Ladies Musical Club: "For Love of Spain!" | Chopin Waltzes & Songs

• Diane Althaus, soprano
• Joan Lundquist, piano
• Silas Berlin, piano
• Susan Payne O'Brien, soprano

Eduard Toldrà — Camins de fada
Carlos Guastavino — Meciendo
Eduard Toldrà — Platxèria
Enrique Granados — El mirar de la maja
Manuel de Falla — Tus ojillos negros
Mark Minkov — Landscape
Hector Berlioz — Zaïde, H. 107
Johannes Brahms — Spanisches Lied, Op. 6, No. 1
Emmanuel Chabrier — España
Frédéric Chopin — Three Waltzes, Op. 34
Giacomo Puccini — "Sole e amore" from La bohème
Giacomo Puccini — Morire?, SC 89
Giacomo Puccini — "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" from La rondine
Giacomo Puccini — E l'uccellino canta sulla fronda
Cécile Chaminade — Ma première lettre
Cécile Chaminade — Viens, mon bien-aimé

Come join us for "For the Love of Spain!" with soprano Diane Althaus and pianist Joan Lundquist, followed by "Chopin Waltzes for Piano" and "Songs by Puccini and Chaminade" featuring soprano Susan Payne O'Brien and pianist Silas Berlin. Presented by the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle.

About Ladies Musical Club of Seattle

http://www.lmcseattle.org/

About Diane Althaus, soprano

Singing is an essential part of life for Diane Althaus, and sharing it with others is a joy. She organized and sang in an opera ensemble program, including music from Simon Boccanegra, Cosi Fan Tutte, Martha, and Carmen. She and her husband, baritone Mike Dodaro, have sung duet programs of opera arias and art songs, and performed in various local venues, including Stage7. Diane sang in Puccini's Butterfly in a local opera company, the Countess in a duet from The Marriage of Figaro and Desiree in Sondheim's A Little Night Music. Pergolesi's Stabat Mater is her favorite sacred music.

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.

About Silas Berlin, piano

Silas Berlin is a classical pianist with a rounded approach. Classically trained from the age of six, Silas discovered jazz while in high school and later found that he "re-discovered" classical music by way of the jazz music in which he was ensconced. Silas takes great pleasure in realizing the ways in which music is connected. He believes that discovering those connections naturally cultivates and propels intrigue and passion for music, and certainly aids in the appreciation, understanding and love of classical music.

Silas holds a Bachelor’s of Music from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, where he studied with renowned pianist and teacher Peter Mack. Silas is a competition medalist, winning the silver medal in both the 2020 Seattle Bach festival and the 2020 Russian Music Competition with his performance of Alexander Scriabin's 4th Sonata. While piano technique is naturally key to learning the instrument, Silas firmly believes that knowledge of music theory can only benefit one's playing, and was hired as a music theory tutor by Cornish.

Silas derives great pleasure from teaching piano and enjoys tackling the tricky issue of playing the piano with each individual student, through their unique needs and wants. It is often that the teacher learns from the student, and it is in those special moments that Silas is especially reminded of the joy that comes with playing and teaching piano.

About Susan Payne O'Brien, soprano

https://susanpayneobrien.com/