Trio RPM To Performed Chamber Recital
Sponsored by Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival

Trio RPM, a chamber ensemble under the leadership of Christopher Rex, artistic director of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, previewed the Festival’s 2008 season at a recital on March 13 at the Palace Saloon in downtown Fernandina Beach.

Tickets for the recital, scheduled for 7:30 pm, are $50 and can be purchased by calling 904-261-1779 or at the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival office, 11 South 7th Street, Fernandina Beach.

Trio RPM, which performed works by Beethoven, Schumann and Mendelssohn, consists of Mr. Rex, cello; Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin; and Elizabeth Pridgen, piano. Internationally acclaimed cellist Andres Diaz has said: “Performances by Trio RPM have all the power and exhilaration of a ride in a classic high performance sports car. What a ride!”

Mr. Rex commented: “Trio RPM trio is a new and exciting piano trio that debuted in 2007 at the Madison (Georgia) Chamber Music Festival. I have performed with Amy Moretti and Elizabeth Pridgen on various occasions in the past, and the chemistry between us made me think that we could form a dynamic trio. I believe chamber music fans will truly enjoy our March 13 program, which encompasses works by three giants of the classical music world. As part of the program, I also will discuss and preview the 2008 season of the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival.”

The program of Trio RPM will included:

• Beethoven: Piano trio in E Flat Major, Op. 1 No. 1
• Schumann: 4 Canonic Etudes for Piano Trio, Op. 56
• Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 66

In addition to serving as artistic director of the Festival, Mr. Rex has been principal cellist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 1979, the same year he became the first cellist to win the string prize in the biennial Young Artists Competition of the National Federation of Music Clubs. He has appeared as a recitalist and chamber musician across the nation.

Violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti, former concertmaster of the Portland Symphony, is currently director of the McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Macon, GA. The third generation of professional musicians in her family, she has made her Carnegie Hall concerto debut and performed across the United States as a soloist and chamber musician.
Pianist Elizabeth Pridgen’s recent engagements include concerts at Alice Tully Hall and recitals in Atlanta, Long Island, and Curacao. She also has performed with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. Mr. Rex selected her as the Resident Young Artist Pianist for the 2001 and 2002 Festivals and is now the Festival’s Resident Pianist and Accompanist.

The 2008 Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival will run from May 30 through June 15. Tickets will go on sale in April and can be purchased by calling 904/261-1779 or at the Festival office.

The Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Entering its seventh season, the nationally renowned Festival is dedicated to bringing classical music at the highest level to the general public, schools and senior centers of Amelia Island and surrounding communities of northeastern Florida.