arts & entertainment

Vero Beach is being visited once again by the popular Con Brio Quartet. The four talented string musicians will perform a concert of Classical and late Romantic period works at 4:00 PM on Sunday, March 30 at First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach, 520 Royal Palm Boulevard. Part of the Con Brio Ensembles of South Florida, the Con Brio Quartet is comprised of four international musicians from Russia, Uzbekistan, Mexico and Ukraine. Valentin Mansurov (violin), Aziz Sapaev (cello), David Pedraza (viola) and Marina Lenau (violin) will perform Mozart’s String Quartet No. 16 in E flat major, before being joined by First Presbyterian’s own Dr. Jacob Craig for the Piano Quintet in G minor by Jean Sibelius. Con brio, which means “with panache” is an apt description for the group, whose playing style has thrilled audiences throughout the United States and abroad for over a decade. The March 30 concert will mark the seventh appearance by the Con Brio Quartet for audiences at First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach. Admission is free. For more information, call (772) 562-9088.       

Dr. Jacob Craig, Director of Music and Arts at First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach, is a talented pianist in his own right. A past recipient of the Indian River Cultural Council’s Laurel Award, Craig is looking forward to welcoming the Con Brio Quartet back to the Treasure Coast for the seventh time.  

“We have repeatedly programmed Con Brio because of their fantastic musicianship and engaging personalities,” said Dr. Craig. “For me, it is always exciting to perform with musicians of their caliber. This will be an afternoon of truly beautiful music for all who attend.” 

The concert by the Con Brio Quartet is just one of many events sponsored or hosted by First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach, known for its musical and artistic outreach to the Central Florida community. Concert donations directly benefit the Music and Arts Department and help fund the appearance of quality musical groups throughout the year. For a list of upcoming events or for more information about First Presbyterian of Vero Beach, visit www.FirstPresVero.org.

ABOUT THE CON BRIO QUARTET— The Con Brio Quartet is comprised of four international musicians hailing from Russia, Ukraine, Mexico and Uzbekistan. The Con Brio Quartet members are currently members of the Palm Beach Symphony, Symphony of the Americas and Florida Grand Opera. They appeared on stage as soloists and members of Orquesta Sinfonica de la UAT in Mexico, National Symphony of Ukraine, Tekfen Mexico, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Ukraine, Turkey, Uzbekistan and others.

The Con Brio Quartet is based in South Florida and performs concerts in San Antonio, Jacksonville, Houston, Washington DC and other cities throughout the continental United States.  More information about the group, including individual player bios, may be found at their website, www.TheConBrioQuartet.com.

ABOUT DR. JACOB CRAIG, PIANIST — Dr. Jacob Craig is the Director of Music and Arts at First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach, Florida. Jacob moved to Vero Beach in 2012 and continues to delight churchgoers and crowds alike with his virtuosic skill on piano and organ. He is particularly talented at jazz piano, which he frequently performs during services. Former Dean Andrew Galuska of the Treasure Coast Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, said of Craig, “Jacob is an enthusiastic and multi-talented young musician who has not only revitalized the performance of sacred music in his own church, but has also had an exciting impact on music in our community at large. His success at working with and encouraging young musicians is unparalleled.” As a result of his work with local youth, Craig was the most recent recipient of the Indian River County Cultural Council’s Laurel Award for Excellence in Education. As the Director of Music and Arts at First Presbyterian, Jacob directs the Chancel Choir, Youth String Orchestra, and more. In the community, Dr. Craig directs the Silver Tones, a seniors-only community choir sponsored by the Senior Resource Association, the ACTS Choir based out of Indian River Estates, the Sea Oaks Chorus, the John’s Island Singers, and the semi-professional auditioned-only Vero Beach Choral Society. Jacob also maintains an active performing career and enthusiastically supports other local nonprofit organizations such as the Vero Vino Festival, Vero Beach Chamber Orchestra, Treasure Coast Wind Ensemble, Space Coast Symphony, and Treasure Coast Youth Orchestra.  Dr. Craig is on the board of the Indian River Symphonic Association.

In addition to his skill at the keyboard, Jacob is a professional level bagpiper and the Pipe Major/founder of the Vero Beach Pipes and Drums. Jacob received his Bachelor of Music Education and Piano Performance degree from Shorter University in Rome, GA before moving on to Tallahassee, FL to receive his M.M. in Choral Conducting and Literature under Dr. Andre Thomas at Florida State University. He received his Doctorate in Sacred Music from the Graduate Theological Foundation, a partner of Oxford University in England. As part of his post-doctorate study, he attended a summer sabbatical on-site at Oxford University in 2019, which resulted in a culminated and conferred degree. In addition to his musical and artistic endeavors, Dr. Craig also trains regularly as a boxer, and is an aerobatic pilot building time towards an ATP rating