KiMo Theatre Robb Concert Highly Successful

AUGUST 1, 2010

​lbuquerque's treasured 1927 landmark, the KiMo Theatre, was the venue for a concert imbued with the region's folk heritage and imagery for the Sister Cities' International 2010 Conference on Saturday, July 31. The UNM Robb Trust presented a Concert of Music by John Donald Robb and Composers that he influenced: Michael Mauldin and James Galloway which attracted a large and enthusiastic audience consisting of delegates to the conference and interested local enthusiasts. A pre-concert Reception at downtown's Sumner & Dene Gallery honored Friends and Donors of the Robb Trust with lively Hispanic Folk Music by Frank McCulloch y sus Amigos, stunning photographs of the Southwest were projected during the concert courtesy of Albuquerque's Mike Butterfield (Mike's photos have been widely published both regionally and nationally in calendars, magazines and books), and attendees were rewarded at a post-concert reception with traditional New Mexican biscochitos, empanadas, and punch!

• Piano soloist at the concert was Tatiana Vetrinskaya, who is considered the most authoritative performer of Robb's piano compositions. Tatiana performed Robb's Three Impressions, Opus 15: "Night, Afternoon, and Morning"; "Carnival" from Sonatina, Three Incidents from Liliom, Opus 22; and two Turkmenistan Folk Songs: Ballade and Sounds of Dutar by Nuriy Hkalmamedov.
• UNM Music Faculty Bass-baritone Bradley Ellingboe, accompanied by James Bratcher, sang The Trial of Sangre de Cristos Escathe de Calderon, a Northern New Mexico legend with original music by Robb, and El Muchacho Alegre and Mambru from Robb's Folk Opera Little Jo, which was based on the life of a young boy living in a remote Hispanic village in northern New Mexico.
• Robb compositions were also represented by his String Quartet No. 2, a virtuoso work in the tradition of early Milhaud and Stravinsky performed by Kathie Jarrett, violin; Nicolle Maniaci, violin; Cherokee Randolph, viola; and Lisa Collins, cello.
• Five Songs, chosen from folk songs collected by Dean Robb by composer, James Galloway (1938-2003), a former student of the Dean, were performed by Bratcher and Mezzo Soprano, Lina Ramos; and
• Albuquerque composer Michael Mauldin's Canyon Light: Four Scenes for Woodwind Quintet: "Morning Prayers, River Music, Shimmering Heat, and Sunset", was performed by musicians, Jesse Tatum, flute; Elaine Heltman, oboe; Lori Lovato, clarinet; Leslie N. Shultis, bassoon; and Scott Temple, horn.