wilkes

Press Release

To celebrate African American Music Heritage Month the Jazz group Ron Rudkin and the Jazz Ensemble will be in the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame auditorium at the Wilkes Heritage Museum on June 22, 2024, at 2:00pm.

Ron Rudkin, is a bandleader, jazz performer, saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist. He is an arranger, orchestral and chamber musician and has been active on the North Carolina music scene for over 40 years. He served as the Director of the Jazz Program and Professor of Music Theory at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for over four decades until his retirement in 2023. He also holds the post of Associate Principal and Second Clarinet in the Winston-Salem Symphony.

Charlton Provatas, is a bassist and church musician. He studied at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 2014, he was a finalist selected from ten out of the world for the spot as the bassist with The US Army Field Band; The Jazz Ambassadors. Charlton continues to perform regularly around the North Carolina area, playing several times a week with different groups working continually to improve his craft.

Federico Pivetta is a versatile pianist with a unique mastery of both classical and jazz styles. Federico studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts with a degree in piano performance; In 1999 Federico along with his wife were winners of the Concert Artists Guild Competition, winning the Community Concerts Performance Prize.

Kassem Williams is a drummer originally from Philadelphia, who now resides in the great Winston Salem. After getting his bachelor’s degree at UNCG for Jazz Studies, he now performs weekly around the triad. Kassem also plays with artists, and bands such as Matt Kendrick Trio, Redpanda, and Court Wynter Trio to name a few.

This program is sponsored by the Wilkes County Public Library, Wilkes Heritage Museum, Wilkes Art Gallery and the North Carolina Arts Council; a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. It is free to the public of all ages Contact 336-838-2818 ext. 232 or 336-667-3171, if you have any questions.