Whatley Center Hosts Orchard Ensemble

Pictured (from left) are Evan Mitchell, Ute Miller, and Mark Miller.

The Orchard Ensemble featuring pianist Evan Mitchell, violinist Mark Miller, and violist Ute Miller will perform at the Whatley Center for the Performing Arts at Northeast Texas Community College on Sunday, June 13 at 2:30 pm. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for age 17 and younger. They may be ordered online at www.whatleycenter.com or by calling the box office at 903-434-8181.

The concert will showcase music for piano, violin, and viola by British-American Rebecca Clarke, Austrian mentor to countless composers Robert Fuchs, American Black composer Adolphus Hailstork, a very young Felix Mendelssohn and transcriptions by Franz Liszt of Schubert songs.

“The Orchard Ensemble is a great example of the phenomenal musical talent that is based right here in northeast Texas. All three are very accomplished performers, and it will be a treat to enjoy their ensemble in our venue,” Carolyn Franks, Director of the Whatley Center, said.

Evan Mitchell’s recent highlights include debuts on the prestigious Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts series (Chicago), at Merkin Concert Hall (NYC), and several major venues in Shanghai. He has played concerti with the orchestras of Dallas, Fort Worth, and Victoria, among others, and collaborated in recital with such prominent figures as double bassist Gary Karr and clarinetist Corrado Giuffredi.

Dr. Mitchell has made repeat appearances on the Cliburn at the Modern and Mount Vernon Music series. Other performance affiliations include Avant Chamber Ballet, Fort Worth Opera, and Texas Winds. Since June 2014, the TCA Texas Touring Roster has featured him, and over the past seven years, he has given more than 250 performances for Cliburn in the Classroom.

Besides serving as concertmaster of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, violinist Mark Miller performs with the Fort Worth Symphony and other North Texas ensembles. He is the founder and president of the Mount Vernon Music Association. He co-presents the chamber series “The Color of Sound” at Texas A&M University-Commerce, where he taught and performed as an Artist-in-Residence for eleven years. 

Ute Miller is the principal violist of the East Texas Symphony, frequently performs with the Dallas and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras, and has appeared as a soloist with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra. A founder and the Executive Director of Mount Vernon Music Association, Ute performs with her husband Mark in the violin-viola ensemble Duo Renard, which came to Texas with a National Endowment for the Arts Rural Residencies chamber music grant. 

It will be the last performance for the Whatley Center’s 2021 season. Look for information later this summer on next year’s lineup.