Fourth Friday Music: Sonnen Duo

Description

The Marlborough Arts Center is hosting Sonnen Duo for the first musical performance of 2025’s 4th Friday @ the Arts Café series on Friday, January 24th at 7:30 pm. The performance is titled “Samplings of Guitar Music Through History”.

The Sonnen Duo features Petra Jenkinson and Dawn B. Cwirka who play classical guitar, lute guitar, lute and folk guitar with vocals. Their music is featured on SoundCloud and with the Connecticut Guitar Society Ensemble.

Petra Jenkinson started studying classical guitar in high school and, after a break to have a family, returned to music studies in the mid 1990s. Petra plays folk and pop music several times a month on the “Convalescent Home Tour” entertaining patients who cannot access live music. She is the music chair of the Hartford Saengerbund German Club, and, in addition to singing in the Chorus, Jenkinson plays there for many events. She plays at numerous community functions and demonstrates classical guitar at open mics and other public events. She enjoys experimenting on a wide variety of stringed instruments, such as Celtic harp, bass, dulcimer, mandolin, and zither. Collaborating with other artists in many different music styles brings her joy.

Dawn B. Cwirka considers guitar music to be a lifelong passion! She received her M.A, in Education from UConn, Pi Lambda Theta, and a B.S. in Elementary Education with a minor in Music from Eastern Connecticut State University, Cum Laude, and Kappa Delta Pi. Besides private study with James Dina and David Giardina, Dawn has played in masterclasses with Benjamin Verdery, Xuefei Yang, Maarten Stragier, An T. Tran, and Derek Gripper. Dawn has served as vice president on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Guitar Society and as a guitarist in the CGS Ensemble. Dawn has been a teacher for over 30 years, including in the elementary classroom, along with beginning and intermediate guitar classes at Manchester Adult Evening School. She is currently a master teacher at Music & Arts. Dawn performs regularly at the Main Moose Restaurant, as well as at festivals, libraries, and various local events. In addition to “Sonnen Duo”, Dawn is a guitarist with “CAFÉ Quartet” (Classical and Flamenco Enthusiasts), and plays solo as “Classical Guitar from the Quiet Corner.”

The 4th Friday @ the Arts Café concerts remain at $10 per person (payable at the door). Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. BYOW. Other drinks are available. There is ample parking, and the Arts Center is fully accessible.

For more information, email info@marlborougharts.org or call us at 860-467-6353.