Art council holds concert

Music reverberated the rafters at the United Methodist Church in Plains as two talented classical musicians performed works from the Baroque and romantic periods of music. The concert comes as a part of work done by members of the Sanders County Arts Council, as a way to bring artistic events to Plains.

They musicians who performed were cellist Tanya Tomkins and pianist Eric Zivian. The two are both accomplished musicians who have performed to great reception around the world. The two are currently members of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, a chamber music ensemble that is based in San Francisco, Calif.

Zivian began playing piano at an early age, when he was about 10 years old. As a young adult, he studied piano and composition at premiere music schools on the East coast. All told, Zivian has been playing piano for 37 years.

Tomkins started cello at the age of eight. Later she moved to Amsterdam to study further. She stayed there for 14 years, and played with groups across Europe.

Saturday’s performance comes after a concert, which the two played in Moab, Utah. From there, Tomkins and Zivian made their way to the University of Montana in Missoula, where they worked with music students. From there, they made their way to Plains for the performance.

Zivian had never been in Montana prior to the even Saturday evening, and his impression has been largely positive.

“The landscapes are just beautiful,” Zivian said.

The performance was organized largely with work by Jean Morrison of the Sanders County Arts Council. Morrison was connected with the two musicians through her work on the Baroque Festival, which is held every year at Quinn’s. Tomkins herself has played there in previous years. Morrison was very impressed with their playing and wanted to share it with the rest of the community. So, when Morrison invited Tomkins and Zivian to perform for an audience in Plains, they readily accepted.

“Here are these beautiful and wonderful musicians,” Morrison said. “Why not ask them to share with our community?”

Zivian found the enthusiasm of the Plains audience to be refreshing, and something not necessarily seen in this age of overexposure.

“It feels like a concert from a previous time,” Zivian said.

For the two, playing in a small community affords them the opportunity to bring a different style of music to an area where it is heard less often.

“It’s a pleasure to share something that isn’t as readily available,” Tomkins said.