As the audience filed into the Dow Arena Theater, bass and piano music filled the room with harmonic sounds. Showcasing classical music, double bass player Thomas Harte and pianist Timothy Durkovic captured the audience as the Thursday noon concert series continued.
The Concert
The concert began with performances from selections such as Sonata: Allegatto, Schezo-allegro assai and Molto adagio-lied and Allegretto Grazioso from composer Paul Hindemith. Harte and Durkovic concluded the free show by performing Sonata: Allegretto be moderatro, Allegro, Recitativo Fantasia and Allegretto poco mosso by composer Cesar Franck. Both musicians have played together before and traveled to Guatemala City and performed in a string quintet together. “It feels amazing, and it [the concert] is a lifetime highlight,” said Harte. Professor Jim Bergman, who conducted the concert, said that both musicians were fantastic. “I loved it [the concert], he [Harte] and the pianist [Durkovic],” said Patti Thompson, sociology major.
Thomas Harte
Harte received his first double bass during his senior year of high school. “I have been playing for almost 20 years,” said Harte. “Although I’m 32 years old, I feel like a 16-year-old.” From Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Harte attended Southeast Missouri State University where he earned his bachelors and received his masters from Juilliard, where he studied under bass player Homer Mensch. Harte was later chosen to go on a tour in Japan and Korea and has also recorded “Concerto From My Childhood” with famed Violinist Itzhak Perlman. He later moved to Los Angeles where he attended USC’s Thornton School of Music. Now, he has worked with known pop artists such as Taylor Swift and Andrea Bocelli.
Timothy Durkovic
Durkovic is from Guatemala and received his musical education from the National Conservatory of Music in Guatemala. Similar to Harte, Durkovic also attended Juilliard and USC’s Thornton School of Music, and has won national and international competitions. Durkovic has chamber music collaborations throughout countries including The United States, Canada, and continents like Europe and Asia.
Double Bass player Thomas Harte and Pianist Timothy Durkovic perform pieces from Paul Hindemith, Zoltan Kodaly and Cesar Franck. (Cesar Monge 2011)
