Olivia Courtney will perform at the Oct. 7 First Friday @ First Presbyterian concert. (Courtesy photo)
On Friday, Oct. 7, violinist Olivia Courtney will be featured at First Friday @ First Presbyterian. The recital is from 12:05 to 12:35 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church at South Fourth and Ash Streets, and it is free and open to the public.
The program, "Baroque to Contemporary," includes string standards, fiddle pieces and more modern pieces, including "Arioso" by Johann Sebastian Bach, Debussy's "Clair de Lune," "Meditation from Thaïs" by Massenet, "Ashokan Farewell" from Ken Burns' "Civil War" and "Experience" by Ludovico Einaudi. She will be accompanied by pianists Mary Smith and Jill Steimer.
Olivia Courtney grew up in Dallas, Texas and studied violin with her father, a music professor who moved the family to Salt Lake City to play with the Utah Symphony during her early years, then back to Dallas. He bought her first violin from a violin maker who had his shop in a train caboose. She played in orchestras throughout her school career, winning numerous quartet and orchestra awards, and with the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra.
She graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in Foods and Nutrition. While there she played in the University Orchestra and met her husband Jesse. She has played for many community gatherings and weddings, including Sterling's Master Chorale.
She and Jesse lived in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, near Nashville, where she owned and operated a custom cake business for 14 years before the family moved to Sterling. Mrs. Courtney says "Originally, we moved to Sterling so my husband could attend NJC for the wind program. We wanted a change of pace from the busy and congested city. Plus, we love Colorado. We have since fallen in love with the close-knit community of Sterling."
In her spare time, she loves to hike, fish, camp, ski and travel, collecting coffee from the places she visits. She enjoys running and takes part in several races per year. She recently completed the Pikes Peak Ascent in September, her fourth summit. In her church, she teaches a children's Sunday School class and is very active in the music ministry. She works as a patient access rep at UC Health Primary Care Clinic in Sterling. She and her husband Jesse have three daughters.
First Friday @ First Presbyterian is an ongoing series featuring area talent.
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