Tracy Silverman makes Flathead Valley tour stops

At the end of the month, six-string electric violinist Tracy Silverman will be bringing his unique brand of electricity to the Flathead Valley.

And by all accounts, it will be a show unlike anything seen here before.

“The show goes from classical violin pieces to a rock ‘n’ roll guitar feel and everything in between,” Silverman said. “It’s all very accessible. There’s lots of variety; lots of fun.”

Music fans of all sorts will have several opportunities to see Silverman while he’s in the Flathead.

His first event is the “Electric Blizzard: A Fire and Snow Soiree” on Thursday, Jan. 21, at Buffalo Hills Golf Club in Kalispell. Sponsored by the Glacier Symphony and Chorale, the event will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and will feature Silverman in a solo performance of his original works. Fine food, wine and libations will be available at this fundraising night for Glacier Symphony and Chorale. Tickets are $75, which includes a $40 tax-deductible contribution to the Glacier Symphony and Chorale. Reservations are due by Friday, Jan. 15, by calling the GSC office at 406-407-7000.

On Friday, Jan. 22, Silverman will head to Flathead High School to perform a free youth concert, “Wild About Music.”

Silverman said he frequently takes time during his tours to visit schools, either to perform or instruct or both.

“I think working with students ... it’s exactly the mission of my whole career,” Silverman said. “I want to shine a light on 21st-century violin playing.

“I want [students] to know they can do good, valid things on strings, that isn’t Bach. I mean don’t get me wrong, I’m the hugest Bach fan that ever lived, but I want to turn the kids on to strings who may not have been interested before.”

Silverman will finish up his time in Montana with two performances with the Glacier Symphony, dubbed the “Electric Blizzard: Rodeo Pops” shows. These concerts will be Saturday, Jan. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center, and Sunday, Jan. 24, at 3 p.m. in the Flathead High School Performance Hall in Kalispell.

Tickets are available in a range of prices and seating tiers. All youth through grade 12 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. For full pricing details, visit www.gscmusic.org or call 406-407-7000.

Sponsoring this concert weekend are Alpine Village, Hammer Nutrition, Montana Public Radio, Valley Ford, and Whitefish Mountain Resort.

Silverman will perform a sampling of his original compositions with the orchestra. The concert repertoire will also include Aaron Copland’s work “Rodeo” for the second half of the concert. It promises to be a diverse evening of music, ranging in styles reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix to the classical cowboy themes of “Buckaroo Holiday” and “Hoedown” for which Copland is so well-known.

Glacier Symphony Maestro John Zoltek has sprinkled several contemporary compositions throughout this season’s American Mix Masterworks series, including the upcoming shows.

“I want to give our community a chance to hear how the classical can blend with the contemporary and how different instruments, both ethnic and traditional, can interpret and expand upon the classical genre,” Zoltek said in a press release.

SILVERMAN BEGAN taking violin lessons at 5 years old. He played traditional, classical violin through school, graduating from The Juilliard School in New York City in 1980.

It was then that things took an electric turn.

“I loved the violin,” Silverman said. “I recognized the expressive power of violin. But I wanted to speak in a more American, 21st-century voice.

“I wanted to create a sound that reflected my own time and culture.”

Growing up on musical groups such as Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks and Led Zeppelin, Silverman opted for an electric sound. He also added two strings to his violin to make it a six-string instrument, providing him the opportunity to play full chords.

With the newly pioneered instrument, Silverman also had to adjust his playing style. He created a technique called “Strum Bowing,” which is a rhythmic use of the bow to replicate strumming of a guitar.

Silverman has had a busy career in music — both playing and composing — ever since.

He has appeared on numerous national TV and radio programs, including NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concerts,” “Performance Today,” “St. Paul Sunday,” and “A Prairie Home Companion,” and has been profiled on CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood.

Silverman was formerly the first violinist with the innovative Turtle Island String Quartet, was named one of 100 distinguished alumni by The Juilliard School. He has worked with the world’s premier symphonies and conductors, including the Detroit Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Adelaide Festival Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival, conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen, Marin Alsop, Neeme Jarvi among many others, as well as recording with the rock band Guster, contemporary music’s Paul Dresher Ensemble, jazz legend Billy Taylor and most recently on his new Delos/Naxos album, “Between the Kiss and the Chaos,” with the acclaimed Calder Quartet.

Silverman has even recorded an album in Montana. Friend and fellow musician Philip Aaberg, a pianist and composer, lives near Chester. “Three Part Invention,” a collaboration between Aaberg, Silverman and cellist Eugene Friesen, was recorded in Aaberg’s studio. The 11-track album was released in 2009.

Silverman said he’s never been to the Kalispell area or Glacier National Park.

“I’m happy to be coming back to Montana,” he said. “I’m excited to explore Kalispell.”

When asked if he was going to try to do some exploring in Glacier as well, he said “it depends on the temperature you guys are sporting!”

Silverman currently lives in Nashville with his wife and four children. He tours internationally as a soloist and as an orchestra member, as well as with several other musical groups.

FOR MORE information about Silverman or to hear samples of his work, visit www.tracysilverman.com.

For more information on the concert series, the Glacier Symphony, or to purchase tickets, visit www.gscmusic.org or call 406-407-7000.

Entertainment editor Stefanie Thompson can be reached at 758-4439 or ThisWeek@dailyinterlake.com.