Boaz and Aaron Mecham are pictured.

First Lutheran will host the fourth annual Helga Hulse Memorial Concert Series on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 4 p.m.

The Mecham Duo, twin brothers Boaz and Aaron Mecham, are lifelong musical companions, who are brilliant musicians on both the violin and piano. They were raised in Jamestown and homeschooled by their non-musical but supportive parents.

They were taught by Helga Hulse until her passing at age 100. The twins began studying with her when they were 10 years old, becoming her last two piano students. Hulse was a student of Josef Hofmann and Theodor Leschetizky, providing a direct musical connection to the 19th century. She was deeply influential in shaping them both as musicians and as young men.

Believing in their future, she connected them to the State University at Fredonia, where they thrived studying violin and piano with Professor Jessica Tong and Fr. Sean Duggan. In 2023, they won the Fredonia Concerto Competition and performed Pouenc’s “Concerto for Two Pianos” with the College Symphony Orchestra. In the spring of 2025, they graduated summa cum laude at the age 19 and each received the exclusive President’s Award for Excellence, earning double majors in violin and piano performance.

Currently, they are studying for master’s degrees specializing in Historical Performance at Oberlin Conservatory, where they study Baroque violin with Edwin Huizinga, harpsichord with Mark Edwards, fortepiano with David Breitman, and organ with Jonathan Moyer. Together, they perform on all these instruments as well as modern violin and piano. Their shared ambition is a lifelong project to study and perform every extant duo written for violin and keyboard.

There is no admission fee for the concert, but a freewill offering will be received to help aid the young men’s extensive college/musical conservatory expenses. A reception will take place after the concert in the church parlors. The public is welcome to attend.