First Substack Newsletter!
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Hello and welcome! These newsletters will be just like the ones on Mailchimp except hopefully they will actually be delivered to your inbox. Important: this is a free newsletter. Any requests to become a paid subscriber were put there by Substack, not by me. No need to pay, just many thanks for reading!
In today’s edition we have a recap of the latest SONOSYNTHESIS performance and some upcoming performance highlights - one of which is a career highlight it will be hard to top, so don’t miss that one!
SONOSYNTHESIS: La Vie est Belle Recap
Linda Blondel and I enjoyed a beautiful afternoon of mostly French music benefitting the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank at Cove Church on Saturday, May 17.
We were grateful for an open-hearted, enthusiastic audience and a blue sky perfect for showcasing the hills and flora outside the windows complete with birdsong and train whistles that happened at just the right moments.
I took the donation to the BRAFB today and got a tour of their Charlottesville warehouse, so stay tuned for an update about how many meals our concert provided in a future email!
If you missed the concert you can view the program and poster here:
Up Next: Bruckner Mass in D minor | June 8, 11 AM, First Presbyterian Church
I have had some of my most memorable musical moments during the combined choir and orchestra pieces under the direction of Jeremy Thompson at First Pres, and I’m sure this year will be no exception! Here’s what they have to say about this upcoming performance:
On Sunday, June 8, the First Presbyterian Church choir will be joined by a professional orchestra, guest choir, and soloists for a special musical presentation during the 11:00am worship service. Together, they will present a rarely heard performance of Anton Bruckner’s early masterpiece, Mass in D Minor.
Composed in 1864, this rich and stirring work blends the grandeur of symphonic writing with the intimacy of worship — a powerful experience of beauty, reverence, and praise.
Biggest News: Principal at Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival this year!
I’ve been playing with the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival since 2018 but this year I’m playing principal! And what a year it is to do so!
Noon Chamber Concert: Wednesday, June 11
These Noon Concerts are free and take place at Asbury United Methodist Church. Each day this year brings a thematic, curated program and I’ll be playing on the “New Paths” concert. Joined by flutist Shannon Vendzura and pianist Lise Keiter we’ll be showcasing living woman composer Yuko Uebayashi with her sublime, sonorous work Town Light. It was the first piece I ever heard by her and it won me over right away!
Festival I: Friday, June 13 at 7:30 PM, Lehman Auditorium, EMU
This one is the big guns. This year’s Festival I concert is a chamber orchestra, and they’ve chosen some of my favorites.
Starburst Jessie Montgomery
Brandenburg Concerto no.5 in D major, BWV 1050. J.S. Bach
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer) Gustav Mahler
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune Claude Debussy
Suite from Appalachian Spring Aaron Copland
That’s right, friends. Brandenburg 5 AND Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun AND Appalachian Spring. I would have been stoked to play any one of those but all three at once? Be still my heart.
Festival II: Saturday, June 14 at 7:30 PM, Lehman Auditorium, EMU
This concert opens with the flute-less Bach Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C Major but is followed by the tremendous German Requiem by Brahms. An experience every music lover should have in their lifetime!
2024-2025 Lesson Year concludes Sunday, June 1!
My students will showcase their hard work this Sunday at our studio recital. I have several new students, some old students on new instruments, and several noteworthy performances. Linda Blondel will be joining four of my flute students including music by Lili Boulanger, Telemann, and Massenet. I have a pianist who I barely feel I can take credit for who will be playing a stunning piece by Fauré, and I’ll be playing a flute duet one of my students fell in love with to wrap the whole thing up!
With deep gratitude for your support…
Thank you for reading these newsletters. If they don’t suit your inbox, you’re always welcome to unsubscribe but for those of you who stay tuned, please know it helps make my world go ‘round. I wish you all a peaceful conclusion to the month of May and hope the summer brings whatever it is you need most. As always, a Beagle for your troubles.
