Event – Detail

Please join us for an evening soiree of violin and classical guitar music with Elissa Lee Koljonen and John Marcel Williams.

The Classical Guitar Soirée Recital Series at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia is offered in partnership with the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society. A Soirée is a lively and intimate gathering that increases the participants' knowledge through conversation and music. The classical guitar is often best listened to and understood within this context. While relatively rare in the chamber music world, the pairing of violin and classical guitar is complimentary, beautiful, and a natural extension of one another.

PCGS members: Register as "Members" for the PCGS discount price.

Recognized as one of the most celebrated violinists of her generation, Elissa Lee Koljonen has thrilled audiences and critics in more than one hundred cities worldwide. Ms. Koljonen received international acclaim when she first received the prestigious Henryk Szeryng Foundation Award and was the silver medalist of the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition. Her playing has been hailed by the Helsingin Sanomat (Helsinki) as “sparkling, sensual, and personal,” and the Chicago Tribune has said she displays “boundless technique and musicianship.” An avid chamber musician, Ms. Koljonen attends festivals throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

John Marcel Williams is an emerging talent in the classical guitar world, establishing a career as a soloist and a chamber musician. Winner of numerous awards, his refined technique and musical artistry have brought him to audiences nationwide and abroad. Recent engagements
include appearances for the Chamber Music Society of Virginia, and Princeton University with the Curtis Institute Guitar Quartet, premiering Paul Lansky’s “Four’s Company.” Other highlights include multiple tours of Panama as a guest artist for the Panama Guitar Festival and solo
recitals at Oberlin Conservatory, Moravian College, and the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society. In 2019, John debuted with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra led by Maestro John Devlin, performing Elmer Bernstein’s Guitar Concerto. Mr. Williams currently resides in Philadelphia where he maintains a private teaching studio. He holds a faculty position at Rowan University and is a guitar instructor at the University of Pennsylvania. Williams received his BM and MM in Guitar Performance at the Peabody Institute of Music studying with Manuel Barrueco. In 2021, he graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music with a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma under the direction of David Starobin and Grammy Award–winning artist Jason Vieaux.

Elissa Lee Koljonen: https://www.elissaleekoljonen.com/
John Marcel Williams Website: https://www.johnmarcelwilliams.com/home