Newly released CD from Gail Olszewski - Northern Lights: Finnish Favorites
The music on the opening concert of the Thursday Musical Artist Series is mostly French, a bit Finnish and promises to be Fabulous. This September 26th concert at 10:30 am is free, so invite a friend to MacPhail’s Antonello Hall. Before the concert, mark the beginning of the season and reconnect with friends at the complimentary Silver Tea Reception in the lobby beginning at 9:30 am.
Our high school vocal scholarship winner, soprano Sara Shiff, will lead off with the irresistible rhythms of Bizet’s Ouvre ton coeur, an audience favorite that Sara performed at the Brevard Music Center this summer. Clarinetist Amelia Smith will make her Thursday Musical Artist debut with her favorite French repertoire with fellow Artist and pianist Matthew Harikian (a former TM scholarship winner). Amelia has quickly established herself as an influential teacher in the west metro and she brings extensive chamber music experience to our stage. Welcome, Amelia! To break up this French feast, pianist Gail Olszewski will offer up Finnish composers featured on her newly released CD, Northern Lights: Finnish Favorites. Yes, there is Finnish music beyond Sibelius, and Gail will introduce us to the late Romantic music of Oskar Merikanto, Ilmari Hannikainen, Leevi Madetoja, Selim Palmgren and Erkki Melartin. I am intrigued to hear this and grateful to Gail for bringing these composers into the light.
Flutist Russell Dedrick will conclude the program with the iconic Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio by French pianist/composer Claude Bolling. Russell, a tireless promoter of student musicians for Thursday Musical, will share the stage with pianist Laura Stone-Jeraj and drummer Andrew Meyerding and Case Meyerding, bass. Jean-Pierre Rampal’s recording of this classical crossover piece —it swings with a Baroque sensibility—made a huge splash in the 70s and it still has power to captivate audiences.
See you at MacPhail on September 26th! Bring a friend and enjoy.
Kristine Denton
Vice President, Artist Series