Peter Fields and the Anthem Trio is an ensemble founded by guitarist Peter Fields to share the joyful, spontaneous collaborations of world-class musicians with the widest possible audience. Their repertoire consists of Peter’s award-winning compositions, new transcriptions from the chamber music repertoire and innovative interpretations of World Music.  In addition to Peter Fields on classical guitar, the Trio is comprised of three amazingly talented young musicians: Dannice Crespo on violin, Chelle Fulk on viola and violin, and Sara Duval on cello.

The original compositions of Peter Fields are the synthesis of a lifetime of listening to and playing music from all times and cultures. He reaches out to the world for inspiration and, through his music, strives to remind us all of the emotional and spiritual experiences that unite us all as brothers and sisters on this planet.  

Recent performances include the Bluemont Concert Series and a special performance at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library hosted by the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

 

Peter Fields

Peter Fields has captivated audiences in the United States and Europe with his mastery of diverse musical styles and unique approach to guitar techniques.  In addition to his sophisticated original compositions, his repertoire ranges from classical guitar, Jazz, and Latin music masterpieces, to extraordinary arrangements of R&B classics, and interpretations of ethnic music from various parts of the world. 

He can be heard on numerous recording projects on Polygram and various independent labels and on television programs for Fox, National Geographic, Discovery Channel and others.  His performances as finalist in the American Fingerstyle Guitar Festival and the National Guitar Championships and winning of the First Prize in the Mid-Atlantic song contest established his position as a fresh new voice in the world of virtuoso guitar music.

He has composed scores for film and received commissions from choreographers to create original music for ballet and modern dance.  He most recently collaborated with the noted Pakistani choreographer Tehreema Mitha on a cross-cultural project for her dance company.  He has performed on the Washington Chamber Symphony recitalist series, released an album of his compositions entitled Solo Guitar Music, which was selected as Best Acoustic Album of the year by Northern Virginia Rhythm, and was nominated as Best Jazz Instrumentalist by the Washington Area Music Association.  He released Reflections on the River in 1998.

In 2003, Peter released Stillness of the Heart, an evocative collection of compositions for classical guitar that received rave reviews and airplay throughout the country.  The virtuoso keyboards of John Drymon and the visionary percussion of Grammy-nominated artist Raphael Cruz beautifully compliment Peter’s melodies.  Eleven songs from Stillness of the Heart were chosen to be included in a compilation called Guitar Escapes that will be released through a national retail chain in 140 locations in 15 states.

Throughout the last decade, Peter has become increasingly concerned with and active in creating sustainable communities.  He ran for local political office in 1999 and was elected to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors; he was re-elected to that office in 2003.  He is now working hard in his time away from performing music to create consensus among business, government, and community leaders towards a model of fiscal and land-use policy that is environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially just. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Virginians for the Arts, an advocacy group that works to maintain and increase funding for the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

Danni Crespo

A natural-born talent from Bolivia, Dannice Crespo started playing the violin when she was 9 years old.  She took her first lessons from Maestro Daniel Perego at the Instituto de Bellas Artes in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  At the age of 10, Danni was already performing regularly with the Violines Crucenos.  That same year, she obtained a First-Place standing in violin. 

At 14 years old, she started her training in Suzuki pedagogy under the supervision of Martha Shackford.  She was recognized by the Bolivian Department of Education at age 17 when she obtained the title of  “Tecnico Medio de Musica.” 

Coming to the University of Arkansas at age 18, she was one of the winners of the String Area Competition.  While in Arkansas, she taught for the Suzuki School affiliated with the University.

In 1995, she started the transition to viola and studied at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) with Dr. Linda Hsu.  Dannice won the Principal Viola Chair for UCA’s Symphony Orchestra in 1996.  Ms. Crespo received her Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance from UCA in 1998. 

Since then, she has performed with the South Arkansas Symphony, Pine Bluff Symphony, Celebrated String Quartet, Trinity Chamber Orchestra, Pan-American Symphony, and the Amore Trio.  She currently teaches for the Madeira School in McLean, Virginia.

Chelle Fulk

Chelle Fulk’s musical heritage is a remarkable blend of classical, Celtic, Jazz, Folk, and Blues, with a healthy dose of rock and roll thrown in for good measure.  She’s the fiddler for the band The Pyrates Royale, plays five-string fiddle in Keltish, a Celtic rock band, and plays viola and violin in the Anthem String Quartet.

Multi-talented and a highly versatile musician, Chelle is the owner and operator of Music by Anthem.  Although Chelle refers to herself as a “fiddlist,” (part fiddler, part violinist), she is also an accomplished violist and singer, and often plays the electric five-string fiddle.  Chelle officially founded Music by Anthem in 1994, having formed its genesis while with the Fauquier String Quartet in high school.  After concentrating on the viola during college, she combined her love of music with her entrepreneurial spirit, and developed a musical organization capable of performing in a wide range of venues, from very intimate settings to large celebrations.

Growing up on a horse farm, she was inspired early on to entrepreneurship by her father, who ran his own business.  Chelle gave riding lessons, painted vintage cars, and ran a landscaping business while still living at home.

One cat and five Arabian horses, including her champion 30-year-old stallion, number among Chelle’s dearest treasures.  She also has a passion for unusual instruments, and, like most musicians, is prone to spending the grocery money on musical toys.

Sara Duval

An accomplished cellist, Sara Duval studied at Boston Conservatory on a full scholarship.  She also studied at George Mason University, where she received her B.A. in Music.

She studied with James Lee and Davie Teie of the National Symphony, Andy Mark of the Boston Pops, and Rhonda Rider of Brandeis University’s Lydian String Quartet.  In her teens, she was affiliated with the Youth Orchestras of Prince William County, the American Youth Philharmonic, the Brevard Summer Music Festival, the National Symphony Summer Institute, and the Lydian String Quartet Summer Festival.

Sara is a native of Virginia and teaches music and performs with various chamber groups in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Sara also had a small role in the movie “Hannibal” as a character playing in a string quartet.