The Lenfest Center for the Arts
Senior Recital Ava GianGrasso, violin
Senior Recital Ava GianGrasso, violin
Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 1 pm
Wilson Concert Hall/Wilson Hall/Lenfest Center
No tickets are required.
Ava GianGrasso '26 will perform her senior violin recital on Sunday, March 29th at 1 p.m. in Wilson Concert Hall in the Lenfest Center for the Arts. She is a music and neuroscience double major from Clarence, New York. She is pursuing a BA in music with performance emphasis.
The performance is free and open to the public and will be streamed online at https://go.wlu.edu/livestream. The doors to Wilson Concert Hall will open 30 minutes prior to the event.
GianGrasso will perform works by Beethoven, Bach, Mendelssohn, Kreisler and Bruch, spanning four musical eras. Her recital features pieces for solo violin, violin and piano and string quartet.
Her recital begins with Beethoven's "Sonata No. 5 for Violin and Piano," commonly known as the "Spring" Sonata, in collaboration with pianist Dr. Anna Billias. Following this, GianGrasso will perform the "Presto" from J.S. Bach's "Sonata No. 1 in G minor for Solo Violin." This movement is exciting and technically complex, driven by continuous sixteenth-note motion and rapid string crossings, and is performed without accompaniment.
In addition, GianGrasso will perform the first movement of Mendelssohn's "String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Adagio - Allegro vivace," with violinist Daniel Volodarsky, violist William Bray and cellist Ben Fliegelman. In this quartet, Mendelssohn pays homage to Beethoven through both emotional depth and compositional techniques associated with Beethoven's late quartets. She established this string quartet during her freshman year at Washington and Lee and is excited to highlight chamber music on her recital program.
Penultimately, "Liebesleid" by Fritz Kreisler will be performed with fellow senior, Camille Ramos, on piano. This bittersweet waltz evokes the spirit of Vienna at the end of the nineteenth century, and "Liebesleid" is a favorite of violinists and audiences alike. GianGrasso and Ramos have been close friends throughout their musical studies at W&L and are excited to showcase their work together.
The recital will conclude with the first movement of Max Bruch's "Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor." This concerto is often included among the "Big Four" German Romantic violin concertos, alongside those by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Brahms. This movement is one of GianGrasso's favorite pieces, characterized by its vast range of emotion and technical demands.
GianGrasso has been very involved during her time at Washington and Lee, most notably in the music department. She serves as concertmaster of the University Orchestra and plays lead tenor saxophone in the University Jazz Ensemble. Additionally, she conducts the orchestra and band as part of her participation in the Instrumental Conducting Mentorship Program.
Alongside her passion for music, GianGrasso has pursued a BS in neuroscience. Combining neuroscience and music, she has played violin in memory care facilities for over eight years, using music to connect with individuals living with dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions. These experiences have fueled her interest in understanding the brain and have driven her commitment to improving quality of life for those affected by neurological disorders.
Following graduation, GianGrasso will attend the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine. She will pursue a career as a physician and plans to keep music an integral part of her life through chamber groups and community ensembles.
Ticket Information
Showtimes: Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 1 pm
Where: Wilson Concert Hall
No tickets are required.