Owen Young, a Boston Symphony and James Taylor cellist, and Alan Murchie will perform in West Hartford on Monday, Aug. 14.

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Owen Young, celebrated cellist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and James Taylor, will perform at West Hartford’s historic St. James’s Episcopal Church with acclaimed pianist Alan Murchie at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 14.

“Romantic Masterpieces for Cello and Piano” will offer a rare opportunity to hear these extraordinary musicians performing the music of Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns, and Brahms, including “The Swan” from Carnival of Animals, in the magnificent acoustics of St. James’s Church.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by phone at 860-521-9620, online at stjwh.org/summerconcert2023 or at the door.

The concert in the church caps Murchie’s popular month-long Music Monday series “An Exploration of Musical Romanticism” this summer.

Cellist Owen Young joined the BSO in August 1991. A frequent collaborator in chamber music concerts and festivals, he has also appeared as concerto soloist with numerous orchestras. He has appeared in the Tanglewood, Aspen, Banff, Davos, Sunflower, Gateway, Brevard, and St. Barth’s music festivals and is a founding member of the innovative chamber ensemble Innuendo. Mr. Young’s performances have been broadcast on National Public Radio, WQED in Pittsburgh, WITF in Harrisburg, and WGBH in Boston. He has performed frequently with singer/songwriter James Taylor, including the nationally televised concert “James Taylor Live at the Beacon Theatre” in New York City.

Young was formerly on the faculties of the Boston Conservatory, the New England Conservatory Extension Division, and the Longy School of Music; is currently on the faculty of Berklee College of Music; and is active in Project STEP (String Training and Education Program for students of color). From 1991 to 1996 he was a Harvard-appointed resident tutor and director of concerts in Dunster House at Harvard University. His teachers included Elinor Osborn, Michael Grebanier, Anne Martindale Williams, and Aldo Parisot. Mr. Young holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University. He was a Tanglewood Music Center Fellow in 1986 and 1987. After winning an Orchestra Fellowship in 1987, he played with the Atlanta Symphony in 1988 and with the Boston Symphony in 1988-89. He was a member of the New Haven Symphony in 1986-87 and of the Pittsburgh Symphony from 1989 until he joined the BSO in 1991.

Alan Murchie is associate for education and music at St, James’s Episcopal Church in West Hartford. Murchie is a versatile musician whose performance schedule includes regular appearances as a solo pianist, organist, conductor, chamber musician and lecturer. Concert performances include piano and organ concerti with The Knights, a live performance on WGBH Boston with BSO cellist Owen Young, and summer festival performances at the Maverick Festival in Woodstock, NY.  As a solo pianist, Murchie has toured Morocco and has performed in Vienna, Berlin, Edinburgh, Venice and Florence. In 2016, Alan traveled to the UK for cathedral residencies in Edinburgh and Lichfield; organ recital venues include the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City.  In 2007, as Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Church in Southport, Murchie founded the Southport Summer Music Festival, which was noted in 2010 by the New Yorker as “an elegant new series” and recommended for its outstanding collaborating artists. Alan is currently a Lecturer in Music History and Religious Studies at Fairfield University.

Murchie’s musical career began early, at age 10, when he joined the renowned St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys. He appeared as treble soloist on St. Thomas’ 20th Century Services. He was graduated summa cum laude from Yale College, where he was named “most promising and gifted composer”. His Paean for brass and woodwinds was chosen to open a concert dedicating the new Yale School of Music campus. After college, Alan returned to St. Thomas as Organ Scholar and as a member of the Choir School faculty. Alan was Organist and Choirmaster for seven years at St. James’ Church, Madison Avenue and for ten years at Church of the Advent Hope, both in New York City.

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