Holiday Concerts
Week of December 23, 2023
Sunday, December 24, 8PM
“The Night Before Christmas”
Cardenes/Mead Family and Geeta Novotny
Celebrate the magic of Christmas Eve with a family of musicians sharing the timeless Bethlehem story through the lens of music, song, and lore from around the world.
Monday, December 25, 6-7PM
Piano Jazz in Dining Hall
Tino Cardenes plays soft holiday piano jazz in the Dining Hall during dinner.
Tuesday, December 26, 8PM
“Winter Wonderland”
Cardenes/Mead Family
From Vivaldi’s virtuosic “Winter” to Tchaikovsky’s beloved “Nutcracker”, the Cardenes/Mead family presents music inspired by snowflakes, ice, and the coziness of a warm fire in good company.
The Cardenes/Mead Family Ensemble consists of Andres Cardenes and Monique Mead, violins with their children Isabel Cardenes, harp, and Tino Cardenes, piano.
Grammy-nominated Andrés Cárdenes parlays his myriad talents into a versatile career as a world-class violin soloist, concertmaster, conductor, violist, chamber musician, recording artist, and educator. Since capturing Second Prize in the 1982 Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition, Mr. Cárdenes has appeared as a soloist with over 100 orchestras on five continents. For 25 years, he served as concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons, and Manfred Honeck. His conducting career has taken him throughout the United States and Latin America while maintaining an influential teaching studio for over 44 years, with current positions as Distinguished Professor of Violin at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Distinguished Professor at Lynn University in Florida. A prolific recording artist, Cárdenes has recorded over three dozen recordings on the Ocean, Naxos, Sony, Delos, Artek, and Melodya labels. Cárdenes is the co-founder and Music Director of the Josef Gingold Chamber Music Festival of Miami, a program geared toward educating musicians in the teachings, legacy, and humanity of his legendary teacher. since 1989. More at andrescardenes.com.
Monique Mead’s rich and varied career is a testament to her enduring belief that music has the power to connect, heal, and uplift humanity. Whether performing violin on stage, in nature, or in the community, Monique strives to create transformative musical experiences that connect people more deeply with themselves and others. Mentored by Leonard Bernstein at a young age, Monique chose a path that would open the world of classical music to new audiences of all ages. Since 1998 her youth and family programs with major orchestras and festivals in the United States and Europe have drawn international acclaim for their popular appeal and innovative approach. Her recordings with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Berlin Radio Orchestra, and West German Radio Orchestra have reached millions via radio and television broadcasts. In addition to performing as a soloist and chamber musician, Monique currently serves as Director of Music Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University, where she helps rising musicians find new pathways for music in the 21st century. More at moniquemead.com
Trained as a classical and jazz pianist, Tino Cardenes is currently in his first year of studying Music & Technology at Carnegie Mellon University. Whether on stage or behind a camera, he strives to make the musical experience equitable and accessible to all. With the project Music for Good, he provides music education to children who would otherwise not have the opportunity to learn an instrument, and hopes that this project will continue to foster their love of music for years to come. In 2020, he launched a porch concert series with his family to build community during the pandemic, support local musicians, and contribute to city music programs. Tino performed with violinist Monique Mead for Beethoven in the Face of Adversity – a project which brought concerts to people facing adversity who could otherwise not experience live music. This project spanned 50 performances and 3 countries over the course of 250 days, culminating in a performance at Carnegie Music Hall. Tino made his concerto debut in Germany at age 7, won first place in the Cleveland Institute of Music Piano Four Hands competition, attended Interlochen Arts Camp, and holds the Louis Armstrong Jazz award. More at tinocardenes.com
Harpist, Isabel Cardenes is known for her sensitive musicianship and unique self-expression. She is passionate about using music for healing and social change, and frequently performs as a citizen artist in non-traditional settings. Having played her piano debut at age nine with the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen in Germany, Isabel began her journey with the harp at age eleven as a student of Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Harpist Gretchen Van Hoesen. She is currently an undergraduate student at Manhattan School of Music studying with Metropolitan Opera Harpist Mariko Anraku on a Presidential Scholarship. In 2019, Isabel won First Prize in Pittsburgh’s Lois Streator/Smith Competition as well as Third Prize at the American Harp Society National Competition in North Carolina. In her first year at Manhattan School of Music she performed as a substitute harpist for the Harrisburg Symphony and New Jersey Festival Orchestra. In the summer of 2022 Isabel played her debut with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra in Carnegie Hall. More at isabelcardenes.com