Triple Helix Master Class & Concert—March 13-14

Members of the Triple Helix Piano Trio will hold a master class at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 13 at the Blue Hill Congregational Church. The class is sponsored by the Blue Hill Concert Association. 

Lois Shapiro (piano), Bayla Keyes, (violin), and Rhonda Rider (cello) are open to working with string and piano students, individually or in chamber groups. Please contact Holly Weinberg (207-374-3546) when you have confirmation from your students. As of February 12, we are still looking for one advanced pianist and either a cellist, a violist, or a chamber group.

The Helixes will play a concert on Sunday, March 14 at 3:00 p.m. at the church. The program includes music of Beethoven, Ravel, and Babajanian.

Portland Rossini Club Concerts—March 14 & March 27

The March concert of the Portland Rossini Club will take place on Sunday,

March 14 at 3:00 p.m., at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, 143 State Street, Portland. Parking is behind the church and is accessed from Park Street.

Pianist Eric Peppe will play the Liszt Sonata in B minor, one of the major virtuoso works of the 19th century. Susan Rudy will perform the Sonata, Opus 1 by Alban Berg. Soprano Beth Harmon will sing five songs by Claude Debussy, accompanied by Susan Rudy.

The suggested donation for admission is $10 ($5 for seniors, and students free). For more information, call Richard Roberts at 207-797-8318.

On March 27 at 4:00 p.m., pianist Richard Roberts will perform at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, 143 State Street, Portland. The program will include the Partita in Bb by J.S. Bach, the “Tempest Sonata” in D minor by Beethoven, and several works by Chopin. Professor Roberts will be playing on the club’s newly restored 1939 Steinway Concert Grand.

The suggested donation for admission is $10 ($5 for seniors, and students free). For more information, call Phyllis Leeke at 207-773-2523.

Happy Birthday, Herr Bach!—March 16, 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ will celebrate J. S. Bach's 325th birthday with their annual Bach Birthday Bash on March 16. This special birthday "party" is a double feature, with the first show at 2 p.m. and the second at 7:30 p.m., both in Merrill Auditorium, Portland.

Ray Cornils will perform the famous "St. Anne" Prelude and Triple Fugue in Eb, Virgil Fox's arrangement of Bach's "Come, Sweet Death," dances from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, and "Happy Birthday" by Ronald Watson, written in the style of Bach.

Tickets are available through PortTix; call 207-842-0800 or order online. Ages 12 and under admitted free of charge but must have a ticket. The box office will be open for ticket purchase prior to the concert. A limited number of "pay what you can" tickets will be available 30 minutes before each performance.

Ocy L. Downs Biennial Piano Prize—March 20, 10:00 a.m.

Twelve advanced pianists in Grades 8-12 from throughout Maine will audition for the $500 Ocy L. Downs Biennial Piano Prize before jurors Anastasia Antonacos, Mila Filatova and George Lopez on Saturday, March 20, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Portland Conservatory of Music, 202 Woodfords Street, Portland.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Bruce Brown at 207-317-6721.

Spring Meeting & Piano Monster Program—April 10

The 2010 MMTA Spring Meeting will take place at John Street United Methodist Church in Camden, on April 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Your MMTA Handbook (pp. 14-15) includes a schedule, directions, registration form, and information about presenter Martin Perry. You may also download the registration form here. The deadline for Spring Meeting registration is March 26.

This year's Spring Meeting includes a Piano Monster Concert for students in grades 5-12, under the direction of Ginger Yang Hwalek. This is the MMTA's first Piano Monster Concert, and we hope that many students will participate! The afternoon will be devoted to rehearsing for the concert, followed by the performance at 5:15 p.m. More information will be available in the February newsletter.

Teachers may download the Piano Monster repertoire list here; all of the music is readily available online or in local music stores.

Teachers may also download the Piano Monster application, which must be postmarked by February 8. Please submit only one application that includes all participating students.

The day's events also include a session with collaborative pianist Martin Perry, who will discuss and demonstrate how students advance their studies by playing in duets and ensembles. This is a perfect match to the Monster Concert and adds another layer of information to the day's offerings. Perry is a dazzling pianist and has a great deal to contribute, so don't miss this opportunity. 

Slate of Officers—Vote at Spring Meeting on April 10

Below is the slate of officers for the term 2010-2012 as brought forward by Immediate Past-President Patty Stowell and the Nominating Committee, Nancy Riesgo and Muriel Desrosiers. We will vote on this slate at the MMTA Spring Meeting in Camden on Saturday, April 10:

• President—Holly Bartlett Weinberg
• President-Elect—Amy Maier
• Vice President for Membership—Tamara Thomas
• Co-Vice Presidents for Programs—Elizabeth Manduca and Paulina Glazman
• Vice President for Student Evaluations—(Vacant)
• Secretary—Deb Peale
• Treasurer—Dorothy Cuprak
• IMTF (Independent Music Teachers Forum)—Joanne Westin

(Posted February 9)

Chamber Music Master Class—April 17

Boston-based violist Scott Woolweaver will present a master class on April 17, 1:00-4:00 p.m., at Husson College's new Gracie Hall. Video students from Husson College will use digital video to record the performances and will play back portions of the video to view on a large screen. The screening will provide immediate feedback. This is a terrific opportunity to see what one actually looks like in performance!

The deadline for the application is March 17. The master class is offered under the auspices of Kneisel Hall; if you have any questions, please contact Dr. Patricia Stowell, Director.

See present and past issues of Music Matters, the e-newsletter of the MMTA's National Music Certificate Program.

TOP