Marvin Goldstein and Vanessa Joy return to offer their fourth concert to Afton fans on Friday, October 9 at 7 p.m. in the historic Ford Theatre. Guests can expect to enjoy an array of old favorites and new hits, and everything in between.

With nine projects under their belt, the duo has been working together for 16 years and traveled all over the globe. Most recently, they returned from a tour in Spain after having performed in South America, Isreal, Jordan, Egypt and various US Embassies.

They have chosen to take their “Peace with Music” project to areas of unrest in the world because they believe that “music can cause people to soften their hearts towards one another,” as Goldstein explained in an interview with SVI Media last week.

Their first visit to Afton was nearly 12 years ago on the evening of New Year’s Day, and they recall a chilly temperature of 30 degrees below zero. Despite the frost, the duo enjoyed their experience here and have taken pleasure in returning frequently.

Goldstein has been playing the piano for 65 years and completed two degrees in music playing the French horn at the University of Tel Aviv in Israel and the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Joy also holds two degrees in music as a violinist and as a vocalist, with a generous amount of musical theater in her skillset.

They met when he was accompanying for a series of auditions. She nearly did not attend the audition because she had missed the early bird pricing window but chose to take the opportunity “to grow and to learn and take the next step,” she shared. When she began her audition, Goldstein said he was “mesmerized by her talent.”

He immediately turned the piano over to his colleague and invited Joy to work on a project with him.  “It’s been so rewarding and it’s such an honor to work with him,” said Joy. “He’s taken me under his wing and helped me with my career. It’s so good to partner with him.”

Music has always been important to Joy because of the way it makes “people’s faces light up.” Their trip through Spain, sharing their music with the “warm people” there meant a great deal to her. “It was so rewarding to be able to share my talent and to see how much these people truly appreciated it. That’s what makes us want to continue sharing music.”

Their primary goal is to give people a break from the rigor of living and working. Their concerts are filled with meaningful content where guests are “laughing one minute and then tears are rolling down their cheeks the next minute,” said Joy. “Music provides the avenue to feel and share something that’s a true joy.”

Tickets are available at saltriverarts.com or at the door. Available seating is limited, so fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets soon.