On Aug. 15, the Francestown Old Meeting House will once again host cellist Jacob MacKay for the 14th event of the “Sunday at 4” series. Jacob will play old favorites and some new discoveries including works by living composers James Lee III, Chen Yi, and Philip Glass, along with a largely unknown piece by Turkish composer Saygun. He will also play Song of the Birds and selections from the first three J.S. Bach Cello Suites.
Jacob is a Francestown native. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandeis University in 2016 with degrees in Environmental Studies and Cello Performance. He received a Master’s degree in 2019 from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, having studied with Norman Fischer. He is the Resident Cellist and Education Director at the Newport String Project, and serves on the faculty of Salve Regina University, St. George’s School, and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music.
Jacob believes in music as a vehicle for social change. He is involved with diverse teaching and performance projects that bring classical music to new audiences, highlight cultural challenges in our society, and spotlight underrepresented communities. In 2018, he collaborated with the Silk Road Ensemble, presenting Kayhan Kalhor’s Silent City at the inaugural event for the Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance in Houston. Jacob performed the Brahms String Sextet in B-flat major at the Kennedy Center as part of the Millennium Stage’s 2019 Conservatory Project. He has also worked closely with the Apple Hill String Quartet and performed the 2018 East Coast premiere of Mike Kelley’s Five Animal Stories for String Octet. Jacob has played at The Kennedy Center in Washington and with Yo Yo Ma.
Bring chairs or blankets and join us to enjoy classical music on the lawn at the Francestown Old Meeting House at 4 p.m.. Admission is $15, and children under 15 are free. In case of rain the concert will move inside the Old Meeting House. Pizza from the Village Store will be available after the show. Guests who aren’t fully vaccinated are requested to wear a mask.