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Voice and Viola: Robert M. Giannetti and violist Leslie Bahler Categories: Other Local Events Timelines: 1b: Past Events (Unseen Archive)

Where:
The Second Reader Bookshop
1421 Hertel Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14216
Date: March 23, 2018
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Voice and Viola

A performing duo composed of poet Robert M. Giannetti and violist Leslie Bahler. They present pairings of Giannetti’s poetry with Bahler’s solo viola renderings of classical and folk music selections. Their programs find synergies in the two modes of artistic expression, and create the effect of an engaging dramatic conversation, complete with agreements and disagreements, shifts of mood and direction, comparisons and contrasts.
The group’s performances have been well received in several diverse venues including the Youngstown Presbyterian Church, St. John’s Grace Spiritual Cafe, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, the Fridays at Westminster series, the Canterbury Woods Community, the Niagara Falls Public Library, and the Western New York Land Conservancy, which engaged Voice and Viola for a benefit performance in East Aurora. A program of selections from Giannetti’s new book, The Frontier: Poetry and Prose, was given in November, 2017, at the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo.

BIOGRAPHIES
ROBERT M. GIANNETTI, is a poet and writer, lecturer and collaborator with artists and musicians. He formerly owned an antiquarian bookshop, Bob’s Olde Books, in the Western New York village of Lewiston on the banks of the Niagara River, the border between the U.S. and Canada. He received his B.A. from Niagara University and a Ph.D. in Renaissance English literature from Duquesne University. After Army service, some time as a college teacher, a stint on a garbage truck, and then foundation work and business ventures around the country he returned to settle in Lewiston in 2006.
His recent book, The Frontier: Poetry and Prose (2017), draws its inspiration from the region in which he lives. He is also the author of two previous books of poetry, Drawn by the Creek and Winter Vision, the latter of which was translated and published in Poland in a bilingual edition named Best Book of Poetry at an international literary festival in 2011. The University at Buffalo’s Poetry Collection also published a limited edition chapbook of his poems in celebration of National Poetry Month, April, 2014. In addition to his writing, he engages in collaborative work with artists and musicians, appearing in concert with the Harmonia Chamber Singers and as part of the duo, Voice and Viola, he founded with classical violist Leslie Bahler. He has also collaborated with woodcut artist Judy Winograd and photographer James Sedwick to produce broadside renderings of his poetry, and with painter Sacha Beres on chapbook illustration. Painter Joan Turrell also created an artist’s book illustrating several of his poems from Winter Vision. Website: www.RobertMGiannetti.com.

LESLIE BAHLER, VIOLIST
LESLIE BAHLER has a BME from Temple University and a Masters in Viola Performance from West Virginia University. She has been a member of the Richmond Symphony, Wheeling Symphony, Florida Grand Opera Orchestra and the Florida Philharmonic. Since moving to Williamsville, New York in 2001, she has performed with the Slee Sinfonietta, WNY Chamber Orchestra, Ars Nova, Erie (PA) Philharmonic, Camerata di Sant’Antonio and the Buffalo Philharmonic. She taught violin and viola at Buffalo Suzuki Strings for two years, and currently teaches at Community Music School. Leslie created and was Director of the Florida Music Festival (a two week summer music camp in Fort Lauderdale, FL) for seven years. She was also Co-Director of the Vivace String Camp at Houghton College in Houghton, NY for several years. She currently performs as a violist with the Musical Delights Piano Quartet and as a violinist with the Goldman Trio. Leslie was a member of the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and currently performs with Freudig Singers.