Chamber Music @ AEIVA is inspired by and programmed around the art currently on display at AEIVA.Chamber music and contemporary art will meet Monday, Feb. 16, for Chamber Music @ AEIVA at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Chamber Music @ AEIVA is a free concert in the galleries of UAB’s Abroms-Engel Institute of the Visual Arts. This unique series is presented by the UAB College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Music and AEIVA. Each Chamber Music @ AEIVA concert is inspired by and programmed around the art currently on display at AEIVA.
The upcoming program, “Luna: A Celebration of the Moon,” is curated by Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk, DMA, in response to works by artist Virginia L. Montgomery. The exhibition, “Blue Moon Cocoon,” features surreal, synesthetic artworks that unite elements of mysticism, physics and neuroscience.
A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the concert at 6 p.m. Arrive early to mingle, enjoy light refreshments, and explore the art that inspired the music before the performance.
The Chamber Music @ AEIVA series is a popular offering, says Patrick Evans, D.M., professor and chair of the UAB Department of Music.
“Over the last dozen years, Chamber Music @AEIVA has been a vital cross-disciplinary collaboration between two of the seven partners in the UAB arts corridor and has developed a devoted following from both the university and greater Birmingham communities,” Evans said.
On the program are:
- “Radiant Spheres” by David Biedenbender, performed by Caleb Owenby, trombone, and Chris Steele, piano
- “Claire de lune” by Claude Debussy, performed by Yakov Kasman, piano
- “How Sweet the Moonlight Sleeps” by Robert J. Bradshaw, performed by the UAB Chamber Trio, Sarah Manasreh-Decker, clarinet, Chris Steele, piano, and James Zingara, trumpet
- “Night Song for Moths” by Lisa Neher, performed by Lisa Weinhold, piccolo
- “The Moth’s Ascent” by Matthew Scott Phillips performed by Bram Margoles, violin, and Chris Steele, piano
- and lute songs by John Dowland, performed by Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk, soprano, and Laudon Schuett, lute
Caleb Owenby, DMA, assistant professor of trombone and assistant director of Athletic Bands at UAB, is a member of the UAB Faculty Brass Quintet.
Chris Steele, DMA, is staff pianist and instructor of Aural Skills, Class Piano and Music Theory courses at UAB. An active performer, Steele is a member of the UAB Chamber Trio and collaborates with members of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Opera Birmingham.
Yakov Kasman, DMA, distinguished professor of piano and UAB artist-in-residence, made his debut in America in 1997 as Silver Medalist in the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth.
Sarah Manasreh-Decker, DMA, joined the UAB Department of Music faculty in 2025 as assistant professor of clarinet. As a chamber musician, she performs with UAB Chamber Trio, The Bearstar Trio and The Way Out.
James Zingara, DMA, is associate professor of trumpet at UAB where he teaches applied trumpet and brass methods, coaches and conducts brass ensembles, performs with the UAB Faculty Brass Quintet and UAB Chamber Trio and coordinates the annual UAB Brass Symposium.
Kristine Hurst-Wajszczuk, DMA, is professor of voice and opera at UAB. A soprano, Hurst-Wajszczuck was hailed by the Journal of Singing for the “commendable clarity in her singing as well as rich expressiveness.” A specialist in the lute songs of John Dowland, her solo CD of lute songs was released in 2008.
Lisa Wienhold is principal flutist of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. This year marks her 32nd year with the orchestra. Wienhold is an adjunct professor in the UAB Department of Music.
UAB Jemison Visiting Scholar in the Humanities Laudon Schuett is a Renaissance lutenist and early music specialist. A dedicated educator, he has created a free YouTube series to help support students learning the lute, called “The Fundamentals of Lute Playing.” Schuett released a solo album of original compositions called “Dedications: New Works for the Lute,” and a book of 30 original compositions for lute, “The Art of Lute Playing,” with Mel Bay in 2022.
Violinist Bram Margoles has been a member of the Alabama Symphony’s first violin section since 2021 and is currently a member of the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra. In addition to being passionate about orchestra, Margoles is an enthusiastic chamber musician, and an advocate for contemporary classical and improvised music.