Cellist Bonnie Ott will be the featured program/performer at the January 18 meeting of the Chipola Regional Arts Association (CRAA) at 12 noon at JIM’S BUFFET & GRILL, Marianna accompanied by pianist Frances Stone performing a variety of literature both secular and sacred including Bach and Vivaldi. Dutch-treat luncheon begins at 11:30 followed by the program at 12:10 noon.
Mrs. Ott began studying cello at the age of 9 with Henrik Schwarzenberger, a Hungarian immigrant, attended Brevard Music Camp in North Carolina as a teenager, and continued her studies at Wesleyan College in Macon , GA. Marrying at the age of 19 to her husband Bob who was in the military Ott says cello took a back seat to military life and being a mom. Throughout various military tours she played in the Charlottesville, VA and Belton, TX community orchestras and in Ansbach, Germany. For the past 11 years she and a Celtic harp player have played together for various weddings, civic groups, churches, and nursing homes.
Ott and her husband Bob have lived in Marianna for the past year, where Bob serves as rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
Piano accompanist Frances Stone received her Bachelor and master’s degrees in music education from Florida State University, was a member of music education honor society, Pi Kappa Lambda and as a graduate student was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, a university wide honor society. Stone taught public school music in Jackson County for 35 years, served as rehearsal accompanist for Chipola College musicals, taught piano privately, has served as a church musician since 1960, and presently serves as organist and choir director at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Marianna.
All meetings of the Chipola Regional Arts Association are open to the public and everyone is invited and encouraged to attend this special musical performance. The Chipola Regional Arts Association under the auspices of the Chipola College Foundation is now in its 32nd year of helping to promote and strengthen the arts throughout the Chipola College 5-county district.
Major projects include offering mini grants to teachers in the arts, scholarships in the arts to Chipola College, supporting the college’s Artist Series, Show Choir and Theatre programs, and offering children’s programming in the arts which brings artists either into the schools or brings the children to an artist’s performance.
For more information contact CRAA president Joan Stadsklev at stadsklev@embarqmail.com