Slovak Musicians in Billings for Performance at Yellowstone Art Museum

On Wednesday, March 2, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. in the Montana Gallery at the Yellowstone Art Museum, internationally renowned Slovak cellist Jozef Lupták will perform with Boris Lenko, Baruch Myers, and Miloš Valent.  The program will range widely across the spectrum of world music but will place special emphasis on energetic Chassidic songs, which are a special interest of this performing group.  Lupták and Lenko performed previously in Billings in November 2015 to standing-room-only crowds in multiple venues.

Jozef Lupták is one of the most prominent figures on the Slovak musical scene.  He graduated from the University of Performing Arts in his hometown of Bratislava and the Royal Academy of Music in London.  He holds the “Award of the Minister of Culture” for his successes as a concert cello soloist and artistic director and founder of the festival Convergence, and international chamber music festival.  Jozef actively performs throughout the world, with concert credits that include the Winter Olympics.  He does not limit himself to classical music, and there is a special place in his explorations for multicultural and multiethnic projects, including ancient Roma and Hassidic songs. 

Boris Lenko is a graduate of the Žilina Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava.  Boris began his international career in the 1980s after successfully competing in many competitions.  By the 1990s, he was one of the most established Slovak artists, performing regular concerts and making recordings.  Boris Lenko is one of those rare kinds of versatile musicians who expertly perform everything ranging from the classical repertoire to contemporary music and jazz.  His expertise includes accordion, violin, piano, and double bass. 

 

Baruch Myers, born in New Jersey, was accepted as a composition student in the Juilliard School of Music pre-college program at the age of 14.  Upon graduation, Myers was accepted as a doctoral student at the Yale School of Music, but postponed the continuation of his musical studies to pursue full-time religious studies in a Yeshiva setting.  In 1993, he was appointed as the Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Bratislava, in the Slovak Republic, a position he holds to this day.  His return to music came about through the Chassidic Songs Project, a musical project originally conceived by Baruch and Jozef, which premiered in Slovakia. 

 

Miloš Valent’s repertoire ranges from chamber music and opera to modern creative and avant-garde music.  Valent’s musical and theatrical credentials are impressive, spanning cities as diverse as Amsterdam, Berlin, Boston, Bratislava, Bremen, Geneva, Helsinki, Prague, Utrecht, Vancouver, Vienna, and many others.  He is a frequent performer of early music at international music festivals, concert halls, and conservatories, and has collaborated with a long list of distinguished international conductors.

Yellowstone Art Museum

401 North 27th Street

Billings, MT 59101

406-256-6804

artmuseum.org


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