Belton, Texas – The Hillman Visiting Artists Series concludes its season with virtuoso cellist, Sara Sant’Ambrogio, performing alongside UMHB’s Artist-in-Residence, pianist Michelle Schumann, in Baugh Performance Hall in the Sue & Frank Mayborn Performing Arts Center on Thursday, March 1, 2018, at 7:30 p.m.  The program features the dramatic and engaging duos by Frederic Chopin (the Sonata for Cello and Piano), Maurice Ravel, and Nuevo Tangos by Astor Piazzolla. (FAE)

Although this concert is free and open to the public, due to its popularity, seating is limited and will need complimentary tickets for attendance. These free tickets are available for pick up prior to the event in the Box Office at the Sue & Frank Mayborn Performing Arts Center. For ticket information call 254-295-5999 or connect to www.umhb.edu/pac.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Grammy Award-winning cellist Sara Sant'Ambrogio first leapt to international attention when she was a winner at the Eighth International Tchaikovsky Violoncello Competition in Moscow, Russia. As a result of her medal, Carnegie Hall invited Ms. Sant'Ambrogio to perform a recital that was filmed by CBS News as part of a profile about her, which was televised nationally. The New York Times described Ms. Sant'Ambrogio's New York debut as "sheer pleasure," saying “There was an irresistible warmth in everything Miss Sant’Ambrogio did." 

Ms. Sant'Ambrogio has appeared as a soloist with such orchestras as Atlanta, the Beijing Philharmonic, Boston Pops, Budapest, Chicago, Dallas, Moscow State Philharmonic, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Osaka Century Orchestra (Japan), The Royal Philharmonic, St. Louis, San Francisco and Seattle; she has performed thousands of concerts on six continents at the world’s major music centers and festivals including Aspen, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, the Konzert Huset in Stockholm, Marlboro, Mostly Mozart, Musikverein in Vienna, Ravinia, Orchard and Suntory Halls in Tokyo and Great Mountain Festival in Korea.

Always looking to push the boundaries of classical music, Sara has performed with Sting, Trudie Styler, and Joshua Bell in the production of “Twin Spirits,” the story of the love affair between Robert and Clara Schumann. The Los Angeles Times said, “Joshua Bell and Sara Sant’Ambrogio played with lyrical restraint and lovely tone.” A track from Sara’s solo cd, "Dreaming," was featured as the opening soundtrack of the HBO award winning documentary, "A Matter of Taste" and another was featured on the soundtrack for the documentary “Jones Beach Boys.” Most recently her recordings were featured in the documentary “Kiss The Water.” Miss Sant'Ambrogio has also collaborated with the New York City Ballet in seven highly successful sold out concerts at Lincoln Center performing The Bach Cello Suites and has performed with Rufus Wainwright in the inauguration of a new concert series at the National Arts Club in New York City. 

In addition to the Tchaikovsky Medal, Ms. Sant'Ambrogio has won numerous international competitions, including The Whitaker, The Dealey, Artists International, and Palm Beach awards. Ms. Sant'Ambrogio won a Grammy Award for her performance of Bernstein's "Arias and Barcarolles" on Koch Records. Ms. Sant'Ambrogio has been profiled in Strings, Glamour, Gramophone, Vogue, Strad, Elle, In Fashion, Bon Appetit, Detour, Travel and Leisure, Fanfare and Swing magazines, as well as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, on CBS, ABC, PBS, Fox, USA and CNN networks. Ms. Sant'Ambrogio is the subject of a feature length documentary, which has had multiple airings nationwide on PBS and international networks. She currently has 4 music videos playing on Classic FM TV in the UK and Europe and dozens of other videos on online networks. 

Ms. Sant'Ambrogio is a founding member of the Eroica Trio. The Trio won the prestigious 1991 Naumburg Award, resulting in an acclaimed Lincoln Center debut and has since extensively toured the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. In 1997 the Trio opened the "Distinctive Debuts" series at Carnegie Hall, and that year represented Carnegie Hall as the official chamber music ensemble in concerts worldwide. While touring the globe, Eroica has released eight celebrated recordings for Angel EMI Classics Records, garnering multiple Grammy nominations. 

This concert is made possible through the generous support of the Helen Frances Hillman Fund for Scholarly Exchange.  The Hillman Visiting Artist Recital Series is underwritten by The Helen Frances Hillman Fund for Scholarly Exchange. The fund was established in 1999 by Dr. Jimmye S. Hillman in honor of his wife, Helen Frances Smith Hillman, Mary Hardin-Baylor Class of 1946. The fund was designed to foster scholarly exchange at UMHB, particularly in the area of fine arts, music and languages. All performances in the Hillman Visiting Artist Series are free and open to the public.  For more information please call the College of Visual and Performing Arts at 254- 295-4678.