Hillman and Naruse @ Oasis
Nathan Hillman, violist, will perform at the Oasis of Music, held at Trinity Commons, 247 Bates Street in Lewiston, Wednesday December 20, from 12:30 to 1. He will be accompanied on piano by Chiharu Naruse. Their program includes music by Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Brahms and Shubert.
Originally from a small farm in Monroe, Maine, Nathan Hillman is a violist, composer, and arranger passionate about making a meaningful connection with the community through music. He began studying violin at age 4, but soon he grew to love the rich sound of the viola, and continues to play, compose, and arrange music featuring the viola. This program is a special one featuring a number of arrangements by the legendary violist, William Primrose. Nathan taught chamber music to both youth and adult students at Bay Chamber Music School before relocating to Baltimore to study viola performance at Peabody Conservatory with Choong-Jin Chang of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Nathan currently plays with the York Symphony Orchestra, teaches violin and viola in the Baltimore/D.C. area, and is a bass ringer for the Westminster Ringers handbell choir. In addition to music, he loves spending time in nature – hiking, camping, snowshoeing, and stargazing.
CHIHARU NARUSE holds master’s degrees in Music Performance and Music Instruction from the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. She has participated in several international piano competitions, and won the silver prize in the Hyogo Piano Competition in Japan. In 2002, Chiharu moved to the United States to study under Frank Glazer. She has since performed frequently in Maine, including solo recitals, concertos, and chamber music performances with such groups as the Portland String Quartet, Da Ponte String Quartet, and Venti Cordi. She was a featured artist at the Ocean Park Music Festival and the Franco-American Heritage Center, and has also toured in France and Japan. Chiharu is a well-respected music teacher, chamber music coach, music competition adjudicator, and accompanist, with many of her students receiving competition prizes.
