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Liturgical Arts Festival of Springfield . . . "This inter-faith celebration of the arts is presented every two years and has evolved to include a juried liturgical and sacred art exhibit, music celebrations of faith held in local houses of worship, and sharing of religious traditions."
— from the website

Brown Bag Concerts

Every year First Presbyterian Church Music and the Arts hosts musical events that include two Brown Bag Concert Series. This concert series is the longest continuous lunchtime concert series in Springfield. The four concerts in Advent and the six concerts in Lent take place at lunchtime on Wednesdays during these winter and spring seasons. Students, retirees, and business people looking for a refreshing break in the middle of the day have enjoyed the diverse programming.

The half-hour - midday - free concerts offer a variety of musical presentations by the finest local and visiting artists. Artists have included a vocal chamber ensemble, an early music ensemble, organists, a brass ensemble, a soprano soloist, and a string quartet, among others. (Emerging young artists are often highlighted in the Brown Bag Concerts, and they are additionally showcased in the annual Central Illinois Young Musicians' Concert each May.)

The audience is invited to enjoy lunch during the concerts, and delicious brown bag lunches may be purchased at the door for $5. You may bring your own lunch, if you wish.

We are grateful for your generous contributions as your donations sustain this free concert series.

Spring, 2012 — Lenten Brown Bag Concert Series

Wednesday, February 29 | lunchtime: 12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
-Mária Horváth, piano -
Praised for her passionate and nuanced performances and versatility, pianist Mária Horváth has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, instrumental, vocal and choral accompanist and performed in orchestras, opera and musical theater productions in France, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, and the USA. Her 2004 radio première was broadcasted on WFMT (Chicago), and her recent engagements included two performances of Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488 (No. 23) with the Illinois Chamber Orchestra. Currently, she is principal keyboard (piano, celesta and harpsichord) player of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, a frequent solo and chamber recitalist, adjudicator and lecturer. Recently, Maria developed a renewed interest in early keyboard instruments and performance practices, has studied fortepiano (early pianos of Mozart’s time) with the legendary Malcolm Bilson and presented mixed modern piano, fortepiano and harpsichord recitals.

Ms. Horváth has taught piano and music to students of all ages, abilities, and levels of accomplishment in Hungary and the United States. She currently teaches advanced piano and music appreciation at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, as well as students of all ages and levels of accomplishment in her private piano studio, The Art of Piano, in Rochester, Illinois. Previously, she taught applied piano and piano accompanying for graduate and undergraduate students at Illinois State University in Normal, following a three-year residence at Millikin University in Decatur.

Maria was awarded the Artist-Teacher Diploma in Piano at the world-renown Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary, the M.M. degree from Illinois State University, and the D.M.A. (Doctor of Musical Arts) degree in Piano Performance from Louisiana State University. She has also completed a M.S. degree in Arts Technology at Illinois State University, concentrating on music technology and other technologies relevant to performing artists. Horváth’s teachers included Márta Gulyás, Edit Hambalkó and Gyöngyi Keveházi (F. Liszt Academy), Gellért Módos (ISU) and Dr. Jack Guerry (LSU). She has also participated in numerous masterclasses with world-renown artists and was the recipient of prestigious scholarships, including those for the Conservatoire Américain in Fontanbleau, France and the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York city.

Wednesday, March 7 | lunchtime: 12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
- Rochester High School Madrigal Singers -




The Rochester High School Madrigal Singers are one of several choirs at the schooll. They are one of two auditioned choirs. The Madrigals perform an annual dinner theatre show and at various venues throughout the Springfield area.

Every four years during spring break, the bands and choirs take a trip to Walt Disney World where they compete in a nationwide competition. Each student raises money for the trip by selling citrus fruit each year, usually starting in fifth or sixth grade. Each spring the Rochester Fine Arts Department puts on either a play or a musical.

Wednesday, March 14 | lunchtime: 12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
- Devin Kemp, soprano -

Devin Kemp is senior at Millikin University in Decatur, IL., where she is studying Vocal Performance. She has been performing from a very young age, being involved in church choir, band, voice lessons and singing with the Illinois Symphony Chorus during high school.

During her time at Millikin she has had the opportunity to perform in numerous productions from opera scenes selections to full scale productions. Her experience includes the chorus for Alcina by Handel, the role of Pamina in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and the role of Nerone in L’incoronazione di Poppea by Montiverdi. L’incoronazione di Poppea was Millikin’s very first full opera to be done completely in the original Italian.

In addition to performing on the stage Ms. Kemp will be trying her hand at directing this year. In conjunction with Millikin’s James Millikin Scholars Honors Program, she was given the opportunity to write her own pastiche opera last year and will design and direct her creation this March.

Ms. Kemp is also on staff here at First Presbyterian Church. She is part of the Children and Family Ministries and shares her music with the children. The voice is not her only instrument, she also plays percussion, and she gives drum lessons to the Sunday school kids on Sunday mornings.





Wednesday, March 21 | lunchtime: 12:15 - 12:45 p.m.
- Theron Strike, organ
Theron Strike is on staff at Grace Lutheran Church in Springfield as organist, director of the Bell Choir, Chancel Choir and the Saturday Worship Chorus. He is a graduate of Wartburg College and University of Northern Iowa.









Wednesday, March 28 | lunchtime: 12:15 - 12:45 p.m.
- Kamen Petkov & Russel Brazzel,
Violin & Classical Guitar Duo

Kamen Petkov has performed with many orchestras around the world, including the Malta National Symphony Orchestra, Gabrovo Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Paducah Symphony Orchestra, Missouri Chamber Orchestra, Illinois Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Millikin - Decatur Symphony Orchestra and the Erato Chamber Orchestra.

Mr. Petkov has performed on the stage with distinguished artist such as Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, Rachel Barton Pine, Mark O'Connor, Xiang Gao, Yosiff Radionov, Michael Barta, Jackson and Almeda Berkey. In addition to his career as an active musician/violinist Mr. Petkov pursues a career in Arts Management. His experience include practical training with the management of the world renown orchestras such as Chicago Symphony and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras as well as four summers spend in the Artistic and Operations Departments of the only municipally funded music festival in North America, Grant Park Music Festival in the Millennium Park in downtown Chicago, Illinois.

Mr. Petkov served as a Director of Operations and Personnel for the Illinois Symphony and Chamber Orchestra for almost nine years. In the summers of 2007 and 2008 Mr. Petkov organized and served as the Executive Director of the “International Chamber Music Festival and Concert Tour – Bulgaria”, establishing a multi-cultural/musical experiences for young people between his home country Bulgaria and the USA. In 2009 Mr.Petkov was hired as the Personnel Manager and a violinist for the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Peoria, IL.

Russel Brazzel has worked to expand the guitar repertoire by commissioning compositions from the composers Richard Greene, Natalio Galàn, and Andrew York, and by his transcriptions and original compositions. His debut CD, 20th Century Cuban Music (Centaur #CRC2155) was released by Centaur Records in 1993. The critic for Guitar Review wrote about this CD, he finds a very human warmth to balance the angularity of the writing and the composer’s (Brouwer’s) dry wit. . . . never have I heard such attention to the music as human expression. . . . Brazzel’s touch is so warm and assured that you cannot help but attend. Musical Heritage Society also added this recording to their catalogue in 1994. He has published two books, The Music of Rudolf Straube, and Music from Wickhambrook, with Mel Bay Publications.

Mr. Brazzel has lived in the Central Illinois area since 1990. He has taught the guitar at Millikin University in Decatur, and at Carl Sandberg College in Galesburg. In 1997 he became the classical guitar instructor at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, where he now makes his home. Since the Spring Semester of 2005 he has also taught classical guitar at Illinois College in Jacksonville, where he now also teaches Music History and Music Theory courses. He is a co-founder and music director of the Springfield Classical Guitar Society. Through his activities in the Springfield Classical Guitar Society, Russel Brazzel has been instrumental in sponsoring concerts by such concert artists as Javier Calderon, Paul Henry, Fareed Haque, Elena Papandreou, Antigoni Goni, Lily Afshar, The Ferrara-Leisek Duo, the Cavatina Duo, Johan Fostier, Martha Masters and many others.



Wednesday, April 4 | lunchtime: 12:15 - 12:45 p.m.
- Capital Chamber Singers -


As well as giving local performances at professional events in the Springfield, Illinois area, the Capital Chamber Singers have contributed to the community through performances at service club functions, church and public concerts, seniors' residences, hospitals and charity fund-raising events. The Capital Chamber Singers routinely have a fall and a spring performance season. Please visit their website here.