Kelly Hall-Tompkins. Courtesy kellyhall-tompkins.com
Off the Hook Arts is proud to present SummerFest 2022, a unique and rich series of concerts and lectures probing the creative imagination in music and science. The festival will take place from June 17th-June 30th and showcase accomplished musicians and expert guest speakers. Concert 6 on June 30th features renowned New York City-based violinist and philanthropist Kelly Hall-Tompkins.
Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Hall-Tompkins recently served as the Concertmaster for the Gateways Music Festival’s Carnegie Hall debut. This was shortly after her non-profit organization, Music Kitchen-Food for the Soul, “was finally able to realize the much-anticipated World Premier of the Forgotten Voices song cycle.” Ms. Hall-Tompkins said. The world premier took place at Zankel Hall and was a sold-out show.
“I could not be more thrilled that Carnegie Hall supported the commission and after we premiered one new song each month in shelters, beginning January 2019, the hall presented the world premiere of the complete song cycle on March 31st, 2022.”
Founded in 2005, Music Kitchen is an organization that brings top classical music artists together for concerts at homeless shelters throughout New York City.
“My immediate catalyst for founding it was a chance run through I did at my church shelter, but the roots of the idea stem from my passion for chamber music, chamber music parties over the years and the desire to share music with people who would otherwise not have access to it.” Ms. Hall-Tompkins said of the organization.
Music Kitchen recently produced a short film titled “Face to Face: Forgotten Voices Heard” where Ms. Hall-Tompkins worked as the producer and co-director.
“We’re winning distinction at film festivals worldwide, including Best Human Rights Film, Honorable Mention and Official Selections in Orlando, Abruzzo (Italy), Cannes (France) and Amsterdam (Netherlands)” she said.
Ms. Hall-Tompkins received her second honorary doctorate from the prestigious Adelphi University this year and spoke at the commencement ceremony, following U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer. She received her first honorary doctorate in 2016 from her alma mater, the Manhattan School of Music.
“I am also honored to be the first musician to receive an Honorary Degree or be Commencement Speaker at Adelphi, at the first in-person commencement there since 2019 and to be nominated by esteemed composter, colleague and friend Paul Moravec.” Ms. Hall-Tompkins said of her accomplishment.
The Library of Congress recently invited Ms. Hall-Tompkins to perform, where she collaborated with composer James Lee III.
“It was an honor to be selected as the featured violinist of the Library’s McKim Commissioning Series of new works for violin and piano and for all of that to now be part of the history of such a magnificent historically important institution,” she said.
Her most recent recording project “The Fiddler: Expanding Tradition” features, for the first time ever, a full album of newly commissioned and original Fiddler-inspired works. Ms. Hall-Tompkins was a star of the Broadway production “Fiddler on the Roof” as a violin soloist, with many solos written especially for her.
Along with her musical and philanthropic accomplishments, Ms. Hall-Tompkins is also a recently published author, with a contributing chapter in the new Routledge International Publication on Music and Human Rights. “Those 13,000 words poured out of me like they had been waiting my whole life,” she said.
Off the Hook Arts is honored to host Kelly Hall-Tompkins here in Fort Collins. She will be performing on June 30th at 7pm at Grace Church. To purchase tickets please visit https://offthehookarts.org/summerfest-2022/