Celebrate Piano Ensemble in Concert

Music Teachers' Association of California, Santa Cruz Co. branch

What could be more lovely than listening to the sounds of a truly fine piano in a superb performance hall on a Sunday afternoon – unless it’s hearing two truly fine, perfectly matched pianos in that hall? An exciting and eclectic mix of ensemble music by Franz Schubert, George Gershwin, Johannes Brahms, Colin McPhee and others will be presented at the UCSC Music Center Recital Hall on Sunday, February 12 at 2:00 p.m. This concert is an annual fundraiser for the Talent Bank Scholarship Fund, sponsored by the Santa Cruz County branch of the Music Teachers Association, and presented in cooperation with the UCSC Music Department.

Celebrate Piano Ensemble! (CPE) brought the dynamic duo-piano team of Anderson and Roe to town just last month for a public master class covering much of the music that will be offered on this concert. Come hear their improvements in action!

Whether it’s Samuel Barber’s dance music reminiscent of the Hotel Plaza in New York, circa 1914, played by Camille Chitwood and Ellen Khayat, a brilliant Valse or passionate Romance from Rachmaninoff’s Suite no. 2 for two pianos, played by Nicki Kerns and Lynn Kidder, or the ghostly Danse Macabre by Saint-Saens, played by Diana Chau and Lucia del Guerzo, you’re sure to find something to tap your toes to. Or perhaps the Balinese Ceremonial Music, transcribed by Colin McPhee and played by Mary Jane Cope and Amy Beal will capture your imagination.

Other music on the program includes and a Fantasy on themes of Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”, arranged by Percy Grainger, played by Nicki Kerns and Lavinia Livingston; Schubert’s cherished masterpiece, the Fantasy in F minor, played by Josephine Alvarado and Vlada Volkova-Moran; the beautiful Romance from Arensky’s first Suite for Two Pianos, direct from the elegant Tsarist Russia, played by Ms. Chau and Ms. del Guerzo; and Allegro non troppo from Brahms’ Sonata for 2 pianos, op. 34b, later scored for piano quintet, played by Ivan Rosenblum and Lynn Kidder.

CPE, whose purpose is to perform and explore piano ensemble repertoire as originally written for four or eight hands on one or two pianos, as well as other combinations or arrangements, was organized over 10 years ago by members of the Santa Cruz County branch of MTAC. They perform around the county, raising money to fund music scholarships for local students in grades 2-12.

Admission: $10.00 donation to the Talent Bank Scholarship Fund. Following the concert there will be a reception in the lobby. For further information, call (831) 425-3713.