About
New England duo Larksgrove brings a unique voice to classical and fiddle music.
Blending classical and traditional music, the duo Larksgrove brings a fresh voice to the concert hall. Their unique interpretations of the classics and novel arrangements of traditional fiddle tunes infuse their performances with inventiveness and surprise. Equally at home in the concert hall and the dance hall, Peter Zay, cello and guitar, and EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks, violin and fiddle, enjoy the challenge of playing new styles of music and difficult repertoire, and their performances reveal the comfort and delight they glean from creative collaboration.
Both grew up as country kids, EmmaLee on a working farm in Central Illinois and Peter in the wooded Berkshires of western Massachusetts. These two accomplished musicians connect not only with their music but through their deep roots in the land and the natural world. From pulling weeds, splitting wood and driving a tractor to studying at top-notch music conservatories and developing careers as performing musicians, Peter and EmmaLee share similar musical paths. Peter cut his musical teeth playing in rock and heavy metal bands while studying classical cello and donning his tux for orchestra concerts. In her youth, EmmaLee studied Suzuki violin and performed in regional orchestras and string quartets. Then she would kick back and use her fiddle to drive spirited old-time barn dances. The delight these two display in sharing their eclectic music is reflected in the faces of audience members who are captivated by this dynamic duo.
EmmaLee and Peter perform live in concert halls and on stages, on nature trails and in parks and classrooms. And they’re well-versed in the technology of producing recorded and livestream performances audiences enjoy from far flung locations.
EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks grew up on an organic farm where she presented her girlhood violin performances to a very attentive audience—her flock of merino sheep. As that violin grew from quarter- to a full-size, EmmaLee, with that expressive instrument in hand, made her way onto the stage as soloist with symphonies and then on to Carnegie Hall as a member of the Pangea String Quartet. Her career as a violinist has taken her on adventures across Europe, Japan, South America, Canada, and the United States. With a contagious energy and enthusiasm for sharing her music, EmmaLee enjoys performing classical, baroque, and contemporary music, as well as traditional and fusion fiddle music.
Armed with a performance degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a doctoral degree from SUNY Stony Brook, EmmaLee serves as principal second violinist of the New Bedford Symphony and as a busy chamber player on stage in venues on the East Coast, as well as the Midwest. She is on faculty at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth and the Birch Creek Summer Performance Center.
A firm believer that music can move people, quite literally, EmmaLee takes the lead in string bands across New England and in the Midwest where her lively fiddle music drives the spirited old-time dancing. As a small tyke she took up her fiddle with the Rusty Pickup String Band, and this champion fiddler adds fiddling in both the classroom and on stage as a spice to enrich classical programs.
This innovative violinist appreciates the creative aspects of teaching violin and she’s equally at home with individuals and groups of all ages. EmmaLee strives to get to know each student and she tailors her teaching to each individual’s learning style and goals. Her students have gone on to open their own violin studios and to play in orchestras and string quartets.
Peter Zay is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger who relates to audiences with clarity of tonality, and a passion for music that is candid and direct. Peter began his musical life receiving cello lessons from his mother at age six. From those early moments on he has performed in every conceivable venue from the intimate Camden Opera House in Maine to Madison Square Garden and everything in between.
Peter is an avid music listener and creator experimenting with different genres, leaving no style of music untouched. He has played in jazz and rock bands, performed with opera and musical productions, and been a leader for many classical orchestra sections and chamber groups. In addition to his busy schedule with Larksgrove, Peter currently holds positions in the Hartford Symphony, the Plymouth Philharmonic, the New Bedford Symphony, the New World Trio, and the Mosaic String Trio among others.
One would think Peter has no time for anything else except music. However, his early childhood exposure to soccer as an MVP awarded goalie instilled in him a lifetime passion for sports, either participating in games or following his favorite teams. In his leisure time you will find him hiking, landscaping, and renovating houses. Peter lives in Massachusetts with his wife Anastasia, daughter Sofia and their Portuguese Waterdog, Daisy.
Peter pays homage to his mentors and influencers including his mother Jean for her unlimited musical nurturing, his cousin Richard for teaching him folk and blues guitar, and his cello teachers David Geber, David Wells and Justin Kagan who inspired him professionally and personally. Peter has earned degrees from The Hartt School and the Manhattan School of Music.