String Trio Tessa Lark, Joshua Roman, and Edgar Meyer Take Classical and Roots Collaboration to New Heights

The genre-crossing musicians perform an evening of Bach favorites and original trios by Meyer on Wednesday, July 9 at 7:30pm at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts.

BOONE, NC — Appalachian State University’s annual summer arts celebration, An Appalachian Summer, presents violinist Tessa Lark, cellist Joshua Roman, and double bassist Edgar Meyer on Wednesday, July 9 at 7:30pm at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, in a program of Bach and Meyer. This exciting new cross-generational collaboration brings together three singular figures in American concert music — virtuoso instrumentalists with fierce classical chops, deep connections to roots and fiddle music, and wide-open artistic sensibilities. Tickets are $10-$40, with discounts for App State faculty/staff and local residents. To purchase, visit appsummer.org or call the box office at 828-262-4046.

Perhaps today’s best-known bass virtuoso, seven-time Grammy winner Edgar Meyer has built an extraordinary career — as a soloist with leading orchestras; a musical sparring partner with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, Zakir Hussain, Joshua Bell, Chris Thile, and Béla Fleck; and an in-demand composer and recording artist. Featuring genre-crossing, Grammy-winning Kentucky-born violinist Tessa Lark and eclectic cellist Joshua Roman, the trio takes an exhilarating romp through music by Bach, two of Meyer’s trios from the 1980s, and a brand-new work by Meyer, composed especially for this ensemble.

Joshua Roman will also participate in a free ARTtalk called “Mindful Meditation,” July 9 at 1pm at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts Lecture Hall. In this intimate, behind-the-scenes chat, the cellist will discuss how meditation has helped him adapt to and manage physical and mental challenges caused by an all-out battle with long Covid — at one time, Roman temporarily abandoned his cello, questioning himself and his music — and shaped a profound journey back to the stage. There are four ARTtalks held during App Summer. All are free and open to the public.

App Summer runs June 28-July 26 and features a diverse lineup of music, dance, theatre, film and visual arts programming. This season’s artists include Amos Lee, Ranky Tanky with Ms. Lisa Fischer, Tessa Lark, Joshua Roman and Edgar Meyer, Joan Osborne and Lisa Loeb, Heather Headley with Western Piedmont Symphony, Peabo Bryson, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, The 5 Browns, as well as more music, visual arts, and international films. Visit AppSummer.org to explore the full season and purchase tickets.

Lark, Roman and Meyer Tickets
$40 Tier 1, $30 Tier 2, $20 Tier 3, $10 children 12 and younger. Discounts: 10% off Tiers 1, 2 & 3 for App State faculty/staff and local residents of Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Watauga, and Wilkes counties. To purchase, visit appsummer.org or call the box office at 828-262-4046.

Edgar Meyer on the Lark/Roman/Meyer program:

“In 1986-1988, I wrote a series of three string trips that I premiered with Daniel Phillips and Carter Brey at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. These were the first longer pieces that I had conceived as such, and they set the tone for my next four decades. Only one was partially recorded. After meeting Tessa and Joshua a few years ago, I realized that they were perfect for helping me document this personal milestone. I have now set out to write a new trio for us to “complete the thought.”

About the artists:
Violinist Tessa Lark is one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time, consistently praised by critics and audiences for her astounding range of sounds, technical agility, and musical elegance. Increasingly in demand in the classical realm, in 2020 she was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category. She is also a highly acclaimed fiddler in the tradition of her native Kentucky, delighting audiences with programming that includes Appalachian and bluegrass music and inspiring composers to write for her. 

Joshua Roman is a cello soloist and composer, hailed for his “effortlessly expressive tone… and playful zest for exploration” (New York Times), as well as his “extraordinary technical and musical gifts” and “blend of precision and almost improvisatory freedom… that goes straight to the heart” (San Francisco Chronicle). His genre-bending programs and wide-ranging collaborations have grown out of an “enthusiasm for musical evolution that is as contagious as his love for the classics” (Seattle Times).

In demand as both a performer and a composer, Edgar Meyer has formed a role in the music world unlike any other. Hailed by The New Yorker as “…the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively un-chronicled history of his instrument”, Mr. Meyer’s unparalleled technique and musicianship in combination with his gift for composition have brought him to the fore, where he is appreciated by a vast, varied audience. His uniqueness in the field was recognized by a MacArthur Award in 2002.

Tickets for An Appalachian Summer

With ticket prices ranging from $5-$65, as well as several free events and discounts for both children, students, and App State faculty/staff, App Summer offers unique opportunities for residents and visitors to create arts experiences suited to their individual artistic tastes and budgets. Purchase in person at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts Box Office (733 Rivers St), online at AppSummer.org, or by phone at 828-262-4046.

App State Faculty/Staff: 10% off Tiers 1, 2 & 3. Contact Box Office for discount code.

Local Residents (Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Watauga, and Wilkes counties): 10% off Tiers 1, 2 & 3 for select events. Enter zip code before selecting tickets online.

About An Appalachian Summer

Presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources, this annual celebration of the performing and visual arts is held every summer in venues across the university campus, and features a diverse mix of music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and film programming. An Appalachian Summer began in 1984 as a chamber music series and retains strong roots in classical music, combined with a variety of other programming geared to varied artistic tastes, preferences, and price points. The series has become one of the region’s leading arts events, attracting more than 27,000 visitors to the High Country each summer. App Summer has been named one of the “Top Twenty Events in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society.

For more information, call the Schaefer Center Box Office at 828-262-4046, visit in person at 733 Rivers Street, or explore AppSummer.org.

Corporate Sponsors

Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer, App State Campus Store, Broyhill Family Foundation, Appalachian Home Care LLC, Art Cellar Gallery, Explore Boone, Goodnight Brothers, Highstreet Insurance Partners, Mast General Store, SkyBest Communications, Creekside Electronics, Grandview Events & Catering, Peabody’s Wine & Beer Merchants, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Rosemyr Corporation, Courtyard by Marriott, Graystone Lodge, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Holiday Inn Express-Boone

Media Sponsors

WBTV, WCYB, PBS North Carolina, Our State Magazine, The Mountain Times, Watauga Democrat, WNC Magazine, Creative Loafing Charlotte, Yes! Weekly, Winston-Salem Journal, Greensboro News & Record, WZJS 100.7 and WATA 96.5, WHKY 1290AM and 102.3FM, WDAV 89.9FM, WFDD 88.5FM, WASU 90.5FM, and WKSK The Farm

Restaurant Sponsors

Coyote Kitchen, The Local, Lost Province, Pepper’s, and Timberlake’s Restaurant

2025 SCHEDULE

Amos Lee
Saturday, June 28 at 7:30pm

Rosen-Schaffel Competition & Winner’s Recital
Sunday, June 29 at 10am & 3pm

Touch (film)
Tuesday, July 1 at 7:30pm

Summer Exhibition Celebration
Thursday, July 3 at 5pm

Celebrating Our Country and Community Through Music
Thursday, July 3 at 7:30pm

Ranky Tanky with Ms. Lisa Fischer
Sunday, July 6 at 7:30pm

Arzé (film)
Tuesday, July 8 at 7:30pm

Tessa Lark (violin), Joshua Roman (cello), and Edgar Meyer (double bass)
Wednesday, July 9 at 7:30pm

Joan Osborne & Lisa Loeb
Friday, July 11 at 7:30pm

Rosen Sculpture Walk
Saturday, July 12 at 10am

Heather Headley with Western Piedmont Symphony
Sunday, July 13 at 7:30pm

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (film)
Tuesday, July 15 at 7:30pm

Peabo Bryson
Wednesday, July 16 at 7:30pm

Alonzo King LINES Ballet: “Deep River”
Saturday, July 19 at 7:30pm

The Last Journey
Tuesday, July 22 at 7:30pm

The 5 Browns
Wednesday, July 23 at 7:30pm

Pink Martini featuring China Forbes
Saturday, July 26 at 7:30pm

ARTTALK

July 3, 9, 18 & 23