Ladies Musical Club: Songs by Berlioz & Weill; The Musical Body
Free
- Emily Riesser, soprano
- Tiina Ritalahti, soprano
- Joan Lundquist, piano
Kurt Weill — “Speak Low” from One Touch of Venus
Kurt Weill — "Surabaya Johnny" from Happy End
Kurt Weill — "Complainte de la Seine" from Trois chansons
Kurt Weill — "What Good Would the Moon Be?" from Street Scene
Paul Bowles — Blue American Ballads ("Heavenly Grass")
Traditional — Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair (arr. Chuck Israels)
Joaquín Rodrigo — Cuatro Madrigales Amatorios (II. Vos me matásteis)
Hugo Wolf — Spanisches Liederbuch, No. 12: In dem Schatten meiner Locken
Peter Warlock — Take, O take those lips away
Joaquín Turina — Tres Poemas, Op. 81 ("II. Tu pupila es azul")
Ernest Chausson — Cantique à l'Epouse, Op. 36, No. 1
Gabriel Fauré — Chanson d'amour, Op. 27, No. 1
Franz Lehár — "Meine Lippen sie Küssen so heiss" from Giuditta
Ladies Musical Club (LMC) fosters classical music among its members and in communities in the State of Washington through education, performance, and awards. LMC organizes over 50 free classical music concerts from October through May by LMC member-musicians and guests throughout Seattle and the Eastside.
About Emily Riesser, soprano
Emily Riesser's diverse experience encompasses opera, oratorio, theatre, and new works. She recently portrayed Elle in a staging of Poulenc’s one-voice opera, 'The Human Voice' (Ladies Musical Club), sang Frasquita in 'Carmen' (Kitsap Opera), and played a nun in 'Sister Act' (Tacoma Musical Playhouse). In concert, Emily is known for her interpretation of Bach cantatas, including the Wedding Cantata, which she sang recently in several venues. Favorite experiences include singing Iphigenie in Gluck’s 'Iphigenie en Tauride' (Seattle Opera Guild), Violetta in Verdi’s 'La traviata' (Kitsap Opera), Tamiri in Mozart’s 'Il re pastore' (Off-Center Opera), and soprano chorus at Seattle Opera. Emily is a graduate of Goshen College (Goshen, IN) and past participant in Bel Canto Northwest (Portland State University).
About Tiina Ritalahti, soprano
Soprano, Tiina Ritalahti holds degrees in music and vocal performance from the University of Washington. She has performed throughout Washington with Northwest Opera in Schools Etcetera (NOISE), Puget Sound Opera, Ladies Musical Club, and Puget Sound Concert Opera as well as being a featured soloist for the Finlandia Foundation. She has sung such roles as the First Spirit and Pamina in Mozart’s 'The Magic Flute', Despina in 'Cosi fan tutte', Lisa in Bellini’s 'La sonnambula', Änchen in 'Der Freischütz' by Weber, Cis in Britten’s 'Albert Herring', and Olympia in Offenbach’s 'The Tales of Hoffman'. Further she has performed in multiple operas by Menotti: 'Lucy in The Telephone', Monica in 'The Medium', and Laetitia in 'The Old Maid and the Thief'. Her passion for singing also extends to art song repertoire, which she performs regularly in recitals around Western Washington. Tiina has created unique breathing classes for young singers that combine her knowledge and experience as a massage therapist, certified yoga teacher and singer.
About Joan Lundquist, piano
Joan Lundquist has served as a collaborative pianist for Seattle area musicians and organizations for 30 years. Since moving to the area from Humboldt State University in northern California, where she was staff accompanist, Joan has worked with the Northwest Boychoir, Seattle Choral Company, has taught at Seattle University and Northwest University, and has worked with several area private music teachers. Currently, Ms. Lundquist is the Director of Music at Immanuel Lutheran Church in downtown Seattle and rehearsal accompanist for the Seattle Choral Company.