Join Classical Tuesdays in Old Town Tacoma for Valentine's Day!
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| Soprano Allison and Cellist Alistair |
Free monthly concerts in North Tacoma. September through February, 2nd Tuesdays. Presented by Old Town Business & Professionals Association.
And many neighborhood supporters:
• Nicole M Ancich DMD • Bayview Optical • David A Bufalini • Byers & Anderson Court Reporters •Columbia Bank • Frost & Company CPA • Ginkgo Wine Tasting Room • Githens Chiropractic Clinic • The Holman Building • Jeff Huff & Associates • Metropolitan Market Proctor . Miki Spa & Salon • Norpoint Communities • Old Town Bicycle • One-to-One Physical Therapy • Raisl & Company PS • Stolz & Associates, PS • The Spar • Summit Capital Advisors • .Nicola Tollefson• John Winskill DDS • The Ram • Cafe Divino • Old Town Starbucks • C.I. Shenanigan's
Join Classical Tuesdays in Old Town Tacoma for Valentine's Day!
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| Soprano Allison and Cellist Alistair |
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Sunday, January 29, 2023
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Wine & Song Benefit for Classical Tuesdays in Old Town Tacoma is happily returning to the Connelly Law Offices lovely space this Dec 13, at 7:00pm. This is always a festive evening with music, wine and finger foods, and community. All are welcome!
This year's Wine & Song features Adriana Giordano singing Songs of Brazil with the amazing Eric Verlinde at the piano (together they are in a band called EntreMundos Quarteto).
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| Adrianna Giordano |
Their effervescent and passionate music will be followed by a reception of wines - Ginkgo Forest Winery Tasting Room will pour some of their east-of-the-mountain wines! - and a generous table of savory finger-foods contributed by Met Market and others, and delightful holiday cookies baked for us by North End neighbor Chris Reynolds.
Tickets are $30, all ages welcome. Tickets are selling on Eventbrite at https://tinyurl.com/ClassTue
or contact prryker@gmail.com
What: Wine & Song Benefit: Songs of Brazil
When: Tuesday Dec 13 at 7:00pm
Where: Connelly Law Offices 2301 N 30th St., Tacoma
$30 tickets available at https://tinyurl.com/ClassTue or prryker@gmail.com
Some tickets may be available at the door
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Sunday, November 20, 2022
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From the onset of Classical Tuesdays in Old Town, some 18 years ago, we have enjoyed celebrating our talented musicians here in the Northwest. Over these years we have enjoyed several events featuring composers from Tacoma and the region.
On November 8th, we will perform works of several musicians active as performers and composers in the Puget Sound region: Jerry Kracht, Elise Winkler, Sheila Bristow, Kathryn Smith Derksen, Melia Watras, and Rob Hutchinson. The compositions will feature flute, clarinet and bass clarinet, mezzo soprano, guitar, violin, and harp, all performed by Tacoma instrumentalists.
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| Sheila Bristow |
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
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String Quartets composed by women and People of Color
Tuesday October 11 at 7:00 pm, in Slavonian Hall
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| Auburn Symphony String Quartet |
The Auburn Quartet will perform three pieces for us: String Quartet No. 1 in G minor by Emilie Mayer (a prolific German composer born in 1883), String Quartet No. 1 in C minor. Op. 51 No. 1 by Johannes Brahms (1883-1897) , and Lyric Quartet: Musical Portraits of Three Friends composed in 1960 by William Grant Still (b.1895 in Mississippi, he is considered to have been part of the Harlem Renaissance).
Emilie Choi, violin; Kimmy Harrenstein, violin; Joyce Ramee, viola; and Brian Wharton on cello.
WHAT: String Quartets composed by women and POC
WHEN: October 11 at 7:00pm
WHERE: Slavonian Hall, 2306 N 30th St, Old Town Tacoma
FREE All ages are welcome, masks are encouraged when not seated
We are excited to be a part of Tacoma Arts Month!
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
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This Saturday will be a lively, colorful celebration of Asian cultures in Old Town!
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Thursday, September 08, 2022
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CHIKIRI & Team, The School of TAIKO, based in Seattle/Bellevue since 2009, performs fun, exciting and beautiful Japanese Taiko Drumming programs. The group was founded by professional Taiko performers Ringtaro and Asako Tateishi. Ringtaro has a unique 10-year history as a former member of the world-famous taiko group "Ondekoza", performing for "US Running Tours" for three years. He then moved to the United States to perform at Walt Disney World / Epcot and elsewhere around the US, for seven years. His partner, Asako, also performed at Epcot as a Disney international artist.
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| CHIKIRI Taiko Drums photo by Tero Patana |
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| CHIKIRI & The School of TAIKO photo by Patana |
CHIKIRI and The School of TAIKO can be seen throughout the PNW at community and corporate events, at school events and private special occasions, They've performed at Seattle Symphony's Celebrate Asia, Cherry Blossom Festival, Japan Fair, Japan Week, and at sports game halftime shows - for Seattle Storm, OL Reign, and Seattle Sea Wolves.
Since 2014, CHIKIRI have produced the "Bellevue World TAIKO Festival" with special guest performers from Japan and elsewhere to introduce high quality Japanese performing arts and to celebrate their special music to the community.
WHERE: Old Town Park in Tacoma
WHEN: Saturday September 10 at 4:00pm
WHAT: Japanese Drums
FREE! All are welcome! Bring your chair or blanket and perhaps a picnic!
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Wednesday, August 03, 2022
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At long last! Classical Tuesdays and Arx Duo have been trying for a couple of years to find a date when we might schedule a performance in Slavonian Hall. And that time has come!
April 12, at 7:00pm
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| Arx Duo: Mari Yoshinaga & Garrett Arney |
Performing a program of music that is all new, featuring works on their debut album, recorded through Jack Straw Artists in Seattle. One featured work is by Robert Honstein, titled “Evergreen”, which is appropriate in Washington state - the evergreen state" - and another work programmed for this evening is from Seattle based composer and native, Angelique Poteat.
Arx Duo recently enjoyed a day of filming in the woods! Check it out: arx music on Instagram: “Though it was pretty cold….we had a great time filming last week with @fourtenmedia media and Robert Honstein. “Evergreen” filmed outdoors!…”
When: Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at 7:00pm
Where: Slavonian Hall, 2306 N 30th St, Old Town Tacoma
FREE and all are welcome!
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Sunday, March 20, 2022
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A bonus event! - presented by Classical Tuesdays in Old Town Tacoma and SAI Music Fraternity Tacoma Alumnae Chapter: Ross Salvosa, Filipino-Canadian pianist now based in Seattle, in a recital to include works by beloved Filipino composers Lucio San Pedro, Ramon Tapales, and Antonio Molina, as well as works by Chopin and Stravinsky.
An
internationally distinguished pianist-pedagogue, Salvosa is director of the
Concordia Arts Group in Seattle and an artist-faculty at the Chopin Academy of
Music in Issaquah. He is a senior advisor to the Vancouver Clef Music Society
and has served as the artistic director of the Music Without Borders Society.
He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of British
Columbia
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Thursday, March 10, 2022
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By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Friday, December 31, 2021
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Tuesday, December 14, 2021
at Old St Peter’s Church,
2910 N Starr Street in Old Town Tacoma
Lyle Schaefer on Accordion! Our Voices in Song!
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| Lyle Schaefer, accordion |
At 7:00pm, join us for music and singing at Old St Peter’s Church in Old Town Tacoma, 2910 N. Starr St., Tacoma, Wash.
$25 ticket includes gift coupon packet
Sold at: Old Town Wine Skins, 2208 N 30th St, Tacoma (253-267-5325)
or at door (only 50 seats available!)
Welcome back! Come prepared to show proof of vaccination (a photo on your phone will do the trick) and wearing a mask.
A maximum of 50 guests will be seated in the pews, spread out at appropriate distance so we are all comfortable and confident of our health safety.
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Monday, November 22, 2021
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Filed under: concerts
On November 9, we were enthralled by Trio Guadalevin's colorful, heart-warming music - and insights into some historical origins of the music. Our thanks to Trio Guadalevin members Tony Gomez (on panderos, cajón, teponaztli, jarana and additional percussion), Abel Rocha (on voice, harp, jarana, guitar, quinta) and Gus Denhard (on baroque guitar, oud, jarana, theorbo and vihuela), and collaborator Ke Guo (voice, harp, and dizi).
A video of the October string quartet concert and a write-up of the Classical Tuesdays series ran in The News Tribune and the TNT's blog, and Q13 FOX played a video on their morning local news segment.
You might enjoy reading and listening to these items - you just may learn something about our series that you hadn't heard before!
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Monday, November 22, 2021
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Filed under: video
Next on our calendar! Classical Tuesdays is excited to feature Trio Guadalevin for our gathering on November 9, 7:00pm in Slavonian Hall, Old Town Tacoma. Because word is out that the series is live in Slav Hall, we recommend that you pre-register – by mailing prryker@gmail.com. Again, we will ask for proof of vaccination and that you all wear a mask during the event. Arrive by 6:50 to claim your seat.
Join Trío Guadalevín for a musical journey that will travel from Spain/the Mediterranean to Veracruz, La Huasteca and the Pacific coast of Mexico, with novel arrangements shaped from son huasteco, baroque melodies, son jarocho, Sephardic Jewish balladry, Zapotec songs and more.
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| Tony, Abel, Gus |
Many instruments and sonorities new to our experience will be heard! The trio features Abel Rocha (voice, harp, jarana, guitar, quinta) with Gus Denhard (baroque guitar, oud, jarana, theorbo and vihuela) and Antonio Gómez (panderos, cajón, teponaztli, jarana and additional percussion).
This concert debuts a new collaboration with Ke Guo, (voice, harp, dizi) which harks back to the Manila-Acapulco trade route that connected China with Mexico, by way of the Philippines. A student of Spain's Paco Diez, Ms. Guo will also perform a selection of Sephardic Jewish music.
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| Ke Guo, voice, harp, dizi |
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
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Thanks to our fabulous string players and socially distanced audience! It was wonderful to bring Puget Sound musicians to a live audience again.
In 2021-22, Classical Tuesdays is delighted to host a hybrid season of live concerts and video. Below is the video of this performance on YouTube. The video is also on Facebook.
Performed by
Maria Sampen and Svend Ronning, violin
Timothy Christie, viola and Alistair MacRae, cello
Program
Boulogne, Joseph, Chevalier de Saint-Georges ………. Quartet No. 5 in G major
I. Allegro Assai
II. Gratioso
Haydn, Joseph……. Quartet Op. 74, No. 3; “Apponyi, The Horseman (‘Rider’)”
I. Allegro
II. Largo assai
III. Minuet. Allegretto
IV. Finale. Allegro con brio
Prokofiev, Sergey…………………Quartet No. 2, Op. 92 (1941)
I. Allegro sostenuto
II. Adagio—Poco piu animato—Poco meno—Tempo I
III. Allegro—Pochissimo meno—Tempo I—Andante molto—Quasi Allegro I, ma un poco piu tranquillo
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
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Filed under: video
October 12, 2021 in Slavonian Hall, Old Town Tacoma
String Quartets
Performed by
Maria Sampen and Svend Ronning, violin
Timothy Christie, viola and Alistair MacRae, cello
Program
Boulogne,
Joseph, Chevalier de Saint-Georges ………. Quartet No. 5 in G
major
I.
Allegro Assai
II. Gratioso
Haydn, Joseph……. Quartet Op. 74, No. 3; “Apponyi, The Horseman (‘Rider’)”
Prokofiev,
Sergey…………………Quartet No. 2, Op. 92 (1941)
This evening’s performers:
Timothy Christie, Violinist and violist, enjoys a multifaceted
career as performer, teacher, public speaker and recording artist. He is the
Founder and Artistic Director of the Walla Walla Chamber Music
Festival (WWCMF). He
is on the faculty of the Community Music Department at the University of Puget
Sound in Tacoma, WA, and is a member of IRIS
Orchestra in Memphis, TN and Brave
New Works. Christie regularly collaborates with Third
Coast Percussion, Spektral Quartet, PRISM Quartet, PROJECT Trio, Sybarite5,
Turtle Island Quartet, the Harlem Quartet, The Westerlies. He can be heard on
recordings of William Bolcom’s Piano Quintet and William Albright’s Clarinet
Quintet on AMP Records.
Christie earned dual undergraduate degrees in
Music and English Literature at the University of Michigan, and a Master of
Music degree, also from U of M.
Cellist Alistair MacRae is the Cordelia
Wikarski-Miedel Artist in Residence at University of Puget Sound School of
Music and the cellist of the Puget Sound
Piano Trio. He has appeared as a soloist, chamber
musician, and orchestral principal throughout North America and in Europe,
Asia, South America, and the Middle East. He is Principal Cello of the
Princeton Symphony Orchestra and also performs with his wife, soprano Allison
Pohl, in the voice and cello duo Soprello. In addition, he is a member of the
Artist Faculty at the Brevard Music Center. Alistair’s playing has been praised
for its "rich sound and lyrical phrasing" (Palm Beach Daily News) and
his performances have been featured in radio broadcasts across the United
States on WQXR, WWFM, WDAV, WCQS, KING FM, and Vermont Public Radio.
Svend Rønning, violinist, is Chair of the String Division at
Pacific Lutheran University and
Professor of Music. Dr. Rønning a native of the Pacific Northwest, holds a
degree in violin performance from PLU, and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Yale University. He is Concertmaster of Symphony
Tacoma, and performs frequently as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and
recording artist. Dr. Rønning is Artistic Director of the Second City Chamber
Series. He has appeared at Aspen, Eastern,
Harkness, Jerusalem, Methow, Pacific, Rhode Island, Spoleto and
Wintergreen Music festivals and served as Concertmaster of
the Charlottesville Symphony, the San Jose Symphony, the Spoleto
U.S.A. Chamber Orchestra, and the Tacoma Opera Orchestra. As
soloist, he has appeared with numerous orchestras, including
the Charlottesville Symphony, the Prague Radio Symphony, Orchestra
Seattle, and Symphony Tacoma.
Maria Sampen, violinist, performs both standard
repertoire and new experimental works, including concertos, concerts and
masterclasses, in Europe, Asia, Canada and throughout the United States. Dr.
Sampen has commissioned and premiered recent concertos and chamber works by
composers David Glenn, Marilyn Shrude, Robert Hutchinson, and by Marcos Balter,
Andrew Mead, Robert Morris, Nico Muhly and Forrest Pierce. She performed solo
recitals and masterclasses at the Sichuan Conservatory in Chengdu, China and recently
performed Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante and the premiere of David Glenn’s
“Romantic Rhapsody on Themes of Mozart” with the Walla Walla Symphony,
performances with the Turtle Island Quartet in Seattle and as a featured
chamber musician at the Icicle Creek Summer Chamber Music Institute and the
Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival. She has been featured as a soloist on KING
FM and other public radio stations across the country and has released
recordings on AMP Records, Block M Records and Perspectives in New Music/Open
Space. In addition to her work as a soloist, Sampen concertizes frequently with
her new music group, Brave New Works, as well as the IRIS Orchestra of
Tennessee, and the Puget Sound Piano Trio.
Classical Tuesdays’ next event: November 9
at 7:00pm in Slavonian Hall and virtual
Trio
Guadalevin with guest artist Guo Ke for a musical journey from Spain to Mexico!
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Monday, October 11, 2021
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Filed under: concerts
Tuesday October 12th at 7:00pm,
join us in Slavonian Hall, Old Town Tacoma for
An evening of string quartets
performed by
Maria Sampen and Svend Ronning, violins;
Tim Christie, viola; and
Alistair MacRae, cello.
Classical Tuesdays will be live, in person, in Old Town and a video will be available later on YouTube and Facebook.
For the in-person audience:
Welcome back! Come prepared to show proof of vaccination (a photo on your phone will do the trick) and wearing a mask.
We will set out a maximum of 49 chairs spread out at appropriate distance so we are all comfortable and confident of our health safety.
As much as we have enjoyed our intermissions over these many years – getting to know each other and the musicians – we will not take an intermission and will not serve coffee. Let’s play it safe so that we can enjoy this and many more live performances!
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Sunday, October 03, 2021
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Filed under: concerts
To open our 2021-22 season, the Clan Gordon Pipe Band helped us celebrate the Old Town neighborhood and Old Town businesses that support the Classical Tuesdays series of musical events. The pipers played traditional folk tunes and dances for patrons gathered at Connelly Law Offices, Ginkgo Winery, The Spar, and Old Town Wine Skins - all businesses on North 30th Street.
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
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Many thanks to Tacoma Creates, Old Town Tacoma's Connelly Law Offices, Ted Brown Music, and many individual sponsors for sustaining Classical Tuesdays through the challenging 2020-21 season. And thanks to you, our audience, for your unwavering support! We were able to bring you a full season through Zoom, Youtube, and Facebook. In fact, because of the pandemic we have a lovely cache of videos for your further enjoyment!
Below are the 2020-21 season's videos, with links to fuller information on each event.
Performing on lute, baroque guitar, original 19th century guitar and modern classical guitar, PLU Guitar and Lute faculty member Elizabeth CD Brown brings us a program based around the themes of healing and comfort, in response to the pain and stress we have experienced in the last year. Featuring music by Thomas Flippin, including a brief introduction by Thomas himself, as well as music by John Dowland, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Fernando Sor, Justin Holland, and Ida Presti. Recorded by Paul Brown.
More on Elizabeth and her performanceTacoma Poet laureate emerita Josie Emmons Turner and composer Gregory Youtz discuss and then premiere “Songs for the Spring of Waiting.” Josie’s response to the pandemic shutdown of March 2020 was an explosion of poems that ranged from gardening to students to thinking about the poet Walt Whitman and his response to crisis. Greg’s response to the poems was to set them to music as documents of this unique time. Soprano CyndiaSieden, mezzo-soprano Soon Cho and pianist Oksana Ezhokina premiere the five songs in a way that is also a document of these times- socially distanced and online!
More on the performers and the event
Greg Youtz, composer and professor of music at Pacific Lutheran University, and Zhang Er, poet, librettist, and professor at The Evergreen State College, discuss their collaboration on a 2016 opera titled "Fiery Jade" that tells of the lives of women across time and around the world, struggling in times of upheaval. And now, in 2020-21, they have again collaborated to produce a second opera titled "Tacoma Method" which portrays the 1855 expulsion of Chinese laborers, businessmen and families from Tacoma, Washington.
More on the performers and the event
Pianist Joe Williams showcased Tacoma’s Black arts community in a meditation of music, dance and poetry intended to foster reflection during the hard times of the pandemic. Recorded at the Lakewold Gardens January 2021 by Joe, dancer Celeste Reed, and videographer/producer Serena Berry.
More on the performers and the event
This was our annual benefit evening in support of Classical Tuesdays in Old Town Tacoma. Our theme this year was the celebration of love and light, featuring performances from the Puget Sound region and Hyderabad, India, by Satyajit Limaye on bamboo flute, Ashim Bhaumik on Baul vocals, Rahul Deshpande (Harmonium), Manoj Biswas (Tabla drums), and Srivani Jade (Classical Vocals).
More on the performers and the event
Maria Sampen, Professor of Violin at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, performs a concert of the classical music of our times, including music of women composers and composers of color. Accompanied by pianist Isabella Jie.
More on the performers and the event
This live multimedia Zoom event was not fully captured on video, but the trailer is on Vimeo:
Each season, Classical Tuesdays features a “new music” event by Northwest musicians. This performance provided colorful sounds from Torch layered with story-telling and visuals in Scott Kolbo’s video “Passages: A Fable in Six Cycles”.More on the performers and the event
Classical Tuesdays hosted Steel Pan performing the music of Trinidad. Led by Miho Takekawa, the group performed several selections outdoors in Tacoma’s Chinese Reconciliation Park.
More on the performers and the event
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
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Performing on lute, baroque guitar, original 19th century guitar and modern classical guitar, PLU Guitar and Lute faculty member Elizabeth CD Brown brings us a program based around the themes of healing and comfort, in response to the pain and stress we have experienced in the last year. Featuring music by Thomas Flippin, including a brief introduction by Thomas himself, as well as music by John Dowland, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Fernando Sor, Justin Holland, and Ida Presti.
Elizabeth's Bio:
Elizabeth CD Brown, lutenist, guitarist
A
specialist in standard classical guitar as well as various early guitars and
lutes, Elizabeth C. D. Brown is a very active performer in the
United States. Highlights from recent seasons include being a featured soloist
at the Northwest Guitar Festival, performing concertos by Vivaldi and Sierra
and premiering a new work for guitar and orchestra with the Seattle Symphony.
She has performed in operas by Purcell, Blow, Paisiello, Rossini and Verdi, as
well as all of Monteverdi's surviving operatic works. Elizabeth's first solo
recording, La Folia de España: Dances for Guitar, features works
for baroque, 19th century, and modern guitars, and has been praised for its
"...apparently effortless ease." (Lute News, UK) She is also featured
in the recording Dolce Desio as a member of the early music
trio Le Nuove Musiche, and in the recording Navidad: Christmas in the
New World with Seattle Pro Musica. Her second solo recording, In
Her Honor, includes music from the Princess [Queen] Anne Guitarbook and the
Elisabeth of Hesse Lutebook, as well as her own arrangements of works
by Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. An enthusiastic advocate for the
guitar and lute, Elizabeth has given numerous outreach performances at schools,
senior centers, and community centers for the Seattle Classic Guitar Society
and the Early Music Seattle, as well as by arrangement while on tour. She is
head of the Guitar and Lute program at Pacific Lutheran University, and has
taught at Cornish College of the Arts and Seattle Pacific University. See
her on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/ElizabethCDBrown or
for more information visit: www.elizabethcdbrown.com
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Monday, May 10, 2021
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Filed under: concerts, performers, video
Available from March 16 onward, we welcome the premiere of songs reflecting our reactions to the Covid-19 pandemic, Watch for the posting at YouTube.com/classicaltuesdays
Join Tacoma Poet laureate emerita Josie Emmons Turner and
composer Gregory Youtz as they discuss and then premiere “Songs for the Spring
of Waiting.” Josie’s response to the
pandemic shutdown a year ago was an explosion of poems that ranged from
gardening to students to thinking about the poet Walt Whitman and his response
to crisis. Greg’s response to the poems was to set them to music as documents
of this unique time. Soprano CyndiaSieden, mezzo-soprano Soon Cho and pianist Oksana Ezhokina will premiere the
five songs in a way that is also a document of these times- socially distanced
and online!
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| Cyndia Sieden, soprano |
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| Oksana Ezhokina, piano |
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| Soon Cho, mezzo soprano |
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| Gregory Youtz, composer |
By
Pamela Butler Ryker
on
Sunday, February 28, 2021
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