Violinist Concetta Abbate, violist Michael Alas , and pianist Stephen

Violinist Concetta Abbate, violist Michael Alas , and pianist Stephen Olsen will perform
a program of Pagnini ‘s Caprice 13 for Solo Violin, the Bruch Violin Concerto in G
minor, and Mozart ‘s Concertante in Eb for violin and viola.
Concetta Abbate is a violinist, violist, vocalist and composer in New York City. After a childhood
dedicated to classical training, Concetta became interested in folk music while studying anthropology
at Smith College. Described as a "badass violinist" by Garret Bryant (HINGED), she has performed
in diverse venues such as The East Indian Music Academy, the Rubin Art Museum, The Eastman
School of Music, The Tilles Center, Cornelia Street Cafe, Columbia University, the Jazz Gallery and
The Stone. She was recently a visiting composer in residence at TAKT gallery in Berlin. She is
currently pursuing graduate studies in Music and Music education at Columbia University.
A native of the Philippines, Michael Alas has degrees in romance languages/pre-medical studies
from Wagner College and viola performance from the Purchase College Conservatory of Music,
where he studied with Ira Weller. Performances all over the world from Alaska to New Zealand, from
Carnegie Hall to breaking cultural ground and touring all over Asia with the Manhattan Symphonie.
Equally at home in the Emergency Room and on the concert stage, Michael is currently pursuing
medical studies at Columbia University, and is a Research Associate at New York PresbyterianWeill Cornell.
Pianist Stephen Olsen commands a wide range of repertoire, with an emphasis on contemporary
music. Active as a soloist, chamber musician and a teacher—including on the faculty of the
Greenwich House Music School—Olsen has collaborated with many new music ensembles, including
the Fromm Players at Harvard, the Callithumpian Consort and the Ludovico Ensemble. Solo
engagements have included world premieres of works written for him by Michael Finnissy, as well as
performances at the Gardiner Museum in Boston and the New England Festival of Electronic Music.
Olsen graduated with a Master’s degree and Graduate Diploma from the New England Conservatory,
where he studied with Stephen Drury. Currently, he is studying with German Diez in New York while
pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Stony Brook University.