The annual Summer Concert Series kicked off on Wednesday, June 27, at 7:00 p.m., with Rudolf Senn playing double bass and George Lopez on piano and harpsichord. The concert will be held in Rockefeller Hall on the main floor of the Class of 1945 Library and is free and open to the public.

The performance, “The Viol in Conversation,” featured Dutch bassist Rudolf Senn and pianist George Lopez. Offerings included Sonata in G Major, BWV 1028, by Johann Sebastian Bach; Sonata, D. 821 (“Arpeggione”), in A minor, by Franz Schubert; Concerto No. 2 in D Major for double bass and piano (Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf); and Kicho for double bass and piano (Astor Piazzolla).

Rudolf Senn began playing the double bass at 16. After concluding his conservatory training with Anthony Woodrow with a solo diploma cum laude, Senn broadened his musical scope with renowned double bass virtuoso Franco Petracchi in Italy and cellist Wolfgang Mehlhorn in Germany. He played with the traveling string academy of Camerata Lysy for eight years and was named a prizewinner at the Isle of Man double bass competition. Senn developed a fascination for old music and continued his studies with Nikolaus Harnoncourt. He has played with several baroque specialists—Anner Bijlsma, Sigiswald Kuijken and Bob van Asperen, to name a few.

During his conservatory years, Senn formed Grand Duo, a double bass duo that embarked on a successful international career, making annual tours of the United States and appearing at festivals throughout Europe. Currently, he holds a solo double bass position with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. Senn devotes his spare time to a solo repertory which ranges from Frescobaldi to Berio. He is also a regular teacher at double bass meetings and started his own summer course this year. Dutch master Bolink constructs Senn’s double bass instrument, with a bow by Daniel Toye and gut strings with silver winding.

PEA music instructor George Lopez is a featured global piano recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and is considered one of the best chamber musicians of his generation. A laureate of several international competitions, he began playing the piano at 11. He received critical acclaim for his interpretation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and is now preparing the complete cycle of Beethoven Piano Concertos for his upcoming concert seasons. He has toured in Paris, London, Cologne, New York’s Carnegie Hall and Los Angeles with the Holland Music Sessions. Most recently, he performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to a capacity crowd with the NH Music Festival Orchestra.

Learn more about the 2007 Summer Concert Series.