Carroll County News: Entertainment: CICA Music Festival brings headliners Eroica Trio, St. Petersburg String Quartet to Eureka (06/13/12)

EUREKA SPRINGS -- One of the most sought-after chamber trios in the world, the Grammy-nominated Eroica Trio, will be in Eureka Springs to meet fans and music lovers at an intimate setting at the Victorian Grand Taverne in the Grand Central Hotel at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 22.

Tickets are only $20 and seating is limited.

The event is presented by the CICA Summer Music Festival, which features an amazing array of talent nightly from Monday, June 18 through Saturday, July 7, and also includes two evening performances by the Eroica Trio in The Auditorium: a Thursday, June 21 chamber concert and a Saturday, June 23 performance with the festival symphony.

Another Grammy-nominated and world renowned group, the St. Petersburg String Quartet, received standing ovations during their appearance in April and will be back at The Auditorium on Wednesday, June 20 and Friday, June 22.

There have even been rumors of a pending "cello throwdown" between the Eroica's Sara Sant'Ambrogio and St. Petersburg's Leonid Shukaev! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see and hear close-up all the excitement and surprises these two world-renowned groups will bring to four thrilling nights in the intimate Eureka Springs' Auditorium.

Opening the week on Monday and Tuesday, June 18 and 19, CICA's Extraordinary Artist Series features recitals by faculty members Dr. Carlton McCreery, cello; Dr.Shih-Pen Chang, violin; Margaret Carey, viola; Dr. John Irish, trumpet and Dr. Tony Baker -- said to be the nation's only trombone virtuoso.

The event also includes an International Concerto Competition on Monday, June 25 with finalists' performance on Friday, July 6.

European lyric soprano Dominika Zamara will be featured on Tuesday, July 3 and rising star Alexander Gilman, violinist, will solo on Saturday, July 7.

A Wednesday, July 4 extravaganza will feature everything from bluegrass artist Buddy Griffin with symphony orchestra to the Ozarks Chorale and an original ballet.

Nightly repertoires include the entire alphabet of composers from Bach to Brahms, Dvorak, Paganini and Schubert to Shostakovich.

For more information and a complete list of performances, visit www.cicamusicfestival.org.

Season passes, good for more than $500 worth of single tickets, are only $120. Single tickets will be available at the door, in advance at www.theAud.org and at the Chamber of Commerce in Eureka Springs.

Season passes are available now through Monday, June 18. For more info, email info@cicamusicfestival.org.