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Brad Richter (L) and Viktor Uzur (R) By Davin Eldridge
Contributing WriterThe Arts Council of Macon County recently held a musical presentation at the public library on Sunday, Oct. 26. The presentation featured the performances of classical guitarist Brad Richter and classical cellist Viktor Uzur. Both musicians are internationally renowned for their musical innovations, which often combines the energy of rock music and brilliance of classical music. Commissioned by Weber State University in Utah, Richter was charged with performing concert-length chamber music. As the project developed and matured, the inclusion of the cello was introduced by Weber State cello professor Viktor Uzur, a native of Yugoslavia. This collaboration has been strengthened by their musical respect for one another, as well as their friendship. Richter has been playing guitar for nearly three decades. He studied at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, eventually attaining a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London. Richter continued his intensive training under other renowned guitarists, earning him impeccable skill in the art of guitar playing. Today, Richter is quite active in the guitar community, making appearances on National Public Radio and at music festivals, as well as performing for communities such as Franklin. The Macon County Public Library often hosts musicians for the enjoyment of its patrons. Uzur has been playing the cello for nearly as long, studying initially and performing in the Moscow Chamber Orchestra in Russia. Uzur can often be heard on NPR, like Richter, as well as taking his place among many other renowned musicians in festivals and competitions. Internationally, Uzur has performed for audiences in Austria, Spain, Italy, France, Russia, Canada, Korea, Latvia, Brazil, United States and the former Yugoslavia.International musicians of this caliber can be found performing in the Macon County Public Library for the sole purpose of making music. Bobby Contino, director of the local Arts Council, and Richter had begun speaking over the phone four years ago, discussing ways that Richter could contribute to the community musically. “We tried it once and it worked really well, and so we decided to just keep doing it,” said Richter. Richter said that he had been playing for 28 years or so. He introduced Uzur to his act last year to bring more variety to the concert, giving more a classical flare to the presentation. “The variety made everything a little more interesting,” he explained. The opportunity for the duo to perform here has allowed for them to realize their goal of raising awareness of musical fundamentals among the youth, and enlightening the more mature audiences to the virtues of rock music. Bridging this gap of musical appreciation last Sunday, the duo was pleased with the performance as well as their audience. “It was a very good audience, very receptive and understanding of what we do. You have much colder audiences in Europe. When you go to Spain they are going to go crazy on you. It was really fun and different in a good way. It felt nice to play for them. I like this area a lot, there are a lot of people that know about culture and what we are doing. I think it is really good for the area,” commented Uzur. “We like the groove and the idea behind rock music. Our mission is to play familiar music to the youth and include the classical skill, because that skill is worth pursuing if you can still do what you love,” Uzur explained. Macon County residents can expect to find the esteemed musical duo every year around this time. “Every time they perform it’s new and surprising and amazing,” said Contino. |
