Craven Community College (Craven CC) will host a chamber music concert Thursday, May 26 at 7:00 p.m. in Orringer Auditorium on the New Bern campus. Music will be performed by Craven CC staff accompanist and pianist Shauna Bierly, along with vocalist Megan Massey, pianist Jared Alan Yoakem, viola player Matthew Tucci, and cellist Kimberly Zimmerman.
The concert will feature famous works from composers such as Dvořák, Schumann, Debussy, Glinka, Brahms and Bridge. The concert is free and open to the public and will include a short intermission.
For additional information on the event, visit the Craven CC website.
About the Musicians
Shauna Bierly
Bierly is a classical pianist rooted in North Carolina and began playing the piano at age seven. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from Duke University, as well as a master’s degree and professional artist certificate in piano performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She is trained in Russian piano pedagogy and learned Russian technique and artistry from Dr. Dmitri Shteinberg. In her role at Craven CC, Bierly accompanies vocalists in class voice and private voice. She also wears the hats of solo performer, piano teacher, church music director, composer and vocalist. Passionate about higher education, she has taught piano at the university level, and recently gained recognition from the College Board as an AP Music Theory instructor. She will pursue her doctorate in piano performance and pedagogy at Arizona State University on scholarship and teaching awards.
Megan Latham Massey
Megan Latham Massey is from Nashville, TN, where she graduated from Belmont University with Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy degrees. She has performed with the Nashville Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, and the Pacific Lyric Opera Company. Some of her recent roles include Justice Charlier from “Rock of Ages” and Julia Sullivan from “Wedding Singer.” Massey is a voice instructor at Craven and Lenoir Community Colleges. She also runs her own voice and piano studio in New Bern.
Jared Alan Yoakem
Jared Alan Yoakem is a pianist from Grand Rapids, MI. He most recently relocated from Nashville, TN, where he was staff pianist/répétiteur at Belmont University and Montgomery Bell Academy for Boys. He holds a BM from Belmont University under the instruction of Elena Bennett (Moscow Conservatory). Jared now resides in Greenville, NC and is studying an MM at East Carolina University under Kwan Yi (Julliard, Curtis, Peabody) while maintaining an active teaching and performance schedule. In 2019, Yoakem was awarded with the DAC Award for outstanding achievement in music from Belmont University. First beginning to study classical music as a vocalist, he was a semi-finalist in the National Orpheus Vocal competition in 2018 and 2019 and a winner of the 1st annual Keith B. Moore Inaugural Classical Singers Recital at Belmont University. He has performed as a collaborative pianist for the National Orpheus Competition, ACDA, NATS and numerous choral projects at Belmont University that include two national PBS broadcasts.
Matthew Tucci
Originally from South Elgin, Illinois, Matthew Tucci is a classical and contemporary violist and composer. He writes for orchestra and chamber ensembles. He most recently completed “Connections and Meaning” for orchestra and “Cavernous Discoveries” for glockenspiel, vibraphone and string quartet. Tucci holds a bachelor’s degree in music composition and theory from Northern Illinois University, where he studied under the tutelage of Anthony Deveoye of the Avalon String Quartet. Matthew currently serves as an air traffic controller with the Marines.
Kimberly Zimmerman
Kimberly Zimmerman began playing cello as a member of her school’s beginning string orchestra. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree from Salem College and a Master of Music degree from Appalachian State University in Cello Performance. She has returned to the classroom and taught orchestra at Swansboro Middle School for 11 years, where she is also the advisor for an honors string quartet and the school’s chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Her students have received superior ratings at adjudication, as well as placement and leadership opportunities in county and regional level orchestras. She is a member of the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra and performs as often as possible with other groups and individuals. She loves taking field trips (and driving the bus!), baking cookies, and traveling.
By Craig Ramey, Director of Communications