Friday, February 9, 2024 @ 7:30pm – 8:30pm (PST)
Music Center of the Northwest, Seattle, WA, United States

About Ladies Musical Club of Seattle

Formed in 1891, the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to foster classical music amongst our members and in the community through education, performance, and awards. We do this by offering music and education programs to people of all ages and diverse backgrounds in Seattle and across Washington State.

About the Frances Walton Competition: For nearly 40 years, the LMC's Frances Walton Competition has provided a unique opportunity for Classical musicians ages 20 to 35 to audition for an award package including generous cash prizes; a live performance on Classical KING, one of the premier classical music stations in the U.S.; and an outreach and recital tour of locations throughout Washington State.

http://www.lmcseattle.org/

About Katie Hochman, soprano

Soprano Katie Hochman enjoys performing recitals, opera and opera scenes through the Ladies Musical Club and Puget Sound Concert Opera. Highlights for the soprano have been the title role of Massenet's Cendrillon and soloist in La Damoiselle Élue both with Puget Sound Concert Opera. Katie has previously sung with Portland Opera, Utah Opera, Willamette Concert Opera, Opera Theater Oregon, and Rainier Family Opera. She has also enjoyed orchestral work as soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah, Fauré's Requiem, Haydn's Creation, and Mozart's Exultate, Jubilate.

About Karin McCullough, piano

Karin McCullough took the less-traveled road to a music career. A serious pianist while growing up in Illinois, she suppressed her aspirations and instead became a paralegal. One day she was asked to accompany opera singers at a Fremont Bistro—a weekly engagement lasting 5 years. By then her popularity as an accompanist, soloist and piano teacher let her trade her life as a paralegal for that of a full-time musician. Karin is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music in Piano. Karin maintains a flourishing piano studio in Ballard and performs frequently in the Seattle area. She is an active volunteer and member of Seattle Music Teachers Association (SMTA), Principal Organizer for the local chapter of Bach in the Subways, and has served on the boards of SMTA and Musical Experiences, a nonprofit classical music education organization. Karin is the pianist for Third Church of Christ, Scientist.

http://Bachinthesubways.com

About Julie Shankland, clarinet

Julie Shankland has played clarinet since marching band in the Ohio snow. Since moving to Washington, Julie has played in the UW Concert Band, Eastside Symphony, West Seattle Community Orchestras, Rain City Symphony, and various chamber music camps. Julie is an adult student of Jennifer Nelson and recently learned to play bass clarinet. Julie works in the Office of General Counsel at the Washington State Bar Association.

About Eric Shankland, bassoon

Eric Shankland has been playing bassoon since age 15. He played in the NCR band and the Youth Philharmonic in Dayton, Ohio. He studied with Arthur Grossman and played in the University Symphony at the University of Washington, and currently studies with Paul Rafanelli of the Seattle Symphony. He was principal bassoon in the Eastside Symphony (Redmond) for fifteen years. Eric is a research scientist at the University of Washington.

About Emily Riesser, soprano

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 Cary Lee, tenor

Originally from Orlando, Cary Lee has been living and working in Seattle ever since earning his Bachelor's of Music in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University in 2012. Cary has also performed as a guest artist with the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle and is a regular church soloist with the First United Methodist Church of Seattle. He also enjoys singing with small choral ensembles; he was a founding member of Sound City Singers and has been a guest performer with Radiance. Cary is a student of Stephen Wall.

https://www.caryme.com/

About Emily Acri, violin

Violinist Dr. Emily Acri was born and raised in Chicago's North Shore. She received her undergraduate training from Indiana University, studying with Mimi Zweig. She studied with Danielle Belen at the University of Michigan to earn her Master's, and completed her Doctorate of Music with Ron Patterson at the University of Washington. Throughout much of the pandemic, she worked as an ArtistYear Fellow in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado, integrating music into the academic school day. She worked as an Elementary Music Educator and was a violin teacher with Aspen Music Festival and School's AfterWorks Beginning Strings Program. She performed as concertmaster of the High Country Sinfonia Ensemble, and performed in various chamber ensembles that provided concerts for the community. Emily regularly performs solo and ensemble works from the Baroque era to the music of today. Her teaching experience spans from beginning students to young artists, with specific interests in coaching chamber music and orchestral repertoire. Emily attributes her musical inspiration to her late Grandfather, Robert Acri, a legendary Chicago pianist.

About Mary Riles, cello

Mary Riles received her BA in Classics and BM in Cello Performance from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Andor Toth, Jr.; and her Masters of Music from the Ester Boyer College of Music at Temple University, where she studied with Jeffrey Solow, whom she met as an award student at the Chautauqua Music Festival. She then relocated to Seattle, Washington, where she provides private cello instruction and chamber coaching. Mary has performed with a variety of Seattle area ensembles, including NOCCO, Seattle Modern Orchestra, the Sound Ensemble, and Thalia Symphony Orchestra. She is currently principal cellist of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra. She has additionally been involved in many performances of both solo and chamber works in St. Louis, Ohio, Texas, New York, Philadelphia, and Juneau.

https://www.nocco.org/mary-riles

Music Center of the Northwest

901 North 96th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
United States

https://www.musiccenternw.org
(206) 526-8443