Summer Concert for Children

My production company, Kenner, Kinder & Liebhauer, is hosting a concert for children at 2 p.m. Monday, July 27, featuring violinist Mara Milkis, one of the most extraordinary musicians I've ever come across. Born in Odessa and trained in St. Petersburg, Russia, she's a true fiddler on the roof, an old soul who can make you laugh, cry and jump for joy. We'll be playing short pieces by Vivaldi, LeClair and Bartok.

If you're in Manhattan, pick up tickets at the Kiva Cafe from 7pm to 12 pm Friday or Saturday. (They have great salads and pizza, and they have a nice little selection of wines.) For reservations and information, message George Carroll at gbcarroll2001 (a) yahoo.com, or call him at 646-352-3234.

Adult tickets are $25; kids are admitted free.

About Mara: Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Mara Milkis received initial training at St. Petersburg Conservatory’s Special Music School. After emigrating to Canada, she continued her studies at the University of Toronto and the Banff Centre of Fine Arts. Her teachers included Joseph Gingold, Zoltan Szekely and Lorand Fenyves. She has also worked with Lynn Harrell, Mstislav Rostropovich and Janos Starker. Ms. Milkis has performed extensively in Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada. She was in residence at Indiana University as the first violinist of the Chamber Arts Quartet, and has performed internationally in a variety of chamber ensembles including the Chamber Arts String Quartet and Les Amis.

Kids aren't often welcome at Manhattan performances of classical music, and that's a shame. My 3-year-old son Aubrey is a music enthusiast, and as he tends to be somewhat vocal in his enthusiasm, we've been thrown out of more than a few concerts. I decided with some friends a couple of years ago to present professional performers at living-room concerts where kids are welcome. We named our production company after the 19th-century Viennese chamber music society Kenner & Liebhauer, which brought together pros, amateurs and music lovers in homes and coffeehouses. We added “Kinder” to signify that children are always welcome.