NEW VENUE: Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
511 Groveland Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Tickets are $15 for non-members & $10 per ticket for groups of 8+. Students are now free.
Going to miss a concert? Purchase a Youtube replay for $8 or get access to the full Thursday Musical library of concerts by becoming a member. Get a preview of our replays by watching last year’s opening concert: https://youtu.be/vaJXJ5vqfgg
Or become a member.
Featuring Thursday Musical Members Stephanie Thorpe, soprano; Suzanne Greer, piano; and Nickolai Kolarov, cello.
Please note that Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church closely monitors its main entrance. The door is locked and visitors are buzzed in. ICE or US Border Patrol officers will not be allowed in the church unless they present a warrant signed by a judge. However, please be aware that immigration officers can access the church parking lot.
Audience Health and Safety Requirements:
Masks will not be required but are welcomed and encouraged at Thursday Musical concerts.
Cellist Nickolai Kolarov graduated from the Bulgarian State Academy of Music and received his Master’s degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City where he studied with Nina Gordon. Kolarov earned his Doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota where he studied with Tanya Remenikova. He also studied with Igor Gavrish from the Moscow Conservatory of Music.
Since his arrival in the United States, he has performed with distinguished musicians in both classical and contemporary repertoire throughout the country. Kolarov is a prizewinner from the Bulgarian National Competition at Provadia. He has received numerous grants from the Minnesota Metropolitan Regional Arts Council and American Composers Forum, as well the Fine Arts and Humanities Grant from St. Thomas University where he taught cello until 2006. Kolarov performed on the conference of the National Association of Composers (NACUSA) in San Marcos, Texas in 2008. He also performed at the 2010 Composer Conference of the Aspen Institute. In 2011 he was invited for a performance-lecture at the Juilliard School.
Kolarov is the founder of the Balkanicus Balkan new chamber music concert series in 2003 inthe Twin Cities, MN and the Artistic Director of Balkanicus Ensemble. The series has featured music written especially for him and for the ensemble. The ensemble was featured on musical festivals here in the United States and in Europe. Kolarov is the President of the Balkanicus Institute for Balkan Art, Culture and History, a not-for-profit organization that promotes the culture of the Balkans.
.Herbert Johnson is professor of Piano and Director of Keyboard Activities at Bethel University. He received a Doctor of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music and a Master of Music from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. Herb performs in chamber and solo recitals at colleges and churches throughout the Twin Cities. He is a member of the Minnesota Music Teachers Association and the Music Teacher's National Association. He gives repertoire clinics for the Minneapolis Teachers Forum, Saint Paul Music Teachers Association, and the Saint Cloud Music Teachers Association. Herb also adjudicates for state competitions and festivals. He has taught masterclasses for the Rochester Area Keyboard Club and the Wirth Center for the Performing Arts.
Suzanne Greer holds a Bachelor of Music from St. Olaf College and a Master of Music from the University of Minnesota, along with a Certificate in Piano Pedagogy from the University of St. Thomas. She is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music and teaches both Suzuki and Traditional piano students at the MacPhail Center for Music. An award-winning educator, Suzanne has received the 2017 Steinway & Sons Top Music Teacher Award and the 2022 Royal Conservatory Teacher of Distinction honor. Her students are consistent winners in local and state competitions. Suzanne is active in many professional organizations, including past presidencies of the Minnesota Music Teachers Association and the Suzuki Piano Teachers Guild. In addition, she served on the Thursday Musical Board as chair of the Young Artist Scholarship Competition and the Community Concert Series.
Stephanie R. Thorpe, soprano, is active in opera, musical theatre, contemporary music, and in recital. She is a frequent performer with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra, Morgan Creek Vineyards, as well as Thursday Musical, a performing arts organization. Steve Staruch, MPR radio host and moderator for Thursday Musical, described her performances as “beautiful singing” with “diction so clear he could have taken dictation” and a voice “velvety purple in color and so sexy from top to bottom.”
Stephanie was a winner of the Nevada District National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards, a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and performed full-time in Las Vegas for several years. Currently, she is a Professor of Music – Voice at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she also serves as co-chair of the Department of Performing Arts. Stephanie received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She also holds degrees from the University of Iowa and Briar Cliff University, a Vocology Certificate through the National Center for Voice and Speech and is certified in Contemporary Commercial Vocal Pedagogy.
Kyle Johnson is a native of Moorhead, Minnesota. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music and Math and Master of Music in Piano Performance at Minnesota State University, Mankato. During his time at MSU, Mankato, Kyle studied piano under Dr. David Viscoli. He currently teaches private piano lessons through the Southern Minnesota School of Music and is a collaborative accompanist for Minnesota State University, Mankato
Program is subject to change:
