St. John’s United Church of Christ, 733 Central Ave. Dunkirk, will present “Christmas Vespers – the Music of Christmas” on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m., featuring pianist Ann Rose and violist David Rose.

Ann Rose was born in South Korea, and started playing the piano at age 5. She began improvising and composing at a very early age – two skills which she pursued through her early training, achieving a degree in Composition and Piano from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. Her teachers have included Sydney Young, Jamie Parker, Glenn Buhr, and Heather Taves. Ann has appeared with the Canadian Chamber ensemble, and has been seen and heard on CBC television. The winner of numerous competitions and awards, her music has been performed and recorded by several artists in Canada, most recently by her former teacher and also by her husband, violist David Rose. She received her Master of Piano Performance degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia, studying under Father Sean Duggan, as well as a degree in Music Education. She is the organist at St. John’s UCC in Dunkirk; teaches choir and general music at Sinclairville Elementary School; and is a faculty member at SUNY Fredonia, where she teaches free improvisation. She has toured the Czech Republic and recorded with fellow pianist Jiri Pazour, whom she hosted during his visit to the Dunkirk-Fredonia area in the spring of 2024.

David Rose was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. His principal teachers have been Ernest Kassian, Gerald Stanick at the University of British Columbia, and Atar Arad at Indiana University. He was awarded the position of associate principal viola of the Vancouver Symphony. For eight seasons he was principal violist of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and violist with the Canadian Chamber Ensemble. David served as the acting assistant principal violist of the San Francisco Symphony, enjoying involvement in a European tour and the Grammy winning Mahler symphony recording cycle. David has performed at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House as part of the Bach and Beyond festival, and has completed a recording of the six cello suites of J.S. Bach. He is currently associate professor of viola at SUNY Fredonia. In the summer, he teaches at the Rocky Ridge Young Artists Seminar in the Colorado Rockies and at the Fredonia Summer String Festival.

Also taking part in the program will be Ann and David’s sons, Billy and Manny. Billy is a junior at the University of Toronto in the Arts and Humanities. He was in the 2012 Hillman Opera “Gianni Schicchi”at SUNY Fredonia. He plays piano, clarinet, saxophone, and enjoys reading, movies, and drawing. He directed Fredonia-Pomfret Recreation Department’s summer 2024 production of “Mother Duck and the Golden Goose,” presented at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House. Manny is a senior at Fredonia High School and enjoys painting, art, writing, and languages. He studies piano with SUNY Fredonia Professor Emerita Phyllis East. He was a cast member of Fredonia High School’s “Mary Poppins” in 2022, “Crazy for You” in 2023, and “Beauty and the Beast” in 2024. Both Billy and Manny were in Main Street Studio’s 2021 production of “The Tempest.”

All are welcome to attend this special celebration of Christmas. Admission is free.

Parking and handicapped access are on the Eagle Street entrance of the church. The church phone number is 716-366-0710.