Candlelight Concert
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 8:00pm
Ascension Memorial Church, 31 County Street, Ipswich, MA
Ari Evan, cellist, will perform works by César Franck and Ernst Bloch, accompanied by Dr. Frank Corbin
Program
~ Choral in A minor for organ by César Franck
~ Suite No. 1 for solo cello by Ernst Bloch
~ Sonata in A major by César Franck
Originally written for violin, the Sonata will be heard in a version for cello and piano arranged by the composer. This profoundly moving work is considered one of the great masterpieces of the 19th century.
In fact, it is thought to be one of the models for the Sonata by the fictional composer Vintuel from Marcel Proust's À la Recherche du Temps Perdu. The deep, rich sonority of the cello lends itself beautifully to the wide range of emotions evoked by the haunting thematic material of the piece.
The program will also feature the Chorale in A minor for organ by Franck and Ari Evan will perform the Suite No.1 for solo cello by Ernst Bloch.
Ari Evan
Praised for his “evocative, impassioned” playing and “remarkable security,” (New York Concert Review, Shostakovich Concerto No. 1) cellist Ari Evan maintains an active performing career throughout North America and Europe. From 2020-2023 he lived in Belgium, where he completed his Artist Diploma at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapelle under the tutelage of Gary Hoffman. Solo highlights from this time include a performance of Schumann’s Cello Concerto with the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra, Haydn D with Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Vienna Concert Orchestra, and a solo recital at Flagey.
A versatile chamber musician, Ari has performed with Itzhak Perlman, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Corina Belcea, Colin Carr, Miriam Fried, Gary Hoffman, Hsin-Yun Huang, Ani Kavafian, Robert McDonald, Carol Wincenc, and has toured internationally with the Rolston String Quartet, Aeolus Quartet and Quatuor MONA. He has world-premiered works by Augusta Reed Thomas, Aaron J Kernis, Philip Lasser, and Pieter Schuermans, and has performed with Steve Mackey and Kinan Azmeh on their own pieces. As a chamber musician, he is featured on the Alpha Classics, DUX, MSR Classics, and Sono Luminus labels.
Ari has served as guest principal with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Princeton Symphony. He has also worked with many of New York’s premiere ensembles, touring with Orpheus and the East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO), and performing with Music from Copland House, NOVUS, Metropolis Ensemble, New York Classical Players, Frisson, and Exponential Ensemble. Additionally, he serves as the cofounder and artistic director of the Forest Hills Chamber Music Series.
Frank Corbin
Frank Corbin has been Director of Music at Ascension Memorial Episcopal Church in Ipswich, MA since 2011. He was formerly Director of Music Ministry at Assumption College in Worcester, MA for 21 years, where he taught piano, music theory and organ, oversaw the college’s liturgical music program, and served as director of Humanarts, the college’s series of concerts, exhibitions, art history lectures, and literary readings.
Frank Corbin graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in 1980. He completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree and Performer’s Certificate at the Eastman School of Music in 1989 and holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati (M. Mus.), and Concordia University, Montréal (Diploma in Advanced Performance Studies). He has studied organ with William Porter, Bernard Lagacé, Roberta Gary, and Russell Saunders, piano with Sedmara Rutstein and Robert Shannon, and harpsichord with Arthur Haas. A native of Springfield, Tennessee, he attended the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University in Nashville during high school, where he studied organ with Peter Fyfe and piano with Enid Katahn.
Corbin has been a prize winner in national and international contests. His recording of works of César Franck, including The Three Chorals, appears on the Centaur label. He is also heard on the recording, Great Organs of Worcester, a 2-CD recording project he spearheaded featuring sixteen historic pipe organs in the city of Worcester, MA.
An active member of the Ipswich community, Dr. Corbin currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Ipswich Education Foundation as treasurer. He is also founder of the Community Through Music Youth Chorus directed by Lucas Callahan. As director of the music program at Ascension, he works to create opportunities for young performers through its Sunday Morning Musical Tributes program and to offer choral, organ, and piano concerts to Ipswich audiences each year.
