Friends and Fun in the Appalachia

French violinist and former Santa Barbara Symphony concert master Gilles Apap was in his element in a CAMA Masterpiece series concert with Friends! at the Lobero Theatre.

Apap played a colorful selection of works with pianist Inna Faliks featuring Fauré, Krieger, Enescu, Piazzolla and Paganini, before playing Chinese and Tibetan compositions with Xiaoli Cioffi on erhu – a two stringed Chinese instrument.

Then it was the turn for Appalachian music by the Gap Tooth Ramblers, Bluegrass by the Phil Salazar Bluegrass Band and Eastern European works by the Transylvanian Mountain Boys.

A unique merging of styles by one of the world’s top violinists who I’ve had the great pleasure of seeing perform many times…