Fall 2023 Newsletter
I hope this fall finds you all well in body and spirit. This is the first newsletter I’ve ever written! I’m always so focused on what I’m doing that I forget to let people know about it. Recently I’ve had enough people ask me to keep them updated that I thought it might be a good idea to start writing a quarterly newsletter (we’ll see if I can stick to that!).
As many of you know, the past couple of years have been filled with health challenges for me. After battling Long Covid for almost a year and learning to live with an inner ear disorder, I am finally feeling like myself again this fall—full of energy, enthusiasm, and a better understanding of how to take care of myself and find balance (both literal and metaphorical).
Getting back to some level of normalcy has felt miraculous and given me a completely new appreciation for music and life that I hope will never dissipate. I’m always happy to share more about my experience, or to offer encouragement, a sympathetic ear, and/or advice to anyone going through similar challenges, so please feel free to reach out.
In November and December, I’m looking forward to some exciting collaborations, sharing wonderful music, and reconnecting with many friends and colleagues. I'm especially excited for two solo/song recital concerts with Left Coast Ensemble on November 12 and 19 (more information below). I hope to catch up with many of you at one or several of these events!
Some Recent News
I’m thrilled to have recently joined the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players (SFCMP) as an official member of the ensemble. Last year, I also officially joined the roster of Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. SFCMP and Left Coast are both long-time Bay Area institutions that I’ve looked up to for many, many years, so I’m very excited to begin my tenure with them both.
I’ve been playing cello/piano concerts again with my multi-talented husband Emanuel Evans. Emanuel and I met as undergraduates at Bard Conservatory of Music and started playing together soon after. He’s been busy pursuing other interests as a software engineer, but has recently come back to the cello in a more regular way. It’s been a joy to play together again. Keep an eye out for our concerts on Groupmuse if you’re local to the Bay Area. (Unfortunately, we had to cancel a few recently due to minor illness and a death in the family, but we will do more!).
Sadly, the Delphi Trio which I joined in 2019, has made the very difficult decision to disband. It was an absolute privilege to work with my colleagues Liana Bérubé and Tanya Tomkins the last three years and I will cherish those memories for a long time to come. I know we’ll all remain friends and work together in various capacities in future years, so it’s a bittersweet ending.
Upcoming Events
November 9 and 10, New York, NY
Federation of Art Song with Chordless Duo
I’ve been thrilled to reunite with my duo partner, Sara LeMesh, this week. We made it into the semi-finals of the Federation of Art Song’s 2023 competition and will be competing on November 9 in New York (tomorrow!). If we make it into the finals, we’ll be giving a public performance on November 10 at Miller Recital Hall at the Manhattan School of Music. We’re presenting songs by some of our favorite composers: Johannes Brahms, William Grant Still, Lili Boulanger, and Lazar Weiner, to name a few. Fingers crossed!
November 12 (Berkeley) and 19 (San Francisco)
Art Song and Keyboard Music of California
Left Coast Ensemble at the California Festival
Read the NY Times write-up on the new California Festival!
I’m particularly excited about this program where I’ll be playing works for solo piano and join Left Coast’s incredible soprano Nikki Einfeld in a mini song recital of women composers from California. Join us for a varied program with some heart-on-sleeve songs from the early 20th century, a pot roast recipe from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and comic pieces for narration and piano.
The solo pieces I’ll be playing never fail to make me smile—Henry Cowell’s Three Irish Legends and Gabriella Smith’s Imaginary Pancake (yes, the piece is as delightful as its title). It’s just a ton of fun to throw myself into this music - that’s actually not a metaphor for either piece!
December 1, San Francisco, CA
Concerts at 405 Shrader with cellist Jennifer Kloetzel
Jennifer Kloetzel and I started playing together last year when we premiered and recorded Richard Aldag’s Cello Sonata. (I also recorded his Piano Sonata for this album which I believe will be coming out in the next year or so). Since then, Jennifer and I have been having a blast digging up amazing music for cello and piano by women composers. This concert will be our first outing with some of the repertoire we’ve discovered. Composers include Nadia Boulanger, Amy Beach, Mel Bonis, and Elena Ruehr. We’re excited to see where this project will go!
December 16, San Francisco, CA
Opus 2 - Bay Area Arts Alliance at Center for New Music
I'll be a guest with the new Bay Area Arts Alliance, performing Gabriella Smith's Imaginary Pancake and joining soprano Megan Cullen in Arnold Schoenberg's incredible romantic song cycle 4 Lieder, Op. 2. No ticket link for this one yet, but I'll post it on my website and socials!