the koto, and Jon Kenzen McCollum of Washington College, also playing the shakuhachi. A reception will follow the concert.

Kurahashi is one of Japan’s great master shakuhachi flute players. He has been with this beautiful and evocative bamboo instrument for more than 40 years. His father, also a famous shakuhachi player, was his first teacher as a young boy, and Kurahashi-sensei eventually became head of his father’s dojo: Mujuan dojo.

For events that require tickets, individual tickets can be purchased online with a credit card via EventBrite, or with cash or check at the door. Inquiries and ticket holds can be sent to Debbie Reed at concertseries@washcoll.edu or 410-778-7839. More information on the series is available at washcoll.edu/concert.