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String Theory at the Hunter, in partnership with Lee University and the Hunter Museum of American Art, will continue Season 14 with Jennifer Frautschi, violin, and Zlatomir Fung, cello, in concert on Tuesday, March 7, at 6:30 p.m. The visiting artists will be joined by Gloria Chien, String Theory founder and artistic director, on piano.

“Frautschi brings a record of excellence, including two GRAMMY-nominated recordings and shares with Fung the distinction of Avery Fisher Career Grant Recipient,” says Chien. “Fung is the youngest musician ever to win the Tchaikovsky Competition on cello and the first American to win the competition in four decades.”

The String Theory performance will feature Shaporin’s Five Pieces for Cello and Piano, selections from Gliere’s Eight Pieces for Violin and Cello, Boulanger’s D’un matin de printemps, and Schumann’s Piano Trio No. 2.

Frautschi has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Saint Paul Chamber. As a chamber musician, she has performed with the Boston Chamber Music Society and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and appeared at events such as Chamber Music Northwest, La Jolla Summerfest, and Music@Menlo. Her discography includes several discs for Naxos, including the Stravinsky Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London. Frautschi currently serves as an artist-in-residence in the graduate program at Stony Brook University.

Fung, making his Chattanooga debut, performs with orchestras and gives recitals around the world. Orchestral engagements include the BBC and Rochester Philharmonics, Milwaukee, Reading, Lincoln, Ridgefield and Sante Fe Symphonies, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Sarasota Orchestra, and APEX Ensemble. He also plays recitals throughout North America with pianists Benjamin Hochman, Dina Vainshtein, and Janice Carissa. As a soloist, Fung has appeared with the Detroit, Kansas City, Seattle, Utah, Greensboro, Ann Arbor, and Asheville symphonies. Past recital highlights include his Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall debut and tours throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. He is also a recent winner of a fellowship from the Borletti-Buitoni Trust.

Chien is the co-artistic director of Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon, as well as the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont, along with her husband, Soovin Kim. For the last decade, she was the director of the Chamber Music Institute at Music@Menlo. She frequently appears with the Chamber Music Society (CMS) of Lincoln Center and is a Steinway Artist. Chien has had a 20-year relationship with Lee University, where she is currently an artist-in-residence.

Prior to the concert, Art Connections will take place at 5:30, giving attendees the opportunity to engage with the intersection of art and music in the Hunter galleries. Former Hunter Chief Curator Ellen Simak and Maestro Robert Bernhardt will compare works from the Hunter collection to the music featured in the concert.

Tickets are on sale now through March 7 and are $45 for general admission, $35 for Hunter members, and $10 for students and music teachers. 

String Theory was founded in 2009 by Chien to expose new audiences to chamber music, invigorate the local classical music scene, and cultivate a future generation of music lovers. 

To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit stringtheorymusic.org or call (423) 414-2525.