The Longwood University Chamber Music Series will present a concert by violinist Kevork Mardirossian and pianist Lee Phillips, on Monday. Free and open to the public, the concert will take place in the Molnar Recital Hall of Wygal Music Building at 7:30 p.m., with doors open at 7:10 p.m.

Kevork Mardirossian’s concert career began when he won the Gold Medal and First Prize at the Obretenov Violin Competition in 1978 in Bulgaria, as well as the Gold Medal at the Katya Popova International Music Festival in 1979.  In 1988 he moved to the United States as Artist-in-Residence at the University of Central Arkansas. 

From 1995 to 2008 Mardirossian taught at Louisiana State University. In 2009 he was appointed Professor of Violin at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, Bloomington. A British Council Scholar and recipient of numerous awards for performing and teaching, Mardirossian regularly presents concerts and master classes in Europe, Asia, and the U.S.

Lee Phillips, a native of New Orleans, studied piano at Louisiana State University, earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano performance. He undertook further studies in chamber music with Eric Heidsieck in Paris and John Ogdon in London. 

Winner of competitions in the U.S., France, Italy, and Sicily, Phillips has appears often as recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestra. He currently holds a teaching and performing post in collaborative piano at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University.

The program at Longwood will include sonatas for violin and piano by three master composers: Johannes Brahms, Claude Debussy, and Cesar Franck. 

The concert honors Frieda E. Myers, founder of the Longwood Chamber Music Series and a member of the Longwood Music faculty from 1967 to 1994. 

A pianist, she performed frequently, often in duo-piano concerts with Dr. Paul Hesselink. She earned degrees in music from Indiana Central College and Indiana University–Bloomington.  She also served in the Peace Corps and spent many summers on the staff of the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan.

The Longwood University Chamber Music Series, now in its 29^th season, presents four concerts each year. For more information or to become a Series Patron call 395-2495.