FPAC - “My Violin Journey” Sunday, February 22

Franklin Performing Arts Company’s annual, free Family Concert Series continues this season with “My Violin Journey” on Sunday, February 22 at 1 p.m., featuring violinist Irina Fainkichen, with piano accompaniment by Kitty Cheung Evans. The performance will take place at THE BLACK BOX, FPAC’s new theater, music and event venue located at 15 West Central Street in downtown Franklin. 

violinist Irina Fainkichen

Family Concert Series events are especially geared to children in length and format and provide young audiences with a fun introduction to the world of live music. The performances feature talented, professional musicians and present music of many genres in an entertaining and interactive way. Audience participation is encouraged.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Irina Fainkichen received degrees from Rachmaninoff Music College, St. Petersburg State Conservatory, Russia, and Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem, Israel. She is a busy freelance violinist in the Greater Boston area. Irina was concertmaster of San Francisco’s Russian Chamber Orchestra for many years, appearing as soloist numerous times. Currently, she is a member of Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, assistant concertmaster of Brockton Symphony Orchestra, and a co-founder of “Flying Hearts” duo, which performs in a number of musical genres including Jazz, Klezmer, and classic American tunes.

For the FPAC Family Concert Series program, Irina has chosen songs that have significance from her early childhood. These include works by Mozart and Beethoven, pieces that Irina first played at the age of 5 and that she now likes to teach to her own violin students. Additionally, Irina will perform two pieces, Weber’s “Hunter’s Chorus” and Baklanova’s “Mazurka,” that she played at her first public performance at age 6, and F. Schubert’s “The Bee,” which she performed at age 10 for her first national TV appearance. The program will also include “At the Zoo,” by Cofalik and Twardowski, among the many engaging and accessible pieces of repertoire by noted composers.

A treasured FPAC tradition for more than two decades, FPAC’s Family Concert Series concludes on April 12 with Alice in Wonderland, an opera for children featuring sopranos Mariko Matsumura and Shauna Martin. FPAC’s 2015 Family Concert Series is sponsored by Berry Insurance. A distinctive, non-profit arts organization founded in 1991, FPAC presents quality performances with a focus on youth development and live music, while offering opportunities for professional artists, community performers and students of the arts to work together in a collaborative and creative environment. For more information, call (508) 528-3370 or visit www.fpaconline.com and www.theblackboxonline.com.