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Scarsdale's Hoff-Barthelson Series Features Violinist Kurtis-Stewart

SCARSDALE, N.Y. – Hoff-Barthelson Music School’s HB Artist Series presents violinist, educator and composer Elektra Kurtis-Stewart in “My Inspirations” Friday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. at the Greenville Community Church, 270 Ardsley Road, Scarsdale.

Elektra Kurtis-Stewart

Elektra Kurtis-Stewart

Photo Credit: Contributed

Kurtis-Stewart will be joined by fellow faculty member Eleonora Rotshteyn on piano, and guest artists Curtis Stewart on violin and Nicole Verderosa on cello. Inspired by jazz and the ethnic music of her heritage, as well as the music of Bach, Bartók and more contemporary composers, Kurtis-Stewart integrates varied musical styles and traditions experienced over the course of her life into innovative recital programming.

Kurtis- Stewart grew up in Warsaw, Poland, as part of a family of Greek refugees from Egypt. During her youth, she listened mostly to avant-garde contemporary music created in the 60s and 70s, jazz recordings from the U.S., Bartók, and the folk music of Greece, Africa and Tibet. It was also during this time that she began to learn about her Greek heritage. Later, as a student of classical violin at the Sibelius Academy of Music in Helsinki, Finland, Elektra studied harmony, analysis and classical music forms along with classical violin repertoire.

Eventually, she would make New York City her home where she performed with and observed the work of many jazz luminaries and contemporary jazz Hoff-Barthelson Music School composers including Henry Threadgill, Steve Coleman, Bob Stewart, Lester Bowie, Leroy Jenkins and Billy Bang. She toured with the Cuban bassist Cachao López, and studied Arabic classical music with Simon Shaheen and played in his Near Eastern Ensemble.

Admission to the recital is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors 65 and over and free of charge to HBMS students and students 18 years of age and younger. Tickets to a series of three or 10 recitals are available at a reduced rate. Tickets can be purchased at the door, by calling (914) 723-1169 or by emailing hb@hbms.org

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