Keep it cool with the 14th annual COOL CLASSICS concert series returning to the Stillwater History Museum this summer!

Story submitted by the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar

Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. and last approximately an hour, followed by a reception. Seating is first-come first-served. The Sheerar Cultural Center auditorium seats 200. The museum galleries will remain open late until each concert begins. This is a great time to see the museum’s newest exhibits “Something Old, Something New” and “Oklahoma Movies, Music, and Memorabilia.”

The first two performances are by donation. The artist for the July 8 performance is Erin Yeaman, an award-winning classical cellist. She can be heard performing in concert and recital halls, museums, schools, libraries, cafes, pubs and more.  She is an active soloist, chamber musician, freelance orchestra musician, music outreach advocate, fundraiser and teacher.  A native of Oklahoma, Erin won several competitions as a young cellist including the Buttram, Donna Turner Smith Cello Competition, the University of Oklahoma concerto competition, Women’s Music Club, and Channing Chamber Music Competition. Accompanying her on the piano will be Cynthia Cortright.

On July 15, Allyson Eskitch, pianist, performs with fellow musicians. Eskitch, originally from Kansas, began her formal musical training at the age seven. Currently, Ms. Eskitch resides in Tulsa where she teaches piano at the University of Tulsa and at Barthelmes Conservatory. She is a founding member of Trio Aleszky. Paulo Eskitch, violinist, grew up in Garden City, Kansas, where he began his violin studies with Clara Frazier. He moved to Tulsa in 2001 to join the Tulsa Philharmonic and currently divides his time between extensive teaching and performing schedules. Krassi Figg, cellist, is an internationally award-winning cellist, and her dynamic performances have been featured on radio and television broadcast’s throughout Bulgaria, France, Italy, and the United States. Since 2009, she has played in numerous performances and is now the Assistant Principal cellist of the Tulsa Opera, a member of the Tulsa Symphony and founding member of Tulsa Camerata.

Paulo and Allyson will start the program with the Violin Sonata no. 1, Op. 78 by Brahms, and then the quartet will play Schumann’s piano quartet in E-flat Major, op. 47.

The performance on July 22 requires tickets at $10 which may be purchased online at the museum’s website, in person at the museum, or by phone. Two musicians join forces on this date. Edgar Cruz has been an independent classical and fingerstyle guitarist since around 1990. His career began when he followed in his father, Manuel Cruz’ footsteps playing for restaurant customers as a strolling guitarist. Edgar now performs at over 200 concerts a year in the North America, Europe, and South America. A fearless experimenter, Michael Kelsey is an acoustic guitarist who weaves a multitude of unusual sounds and rhythms into his patchwork quilt of work. Part performance artist and part virtuoso musician. Kelsey takes the widest possible variety of music and makes it his own.

Sheerar Cultural Center Auditorium  *   702 South Duncan   *   sheerarmuseum.org   *   405-377-0359