Patricia and Michael Frederick have updated their website and posted necessary info for the spring concerts. Artists who will be performing (along with a specific piano from their collection) have been listed.

Spring 2006 Series

I attended a few concerts for the first time last fall and was totally impressed and captivated by the artists who performed in the fall series. My only regret has been in taking so long to discover this treasure that has existed for the past 20 years and within an easy hour drive from where I reside.


I urge local members to mark the dates on their calendar and prepare to be overwhelmed by the talents of the artists and the true joy of listening to classical music "live"!!!

Just a reminder for any local members interested in attending the first concert in the spring 2006 series in Ashburnham.

I plan to be in attendance and look forward to meeting up with some of my local piano buddies.

Today’s opening concert sponsored by Patricia and Michael Frederick, marks the 21st year in which they have provided local residents a rare opportunity to enjoy a live classical performance. Besides featuring a guest performer, a piano from the Frederick collection is transferred from the study hall to the church for each performance.

The piano selected from the Frederick collection for today’s performance was a Streicher (Vienna) from 1846.

I would like to extend a special thank you to today’s guest performer, Shuann Chai. This was Shuann’s first performance at the Historical Piano Concert in Ashburnham MA. After reading her lengthy bio, I felt extremely fortunate being present for her performance.

I sat a few rows back watching her graceful virtuoso performance and delighted in listening to her expressive musicality that captivated and delighted the entire audience.


Shuann performed works by Beethoven; Sonata Op. 101 Amaj and other works published by Beethoven but later transcribed by Liszt. Her program ended with Schumann’s Fantasy, Op. 17 in C maj.

Here are a couple of pics of Shuann taken after her performance;





I must add, her performance was as beautiful as her smile!


And here is the bio taken from the program booklet:

Boston-based pianist Shuann Chai’s recent engagements include recitals at Steinway Hall (Seattle), King’s Chapel (Boston), St. Peters Church (New York City), and collaborative concerts on the prestigious Embassy Series in Washington DC and the Norwegian Seamen’s Church (New York City) with cellist Aage Kvalbein. She has performed across the globe from Beijing, China (as a Guest Artist at Qinghua University) to Kiev, Ukraine (where she was the soloist for performances of the Schumann A minor and Tchaikovsky B-flat major Concertos), and has played live on WGBH Boston (with cellist Pieter Wispelwey), NPR, and Radio-Sherbrooke. In recent years she has expanded her experience to include compelling performances on a range of historical instruments in addition to her work on the modern piano. As a harpsichordist she has been broadcast on Radio-Canada and performed at Boston’s historical Old South Meeting House and the Harpsichord Gallery outside of Atlanta, and in the past year Shuann has performed over 100 concerts and lecture-recitals in public libraries, museums, and senior communities on both the modern piano and her 1775 Stein fortepiano replica by Philip Belt.
Upcoming appearances include a 6-concert tour with the MiN Ensemble of Norway and solo recitals at the Cobbe Collection Series (Surrey, England), the Axminster Concert Series (Devon, England), The Gallery Concerts of Seattle, the Helikon Festival (Belgium), and the University of California at Davis. Shuann completed her undergraduate work in her hometown at Oberlin College, majoring in Piano Performance and Biology. After choosing music over medical school, she moved to Boston to study at the New England Conservatory. Presently Shuann is completing a Ph.D in Musicology at Brandeis University, where she was awarded the Gershwin Foundation Prize. When time allows, she and her husband David enjoy reading, cooking, and cheering for the Boston Red Sox.

Terry, now I am really sad for having had to miss it. It sounds like it was a great musical experience.

Reminder:

There are two concerts this upcoming weekend, June 17th & 18th.

Serge Rachmannov will be playing an all Schubert concert on both days.

Saturday's recital will be proceeded by a lecture and light dinner. This event starts at 4:00 pm on Saturday at the Piano study center, and both concerts are at 7:00 pm at the nearby church.

Tickets are $10 per person for the concert only, with students and children free.

I will be there, and I look forward to seeing other local members there as well.

John

Wow with those high ceilings, and wood floors, I bet the sound in there is pretty vibrant..
She is pretty and looks like a passionate player. What a nice piano with that wood so well stained, and the lines are really cool...
thanks for sharing..